Thailand anti-government protests show no signs of slowing

[icymist]

Source: CNN

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Vowing to press on until they boot the Thai Prime Minister, anti-government protesters on Sunday stormed the state television studios and a police club compound hoping to find Yingluck Shinawatra.

They also attempted to force their way to the government headquarters, but police fired tear gas to disperse them.

Sunday's developments were the latest in a relentless campaign to oust Yingluck.

The prime minister was not at the police club compound as she was rumored to be when demonstrators stormed in.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/01/world/asia/thailand-protests/index.html

[iandhr]

1. This seem to happen every few years in Thailand.

[grantcart]

2. How much longer will the Thais have to suffer from the Shinawatra gang.

Yingluck Shinawatra is presiding over one of the most cynical political plays ever launched. An entire government dedicated to one proposition: Obtaining amnesty for her convicted criminal brother so that they can retrieve the $ 2 billion the courts have taken and so that he can return and run the government instead of through his idiot sister.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Protesters-to-continue-fighting-against-Yingluck-g-30221098.html

[warrant46]

3. She however was elected in a free election

The political divide underscores social divisions between Yingluck Shinawatra supporters, who are mainly from rural areas, and their opponents, who are mostly metropolitan and middle class.
However, Ms Yingluck’s populist policies have ensured the Pheu Thai party a commanding majority in parliament, making her likely to win any forthcoming election.

Born in Chiang Mai Province into a wealthy family of Chinese descent. Yingluck Shinawatra earned a bachelor's degree from Chiang Mai University and a master's degree from Kentucky State University, both in public administration.

In May 2011, the Pheu Thai Party, nominated Yingluck as their candidate for Prime Minister in the 2011 general election.The Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory, winning 265 seats in the 500 seat House of Representatives of Thailand.




Yingluck Shinawatra

[grantcart]

7. Lol what garbage

"Free Election"

First they were not a 'wealthy family'. Her brother was a key police officer when Chieng May was ground zero for the world heroin trade. Taksin magically becomes one of the wealthiest people in the country.

He goes into private business 'business' and turns millions into billions.

He joins a reformist party and later leaves it to start his own party. He then took vote buying to unprecedented levels (and alll the reformers who used to be his associates are now his biggest enemies).

As Prime Minister he passes a special law which allows him to sell his communication company to Singapore, which he does the next day for $ 2 billion.

He is eventually forced out, arrested and found guilty and the court takes the $ 2 billion he was found to have stolen in corrupt ractices.

He has since thrown millions into buying elections at an unprecedented level. Instead of train tickets and 500 Baht folks from the North and Northeast obtained plain ticket and 1500 Baht.

Yingluck receives her orders daily from her brother and is univerally laughed at as someone with less intelligence than Sarah Palin. Because they bought their way in with victories in the North and NorthEast where vote buying is well established (and lost in South/Central where it is rare) Taksin's party can ride out no confidence votes.

Phua Thai is a ONE ISSUE PARTY. Amnesty so Taksin can come back and get his $ 2 billion. That is what these protests are about.

The Phua Thai party has been exposed and has lost favor, even in the areas where it has purchased its support. No one thinks that they could win a "fair" election.

Even among those that support Thaksin no one thinks Yingluk is anything more than an empty headed sit in, she is a national embarassment.

Like many fascist movements Phua Thai has given lip service to populist sounding promises, breaking their promise on most of them and carrying out only those that allow them to recoup directly by putting money in their pockets (car subsidy for example). Lile other stongman parties that have promised populace policies they have guaranteed their failure by not seeking taxes that would pay for them.

But what would you expect from a family that made its wealth from Heroin, used the government to pocket billions, engaged in flagrant vote buying and murdered thousands? To use the word 'free elections' in any connection with the murderous Taksin Party and puppets is ludicrous.

[grahamhgreen]

13. Must read post, thanks!

[Silver Gaia]

17. Thanks for the explanation.

It all sounds nutty to me. Neither side has an appealing position, IMO.

[Silver Gaia]

4. My daughter is living and working in Bangkok right now,

so I've been hearing a lot about this, and trying to follow what's going on, but understanding their politics is a confusing endeavor for me. I get that one side wants the PM to resign, and why, but what then? They seem to have no plan beyond that. According to what she told me, the Democrats (the "yellows," my daughter said), want the PM to resign, and they are, as someone here said, educated middle-class to elite urbanites. The "red-shirts" want the PM to stay. They are largely uneducated poor people from rural areas. They know about the corruption, but don't care, because they think both the PM and her brother did good things for them. Normally, I would be on the side of the poor folks, but this seems topsy-turvy to how I am used to thinking. My daughter says she hasn't been able to go to work for a week now, and is still being told to stay home. She works at the Royal Palace, and evidently, the King is a "yellow." They've been told to wear yellow to work in December (each month has a color theme for dress, so this isn't unusual). I'm worried about her, but she says she is safe and not to worry. So, the "anti-government" people and the King are in alignment, from how it sounds. Heck, I don't know what to think! LOL My daughter says things are relatively quiet in the area of the city where she lives, and she feels safe out on the streets. She was going out to dinner last night, and was not worried at all about her safety. I AM worried, though, but am doing my best not to be a worry-wart Mom. It isn't easy, though.

[davidpdx]

5. I have a friend who has traveled all over the world and lived in several different countries

including Thailand. He was there for the big riots a number of years ago. I saw a video on Youtube he took during the riots. I don't think I would have been ballsy enough to be out anywhere near that stuff (though he said the Thais were not targeting foreigners, they were mad at the government).

We here in Korea have our problems from time to time with the little fat monster up north causing trouble. I've been here through three missile launches and two nuclear tests. Usually it looks much worse from the outside than it really is. I know that's not much comfort, but I'm sure if your daughter really thought she was in danger she'd go to one of the neighboring countries.

[Silver Gaia]

6. Thanks for your response, davidpdx.

She's there to work as a teacher at the Chitralada School on the grounds of the Royal Palace, so even though she isn't Thai, I would think that makes her position a little different from just a regular foreigner. And the fact that they'd been told to wear yellow clothes to work was worrisome to me, since that is the color of the Democrats, so it would make her appear to be aligned with that side when out in public. They do provide them with a ride to work, though, and I suppose she could always change clothes before going home. When she is at work, she is under the protection of the Palace Guard, so that's good. She told me today, though, that they've been told to stay home from work until December 11th, so maybe things will be calmed down by then. It's good to know that they are trying to keep them safe by having them stay home. (She's one of about a dozen young Americans who are teachers at the palace.)

[grantcart]

9. Yellow is not the color of Democrats

Although all Democrats would wear yellow.

Generally speaking yellow designates respect for the King.

In the more recent context yellow represents the broad coalition of people (some supporting a particular party and some not) who want anyone but the convicted criminal Thaksin who has blood on his hands.

[Silver Gaia]

16. Thanks. You're right.

I was just going on what she had said, but this makes more sense.

[davidpdx]

10. If I were her I wouldn't wear yellow out in public since it is a political issue

The way I see it is even though she works for the palace, as a foreigner she should not be making any political statements either implicitly and explicitly. If they want her to wear yellow at work, then they should provide her with a place to change. The laws there are probably very different from here.

As a foreigner in Korea, we are forbidden to take part in political activities if we are on a teaching visa. The family visas class (which I have one) is a little more open and we have to follow the same rules as the Koreans.

[Silver Gaia]

15. I agree!

They are saying it is just the "color of the month," which is something they do each month (why? I have no idea). Evidently, the color for December was already chosen before the protests, and is probably, as grantcart pointed out, because it's a sign of respect for the King, and they are celebrating his birthday this month (right now, actually). But I am afraid it will look political, nonetheless. She'll be picked up and transported to work, so no one will really see her until she is on the palace grounds, but she needs to change before she leaves, IMO, and will tell her that.

[davidpdx]

19. I saw a report on the news today

It looked like things were getting a bit calmer down there. We expatriates tend to be pretty tough bunch. If you ever get a chance to go down to the southern part I highly recommend checking out Koh Phi Phi Island.

[Silver Gaia]

20. It is calmer right now

because they're all making nice and have called a truce while they celebrate the King's birthday. The protestors have said they'll be back at it as of December 5th. I hope not, but they probably will.

I haven't gotten a chance to visit her there yet. I had thought about trying to go in December, but with the way things are, I'm kinda glad I didn't buy a ticket for this month!

[grantcart]

8. see reply #7

[warrant46]

11. The 1% in Thailand want their boot heel on the poor

They can't win an election so they want another coup to install a puppet

[warrant46]

12. Insurrection warrant issued for Suthep

Bangkok Post Published: 2 Dec 2013 at 19.44

The Criminal Court on Monday has issued an arrest warrant for anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban on charges of insurrection, Pol Maj Gen Chayut Thanathaweerat, deputy chief of the Metropolitan...

Warrants relating to the seizure of state buildings are also out for four other core members of anti-government protests - Nithithorn Lamleua, Uthai Yodmanee, Ratchayut Sirayothinpakdi and Pichit Chaimongkol.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Bangkok truce as police swap teargas for red roses

In a surreal turn of events, after days of fighting that left at least five dead and hundreds more injured, Thai police swapped teargas and water cannons for hugs and red roses in Bangkok on Tuesday as the embattled government opened its doors to protesters in a possible truce.

The largely tactical move was seen as an attempt to defuse political tensions ahead of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 86th birthday on Thursday. But protest leaders said the peace was only temporary, and that fighting would carry on "as long as it takes" until the prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and her government are ousted from power.

After a night of fighting between demonstrators and police in which rubbish trucks and bulldozers were rammed into barriers and fireworks and rockets were fired at officers, the mood on Tuesday had turned to jubilant.

Police stood down and dismantled barriers and razor wire, resulting in protesters wandering freely among previously secured buildings and snacking on the lawn of the prime minister's offices. Policemen handed out red roses, posed for photos and sang love songs on ukuleles, while others snoozed in the shade. "We're done here," one policeman said with a smile. "We're going home."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/03/bangkok-protests-truce-police-roses-hugs

[Silver Gaia]

18. Yes, now it's time to celebrate the King's birthday!

So, they all have to play nice for a few days. Evidently, he is supposed to make a speech, and it is rumored that he may make some sort of statement about the political situation. Hopefully, whatever he says will ease tension, rather than increase it.

[Silver Gaia]

21. Thailand: Political crisis timeline

This is from the Bangkok Post, which I have been reading daily about these political protests. For anyone interested, this timeline details events from 2006 to the present.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/383964/thailand-political-crisis-timeline

[Silver Gaia]

22. Latest News: PM dissolved the House of Representatives on Monday

Two articles about this linked below, one from Time and one from the Bangkok Post (lots of photos and a video at this link):

http://world.time.com/2013/12/08/thai-pm-yingluck-dissolves-parliament-but-tensions-remain-high/

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/383957/pm-dissolves-house-but-anti-thaksin-protest-continues


Tuesday's article from the Bangkok Post below (more videos):

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/384114/teary-eyed-yingluck-won-t-resign-pdrc-maintains-pressure