[Onthebarricades] THAILAND: PAD protests, October 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* In Thai hearlands, anger over protests (IHT)
* Redshirt protesters target Democrat Party
* 27 Oct - summit moved to avoid protests
* 20 Oct - protest against police brutality
* 22 Oct - Thai PM flees shoe-throwing protesters at Government House
* Redshirts target army chief
* Protest snippets
* 20 Oct - protesters call for ousting of PM
* 19 Oct - man dies of heart attack during protest
* 13 Oct - protests called off for now
* Human Rights Watch calls on both sides to avoid violence
* 14 Oct - Thai queen attends protester funeral
* Govt supporters protest Chiang Mai doctors
* 7 Oct - two dead, dozens injured in clashes between PAD and police 
near parliament
* Protests disrupt Thai tourism





http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/13/asia/thai.php

In Thai heartland, anger over protests

By Seth Mydans
Published: October 13, 2008

BAN HUAY CHAN, Thailand: When he was a young man, Damneun Pangsopha 
worked for a while in a doll factory in the big city, Bangkok, and he 
didn't like it.
"They think differently from the people here in Isaan," he said, 
referring to the rural heartland of Thailand's northeast. "In Bangkok 
it's all work and pressure, work and pressure. Not like here, where life 
is slower. Fish in the river, rice in the field."
The rice is ripening now in this village 400 kilometers, or 250 miles, 
northeast of Bangkok. As the farmers wait for the harvest, they gather 
in the mornings to pass the time, and they are angry.
"The people of Isaan are people, too," said Damneun, 48, who is now a 
farmer, like most people in this small village. "We also eat rice, and 
we also have an education, and they can't insult us like this."
The insult comes from the leaders of an anti-government protest in 
Bangkok who say that rural voters are misguided and ignorant. In the 
hope of changing the balance of political power, the protesters have put 
forward a new plan that would weaken those rural voices.

Huge crowds have barricaded the prime minister's office in Bangkok for 
nearly seven weeks in what has become Thailand's most severe crisis in 
years, splitting the country along social, economic and political lines.
More than 400 people were left injured and at least two were killed 
after tear-gas-filled clashes between the police and demonstrators last 
Tuesday.
As the protesters see it, Damneun and rural people like him are the root 
of the country's problems. It is largely their vote - making them the 
biggest constituency in Thailand - that has kept the political 
opposition from power.
The proposed solution is to dilute the influence of rural voters by 
creating a mostly appointed Parliament that might better represent the 
aspirations and needs of a traditional urban, middle-class elite.
"That's not democracy," said Sawai Marongrit, 56, another farmer. "They 
can't win, so they try to find another way to fight. Because if we have 
an election, they'll lose again."
The farmers gathered in the shade here in Khon Kaen Province swagger a 
bit when they talk of their political clout. In the last election, in 
December, the party that won the rural vote, the People Power Party, 
took 233 of 480 parliamentary seats. It formed a six-party government 
coalition that makes up two-thirds of the legislature.
"If the Isaan people don't vote for them, the Democrats will never have 
a chance to win," said Sawai, referring to the main opposition party.
To put it another way, said Damneun, "The only way they'll ever win is 
if all the people of Isaan drop dead."
Thailand is sometimes described as two nations - Bangkok, and everything 
else. About 10 percent of the country's population of 65 million lives 
in the capital, and that number expands by several million when migrant 
workers, mostly from the north and northeast, are counted. Nearly a 
third of the Thai population lives in Isaan.
On election days, the city's taxi drivers and laborers and housekeepers 
and street vendors and factory workers head home to Isaan to vote, 
draining the streets of much of their life.
Wooed by populist programs like low-cost health care and cheap loans, 
the rural poor came together in support of Thaksin Shinawatra, who 
transformed Thai politics during six years as prime minister.
Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006 and is now in London, where he has 
fled to evade corruption lawsuits. But the rural base he created remains 
solid, and his supporters control the government.
"The people of Isaan and the poor people everywhere all like Thaksin," 
said Prasart Pangsopa, 54, who breeds cows and grows long beans, red 
chilies and rice.
The farmers here are one element in the destabilizing divisions that 
have become sharper and more emotional as the Bangkok protests continue.
The protesters, calling themselves the People's Alliance for Democracy, 
are a diverse mix of royalists, military officers, business owners, 
social activists, students and middle-class homemakers whose common 
ground is a passionate discontent with the state of the nation.
These passions showed themselves last week when doctors at a Bangkok 
hospital said they would refuse to treat police officers wounded in the 
clash with protesters.
Separately, the pilot of a Thai Airways plane refused to fly three 
members of Parliament from the ruling party last week, calling one of 
them a threat to national security.
The anger runs the other way here in Ban Huay Chan, where the farmers 
spin spin violent fantasies of mayhem against the protesters.
"If those people come here I'll beat them to death and throw them into 
the river!" cried Noochen Sinkham, 67, as he squatted on the ground with 
a cleaver, chopping strips of bamboo.
Everybody laughed, and the farmer named Marongrit upped the ante. "I 
want the police to throw a bomb into that demonstration," he declared. 
"Let them die."
The rural-urban divide plays itself out here in Isaan, where many people 
in Khon Kaen city support the PAD and disparage people like the farmers 
in Ban Huay Chan, 12 kilometers to the north.
"Khon Kaen University and Khon Kaen city look more like Bangkok," said 
Suthipun Jitpimolmard, a professor of neurology at the university. "Most 
people around here don't support Thaksin. Only rural people who don't 
get the correct information."
Suthipun was among a small crowd of people who gathered the other night 
in the city's central square to watch a live broadcast of angry, nonstop 
speakers at the Bangkok demonstration.
"It is impossible to change the way rural people vote," said Achara 
Chantasuwan, 53, a librarian, who sat on a red plastic chair in front of 
the big-screen outdoor broadcast.
"That's why the PAD wants to introduce the New Politics," she said, 
referring to a plan in which 70 percent of the parliamentary seats would 
be appointed by professional groups, while just 30 percent would be 
elected by voters.
"They'll have the right to vote, but it will not allow their vote to 
dominate our country," she said. "If we let people be like that, we 
cannot develop our country."
But the ruptures run far deeper than a clash between city and 
countryside, she said. They are dividing friends, colleagues and even 
family members, who have sometimes stopped talking to each other.
Sompap Bunnag, 62, a social worker, stopped at the screening for a few 
minutes on his way to Bangkok to take part in the PAD demonstration. He 
said social activists here were also split into opposing camps and were 
struggling to save their friendships.
"When we meet, we agree that we won't talk about politics," he said. 
"Just, 'How are you, how's your family?' Things like that."
He said he would catch an overnight bus to Bangkok and join the protest 
in the morning. In his hand he held a set of newly bought plastic 
swimming goggles to protect his eyes in case of a tear gas attack by the 
police.
"I don't know what's going to happen," he said, speaking of the violence 
that threatens to break out again. "I hope nothing happens."
Police used powerful tear gas
An investigator said that the Thai riot police, while trying to disperse 
crowds of anti-government demonstrators last week, used a cheap Chinese 
tear gas that contained an explosive powerful enough to rip craters in 
the ground, The Associated Press reported from Bangkok on Monday.
The investigation by forensics experts and a human rights commission 
could explain why several protesters had limbs and feet blown off and at 
least two people died in clashes with the police.
Police officials insist they only fired tear gas into the crowd. 
Investigators found that the police used three types of tear gas - from 
China, the United States and Spain - but "relied heavily on tear gas 
made in China," said Pornthip Rojanasunand, director of the Central 
Institute of Forensic Science.
Pornthip said an experiment showed that the Chinese gas contained high 
levels of RDX - a chemical commonly used to make bombs and not a 
standard component of tear gas intended for crowd control. Pornthip's 
institute conducted the investigation as part of an inquiry into the 
clashes by the National Human Rights Commission.
One of the people killed in the clashes was a 28-year-old woman who had 
a wound on her chest that was "roughly the same size" as a Chinese-made 
tear gas canister, Pornthip said. She said it was too soon to tell 
whether the Chinese tear gas caused the woman's death. Queen Sirikit 
presided on Monday over a cremation ceremony for the woman, which was 
also attended by thousands of supporters of the anti-government movement.







http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30086923

Govt supporters protest against Democrat

Some 20 pro-government people rallied in front of the Democrat Party 
head office Monday morning demanding the party to disband for not 
carrying out its parliamentary duty.

The group, led by Sukhum Wongprasit, demanded Democrat leader Abhisit 
Vejjajiva to come out to receive their protest letter.

They refused to hand over the letter to Democrat director Natthapol 
Teepsuwan. The letter said the Democrat refused to carry out its duty by 
joining the government policy debate on October 7 and refused to take 
part in the meeting of the prime minister, House speaker and Senate 
speaker to try to end political crisis so the party should disband itself.

The Nation






http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30086952

DAAD protesters outside Democrat disperse
Protesters led by the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship dispersed 
after demonstrating in front of the Democrat Party head office for eight 
hours.

They dispersed at 6:16 pm.

They called on the Democrat to disband for failing to participate in the 
government policy debate on October 7.

The Nation






http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2416294,00.html

Summit moved to avoid protests
27/10/2008 09:16 - (SA)

Bangkok - December's summit of the Association of South-East Asian 
Nations (Asean) has been moved from Bangkok to Chiang Mai to avoid 
ongoing anti-government protests in the capital, media and ministerial 
sources said on Monday.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat announced the shift over the 
weekend during a visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand's second-largest city, 
located 550km north of Bangkok, the Bangkok Post said.
The change in venue, however, has yet to be confirmed with Thailand's 
fellow Asean members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, 
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
"It's 90% certain, but this will have to be ruled on soon," Thai Foreign 
Ministry spokesperson Tharit Charungvat said.
Bangkok has been the scene of anti-government protests led by the 
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) since May, culminating in the 
seizure of Government House on August 26.
The PAD continued to occupy the seat of the administration, forcing 
Somchai's government to shift offices to Don Muaeng, Bangkok's old 
international airport.
There are fears that the PAD would disrupt the Asean summit if the 
December 15-18 meetings are held in Bangkok.
Chiang Mai is the hometown and a political power base for ousted premier 
Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled by a military coup in September 2006.
Somchai, Thaksin's brother-in-law, also has a house in Chiang Mai.
The PAD is a loose coalition of conservative groups opposed to the 
return to power of Thaksin and his populist policies.
- DPA





http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2412431,00.html

Thai police 'brutal'
20/10/2008 07:45 - (SA)

Bangkok - About 1 000 anti-government protesters marched past Bangkok's 
upmarket shopping malls on Monday accusing police of brutality, upping 
pressure on the increasingly-isolated prime minister.
In a repeat of a similar rally on Friday, supporters of the People's 
Alliance for Democracy (PAD) handed out leaflets and CDs showing graphic 
images of protesters injured in a deadly clash with police earlier this 
month.
"The police try to distort the truth. I insist that what we bring is the 
whole truth," Somsak Kosaisuk, one of the PAD leaders, told crowds of 
people dressed in yellow shirts, which shows loyalty to the revered Thai 
king.
Two people were killed and nearly 500 injured on October 7 when police 
fired tear gas to prevent thousands of PAD supporters from blocking 
Parliament, prompting some protesters to fight back.
A police officer at the scene on Monday estimated that about 1 300 
protesters had turned out, blocking much of the traffic on a 
normally-busy road. About 300 police officers stood on the sidelines.
The PAD are trying to bring down the democratically-elected People Power 
Party (PPP) government, accusing it of running the country on behalf of 
ousted and exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who they accuse of 
corruption.
Although the PAD rally was sedate, Thai newspapers on Monday warned of 
possible clashes with pro-government groups.
Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, a pro-government activist, told AFP that they 
planned to gather supporters on Monday outside the National Police 
Headquarters, not far from the shopping district where the PAD are 
rallying.
"We will ask police to come and fight back if the army stages a coup ... 
and we want to give moral support to police," Somyos said.
"We do not have the means to create violence because we are innocent 
people who will come out without weapons. We just want to keep our 
democratic system."
Thailand's powerful army chief on Thursday strongly hinted that Prime 
Minister Somchai Wongsawat should step down and dissolve Parliament to 
take responsibility for this month's clashes.
Somchai - Thaksin's brother-in-law - has only been in his post for a 
month after a court decision removed his predecessor Samak Sundaravej, 
and has insisted he will carry on in his role for the time being.
- AFP





http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-10-22-thailand_N.htm?csp=34

Thai prime minister flees protesters
Posted 10/22/2008 2:57 PM |
By Sakchai Lalit, AP

Anti Government Protesters celebrate inside the government house in 
Bangkok on Oct. 21. A Thai court found former Prime Minister Thaksin 
Shinawatra guilty of corruption Tuesday and sentenced him to two years 
in prison.

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Thailand's prime minister was forced to flee 
one of his own government ministries Wednesday as protesters demanding 
his resignation taunted him, tossing sandals and plastic bottles at his 
entourage.
Security officials hustled Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat though a mob 
of 100-200 demonstrators a day after a Thai court convicted the 
country's former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, of violating a conflict of 
interest law when he was in office from 2001-2006.
Ousted by a 2006 military coup, Thaksin is reviled by protesters from 
the People's Alliance for Democracy, who claim his administration was 
characterized by massive corruption and abuse of power.
The protesters regard Somchai, who is Thaksin's brother-in-law, as a 
mere puppet, and accuse him of trying to amend the constitution to help 
clear Thaksin, who fled to self-imposed exile in Britain before the 
court's decision.
Wednesday's confrontation started on the grounds of the Ministry of 
Information and Communications Technology, outside the headquarters of 
the state-owned telecom operator.
Somchai's motorcade detoured into an underground parking lot to avoid 
the crowd calling him a "murderer," referring to violence unleashed by a 
police crackdown on demonstrators on Oct. 7 which resulted in the death 
of two protesters.
Wednesday's demonstrators swarmed around Somchai in the parking lot, 
waving "clappers," plastic noisemakers shaped like oversized hands that 
have become a hallmark of their movement.
Many of the protesters appeared to work for the state phone company.
The employees of many state enterprises dislike Thaksin for his attempts 
at privatization.
After holding a meeting inside the building, Somchai — smiling tensely — 
was muscled by security personnel past an angry crowd and into a waiting 
vehicle, as protesters tossed rubber sandals, empty water bottles and 
clappers toward him.
Throwing shoes is particularly insulting in Thai culture, which 
considers feet the dirtiest part of the body.
Somchai, who took office last month, has been under growing pressure to 
resign to ease Thailand's deepening political crisis. He repeatedly 
rejected such calls, while leaving open the possibility he could change 
his mind in the future.
"Nobody stays in office forever," he said in response to a reporter's 
question. "I am considering the pros and cons of the situation if I quit."
Thaksin was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison, but many Thais 
doubt he will ever serve time behind bars.
The protest alliance is making his extradition from Britain one of its 
main demands.
Thai prosecutors said Tuesday they "will speed up" their effort to 
extradite Thaksin, which has not yet been formally requested.
Thaksin told The Associated Press Tuesday he was confident he would be 
able to remain in Britain.
"I think I can stay here because this is (a) very mature democratic 
country," Thaksin said. "There is no way I will be extradited because 
the (Thai) court is a political court."





http://www.stuff.co.nz/4736317a12.html

Thaksin case emboldens Thai protesters
Reuters | Thursday, 23 October 2008

A jail sentence imposed on former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra 
for graft will add vigour to the street campaign trying to topple the 
present government led by his supporters, a protest leader says.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose supporters have 
occupied the prime minister's official compound since August, said the 
verdict vindicated their long-running campaign against Thaksin and what 
they call his puppet regime.
"The verdict meant our campaign against Thaksin was right all along, 
which will bring more people to join our campaign now to bring him back 
home to serve his sentence," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila said.
The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Thaksin, who is living in exile 
in Britain, had violated a conflict-of-interest law while in office and 
sentenced him to two years in prison.
Minutes after the verdict, Thaksin said by telephone he had expected the 
trial to end that way because the whole case was politically motivated.
A series of graft charges were initiated by a panel set up after the 
military coup that ousted him in 2006.
An elected government returned to power in early 2008. It is already on 
its second prime minister, Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat.
Somchai was booed and jeered by around 500 state employees during a 
visit to the telecommunications ministry.
"Somchai, murderer! Somchai, get out!" the demonstrators shouted, 
blaming him for violent clashes between anti-government protesters and 
police outside parliament on October 7, when two people were killed and 
hundreds injured.
Somchai, who took over from Samak Sundaravej last month after Samak, 
too, was found guilty of a conflict of interest, has come under pressure 
from the PAD and military chiefs to accept responsibility and quit.
He had to be escorted by 10 police officers to get past the crowd at the 
ministry and into a car as shoes and bottles were thrown at him, a 
Reuters reporter at the scene said.
EXTRADITION
Suriyasai said the PAD, a led by band of royalists, business people and 
academics, would continue their occupation of Government House to press 
Somchai to work for Thaksin's extradition.
"What we have to do now is to adjust our campaign tactics to avoid 
violence, otherwise it will give Thaksin an excuse for political asylum 
in Britain," Suriyasai said. Thaksin denies he is seeking asylum.
The verdict has done nothing to narrow the political divide in Thailand, 
where Thaksin remains popular among rural voters and the poor, and there 
is no consensus on what happens next.
"The army chief was calling on Somchai to quit on TV, but what they have 
struck behind the scenes might have been a house dissolution and a snap 
election," political commentator Sukhum Nualskul said. "I think that is 
the best option for all sides."
Analysts said Somchai's People Power Party was likely to win again and 
lead a new coalition government.
That course of events might give the government breathing space to 
pursue the drafting of a new constitution to replace the one brought in 
by the military government, but preventing that was one of the reasons 
the PAD took to the streets in May.
The political crisis dates back to 2005, when the PAD launched street 
protests against Thaksin, alleging corruption and abuse of power. It has 
meandered through a coup to elections and back to protests and shows no 
sign of resolution.





http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7684141.stm

Wednesday, 22 October 2008 13:01 UK

Protesters throw shoes at Thai PM

The protesters refuse to give up until Mr Somchai and his government resign
Angry protesters have thrown shoes and bottles at Thailand's Prime 
Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
About 200 state employees surrounded his car outside the Information 
Ministry, and called him a murderer.
Mr Somchai is under pressure to resign over recent clashes between 
police and an anti-government group.
Protesters also say he is too close to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who 
was sentenced to two years in jail on Tuesday for violating corruption 
laws.
Thai prosecutors have now begun to gather evidence to submit to the UK, 
where Thaksin currently lives in self-imposed exile, asking for his 
extradition.
'Colourful morning'
Protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have been 
camping outside Government House for two months now, calling for the 
government to be disbanded and a partly appointed administration put in 
its place.
The continuing demonstrations are virtually paralysing Mr Somchai's 
administration.
Repeated attempts to move the protesters have failed, and the government 
has been forced to operate from a disused airport.

Thai prosecutors are gathering evidence to try to extradite Thaksin
The demonstrations began peacefully, but there were violent clashes 
between police and protesters earlier this month, and the country's army 
commander has backed calls for Mr Somchai to step down to take 
responsibility for what happened.
But Mr Somchai has only been in his post for a month, and despite 
Wednesday's attack, he is standing firm.
"This morning was a bit colourful, but I have to work and I am not 
worried about these things - people can have different opinions," Mr 
Somchai told the French news agency AFP.
"It would not be a problem for me to resign, but what will people get 
from my departure?... I cannot stop working otherwise government 
development projects would be halted."
Extradition case
On Tuesday Thailand's Supreme Court found Thaksin guilty of corruption 
and sentenced him to two years in jail in absentia.
In a landmark ruling, he was found to have violated conflict of interest 
rules in helping his wife buy land from a state agency at a knock-down 
price.
Prosecutors are now gathering evidence to submit to the UK.
"The extradition process began today [Wednesday]," said Sirisak Tiyapan, 
international affairs director at the attorney general's office.
"All documents must be translated into English before we can prepare the 
petition and that will take considerable time," he told the AFP news 
agency.
"In our petition, we have to prove Thaksin committed a crime that is 
common between the two countries."
After the ruling, the PAD said the court's decision had vindicated the 
protesters' actions.
"The verdict meant our campaign against Thaksin was right all along, 
which will bring more people to join our campaign now to bring him back 
home to serve his sentence," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters 
news agency.






http://www.buzzle.com/articles/231450.html

Thai Pm Flees Angry Protesters
New leader cornered for second time in fortnight as anti-government 
violence paralyzes Bangkok
Thailand's new prime minister was forced to flee angry protesters for 
the second time in a fortnight yesterday when he was cornered in an 
underground car park.

A crowd of about 200 jeering workers from the state telecoms operator 
screaming "Somchai, murderer" pelted Somchai Wongsawat with plastic 
bottles and shoes as he visited the information ministry in Bangkok. As 
the mob surged around him, Somchai slipped into the building and emerged 
through the front entrance, apparently in an effort to talk to the 
demonstrators. But the mob threw bottles and shoes at him. Hurling shoes 
is insulting in Thai culture as they are associated with what is 
considered the dirtiest part of the body.

Violent anti-government protests have paralyzed the capital for months. 
Two weeks ago as protesters laid siege to parliament Somchai crawled 
under a barbed wire fence to escape before being flown to safety in an 
army helicopter.

Two people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes between 
anti-government protesters and police outside parliament on October 7.

Protesters accuse Somchai of being a puppet of his brother-in-law, the 
ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, sentenced in his absence on 
Tuesday to two years in jail over a corrupt land deal.






http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30086788

DAAD protests against supreme commander

A pro-government action group Friday rallied at the Supreme Command to 
protest against what it called the military interference in civilian 
politics.

Leaders of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship also announced 
their plan to hold demonstrations at Sanam Luang Saturday and on October 
30 and 31.

About 25 DAAD members led by Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumethai, Somyos 
Prueksakasemsuk and Chinnawat Haboonphad, rallied in front of the 
Supreme Command head office on Chaeng Wattana Raod at 10:30 am.

They submitted a protest letter against Supreme Commander Gen Songkitti 
Jakkabatra for having gone on TV with other military top brass and the 
national police chief earlier this month to demand Prime Minister 
Somchai Wongsawat to resign.

The letter was received by Lt Col Kueakul Buathes, an officer on duty at 
the Supreme Command.

The letter also called on the Supreme Commander to announce his stand 
that he would “stand by the people” to protect democracy and calle don 
the military to stop all forms of interference in politics.

The DAAD also called on the Supreme Command to investigate reports that 
plainclothes military officers with arms had taken part in the rallies 
of the People’s Alliance for Democracy inside the Government House.

Speaking to reporters, Wiphuthalaeng said the DAAD came to rally to call 
on the military not to stage another coup and to protect democracy.

He said the DAAD made the move for fear that the military would take the 
chance when Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was visiting Beijing to 
attend the Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting to stage a coup.

The Nation






http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30086426

People welcome PAD protesters on Sukhumvit

A lot of passers-by and officer workers on Sukhumvit Road welcomed the 
anti-government protesters by coming out to rock their "hand clappers" 
and get video CDs and documents distributed by protesters.

The march by the People's Alliance for Democracy caught a lot attention 
of the passers-by and office workers on the section of the Sukhumvit 
Road from the Rajprasong Intersection to the Wireless Road.

The PAD organised the march to hand out VCDs and documents to raise 
awareness on the Oct 7 bloody crackdown.

The Nation





http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30086413

Protesters gather in front of Central World

The People's Alliance for Democracy parked its five sound trucks in 
front of the Central World shopping mall Monday morning in preparations 
for a march to the Wireless Road.

The march is scheduled at 10 am.

Some protesters arrived at the scene since 9:30 am.

Security officers of the shopping mall put up barriers to prevent the 
protesters from gathering on the main ground of mall so they waited on 
the sidewalk.

Some street vendors also put the "hand clappers" and head banners on 
sale on the sidewalk.

The Nation






http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/10/22/politics/politics_30086637.php

PAD to continue protesting but cut down to one rally site
By The Nation
The People's Alliance for Democracy has resolved to continue its 
protests although it has agreed to just confine to one rally site inside 
Government House, PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang said.

The decision is in response to a suggestion by a number of academics 
that the PAD should suspend street protests following the punishment of 
former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to serve two years in jail for 
committing conflict of interest.
Chamlong said the PAD-led protests would focus dual objectives - 
opposing the charter rewrite and pressuring the government to quit in 
order to assume responsibility for the October 7 violent crackdown.
He said the PAD will not rebuild the rally stage at Makawan Rangsak 
Bridge which was dismantled to make way for the royal motorcade 
scheduled for tomorrow's ceremony for the King Chulalongkorn Memorial 
Day at the Royal Plaza.
The Nation





http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6519612.html

Thai anti-gov't group vows to continue protesting at Gov't House

+
-
19:52, October 22, 2008

Thai anti-government group People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) 
announced Wednesday that it will continue its anti-government 
demonstration at the Government House.

PAD core leader Chamlong Srimuang said the group will maintain its main 
objectives, which are ousting the coalition government led by the 
People's Power Party (PPP) and opposing the charter amendments. He said 
the PAD will not leave the Government House.

Regarding former deputy police chief Salang Bunnag's plan to use a group 
of officers to surround the Government House and cut off food supplies 
to the protesters, PAD key figure Somkiat Pongpaiboon said the group was 
informed that Salang already fled, and his plan could not be implemented.

"Somkiat was quoted by the Nation," a local newspaper, saying that the 
PAD never took Salang into account, and the group only took half a 
minute to consider his threat.

Former deputy national police chief Salang Bunnag Wednesday vowed to 
besiege the Government House to starve the protesters inside. He said he 
will not disclose the exact date and time for besieging the PAD 
supporters inside the Government House, adding that the PAD supporters 
would be blocked from food and water supplies for at least three days.

Source:Xinhua






http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30086259

PAD protesters gather at Lumpini Park

Protester led by the People's Alliance for Democracy gathered at the 
Lumpini Park Friday morning.

They were gathering at 9 am to make preparations to march on Silom Road 
to denounce the government over the crackdown on protesters on October 7.

About 500 policemen were deployed to keep order.

The Nation






http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30086260

Brief confrontation between PAD protesters and police supporters

A brief confrontation occurred Friday morning between a group of police 
supporters and protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy at 
the Lumpini Park.

While the PAD protesters were gathering in front of the park to make 
preparations for marching to Silom Road, a group of police supporters 
led by People Power Party MP Lt Col Kan Thienkaew arrived on three 
pick-up trucks.

They tried to distribute leaflets in support of police to the PAD 
protesters who greeted them with boos and jeers.

The group of police supporters quickly left the scene.

The Nation






http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6069091

Protest Calls for Ouster of Thai Premier
Thousands Rally in Bangkok Demanding Prime Minister Resign
BANGKOK, Thailand October 20, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press

Supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy shout slogans as they 
march on Sukhumvit Ave Monday, Oct. 20, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. The 
group is calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat .
(David Longstreath/AP Photo)
Thousands of anti-government protesters marched through the streets of 
Bangkok on Monday, calling the prime minister a "murderer" and demanding 
he resign over the violent quashing of a previous rally.
The demonstrators have stepped up their protests against Prime Minister 
Somchai Wongsawat since a protest outside parliament Oct. 7 ended in a 
violent confrontation with police that left one demonstrator dead and 
hundreds of others injured.
Pressure on Somchai increased last week when the powerful army chief 
hinted he should resign, leading to fears the military would carry out 
its second coup in two years.
Somchai has brushed aside calls for his resignation, saying he would 
await the outcome of an investigation into the violence that was 
expected to conclude in the coming weeks.




http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/10/19/headlines/headlines_30086380.php

A man collapsed and died while attending PAD-led protest
By The Nation
A 59-year-old man died at a hospital after collapsing while attending a 
protest led by People's Alliance for Democracy in the Government House 
on Sunday.

Somruek was waiting for his turn to have medical check at a medical tent 
in the Government House when he collapsed.
He was rushed to Wachira Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Somruek collapsed possibly because he had heart problems before and 
because it was a hot afternoon on Sunday, doctors at the protest site said.





http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/10/20/politics/politics_30086395.php

A 59-year-old man collasped and died during protest
By The Nation
Published on October 20, 2008
A Bangkok native, Somrit Kasemsuppakarn, 59, one of thousands of 
anti-government People Alliance of Democracy (PAD) protesters, died 
during demonstrations at the Government House compound yesterday.

"He died because of a congenital disease," Veera Somkwamkid, one of the 
PAD leaders, said.
Somrit suffered heart failure while he was walking to the medical tent 
at Phitsanulok Road in front of Government House.
The medical team provided him emergency aid by pumping his heart but his 
condition did not improve. He was sent to Vachira Hospital in an 
ambulance but he could not be rescued.
The PAD medical team said Somrit suffered from a heart disease. The hot 
temperature during the demonstration aggravated his condition.
Veera has asked PAD protesters to mourn the death of Somrit.






http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1436496.php/Anti-government_movement_calls_off_protest_in_Bangkok_

Anti-government movement calls off protest in Bangkok
Asia-Pacific News
Oct 13, 2008, 2:46 GMT
Bangkok - Thailand's anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy 
(PAD) has called off a planned protest in Bangkok Monday, defusing 
political tensions after the prime minister apologized for a crackdown 
on the movement last week.
PAD leader Sonhdi Limthongkul announced the cancellation of a planned 
protest outside the National Polcie Bureau late Sunday night after Prime 
Minister Somchai Wongsawat publicly apologized for a police crackdown on 
the movement on October 7 that left two dead and almost 500 injured.
The cancellation of the protest has defused fears of another bloodbath 
in Bangkok. Some 1,350 police officers had been stationed outside the 
police headquarters, and about 10,000 pro-government followers of the 
United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) had gathered in 
Bangkok to counter the PAD.
Instead of protesting, the PAD will attend the funerals of two victims 
of the October 7 crackdown, in which police fired tear gas canisters 
directly in to the demonstration, causing casualties, and prompting a 
violent response from the PAD followers, many of whom were armed with 
golf clubs, iron rods, sticks and pistols.
An investigation is still underway into how so many people could be injured
Somchai, in a televised speech Sunday night, also called for national 
unity and noted that the government is tasked with several important 
jobs in coming months including organizing a state funeral for Princess 
Galani Vadhana on November 14, King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 81st birthday 
on December 5 and hosting the Association of South-East Asian Nations 
(ASEAN) summit in mid-December.
The PAD has been leading anti-government rallies in Bangkok since May, 
this year, culminating with their seizure of Government House - the seat 
of the government administration - on August 26.
The movement is staunchly opposed to the return to power of coup-ousted 
former premier Thaksin Shinwatara, who is currently living in self-exile 
with his family in London.
Although Thaksin is banned from politics and facing numerous corruption 
charges in Thailand, the government is headed by the pro-Thaksin People 
Power Party (PPP).
The current prime minister Somchai is Thaksin's brother-in-law.
Thaksin faces several corruption charges dating back to his two-term 
premiership between 2001 to 2006, and his wife Pojaman has been 
sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion. He was ousted in a 
bloodless military coup on September 19, 2006.
The PAD, which is pro-monarchy and highly critical of the type of 'money 
politics' Thaksin came to represent, has drawn many of Bangkok's middle 
class to its ranks and enjoys the tacit support of members of Thailand's 
political elite.





http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/10/15/politics/politics_30086129.php

Government and protesters should end political violence : HRW
Political Crisis Threatens Lives and Democracy

Thai authorities and anti-government protesters should immediately cease 
using political violence to resolve their differences, Human Rights 
Watch said recently.
The organisation called on the Thai government to initiate an 
independent and impartial investigation into politically motivated 
violence by both sides since the opposition People's Alliance for 
Democracy (PAD) began its street protests in Bangkok on May 25, 2008. 
Members of the PAD, pro-government groups, and government officials 
responsible for unlawful acts, including police using excessive force, 
should be held legally accountable.
"Instead of attacking each other on the streets, the Thai government and 
PAD should use democratic and legal channels to end their disputes," 
said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities 
should only use the force necessary to protect public security, while 
PAD should end violence, vacate government buildings it has occupied, 
and disarm its supporters."
The PAD, led by opponents of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 
has tried to force the resignation of successive Thai governments it 
claims are surrogates for Thaksin, who is living in the United Kingdom 
after fleeing corruption charges.
Three protesters have been killed and hundreds of others injured, 
including at least 40 police officers, and more violence in Bangkok is 
feared. In the most recent bout of serious violence, on October 7, 
police tried to disperse 2,000 anti-government protesters in front of 
Parliament using teargas and rubber bullets. Witnesses told Human Rights 
Watch that they heard loud explosions when police charged the 
protesters. The blasts nearly severed the leg of one PAD protester, 
while many others suffered deep wounds and burns.
PAD protesters responded by firing guns, shooting slingshots, throwing 
bricks and metal pipes, trying to run over police officers with pickup 
trucks and stabbing police with flagpoles. According to the Public 
Health Ministry, two PAD supporters died and 443 were injured, including 
four cases of amputation. At day's end, about 20 police had been injured.
On October 13, the head of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, 
Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand, announced that her investigation with the 
National Human Rights Commission concluded that Chinese-made tear gas 
canisters and grenades may have caused the deaths and severe injuries to 
PAD protesters on October 7. She found that this type of tear gas 
generates a powerful explosion before releasing the gas cloud. When 
fired from a tear gas gun, Chinese-made canisters travel 60 meters per 
second and deliver a powerful impact that can lead to death, loss of 
limbs, or serious burns.
News footage and accounts by witnesses indicate that police fired tear 
gas in a straight line and at close range directly at the protesters. 
Because of its excessive risk of causing serious harm, Human Rights 
Watch called for the withdrawal of all such tear gas from use by Thai 
police.
Available information from the recent protests indicates that, in at 
least some instances, Thai police appeared to have acted lawfully in 
using force in self-defense. In such cases, police and other security 
personnel should abide by the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use 
of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. The Basic Principles 
call upon law enforcement officials to apply nonviolent means before 
resorting to force. Whenever the use of force is unavoidable, law 
enforcement officials are to use restraint and act in proportion to the 
seriousness of the offense. The legitimate objective of public security 
or self defense should be achieved with the least possible damage and 
injury, and with respect for the preservation of human life.
"While the Thai government has a duty to maintain law and order, police 
actions on October 7 appear to have been disproportionate and to have 
led to avoidable deaths and injuries," said Adams. "The government 
should never be using deadly tear gas canisters against crowds of 
protesters."
Since the standoff began in late May 2008, pro-government groups have 
attacked about a dozen rallies across Thailand organized by the PAD. 
Human Rights Watch found that many of these attacks were financed and 
coordinated by members of the governing People's Power Party (PPP). For 
example, on July 24, more than 1,000 members of the pro-government Khon 
Rak Udorn Club, led by Kwanchai Praipana and Uthai Saenkaew (the younger 
brother of Theerachai Saenkaew, who was then the agriculture minister) 
used force to break up a peaceful rally of about 200 PAD supporters in 
Udorn Thani province. The police stood by while pro-government thugs 
beat and critically injured at least 13 PAD supporters and destroyed 
public property.
"By allowing pro-government thugs free rein to unleash brutality on 
protesters, the Thai authorities have contributed to political violence 
and tensions," said Adams.
While public attention and media coverage in Thailand have focused 
almost entirely on violence committed by the authorities and 
pro-government groups, Human Rights Watch emphasized that the PAD and 
its supporters have also committed widespread violence.
After using roadblocks to block traffic in Bangkok, armed PAD protesters 
on August 26 besieged many government buildings in the city, including 
the National Broadcasting of Thailand ( NBT ) headquarters and the 
Government House, where the cabinet meets. The government obtained 
judicial injunctions and arrest warrants against PAD leaders, but could 
not end the siege of the Government House due to fear that it would 
result in serious violence.
After clashes between police and PAD protesters on August 29, the PAD 
effectively closed international airports in the southern provinces and 
imposed work stoppages on train service across the country. Violence 
escalated when the pro-government Democratic Alliance against 
Dictatorship (DAAD) engaged in street fighting with heavily armed 
members of the PAD on the morning of September 2, resulting in one death 
and more than 40 injuries.
Pro-government media have been verbally and physically harassed by the 
PAD during their coverage of the protests. The PAD has also shown open 
hostility toward government media outlets. On August 26, armed PAD 
protesters stormed the NBT headquarters and tried to stop the broadcast 
of NBT television and radio stations. NBT reporters and staff at 
Government House were threatened by PAD protesters and chased out of 
their mobile broadcast trucks.
Tensions increased in October when the police arrested PAD leaders 
Chaiwat Sinsuwongse and Chamlong Srimuang. In retaliation, thousands of 
PAD protesters on October 7 surrounded Parliament to block Prime 
Minister Somchai Wongsawat from giving his policy statement to 
Parliament. Somchai insisted that the parliamentary meeting must 
proceed, and the police were ordered to disperse PAD protesters - 
leading to a new series of violent clashes between police and PAD on 
Bangkok's streets. PAD protesters cut electricity and water supplies to 
Parliament. Surrounded by angry PAD protesters, hundreds of members of 
Parliament, ministers, senators, and parliamentary staff were stuck 
inside for more than five hours.
The PAD has also actively advocated the use of charges of l่se majest้ 
(insulting the monarchy) against supporters of the government to stifle 
free expression. It accuses many pro-government websites of promoting 
anti-monarchy sentiments, a serious attack on freedom of expression 
given Thailand's strict l่se majest้ laws. More than 400 websites have 
closed in 2008, some under compulsion, others out of fear.
The PAD has advocated greater power for non-elected officials in the 
government. PAD leaders proposed that the number of elected members of 
Parliament be reduced to 50 percent of the total - with the remainder 
filled through the appointment of "retired officials and important 
people" and others. This follows the support of many PAD leaders for the 
September 2006 military coup that overthrew Thaksin's elected government.
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called for investigations into human 
rights abuses by Thaksin, but condemned the coup and current calls for 
another coup by Sondhi Limthongkul and other PAD leaders. Since 2006, 
PAD leaders have repeatedly asserted that the military has the right to 
intervene in politics to check corruption and to protect the monarchy 
and sovereignty.
Human Rights Watch urged the army chief, General Anupong Paochinda, to 
continue to show restraint in refusing calls from both sides for the 
army to intervene in the crisis.
"The PAD's support for violence, unelected government and military coups 
threatens democracy and human rights in Thailand," said Adams. "Sadly, 
it has allowed an aggressive mob to hijack peaceful protests to provoke 
a heavy-handed government response and incite another coup."





http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/royalwatch/news/article_1436839.php/Queen_Sirikit_attends_protestor_funeral

Queen Sirikit attends protestor funeral
Royal Watch News
Oct 14, 2008, 11:00 GMT
Thailand's Queen Sirikit attended the funeral of a protestor killed in 
her country's clashes last week.
The royal - who has donated a reported 800,000 baht (around £13,000) to 
public hospitals treating those injured in the riot - was greeted by 
thousands of anti-government demonstrators, who believe her presence at 
the cremation of 28-year-old university student Angkhana Radappanyawut 
was a sign of support for their campaign.
Angkhana's father said: "Her majesty said my daughter was a good woman 
since she had helped the nation and preserved the monarchy."
Queen Sirikit's daughter Princess Chulabhorn, Thailand's Army Chief 
Anupong Paojinda and senior members of the opposition Democrat Party 
also attended the ceremony at Wat Sriprawat in Nonthaburi's Bang Kruai 
district yesterday (13.10.08).
A demonstration outside Parliament turned violent last Tuesday 
(07.10.08), after thousands gathered outside the building to stop 
Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat meeting and formally 
authorising the new government.
The clashes between protestors and police left two people dead. Hundreds 
of demonstrators from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were 
injured.
It is feared the violence has divided the country, with the possibility 
of further riots a constant threat.
The country's prime minister has vowed to "find out what really 
happened", and while he regrets the clashes he is refusing to step down 
from his position.
He said: "Many groups in society are calling for me to resign or 
dissolve the parliament. I am not attached to my position. However, I am 
not confident that is the right solution."





http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/13/worldupdates/2008-10-12T213218Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-359219-1&sec=Worldupdates

Sunday October 12, 2008
Thai protesters postpone march against police
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Leaders of a street campaign against Thailand's 
government have postponed a march against the police, easing fears of a 
repeat of last week's violence in which two people were killed and 400 
injured.
Citing the continued funerary rites of the two supporters of the 
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) killed on Oct. 7, PAD head Sondi 
Limthongkul said his demonstration at national police headquarters would 
now be on Wednesday, not Monday.
Head of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Sondhi Limthongkul 
arrives at a police station in Bangkok October 10, 2008. 
(REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom)
Despite this delay, the political atmosphere in Bangkok remains highly 
charged, with thousands of pro-government demonstrators gathering on 
Sunday for a two-day rally against the PAD.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, brother-in-law of ousted leader 
Thaksin Shinawatra and the PAD's main target, told a news conference on 
Sunday he would not resign or call a snap election, saying neither would 
resolve Thailand's fundamental problems.
The country has been riven by political conflict for the three years 
since the PAD started its street campaign against Thaksin, accusing him 
of corruption, cronyism and threatening the monarchy.
The dispute between the Thaksin camp and the military and royalist elite 
who despise him has seen a coup, elections and more street protests, but 
appears to be no nearer a conclusion.






http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30085736

Govt supporters protest against Chiang Mai doctors

A group of over 10 supporters of the government submitted a letter of 
protest against doctors of the Chiang Mai Provincial Hospital Friday, 
accusing them of lacking medical ethics.

The group led by Somchai Chanawan, a leading member of the Federation of 
Northern People, came to the Maharaj Nakhon Chiang Mai at 2:15 pm to 
file their protests to Assoc Prof Doctor Chairat Khunawiktikul, acting 
dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chiang Mai University.

The group alleged that a group of doctors of the hospital violated 
medical ethics for announcing that they would not provide medical 
services to members of the Cabinet, coalition MPs and police.

Chairat replied to the group that the doctors simply expressed personal 
opinions but the hospital would not discriminate in providing medical 
services.

He said 32 police officers had received medical services at the hospital 
since Tuesday.

The Nation







http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/10/07/thai-minister.html

Troops on streets of Bangkok after violent protests
Two people killed, more than 380 injured in clashes
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

he Thai military ordered unarmed troops to patrol the capital Bangkok on 
Tuesday to keep order after a day of clashes between police and 
protesters who want the government to resign.
Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said police have enlisted the 
military's help in containing protesters from the People's Alliance for 
Democracy, a coalition of coalition of businessmen, academics and activists.
Sansern said the troops would not carry firearms.
Violent clashes between police and protesters on Tuesday left more than 
380 people injured, at least 48 of them seriously. One woman protester 
died and a car bomb near parliament killed one man.
Early Tuesday, the violence began when police cleared the street outside 
parliament, where protesters had set up a blockade to prevent lawmakers 
from leaving.
Violence erupted again in late afternoon when the demonstrators expanded 
their protest and police fired tear gas to break through the crowd.
During the clashes, the protesters regrouped repeatedly. Protesters also 
set fire to parked cars, trucks and vans.
Thousands of demonstrators have occupied the grounds of the prime 
minister's office for the past six weeks trying to force the government 
to resign because they think it is too closely aligned with Thaksin 
Shiniwatra, the former prime minister overthrown in a coup two years ago.
Somchai Wongsawat, Thailand's newest prime minister and Thaksin's 
brother-in law, was expected to make a major policy speech in parliament 
on Tuesday.
Earlier, deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned in an 
effort to take responsibility for the violent clashes. He had ordered 
police to use restraint against the protesters.
Agriculture Minister Somsak Prisananantakul said Chavalit took partial 
responsibility for the clashes in his resignation letter.
Chavalit, in charge of security, was seen as an important figure in 
helping the government to resolve the ongoing political crisis.





http://www.mathaba.net/rss/?x=608127

Thailand: Nearly 70 protesters injured by tear gas, police charge at 
Parliament
Posted: 2008/10/07
From: MNN

At least 69 protesters were injured shortly after dawn Tuesday as police 
fired tear gas canisters and then moved physically against several 
thousand protesters blocking entrances to Parliament in an attempt to 
block the PM from delivering his govt`s policy statement to lawmakers 
later in the day.

Two persons were seriously injured, according to hospital officials and 
the Erawan Medical Centre, which reported that about 69 demonstrators 
are being treated at three area hospitals.

A protester identified as Mr Thanya Khunkaew,30, nearly lost his left 
leg, which was almost ripped off, while a radio reporter was knocked 
unconscious and his back was seriously injured when he was hit by a tear 
gas canister.

Electricity and water mains serving Parliament were cut, but power was 
restored by using emergency generators following a short blackout.

However, opposition Democrat Party MPs and some senators boycotted the 
parliament session, as they object with the police use of tear gas to 
disperse the crowd and to clear the entrance of Parliament.

There must be 236 lawmakers attending the session in order to form a quorum.

Under the law, the prime minister is required to deliver his policy to 
Parliament within 15 days. Mr. Somchai was sworn in on September 25 and 
is due to deliver his government's policy statement by October 9.

Thai share prices opened 2.71 per cent lower as the use of tear gas on 
protesters heightened up political crisis. (TNA) #





http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30085349

Protestes seize police's batons, shields

Protesters managed to seize a pickup-truck full of batons and shields 
and police them to guards of the People's Alliance for Democracy.

The seized the gears after they broke through police's barrier at the 
Karn Ruen Intersection at noon.

The Nation






http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/DJ/200810062237DOWJONESDJONLINE000753_univ.xml

Protesters Cut Power To Thai Parliament As Police Use Tear Gas10-6-08 
10:37 PM EDT | E-mail Article | Print Article
BANGKOK (AFP)--Protesters cut the power to Thailand's parliament 
building Tuesday, after police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse 
them.
Emergency generators quickly kicked in after a short blackout in the 
assembly room and Senate building, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
About 1,000 police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse thousands of 
protesters massing outside parliament, critically injuring at least 
three people and hurting dozens more, police and doctors said.
Antigovernment protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy, or 
PAD, marched to parliament late Monday, mobilizing against plans to 
amend the country's constitution, which they say is aimed at helping 
ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Police made way for MPs as they arrived at parliament Tuesday ahead of 
the new government's first policy announcement.
The PAD began their campaign in late May seeking to force the elected 
government to resign, raising tensions in the kingdom after they 
besieged government offices late August.






http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4896732.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093

October 7, 2008
Two dead and many injured in Bangkok battle between police and protesters

(AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Anti-government protesters duck as police fired tear gas smoke in front 
of parliament in Bangkok
Image :1 of 3
Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor
Two people died and hundreds were injured in Bangkok today, as police 
fought to prevent thousands of protesters from seizing control of 
Thailand’s Parliament .
Two demonstrators lost their legs and eight police officers were shot or 
stabbed in the latest confrontation in months of chaotic and sometimes 
violent protests between the elected Thai Government and the group that 
is demanding its overthrow, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
Police bombarded the demonstrators with tear gas throughout the day to 
try and disperse about 8,000 protesters. They eventually created an exit 
for the trapped politicians, who hurried out of the building.
A crowd of between 500 and 8,000 demonstrators first attempted to stop 
MPs from attending the opening of parliament and later, after this has 
proved unsuccessful, to prevent them from leaving. The casualties 
inflicted during the operation will further inflame a raging political 
confrontation which has driven the country’s Prime Minister out of his 
offices and forced him to work out of an abandoned airport.
More than 380 people were injured by the impact of tear gas canisters 
and rubber bullets, according to the hospital that treated them, a 
handful of them critically. Television images showed one demonstrator 
who had lost his foot. Journalists at the scene reported seeing at least 
three PAD protesters carrying guns, and two police inside the 
parliamentary compound were shot in the chest and in the shoulder from 
outside by unknown parties.
One other person was killed in a separate incident when a jeep exploded 
near the headquarters of a party allied with the Government, apparently 
because of a bomb, a mile from the scene of the demonstrations.
Overnight the PAD had erected barricades of barbed wire and tyres to 
prevent the opening of Parliament, without which Somchai Wongsawat, the 
Prime Minister, could not fulfil his constitutional duty of announcing 
his legislative programme.
“The speech will take place as scheduled by the parliament president,” 
said Mr Somchai. “I came in to do my job, so I will not quit working. A 
decision will come at an appropriate time.”
Having failed to prevent the Prime MInister from being evicted from his 
office by an unarmed mob, the Bangkok police evidently decided that 
surrendering Parliament too would be a step too far. "We did not use any 
weapon other than tear gas and shields to clear the path for 
parliamentarians to go into the building,” Major General Umnuey 
Nimmanno, the deputy Bangkok police chief, said. “It is conventional 
practice in dispersing a crowd. We did not use disproportionate force.”
The PAD’s initial goal was the overthrow of Mr Somchai’s predecessor, 
Samak Sundaravej. He was elected last December after the general 
election victory of his People Power Party (PPP), and made no secret of 
his loyalty to Thaksin Shinawatra, the most popular, but most divisive, 
prime minister in Thailand’s history.
Mr Thaksin’s enemies, mainly among the urban middle class, accused him 
of using his great wealth to compromise human rights, freedom of the 
press, and of undermining the constitutional checks and balances on his 
own power. But he was adored by rural Thais, who felt themselves to be 
unrepresented by Thailand’s mainstream political establishment.
He faced criminal charges for alleged fraud perpetrated during his 
period in office. After his wife was convicted by a Thai court, Mr 
Thaksin abandoned his attempts to return to power. In August he skipped 
bail and flew back to exile in London, where he has applied for 
political asylum.
Mr Samak was forced to resign in bizarre circumstances last month, after 
a court ruled that he improperly accepted payment for his appearance on 
a television cookery programme. But the subsequent election of Mr 
Somchai has done little to soothe the PAD, because he is Mr Thaksin’s 
brother-in-law.
Despite its name, the PAD advocates an end to a fully democratic system 
in favour of a partially appointed assembly. “No matter how hot it will 
be, how heavily it will rain, how hungry you will be, or how desperately 
you want to go to toilet, you must surround parliament to prevent this 
government from delivering its policy to parliament,” its most prominent 
leader, the media magnate Sondhi Limthongkul, said overnight on a 
specially erected stage at Government House.
Around ten thousand protesters have gathered there, many of them 
sleeping rough in the official compound, promising to protect their nine 
leaders who have been charged with numerous crimes including 
insurrection. In the past few days, two of them — Chamlong Srimuang and 
Chaiwat Sinsuwong — have been arrested after leaving the sanctuary of 
Government House.
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the Deputy Prime Minister, resigned to take 
responsibility for the casualties.





http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30085336

Protesters lob tear gas into Metropolitan police compound

Anti-government protesters lobbed tear gas into the compound of 
Metropolitan Police Bureau at 11.05am.
Sounds of explosions were heard from time to time.

A Thai TV channel reporter reported that she was also affected by the 
tear gas from the protesters.






http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/world/asia/08thai.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Hundreds Injured in Thai Protests

By SETH MYDANS and THOMAS FULLER
Published: October 7, 2008
BANGKOK — Thailand’s political crisis worsened Tuesday when 
antigovernment protesters trapped lawmakers inside the Parliament 
building and fought running battles with the police that left one person 
dead and nearly 400 injured.
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image

Chumsak Kanoknan/Getty Images
Riot police officers beat an antigovernment protester outside Parliament 
in Bangkok on Tuesday. At least one person was killed during a series of 
street battles.

Rungroj Yongrit/European Pressphoto Agency
The violence on Tuesday included attacks on the Thai police by 
protesters armed with sticks. Lawmakers were trapped inside Parliament 
for several hours before they were able to escape.
The army was deployed on the streets of Bangkok after the worst 
political violence since 1992 as protesters continued a six-week sit-in 
outside the prime minister’s office, forcing the government to conduct 
its business from a former international airport.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat asserted that he would not step down, 
and the military repeated a promise not to stage a coup, while the 
protesters said they would continue their actions until they brought 
down the government.
They accuse the ruling party of being an extension of the rule of former 
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was elected on a populist program 
in 2001 and ousted in a coup in September 2006. He now lives in London 
but continues to exert influence among his allies here.
The protesters surrounded Parliament throughout the day Tuesday, and Mr. 
Somchai left by escaping over a back fence in the morning after 
delivering a policy address. But other members of Parliament were unable 
to leave for more than five hours, until the police dispersed the 
protesters with volleys of tear gas.
The Thai military announced that it would deploy unarmed troops to help 
the police keep peace in the days to come.
“We ran, ran, ran,” said one Parliament member, Niyom Vejkarma, who had 
stripped off his jacket and tie and fled from the building in his patent 
leather shoes.
“My eyes are sore,” he said, referring to the tear gas that lingered in 
the air as he and fellow lawmakers stood at a street corner with their 
cellphones and called their drivers.
The assault on Parliament was the culmination of an escalating feud 
between an urban elite trying to reclaim traditional hierarchical 
authority and a democratically elected government backed by a rising 
rural underclass.
The protesters were led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy, a 
patchwork coalition of businessmen, academics and activists who have 
held street demonstrations against the government since May, and 
occupied the grounds on Aug. 26.
Their protests have remained mostly peaceful, but they have set the 
country on edge with memories of a military crackdown in 1992 when the 
army killed dozens of pro-democracy protesters demanding the ouster of a 
military-backed government.
Speaking to reporters after the violence subsided late Tuesday, Cmdr. 
Gen. Anupong Paochinda of the army asserted: “We will not stage a coup. 
A coup would not do any good to the country. It won’t accomplish 
anything. It is not hard to stage a coup. But making a country function 
after staging one is.”
The civilian government installed by the military after its coup in 2006 
was widely seen as incompetent and ineffective. When Mr. Thaksin’s 
allies regained power in a parliamentary election last December, the 
country returned to the political standoff that had led to the coup.
Mr. Somchai is a brother-in-law of Mr. Thaksin. He has sought to find a 
compromise with the protesters since taking office last month, but the 
protest at the Parliament building appears to have derailed the early 
stages of talks.
The alliance says it wants to modify the country’s democratic system to 
weaken the electoral power of the rural poor, who formed the base of 
support for Mr. Thaksin and now for the governing People Power Party.
The protesters’ assault on the Parliament building and the street 
battles appeared to have been well planned and well supplied — 
demonstrators distributed food, water and masks to protect against tear 
gas.
The protesters made barricades of tires and razor wire and secured the 
entrance to the Parliament building. Reinforcements arrived during the 
afternoon, some carrying banners.
The police attacked repeatedly, firing tear gas canisters and chasing 
protesters down alleys.
The protesters, some wearing motorcycle helmets and masks, some armed 
with metal rods, machetes and slingshots, threw back the tear gas 
canisters and used rocks and firecrackers as missiles.
A total of 381 people were injured and 48 were admitted to hospitals, 
including 4 who lost legs, said the Erawan Medical Center, which 
coordinates responses to medical emergencies. It said that one person 
was killed during the protest and that one died in a car explosion.
A police spokesman said several police officers were also wounded, 
including one who had been stabbed in the abdomen with a metal pole. A 
Thai newspaper, The Nation, reported on its Web site that two police 
officers had been shot.
Queen Sirikit, the wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, donated about $2,900 
to Vachira Hospital to help treat the wounded, said the hospital’s 
director, Wanchai Chareonchoktawee. Both sides in the political standoff 
have claimed allegiance to the highly revered monarchy, which has no 
direct political power but wields enormous influence.
“Together we win or lose, we will know it today, we won’t give up,” said 
Anchalee Paireerak, a People’s Alliance leader.
Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned early in the day, 
taking responsibility for the failure of the talks.
In his speech before he fled the building, Mr. Somchai said, “This 
government is determined to tackle economic problems and to listen to 
all sides to find a solution to end the crisis.”
Mr. Somchai took office after his predecessor, Samak Sundaravej, was 
forced to step down by a court that had found him guilty of conflict of 
interest because he was paid for his appearances on a televised cooking 
show.
During the day of violence, protesters also set fire to parked cars and 
trucks and smashed the windows of police vans.
A photographer for Reuters said that a protester fired about a dozen 
shots from a handgun at a line of riot police officers. It was unclear 
if any were hit.
About three-quarters of a mile from the fighting, an unidentified person 
was killed when a vehicle exploded near the headquarters of the Chart 
Thai Party, a member of the six-party government coalition. The police 
said they suspected that a bomb had caused the explosion.
Earlier in the day, however, the crowd outside the Parliament building 
had a sometimes lighthearted air, with middle-class men and women and 
even a few children joining in.
“I’m here to chase out the government,” said Piyanuch Klangrach, 19, a 
computer science student.
But a driver of a three-wheel “tuk tuk” taxi voiced the feelings of many 
other Thais who have become weary of the protests and the economic 
damage they have caused.
“I’m bored with this,” said the driver, Supit Nakham, 42.
“The economy is bad,” he added. “Fewer tourists are coming to Thailand. 
There are traffic jams all over the place. I can’t work. They should 
talk this out, and the demonstrations should stop.”





http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/DJ/200810080645DOWJONESDJONLINE000349_univ.xml

Troops On Thai Streets As Protest Leaders Vow To Fight On10-8-08 6:45 AM 
EDT | E-mail Article | Print Article
BANGKOK (AFP)--Security forces patrolled Bangkok's streets Wednesday in 
an effort to maintain calm a day after deadly clashes, as Thai protest 
leaders vowed to seek revenge for those killed or hurt in the violence.
Small groups of soldiers and police stood guard near state buildings 
including parliament - the focus of Tuesday's clash between police and 
antigovernment protesters which left two people dead and hundreds injured.
Troops were largely monitoring empty avenues in the historic district, 
with few signs remaining of the unrest, when police fired tear gas at 
thousands of protesters and angry mobs retaliated with gunfire and fighting.
Leaders of the antigovernment People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, 
said they'd continue their rallies until the elected administration 
steps down.
"We will fight with our wits to reach our goal, to get justice for the 
people who were injured and died," PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul said at 
the prime minister's offices, which demonstrators have occupied since 
late August.
The health ministry said in a statement that 443 people were injured on 
Tuesday, including eight who had to have damaged limbs amputated. Twenty 
police were among the injured, some suffering gunshot wounds.
One woman died of internal injuries, while a man was killed in a car 
bomb near parliament, the ministry statement said.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat defended the use of force as he toured 
a hospital to visit injured police.
"The protesters wanted to seize parliament, so police used tear gas, 
which is an international practice," he told reporters.
"Police are also wounded, and this clearly shows that the protests are 
not peaceful and protesters are not unarmed as claimed," he said.
The PAD claims that the current government is running the country on 
behalf of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and objects to their 
plans to amend the constitution, which was brought in after the 
September 2006 coup.
Somchai is Thaksin's brother-in-law, and Thailand's old power elite in 
the palace, military and bureaucracy - a mainstay of support for the PAD 
movement - resent the return of Thaksin's allies.
The PAD began their campaign in May, and late Monday thousands marched 
to parliament where Somchai was due to give his first policy address to 
the house on Tuesday, prompting the clashes.
Pibhop Dhongchai, another PAD leader, said the group was considering 
their next move. He denied they had planned to send gangs of protesters 
to the foreign ministry, where Somchai met foreign diplomats Wednesday 
to reassure them about stability here.
Thailand's media described the violence in cataclysmic terms Wednesday - 
the English-language daily The Nation said the "mini civil war" had 
created a " bloodbath in Bangkok" - and accused police of aggravating 
the situation.
The recent unrest followed months of protests by the PAD, whose rallies 
in early 2006 contributed to the unrest culminating in the coup that 
ousted Thaksin.
The army has sought to reassure people that despite the presence of 
troops in the streets, no fresh military takeover is in the works in 
Thailand, which has suffered 18 coups since the end of the absolute 
monarchy in 1932.
"Absolutely the military will not stage a coup," army chief General 
Anupong Paojinda said on Tuesday. "It's not good for our country."
The premier, who has only been in the post for three weeks, has declared 
he'll not resign or declare a state of emergency in the capital - 
although one of his deputies, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, has already resigned.
The streets around parliament were almost deserted early Wednesday, 
except for police deployed to sweep the area of debris and about 20 
overturned cars left from the clashes.
Schools around parliament were closed, but in the rest of Bangkok, 
people went to work and continued their daily chores, seemingly 
unaffected by the unrest.






http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=7496

Thai car bomb victim was protest organizer
(10-08 20:12)
Thai police on Wednesday identified the man who died in a car bombing 
during chaotic anti-government protests as a former senior policeman and 
demonstration organizer.

Metha Chartmontri, 37, quit his police career in 2005 to work for the 
anti-government group the People's Alliance for Democracy in the north 
of Thailand, said authorities.

Metha was killed Tuesday when a car burst into flames close to 
Thailand's parliament building, where PAD members clashed with police.

One female protester was killed during clashes after suffering internal 
injuries, a doctor from a Bangkok hospital said.

Eight police officers were shot or stabbed in the unrest, police said, 
which capped months of demonstrations aimed at removing Thailand's 
elected government because of its ties to oust






http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/08/thailand

Two dead as Thai troops battle protesters
• Ian MacKinnon, south-east Asia correspondent
• The Guardian, Wednesday 8 October 2008

Anti-government protesters clash with police outside the parliament in 
Bangkok. Photograph: Rungroj Yongrit/EPA
Troops were deployed on the streets of Bangkok last night to bolster 
Thai police after a day of clashes with anti-government protesters left 
two people dead and more than 350 injured.
Police fought pitched battles from early morning with demonstrators from 
the People's Alliance for Democracy (Pad) who gathered outside the Thai 
parliament as it met in a new session. Two policemen were shot as 
thousands of protesters massed in an effort to force the resignation of 
the new prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, accusing him of being a 
puppet of his deposed predecessor, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Somchai escaped the parliament building by crawling through a fence and 
was evacuated by helicopter. The deputy prime minister, Chavalit 
Yongchaiyudh, who had been the government's chief negotiator with Pad, 
quit his post. Pad has occupied the grounds of the prime minister's 
offices for months.
The violence was the worst since Pad protesters clashed with 
pro-government supporters almost two months ago, prompting the prime 
minister to declare a state of emergency and call troops on to the 
streets. Last night the army dismissed speculation that the arrival of 
soldiers on the streets heralded another coup, two years after Thaksin 
was forced out and sought asylum in Britain after fleeing corruption 
charges.
The demonstrators' siege of parliament delayed proceedings for a time as 
police fired teargas to try to clear a path to enable MPs to reach the 
chamber. One man lost a foot from the blast of a teargas grenade.
Some protesters broke away and targeted police headquarters, overturning 
police vehicles, erecting barricades and fighting with sharpened flagpoles.





http://www.fijilive.com/news_new/index.php/news/show_news/9451

Thai car bomb victim 'was protest organiser'
09/10/2008
________________________________________
Thai police identified the man who died in a car bombing during chaotic 
anti-government protests as a former senior policeman and demonstration 
organiser.

Metha Chartmontri, 37, quit his police career in 2005 to work for the 
anti-government group the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in the 
north of Thailand, said authorities.

"He was a lieutenant colonel...who resigned and began working with the 
People's Alliance for Democracy as coordinator from Burirum province," 
Major General Amnuay Nimmano, deputy commander of Bangkok police, told 
reporters.

Metha was killed when a car burst into flames close to Thailand's 
parliament building, where PAD members clashed with police.

One female protester was killed during clashes after suffering internal 
injuries, a doctor from a Bangkok hospital said.

Eight police officers were shot or stabbed in the unrest, police said, 
which capped months of demonstrations aimed at removing Thailand's 
elected government because of its ties to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

AFP





http://www.newssafety.com/index.php?view=article&catid=153%3Athailand-security&id=10192%3Athai-protesters-vow-revenge-after-clashes-with-police-&tmpl=component&print=1&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=100405

Thai protesters vow revenge after clashes with police
Source : AFP 08.10.2008

BANGKOK, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - At Thailand's main government complex in 
Bangkok, anti-government protesters bow their heads in silence -- a 
tribute to the two people killed in clashes with police outside parliament.

Thousands of demonstrators trying to bring down the country's elected 
government have been camped out here peacefully since August 26, but one 
day after the bloodshed in the capital's historic district, they want 
revenge.

The mood of the protesters, clad in the yellow royalist shirts and 
neckerchiefs that have become their uniform, has turned from sombre to 
angry.

"We want payback. The government has beaten us and beaten our king. This 
is our land to command," said one 62-year-old protester who would only 
be referred to by his nickname "Ronson".

Demonstrators from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who shot 
at police with guns on Tuesday after tear gas was fired at them, rested 
and reflected at the government complex, decorated with yellow and 
violet orchids.

"The government treats people like they treat dogs," said a 27-year-old 
protester who gave her name as Bee.

"We had no weapons in hand, just clappers and water bottles, but they 
treat us like we are dogs. They don't stop, I feel pain inside my head. 
I feel I want to take revenge."

The PAD is largely made up of the middle classes and Bangkok's pro-royal 
elite, and seeks to bring down the government they accuse of acting on 
behalf of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a 
September 2006 coup.

They also object to the ruling People Power Party's plans to amend the 
constitution, one of the causes they marched to parliament for on Monday 
night, provoking the teargas that triggered the unrest.

The recent turmoil follows months of protests by the PAD, whose rallies 
in early 2006 contributed to the unrest culminating in a coup later that 
year.

A small gaggle of PAD supporters sat outside the compound across from 
the largely deserted Royal Plaza, the scene of the bloody clashes that 
ended with 443 people injured, including eight who had limbs amputated, 
officials said.

One woman died of internal injuries in the violence, while a man was 
killed in a car bomb near parliament.

By midday, government workers had used high-pressure water hoses to 
clean up most of the debris left over from Tuesday's violence -- and the 
blood stains.

But banks of water bottles used to aid protesters hit by tear gas were 
left scattered around the area, signalling the possibility of further 
troubles ahead.

The Thai capital's historic district was eerily calm, with troops in 
riot gear smiling as they kept watch over key intersections close to 
government buildings.

The parliament building -- surrounded by 8,000 protesters during the 
unrest -- was deserted on Wednesday, after the protests forced an early 
end to scheduled policy debates and the PAD stayed away.

Workers calmly touched up the red paint on the building's gates, which 
kept lawmakers trapped inside for hours as protesters swarmed outside, 
forcing Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to escape by police helicopter.

"It's closed because of yesterday. There are no meetings here," said 
Jirut Tippayaruk, 30, a civil servant who was there only to return a 
book to the parliament library.

"Everyone is very sad. We don't like to see anything like this."





http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=7512

Thai anti-government protesters hijack bus
(10-09 00:30)
Thai protesters squatting in Bangkok's main government compound hijacked 
a city bus late on Wednesday, a day after they clashed violently with 
police leaving two dead and hundreds injured.

Police said a group of supporters of the People's Alliance for 
Democracy, which seeks the overthrow of the elected government, posed as 
passengers on the bus service that passes near their protest site.

In a police statement the authorities said around 10 PAD members boarded 
the bus and ordered everyone on board to leave before driving it to 
their camp at Government House.

The bus was used to blockade the front of the Government House building 
which protesters have besieged since August 26.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE






http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/mhidkfauaumh/rss2/

Thai protesters call for revenge

09/10/2008 - 07:57:06
Anti-government protesters have vowed to avenge those killed and injured 
in clashes this week with the police.

Soldiers helped maintain an uneasy calm today in Bangkok, two days after 
two people died and more than 400 were injured when police attempted to 
break up protests that degenerated into Thailand’s worst political 
violence in more than a decade.

While each side accused the other of using excess force, many pointed to 
the grievous wounds suffered by several demonstrators, including four 
who lost parts of their legs, as evidence that the police used heavy 
weapons.

Police said they only used tear gas, and said they believed some 
demonstrators were hurt by explosives they themselves were carrying.

Protesters rallied in their stronghold at the compound of the prime 
minister’s office, which they have occupied since August 26.

“We will not negotiate with a man who has blood on his hands,” said key 
protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul to loud applause. “I ask our brothers 
and sisters to be strong and turn your sorrow into anger so we can have 
our revenge!”

The protesters from the People’s Alliance for Democracy say Prime 
Minister Somchai Wongsawat is a pawn of ex-Prime Minister Thaksin 
Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006 by military leaders who accused him 
of corruption. He now lives in exile. Somchai is his brother-in-law.

The alliance wants sweeping changes to Thailand’s electoral system to 
prevent what they call corrupt politicians from exploiting the rural 
majority to take power.

Though police insisted they used only tear gas in Tuesday’s clashes, 
Associated Press reporters said stun grenades were also employed.

Protesters claimed their gathering on Tuesday morning aimed at 
blockading Parliament was peaceful, but many had brandished iron rods, 
slingshots, firecrackers and bottles to attack police.

An AP Television News reporter saw at least three carrying guns, and 
witnessed two of them firing at police. Three police officers were shot 
and one was stabbed with a flagpole.

Almost a dozen doctors at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital said they 
would refuse to treat policemen because of their actions on Tuesday, and 
urged colleagues to join them. But the hospital’s director said all 
patients would be treated.

A pilot on a domestic flight of Thai Airways International, the national 
carrier, refused to allow politicians from Somchai’s ruling People’s 
Power Party onto his flight.

The airline later suspended the pilot from duty, The Nation newspaper 
reported on its website.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy claims Thailand’s rural majority – 
who gave strong election victories to Thaksin and his allies – is 
susceptible to vote buying and too poorly educated to responsibly choose 
their representatives.

The group wants the country to abandon one-man, one-vote democracy and 
instead adopt a mixed system in which some representatives are chosen by 
certain professions and social groups. They have not explained how 
exactly such a system would work or what would make it less susceptible 
to manipulation.






http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081008/world.htm#1

Choppers rescue Thai PM amid anti-govt protest
Bangkok, October 7
It could have been a scene from the closing chapters of the Vietnam War 
- US-made ‘Huey’ helicopters flying in across a steamy southeast Asian 
city to rescue people trapped inside a besieged compound.
But the city was Bangkok in 2008, not Saigon in 1975, and the people 
included Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, holed up inside the 
parliament building as thousands of protesters outside called for his 
resignation. Amid a thick air with teargas from earlier clashes between 
protesters and the riot police, Somchai was forced to climb through a 
barbed wire fence at the back of parliament and onto the lawns of an 
adjoining palace before being flown to safety.
Left behind were hundreds of ruling party members of parliament who had 
gathered on Tuesday to hear Somchai's inaugural policy address - an 
event the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators were 
determined to prevent.
One man’s leg was blown off and another lost his foot when the riot 
police moved in just after dawn to clear a route to a side entrance of 
the parliament building. Furious at what was seen as police brutality, 
thousands more PAD supporters joined the protest, eventually forcing the 
riot officers to flee, abandoning their batons, shields and six trucks.
“We are going to block them inside for as long as possible,” said a 
45-year-old chartered surveyor, as MPs milled around inside the 
compound, speaking on mobile phones.
The protesters, who believe Somchai is a puppet of ousted PM Thaksin 
Shinawatra, then went to vent their rage at Bangkok’s police headquarters.
The police fired volleys of teargas rounds and stun grenades. The 
protesters, clad in yellow to show their allegiance to King Bhumibol 
Adulyadej, responded with fireworks, sling-shots and bottles.
“This is all Thaksin's doing. He is evil,” said Siriwan, an unemployed 
43-year-old housewife, who blamed Thaksin personally for the violence, 
even though he is now in exile in London.
Shortly afterwards, a sewage truck drove slowly down the tree-lined 
avenue, spraying torrents of excrement all over the road outside the 
police HQ. Sheets of cardboard were placed across drain covers to 
prevent what the protesters said was teargas pumped into the sewer 
system by police. Nearby, a team of army and volunteer medics combed 
through the debris on one side of the road looking for a man’s toe they 
said had been blown off in one of the clashes. — Reuters





http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=9&art_id=71051&sid=20411045&con_type=1&d_str=20080902&fc=10

Political protests put dampener on outlook for Thai tourism -

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Lugging their suitcases under the Thai sun, foreign tourists walked 
around cars lining the highway to Phuket's airport, hoping for an end to 
the protest that had shuttered the runway on the resort isle.
"We don't know what happened, we don't know anything about Thai 
politics," said one German tourist. "They keep telling us we are on 
standby, but they are still not sure if our flight can take off."
He was among 15,000 passengers stranded in Phuket since anti-government 
protesters marched Friday on the island's airport, the nation's 
second-busiest, forcing a cancellation of all the nearly 120 daily flights.
Similar protests temporarily closed down the airport in nearby Krabi and 
the southern commercial center of Hat Yai, cutting off air traffic to 
much of southern Thailand.
By Sunday, all three aviation hubs had resumed services, but protesters 
have threatened to return to airports, including Phuket, the crown jewel 
of Thai tourism - an industry that generates 6 percent of the economy.
The anti-government protests are centered on Bangkok, where up to 25,000 
people have occupied the main government complex calling for the 
resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
The protests turned violent Friday, with skirmishes between activists 
and police. Only about 35 people suffered minor injuries, but Australia, 
Britain and the United States have warned their nationals to exercise 
caution traveling to Thailand, while South Korea has urged tourists to 
postpone their plans.
Thai tourism has weathered political protests before, when street 
demonstrations led to a coup against Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.
But travelers have so far been undeterred by the political turmoil, just 
as they kept coming after the Indian Ocean tsunami, deadly bombings in 
downtown Bangkok and a fiery plane crash in Phuket.
Despite the disasters, Thailand has posted record tourist arrivals in 
each of the past four years. But the current protests come at a 
particularly bad time, with high global oil prices putting airlines 
under pressure and forcing many travelers to rethink their plans.
"The current political standoff will absolutely have an adverse effect 
on our tourism industry but the extent of the damage will depend on how 
long the turmoil lasts," said Prakit Chinamourphong, president of the 
Thai Hotel Association.
"It would be best if it ended swiftly."
Even before the protests broke out, tourism growth showed signs of 
slowing. The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects 15.48 million 
arrivals this year, up slightly from 14.46 million last year.
The government agency has revised down its forecast for next year, 
predicting 16 million people will visit Thailand, generating 600 billion 
baht (HK$136.9 billion) in revenue.
The slowdown has been largely blamed on soaring oil prices, which have 
taken a heavy toll on flag carrier Thai Airways, forcing it to cut its 
direct flight to New York while reducing other long-haul routes to rein 
in fuel costs.
The airline posted a 9.23 billion baht loss in the second quarter - its 
worst quarterly showing in a decade.
But some experts predict Thailand will once again rebound, in part 
because political turmoil there has become seen as somewhat normal.
"We're still generally bullish on Thailand," said Oliver Martin, an 
associate director at industry body the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
Even if the political situation deteriorated into another coup, Martin 
said that he did not expect many people to change their travel plans.
"If anything, the security situation with these coups is nothing new in 
Thailand," he said. "It's taken as fact. If you look at their history, 
they have coups every couple of years. Here, it's generally not violent 
and generally it's looked at as a domestic issue."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE