"We don't have leaders today. We are here on our own, the CRES can't arrest us," one speaker said from a makeshift stage, referring to the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation set up to coordinate the authorities' handling of the Bangkok protests. Hundreds of police were deployed near a football stadium where the main rally was taking place. (Reuters)
Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts
Monday, October 18, 2010
- Thai 'red shirts' rally to demand leaders be freed
Thousands of anti-government "red shirts" demonstrated in the old Thai capital of Ayutthaya on Sunday to demand the release of their leaders and scores of comrades detained since bloody protests in April and May.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
SIAM WITH MALAYSIAKINI: when protest becomes a habit
Protest: ~ A solemn declaration of opinion, commonly a formal objection against some act; especially, a formal and solemn declaration, in writing, of dissent from the proceedings of a legislative body; as, the protest of lords in Parliament.
The change of government is fairly frequent and each is started with sparks of protest. The followings are news extract on protest over there. Excluded are the more sensitive ones.
January 31 2009
Wearing red shirts to show their solidarity, up to 30,000 unarmed protesters—who call themselves the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD)—demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his government leave office after 15 days, and vowed to “fight” until their demands were met.
January 13 2009
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban refused to remove Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya from his post as demanded by a Thaksin loyalist group in exchange for cancelling its planned protest during the ASEAN summit to be held in February.[click]
January 7 2009
The anti-Government protests that crippled Bangkok's two major airports toward the end of last year, are estimated to have cost Thailand US$11.5 million. A central bank report, analyzing the cost to the economy, said the political unrest had not only affected the tourism industry but also other related industries.It said the losses also affected the service industry and logistics, as well as other industries. [ click]
November 26 2008
Thai riot police march over the polished floors of Bangkok's shiny new Suvarnabhumi airport in an effort to contain anti-government protesters, whose rally forced the terminal to close. All out-bound flights were cancelled and many in-bound planes were diverted. [click]
July 7 2008
Thousands of people marched to Thailand's national police headquarters Monday to demand faster action on long-pending legal cases against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. [click]
May 27 2008
A RADICAL sect of Buddhist monks on Tuesday joined an anti government protest, camping out in Bangkok's historic district in a scene reminiscent of demonstrations that led to a coup two years ago. [click]
April 27 2007
The peaceful protest was held as the army-installed government comes under increasing criticism over a number of policy miscues, ... The protest movement is also beginning to create an odd coalition of allies, with some pro-democracy groups who last year demonstrated against Thaksin [ junta]
November 24 2005
More than 20000 owners of ducks and fighting cocks rallied west of Bangkok to protest the government's refusal to allow birds to be vaccinated against avian flu. [click]
The Thai government has warned that it will take tough action against violent protests after hundreds of workers clashed with police near the capital Bangkok [click]
beritadarigunung
The change of government is fairly frequent and each is started with sparks of protest. The followings are news extract on protest over there. Excluded are the more sensitive ones.
January 31 2009
Wearing red shirts to show their solidarity, up to 30,000 unarmed protesters—who call themselves the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD)—demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his government leave office after 15 days, and vowed to “fight” until their demands were met.
January 13 2009
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban refused to remove Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya from his post as demanded by a Thaksin loyalist group in exchange for cancelling its planned protest during the ASEAN summit to be held in February.[click]
January 7 2009
The anti-Government protests that crippled Bangkok's two major airports toward the end of last year, are estimated to have cost Thailand US$11.5 million. A central bank report, analyzing the cost to the economy, said the political unrest had not only affected the tourism industry but also other related industries.It said the losses also affected the service industry and logistics, as well as other industries. [ click]
November 26 2008
Thai riot police march over the polished floors of Bangkok's shiny new Suvarnabhumi airport in an effort to contain anti-government protesters, whose rally forced the terminal to close. All out-bound flights were cancelled and many in-bound planes were diverted. [click]
July 7 2008
Thousands of people marched to Thailand's national police headquarters Monday to demand faster action on long-pending legal cases against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. [click]
May 27 2008
A RADICAL sect of Buddhist monks on Tuesday joined an anti government protest, camping out in Bangkok's historic district in a scene reminiscent of demonstrations that led to a coup two years ago. [click]
April 27 2007
The peaceful protest was held as the army-installed government comes under increasing criticism over a number of policy miscues, ... The protest movement is also beginning to create an odd coalition of allies, with some pro-democracy groups who last year demonstrated against Thaksin [ junta]
November 24 2005
More than 20000 owners of ducks and fighting cocks rallied west of Bangkok to protest the government's refusal to allow birds to be vaccinated against avian flu. [click]
The Thai government has warned that it will take tough action against violent protests after hundreds of workers clashed with police near the capital Bangkok [click]
beritadarigunung
Sunday, January 18, 2009
HUMANITY with MALAYSIAKINI: are we tribal in nature
As researchers keep probing deeper into the fold of history, looking up for answers as to our existence, humanity on other hand is treated casually so must so that other tribes are thrown out to die. Lets share with malaysiakini, to understand the pressure felt by Orang Siam in dealing with the brutal side of us all.
2. Are we dealing with humanity in the way God has ordained. Some believe that humans are made to differ as far as colour, language, culture, look and perculiarity are concerned. And the whole stage of life is a test, how can we deal with these differences.
3. There is little thing as interpersonal, where one has to relate to another. That is the first test. A bigger one will be how geographical existence reacts and relates to the nearest neighbour. There is a strong bond between people in term of race and religion. Things may look okey, but the social fabric of humanity may just get torn to pieces due to a singular incident.
4. All in all, the bigger existence of humanity is very much in the hand of political matadors. The red cloth is very symbolic. Red is the colour of blood. Some still put the coming of Israeli election as the prime catalyst of gaza invasion. Some still believe that Bersih, Jerit and Hindraf are little things matadors will play nonchalantly as they smell blood not far away. Blood is political power.
5. As Orang Siam pushed away refugees back to sea, lets appreciate deeper as to their reasons. Is humanity in real conflict with craze for power, or is humanity just a little pawn, political matador can hack at will? While trying to look up for answer, lets play back the tribal tape on the actual happenings within the southern Thailand insurgency. We may simply go bonkers if what we thought is true turn out to be otherwise. [ I will never forget the white brace around Anwar's broken neck while placing facts, bluffs, myths and acts within a political perimeter]
Lets read further;
Thailand's
deadly treatment
of migrants
jonathan head
A shocking story is unfolding in Thailand. Migrants and refugees who turn up on its shores have testified that they are being sent back to sea in boats without engines, their hands tied, left to their fate.
According to a local civic group, the Arakan Project, whose staff have done extensive interviews with some of the survivors, they were detained by the Thai security forces in late November and December last year as they arrived by boat.
2. Are we dealing with humanity in the way God has ordained. Some believe that humans are made to differ as far as colour, language, culture, look and perculiarity are concerned. And the whole stage of life is a test, how can we deal with these differences.
3. There is little thing as interpersonal, where one has to relate to another. That is the first test. A bigger one will be how geographical existence reacts and relates to the nearest neighbour. There is a strong bond between people in term of race and religion. Things may look okey, but the social fabric of humanity may just get torn to pieces due to a singular incident.
4. All in all, the bigger existence of humanity is very much in the hand of political matadors. The red cloth is very symbolic. Red is the colour of blood. Some still put the coming of Israeli election as the prime catalyst of gaza invasion. Some still believe that Bersih, Jerit and Hindraf are little things matadors will play nonchalantly as they smell blood not far away. Blood is political power.
5. As Orang Siam pushed away refugees back to sea, lets appreciate deeper as to their reasons. Is humanity in real conflict with craze for power, or is humanity just a little pawn, political matador can hack at will? While trying to look up for answer, lets play back the tribal tape on the actual happenings within the southern Thailand insurgency. We may simply go bonkers if what we thought is true turn out to be otherwise. [ I will never forget the white brace around Anwar's broken neck while placing facts, bluffs, myths and acts within a political perimeter]
Lets read further;
Thailand's
deadly treatment
of migrants
jonathan head
The migrants tell of secretive, brutal treatment by Thai security services
A shocking story is unfolding in Thailand. Migrants and refugees who turn up on its shores have testified that they are being sent back to sea in boats without engines, their hands tied, left to their fate.
Hundreds are thought to have suffered this treatment - among them many Rohingya people of western Burma - and many have died. The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok has been investigating what has been happening.
The 46 Rohingyas who arrived by boat at Phrathong Island on Friday morning may be lucky.
Like the hundreds of other asylum-seekers from this Burmese Muslim minority who have arrived on Thailand's Andaman Sea coast, they have been handed over to the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), a military authority set up under the Cold War and still given sweeping powers to protect national security.
That means they disappear into a black hole. No visits from lawyers or refugee advocates. The military can do what it likes with them.
But after the spotlight now being shone onto the treatment of previous Rohingya groups, this one may be handled more leniently.
Overboard
Harsh treatment of asylum-seekers is nothing new in Thailand. But the allegations made by Rohingyas who have drifted hundreds of kilometres to the Andaman Islands and Indonesia's Aceh province are shocking.According to a local civic group, the Arakan Project, whose staff have done extensive interviews with some of the survivors, they were detained by the Thai security forces in late November and December last year as they arrived by boat.
Instead of being handed over to the police or immigration for processing as illegal immigrants, they were instead taken by military units to an island called Koh Sai Daeng. They were detained there for several days, sleeping out in the open, their hands tied at night.
On 18 December one group of just over 400 was put on a navy boat, which was towing a barge behind it, says Chris Lewa from the Arakan Project.
Their hands were tied. Once out at sea they were ordered to move onto the barge at gunpoint. They refused. The Thai troops then tied the feet of four of them and threw them overboard.
They drifted for more than 10. According to the testimony she has obtained, Ms Lewa says they sighted land - the Andaman Islands - on around the 12th day.
Fearful that the current would sweep their barge away, many of the exhausted and dehydrated Rohingyas leapt into the sea to try to make it to land.
Fewer than 100 were found on board by the Indian coastguard, although an unknown number was also picked up from the sea or on beaches.
Briefer telephone interviews with survivors by the BBC have confirmed this account. Survivors who reached Aceh have told the local media the same thing.
In all, more than 800 Rohingyas were expelled in this way in December. Hundreds may have died.
Denial
The local commander of ISOC in Ranong, Col Manas Khongpan, has denied these allegations. He told the BBC that illegal immigrants are never held by his troops.
But that contradicts comments the BBC has been given by other military and police officials, who say all Rohingya boat-people are now being handled by ISOC.
Some of those officials, who did not want to be named, confirmed that Rohingyas had indeed been set adrift at sea, with little food and water.
They explained that Rohingyas are seen as a greater security threat than the tens of thousands of other illegal migrants, because they are Muslim, because they tend to arrive in large numbers at one time, and because they are almost exclusively men.
Immigration officials told us there is no evidence to support the allegation made by some in the military that Rohingyas have gone to Thailand's deep south to join the Islamic insurgency there.
The officials have told us that while most of the Rohingya want to go to Malaysia - where there is already a community 20,000 strong and the prospect of well-paid jobs - increasing numbers are staying in Thailand. The official figure last year was 4,886, and the unofficial figure may be much higher.
Military's power
The Thai government has now issued a statement saying it is investigating all the facts surrounding these allegations.
It has promised to re-assess the situation of all illegal immigrants in Thailand, numbering perhaps three or four million, most of them from Burma, and to treat them in accordance with humanitarian principles.
Whether it can truly hold the military to account though is open to doubt. In many areas of Thailand the army operates with little civilian oversight. It has huge secret budgets, and extensive business interests.
The current Democrat-led coalition was stitched together last month thanks to the intervention of the powerful army commander General Anupong Paochinda - he may well resist any calls for his men to be brought to justice over these allegations, as his predecessors have.
But it is also worth remembering that under the most recent constitution the most senior commander of ISOC is, in fact, the Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
He has made the rule of law one of the core principles of his administration. Any crimes committed by ISOC personnel, whether against Thais or illegal migrants, will ultimately lie at his door.
refer for full: [Thailand's deadly treatment of migrants
beritadarigunung
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thai tensions rise after blasts wound dozens
Thanaporn Promyamyai, AFP
BANGKOK, Sun:
The blasts came hours before thousands of supporters of the embattled administration were due to hold their own rally in central Bangkok, creating another potential flashpoint.
Foreign governments were racing to evacuate around 100,000 frustrated travellers stranded in the self-styled “Land of Smiles” by the five-day outbreak of civil unrest.
In the latest violence, attackers lobbed a grenade at the offices of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, which the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protest movement occupied in August.
Emergency services said 49 people were wounded.
“Whatever happens, we will fight,” senior PAD leader and retired general Chamlong Srimuang told reporters at the site. An AFP correspondent saw a ragged hole in a tent caused by the blast.
Hours later, a blast outside the domestic Don Mueang airport injured two passers-by, police said. A grenade was also found at the offices of a party in the ruling coalition but did not go off.
Grenade attacks this month at the premier’s besieged offices killed two protesters and prompted the PAD to launch its “final battle” against the government a week ago.
Thai authorities used carrot and stick tactics Sunday to end the siege at Don Mueang and the larger Suvarnabhumi international airport amid fears of political violence — and concerns that more bloodshed could spark a coup.
Police said fresh talks had started at both airports. But they later issued a new order to protesters at Don Mueang, warning that they faced two years in jail if they did not disperse.
“Time is running out but we still have time to find a solution. Police will work with compromise, no force, no weapons,” said Pongsapat Pongcharoen, assistant to the national police chief.
At Suvarnabhumi, PAD guards were still entrenched behind barricades of tyres, wooden stakes and razor wire. They have armed themselves with golf clubs, sticks and other weapons.
But there was a thin police presence at the cordon around the airport, and most protesters inside the gleaming terminal building opened in 2006 were sleeping, AFP correspondents said.
The royalist PAD accuses Somchai’s government of being a corrupt puppet for exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006.
Thaksin is Somchai’s brother-in-law.
Supporters of the group — a loose coalition who wear yellow to show their loyalty to the king and have backing from elements in the military, palace and urban middle classes — says it won’t back down until Somchai quits.
Separately, a pro-government group known as the "Red Shirts", due to the clothes they wear to differentiate themselves from their rivals, said it hoped to gather up to 10,000 people in Bangkok on Sunday.
The apparent stalemate has prompted speculation that the rival factions are waiting for other events scheduled this week.
The Constitutional Court is due Tuesday to wrap up a case that could see the ruling party disbanded for fraud and Somchai and other leaders banned from politics.
Meanwhile, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, revered as semi-divine by most Thais, is due to give a birthday-eve speech on Thursday. A constitutional monarch, he has waded into politics on only a handful of occasions.
Angry tourists, meanwhile, struggled to escape Thailand through the Vietnam War-era naval base at U-Tapao, 190km from Bangkok, where a handful of flights have been operating since Friday.
“They have killed tourism in this country, the authorities should go do something,” said tourist Danny Mosaffi, 57, from New York City. “Nobody is going to come here.” - AFP
Thai tensions rise after blasts wound dozens
New Straits Times
BANGKOK, Sun:
Grenade attacks targeting Thai anti-government protesters injured at least 51 people Sunday, stoking tensions as police struggled to end a paralysing blockade of Bangkok’s airports.
Foreign governments were racing to evacuate around 100,000 frustrated travellers stranded in the self-styled “Land of Smiles” by the five-day outbreak of civil unrest.
In the latest violence, attackers lobbed a grenade at the offices of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, which the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protest movement occupied in August.
Emergency services said 49 people were wounded.
Hours later, a blast outside the domestic Don Mueang airport injured two passers-by, police said. A grenade was also found at the offices of a party in the ruling coalition but did not go off.
Grenade attacks this month at the premier’s besieged offices killed two protesters and prompted the PAD to launch its “final battle” against the government a week ago.
Thai authorities used carrot and stick tactics Sunday to end the siege at Don Mueang and the larger Suvarnabhumi international airport amid fears of political violence — and concerns that more bloodshed could spark a coup.
Police said fresh talks had started at both airports. But they later issued a new order to protesters at Don Mueang, warning that they faced two years in jail if they did not disperse.
“Time is running out but we still have time to find a solution. Police will work with compromise, no force, no weapons,” said Pongsapat Pongcharoen, assistant to the national police chief.
At Suvarnabhumi, PAD guards were still entrenched behind barricades of tyres, wooden stakes and razor wire. They have armed themselves with golf clubs, sticks and other weapons.
But there was a thin police presence at the cordon around the airport, and most protesters inside the gleaming terminal building opened in 2006 were sleeping, AFP correspondents said.
The royalist PAD accuses Somchai’s government of being a corrupt puppet for exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006.
Thaksin is Somchai’s brother-in-law.
Supporters of the group — a loose coalition who wear yellow to show their loyalty to the king and have backing from elements in the military, palace and urban middle classes — says it won’t back down until Somchai quits.
Separately, a pro-government group known as the "Red Shirts", due to the clothes they wear to differentiate themselves from their rivals, said it hoped to gather up to 10,000 people in Bangkok on Sunday.
The apparent stalemate has prompted speculation that the rival factions are waiting for other events scheduled this week.
The Constitutional Court is due Tuesday to wrap up a case that could see the ruling party disbanded for fraud and Somchai and other leaders banned from politics.
Meanwhile, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, revered as semi-divine by most Thais, is due to give a birthday-eve speech on Thursday. A constitutional monarch, he has waded into politics on only a handful of occasions.
Angry tourists, meanwhile, struggled to escape Thailand through the Vietnam War-era naval base at U-Tapao, 190km from Bangkok, where a handful of flights have been operating since Friday.
“They have killed tourism in this country, the authorities should go do something,” said tourist Danny Mosaffi, 57, from New York City. “Nobody is going to come here.” - AFP
Thai tensions rise after blasts wound dozens
New Straits Times
51 protesters wounded in Bangkok explosions
By AMBIKA AHUJA – 9 minutes ago
The Associated Press
Anti-government protesters man a road barricade made from airport baggage trolleys near the Suvarnabhumi airport compound early Sunday Nov. 30, 2008 in Bangkok Thailand. Anti-government protesters who have closed down Bangkok's airports broke through a police cordon meant to shut them off from supplies, raising fears Saturday of widening confrontations in the standoff that has strangled the country's economy.(AP Photo/Ed Wray)
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Unidentified assailants set off explosions at anti-government protest sites Sunday, wounding 51 people and raising fears of widening confrontations in Thailand's worst political crisis that has strangled its economy and shut down its airports.
The first blast occurred inside Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's office compound, which protesters seized in August and have held ever since. Suriyasai Katasiya, a spokesman for the protest group, said a grenade landed on the roof of a tent under which protesters were resting, rolled down to the ground and exploded.
At least 49 people were injured, said Surachet Sathitniramai at the Narenthorn Medical Center. He said nine of them were hospitalized, including four in serious condition.
Twenty-minutes after the compound attack, two more blasts rocked an anti-government television station but there were no injuries, Suriyasai said.
In another pre-dawn strike, an explosive device detonated on the road near the main entrance to the domestic Don Muang airport. Surachet and an Associated Press television cameraman said two people were wounded.
No one claimed responsibility for the blasts but Suriyasai blamed the government.
Tensions were rising as a pro-government group scheduled to hold a rally in the heart of Bangkok later Sunday to express its support for Somchai, who is operating out of the northern city of Chiang Mai.
The prime minister has been reluctant to use force to evict the demonstrators from the People's Alliance for Democracy, who on Tuesday night overran Suvarnabhumi airport, the country's main international gateway and one of the busiest airports in the world.
The alliance seized the domestic Don Muang airport a day later, severing the capital from all commercial air traffic and virtually paralyzing the government.
The demonstrators say they will not leave until Somchai resigns, accusing him of being a puppet for ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the original hate figure for the alliance.
"Brothers and sisters, please be patient. As soon as the government is out of power, we will go home immediately," said an alliance leader Chamlong Srimuang in a speech.
Somchai has appeared at a loss on how to end the crisis but still refuses to step down. The police have their hands tied because of Somchai's reluctance to use force and the military's refusal to get involved, creating the worst political deadlock in the country's history that is taking a severe toll on its economy and reputation.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled, stranding up to 100,000 travelers, devastating the country's tourism-dependent economy and disrupting schedules and budgets of airlines around the world.
Some airlines were using the airport at the U-Tapao naval base, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Bangkok. But authorities there were overwhelmed with hundreds of screaming and shoving passengers cramming into the small facility, trying to get their bags scanned through a single X-ray machine.
All rescue flights — to Moscow, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket — were delayed, some by several hours. The parking lot was jammed with buses, taxis and vans. The Red Cross set up a tent in the parking area where women handed out sandwiches.
Deputy Prime Minister Olarn Chaipravat, who oversees economic affairs, said foreign tourist arrivals next year was expected to fall by half to about 6 million, resulting in 1 million job losses in the crucial tourism industry.
The Federation of Thai Industries has estimated the takeover of the airports is costing the country $57 million to $85 million a day. Some of its members have suggested they might not pay taxes to protest the standoff.
"The situation has gone from bad to worse, signaling that it (the government) is incompetent at ensuring peace and order," the Thai Chamber of Commerce said in a statement Saturday.
Some Thais are looking to the judiciary for a way out of the crisis. The Constitutional Court is expected to rule as soon as next week on whether three parties in the governing coalition including Somchai's People's Power Party committed electoral fraud.
If found guilty, the parties would be dissolved immediately, and executive members including Somchai would be barred from politics for five years. Non-executive members could, however, switch to another party.
Others are counting on the monarchy to end the standoff. The revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has repeatedly brought calm in times of turbulence during his 62-year reign, will give his annual birthday-eve speech on Dec. 4.
"No one else can fix this. The country is so divided. The only uniting figure we have is the king. If he tells both sides to step back, they will," said a 36-year-old coffee shop owner Natta Siritanond.
Associated Press reporters Nicholas Tatro, Vijay Joshi and Michael Casey contributed to this report.
The Associated Press
POLITICS-THAILAND: Status as Regional Leader in Doubt
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
For years, Thais affected an air of superiority when talking about their regional neighbours on mainland South-east Asia. Such pride came from the country’s record of political stability -- despite numerous coups -- that attracted foreign investment.
But the siege of Bangkok’s international airport by a right-wing anti-government protest movement, which entered its fourth day on Saturday, is shredding the superior edge Thailand had enjoyed.
This is the fourth airport in the country that this right-wing movement has succeeded in shutting down since it took to the streets in May to force a democratically elected government to resign.
And the countries that Thais looked down with contempt, the much poorer Cambodia and Laos, are asking deeply embarrassing questions of Thailand.
Cambodia and Laos have queried if Thailand is in a position to host a summit of South-east Asian leaders planned to be held in mid-December in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
‘’They said so on Wednesday, after the Suvarnabhumi airport was taken over,’’ a Bangkok-based South-east Asian diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told IPS. ‘’These are concerns that even others have begun to ask.’’
Vietnam joined that list by Thursday, increasing the pressure on Bangkok to postpone the annual leaders’ meeting of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN).
And by the week’s end, two of the region’s more prosperous nations, Singapore and Malaysia, also had messages that have painted Thailand into an unenviable corner due to a situation on the ground that hovers between anarchy and mob rule.
‘’We are very troubled by it. We hope that all groups in Thailand will have the political will to compromise and find a way out for the country,’’ Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo was quoted as having told Channel News Asia, a television station based in the affluent city-state. ‘’The tourism industry is badly affected. I worry that the ASEAN summit will be affected.’’
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is reported to be in two minds about attending the Chiang Mai summit, the national news agency, Bernama, revealed. Abdullah is the first of ASEAN’s leaders to say so, although the reason he gives is a valid one -- the summit coincides with an important parliamentary session.
‘’All this will be deeply embarrassing for Thais, especially the questions being asked from the smaller countries on mainland South-east Asia,’’ says Puangthong Pawakapan, a political scientist at the international relations department at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. ‘’It shows how neighbours are perceiving us as a country out of control. Our reputation for economic, political and social stability has been lost.’’
‘’Even if the government takes back the airport, the damage to Thailand’s reputation cannot be mended soon,’’ she explained in an interview. ‘’In no other country in the world have protesters been able to take over a major international airport and hold it for so many days.’’
Bangkok, however, is still keen on sticking to the original plans as the host of the 14th ASEAN summit, since a change will cost the country’s already beleaguered reputation more damage. ‘’I have not decided whether to postpone (the summit), but to postpone it will damage our country’s image,’’ Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat told reporters on Friday.
ASEAN, which was founded in 1967 as a bulwark against the spread of communism in the region during the height of the Cold War, is a 10-member bloc. It includes Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The call to postpone the summit comes after Thailand already took a desperate decision to change the venue of the summit due to the anti-government protests led by the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
The announcement in October, to shift the venue from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, came after the PAD ratcheted up its campaign to cripple the Somchai administration, resulting in a clash with the police outside the parliament, where two protesters were killed and hundreds injured.
The PAD, despite its name, does not have expanding electoral democracy as a goal. It is calling for the military to stage another coup -- the country’s 19th -- and wants to impose a political regime that drastically cuts the one-citizen-one-vote rule and replace it with a parliament where 70 percent of the legislators are appointed.
Its well-organised campaigns, forcefully taking over symbols of power, such as occupying the prime minister’s office since late August, and surrounding the parliament to prevent the legislature from sitting, have preceded the current takeover of Suvarnabhumi airport, a vital economic lifeline to Thailand.
The PAD, which is backed by middle-class urban Thais, royalists and the entrenched elite, has also won the backing of influential figures in this kingdom. Ignored, consequently, are the voices of the country’s majority, most of who are rural poor, who closed ranks to vote for the current six-party coalition government at last December’s polls.
The PAD’s success -- and implied sympathy towards it by the country’s powerful military -- has also resulted in another unprecedented feature in Thai politics, justifying the concerns of stability raised by some ASEAN countries. Somchai, the premier, has opted to abandon Bangkok and seek refuge in Chiang Mai, the home town of his wife, where support for the government is high.
‘’As there are still uncertainties in the tensions between the government and army, for his safety the prime minister will stay in Chiang Mai,’’ government spokesman Suparat Nakbunnam was quoted as having told the AFP news agency. ‘’He has no schedule to return to Bangkok, he will stay in Chiang Mai indefinitely for his security.’’
The inability of the government to function also lessens the prospect of Thailand failing to get parliament’s approval of trade deals vital for ASEAN’s economic agenda. The country needs to get the legislature’s backing for 30 agreements, including an ASEAN-India free trade agreement and an ASEAN-South Korea free trade agreement.
‘’Thailand as the host and chairman of the summit would lose face as it would be the only ASEAN member unable to sign the agreements,’’ Noppadon Sarawasi, deputy director-general of the trade negotiations department, warned this week, according to the ‘Bangkok Post’ newspaper. ‘’This would affect the confidence in its leadership in the ASEAN region.’’ POLITICS-THAILAND: Status as Regional Leader in Doubt IPS, Italy
Other related stories:
1Australians to be plucked from Bangkok airport drama
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
2 Airlines to help stranded passengers in Thailand
Malaysia Star, Malaysia
3 Thai protesters force police to abandon checkpoint
The News International, Pakistan
4 THAILAND, CHIANG MAI: FOUR EXPLOSIONS OCCURRED NEAR THE GOVERNMENT ...
Culturalnews.it, Italy
5 Thailand: Airport Standoff and Rumors of a Coup
Stratfor
6 Pro-govt camp claims conspiracy
Nation Multimedia, Thailand
For years, Thais affected an air of superiority when talking about their regional neighbours on mainland South-east Asia. Such pride came from the country’s record of political stability -- despite numerous coups -- that attracted foreign investment.
But the siege of Bangkok’s international airport by a right-wing anti-government protest movement, which entered its fourth day on Saturday, is shredding the superior edge Thailand had enjoyed.
This is the fourth airport in the country that this right-wing movement has succeeded in shutting down since it took to the streets in May to force a democratically elected government to resign.
And the countries that Thais looked down with contempt, the much poorer Cambodia and Laos, are asking deeply embarrassing questions of Thailand.
Cambodia and Laos have queried if Thailand is in a position to host a summit of South-east Asian leaders planned to be held in mid-December in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
‘’They said so on Wednesday, after the Suvarnabhumi airport was taken over,’’ a Bangkok-based South-east Asian diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told IPS. ‘’These are concerns that even others have begun to ask.’’
Vietnam joined that list by Thursday, increasing the pressure on Bangkok to postpone the annual leaders’ meeting of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN).
And by the week’s end, two of the region’s more prosperous nations, Singapore and Malaysia, also had messages that have painted Thailand into an unenviable corner due to a situation on the ground that hovers between anarchy and mob rule.
‘’We are very troubled by it. We hope that all groups in Thailand will have the political will to compromise and find a way out for the country,’’ Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo was quoted as having told Channel News Asia, a television station based in the affluent city-state. ‘’The tourism industry is badly affected. I worry that the ASEAN summit will be affected.’’
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is reported to be in two minds about attending the Chiang Mai summit, the national news agency, Bernama, revealed. Abdullah is the first of ASEAN’s leaders to say so, although the reason he gives is a valid one -- the summit coincides with an important parliamentary session.
‘’All this will be deeply embarrassing for Thais, especially the questions being asked from the smaller countries on mainland South-east Asia,’’ says Puangthong Pawakapan, a political scientist at the international relations department at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. ‘’It shows how neighbours are perceiving us as a country out of control. Our reputation for economic, political and social stability has been lost.’’
‘’Even if the government takes back the airport, the damage to Thailand’s reputation cannot be mended soon,’’ she explained in an interview. ‘’In no other country in the world have protesters been able to take over a major international airport and hold it for so many days.’’
Bangkok, however, is still keen on sticking to the original plans as the host of the 14th ASEAN summit, since a change will cost the country’s already beleaguered reputation more damage. ‘’I have not decided whether to postpone (the summit), but to postpone it will damage our country’s image,’’ Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat told reporters on Friday.
ASEAN, which was founded in 1967 as a bulwark against the spread of communism in the region during the height of the Cold War, is a 10-member bloc. It includes Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The call to postpone the summit comes after Thailand already took a desperate decision to change the venue of the summit due to the anti-government protests led by the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
The announcement in October, to shift the venue from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, came after the PAD ratcheted up its campaign to cripple the Somchai administration, resulting in a clash with the police outside the parliament, where two protesters were killed and hundreds injured.
The PAD, despite its name, does not have expanding electoral democracy as a goal. It is calling for the military to stage another coup -- the country’s 19th -- and wants to impose a political regime that drastically cuts the one-citizen-one-vote rule and replace it with a parliament where 70 percent of the legislators are appointed.
Its well-organised campaigns, forcefully taking over symbols of power, such as occupying the prime minister’s office since late August, and surrounding the parliament to prevent the legislature from sitting, have preceded the current takeover of Suvarnabhumi airport, a vital economic lifeline to Thailand.
The PAD, which is backed by middle-class urban Thais, royalists and the entrenched elite, has also won the backing of influential figures in this kingdom. Ignored, consequently, are the voices of the country’s majority, most of who are rural poor, who closed ranks to vote for the current six-party coalition government at last December’s polls.
The PAD’s success -- and implied sympathy towards it by the country’s powerful military -- has also resulted in another unprecedented feature in Thai politics, justifying the concerns of stability raised by some ASEAN countries. Somchai, the premier, has opted to abandon Bangkok and seek refuge in Chiang Mai, the home town of his wife, where support for the government is high.
‘’As there are still uncertainties in the tensions between the government and army, for his safety the prime minister will stay in Chiang Mai,’’ government spokesman Suparat Nakbunnam was quoted as having told the AFP news agency. ‘’He has no schedule to return to Bangkok, he will stay in Chiang Mai indefinitely for his security.’’
The inability of the government to function also lessens the prospect of Thailand failing to get parliament’s approval of trade deals vital for ASEAN’s economic agenda. The country needs to get the legislature’s backing for 30 agreements, including an ASEAN-India free trade agreement and an ASEAN-South Korea free trade agreement.
‘’Thailand as the host and chairman of the summit would lose face as it would be the only ASEAN member unable to sign the agreements,’’ Noppadon Sarawasi, deputy director-general of the trade negotiations department, warned this week, according to the ‘Bangkok Post’ newspaper. ‘’This would affect the confidence in its leadership in the ASEAN region.’’ POLITICS-THAILAND: Status as Regional Leader in Doubt IPS, Italy
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3 Thai protesters force police to abandon checkpoint
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4 THAILAND, CHIANG MAI: FOUR EXPLOSIONS OCCURRED NEAR THE GOVERNMENT ...
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5 Thailand: Airport Standoff and Rumors of a Coup
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6 Pro-govt camp claims conspiracy
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
FOCUS THAILAND: Thai military chief calls for dissolution of parliament and new elections
The influential head of Thailand's army today urged the government to dissolve parliament and call new elections to end the political crisis, as dramatic action by protesters continued.
Anupong Paochinda also ordered the anti-government demonstrators at Bangkok's international airport to withdraw after they forced its closure, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.
At a news conference, he repeated his view that a military coup would not resolve the deepening political turmoil in Thailand.
"We are not pressuring the government," Anupong said. "The government should give the public a chance to decide in a fresh election.
"If a coup could end all the troubles, I would do it. It is not going to resolve anything," he said.
There has been speculation that the government might sack Anupong for proposing that the prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, should quit. The government and the protesters, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, are yet to respond to the compromise plan.
Somchai is due to have an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej later today and it is unlikely his administration is unlikely to take any decision before that meeting.
Reuters reported that sources within a pro-government protest group had said if Somchai quit they would regard it as a coup and immediately launch anti-military demonstrations.
"There will be war for sure," one senior member of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship told the news agency.
Thousands of overseas passengers, including many Britons, were stranded at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport today after all flights were halted because of an invasion by the protesters, who have been campaigning for six months to remove the government.
The clashes turned violent again early today when a grenade was thrown at PAD protesters manning a checkpoint on the road to the airport. Two other grenades were tossed at protesters guarding roads to Bangkok's second airport, injuring three people.
At one point, about 50 masked demonstrators demanded access to Suvarnabhumi's control tower to check the flight schedule in the belief that Somchai, who was due to return from an Apec summit in Peru, might consider landing there. No air traffic control staff were in the building to give them the information.
The PAD vanguard - brandishing iron bars, and wearing goggles and hard-hats - last night pushed through lines of riot police who were ordered not to use violence after two protesters were killed by faulty teargas canisters in clashes last month.
They stormed into the airport and swirled around the sprawling concourse, first forcing the cancellation of outbound flights and then incoming services as well. Thai Airways rerouted 16 inbound flights to the old airport at Don Muang, while many other airlines cancelled services.
The airport, an important regional hub, handles around 700 flights each day and almost 40 million passengers a year. Serirat Prasutanont, the airport director, said: "This incident has damaged Thailand's reputation and its economy beyond repair."
Some of the stranded passengers were being put on coaches today, destined for hotels in Bangkok or the resort town of Pattaya. Thousands of demonstrators, mostly sporting yellow shirts or armbands in allegiance to the revered king, settled in on the departure area or milled about the check-in desks as barricades blockaded the roads to and from the airport.
Around 3,000 stranded and bemused passengers were given food handouts by the demonstrators, who apologised for the inconvenience and attempted to explain the motivation for the disruption.
Many were angry and some scared, fearing a confrontation, particularly after a phalanx of riot police came to the outside of the terminal building at around 5am.
For most, the source of their outrage was their various airlines' inability to tell them what was happening or when their flights might depart, leaving them in limbo and fearful of going to a hotel in case they missed their plane.
source: Thai military chief calls for dissolution of parliament and new ...guardian.co.uk
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Antara Malaysia dan Siam dari perspektif Raja, Tentera, Pemimpin dan Rakyat.
Berita dari gunung said...Dato dan rakan pembaca.
Siam adalah negara berdaulat yang unik. Pengaruh raja meresapi kedalam masyarakat hingga ke akar umbi.
Selain itu, Tentera Siam telah memainkan peranan yang jelas dalam politik dan kerajaan. Bukan sekali dua, tentera jadi pencatur dalam kekalutan politik negara.
Dimasa-masa tertentu Raja Siam muncul menggaris halatuju. Raja kelihatan terasing tetapi dalam kekalutan, dirujuk untuk menghurai makna warna yang samar.
Setting negara kita ada sedikit kelainan. Raja kita dengan Raja Siam tidak sama. Tentera kita bukan pencatur. Manakala demonstrasi jalanan pula bukan budaya kita, kalau ada pun adalah kesan dari permainan politik Anwar.
Dalam suasana merdeka, biarlah sebarang perarakan hanya untuk menghayati erti kemerdekaan. Demonstrasi jalanan yang dijadikan medan bagi melayan sifat rakus dan gelojoh ahli politik tertentu wajar ditegah.
Rakyat telah diheret bersengkang mata, mendongak melihat kumat kamit mulut, hailer dan pembesar suara. Undi sudah dikira. Yang menang sudah diketahui.
Maka pemimpin politik harus bergerak dari situ. Dengan niat yang baik, negara akan kekal selamat. Manakala niat yang tidak baik, dendam yang kekal membara, dengki yang tak sudah-sudah, ditakuti pintu Kota Melaka akan dibuka dari dalam. Kelak anasir, musuh, dan petualang akan beraja di hati. Relakah kita terus jadi melukut?
Dengan semangat Kemerdekaan, negara Malaysia harus dipelihara sebaik mungkin. Rakyat jangan dijadikan habuan perang. Andai rakyat sangsi dengan keluhuran kepimpinan, maka PRU13 adalah wadah yang lebih sesuai.
Memacak dan mengibar bendera hanyalah terjemahan mudah kemerdekaan, yang lebih mendalam adalah semangat pemimpin untuk menjadikan negara dan rakyat benar-benar merdeka.
Saya yakin dalam barisan kepimpinan negara kini, masih ada yang waras dan mampu melihat lebih jauh dari yang nyata. Suara yang jujur harus juga diberi perhatian, walau telinga terasa sakit dan hati jadi pedih.
Terima kasih.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Agriculture and Cooperatives arranges activities under 116 Days from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day project
September 1st, 2008 - 1:18 pm ICT by Amrit Rashmisrisethi -
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives arranges activities under the project “116 Days from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day” and encourages people to donate blood for the Southern border provinces.
Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Somphat Kaewphichit (สมพัฒน์ แก้วพิจิตร) says the donated blood will be given to the Thai Red Cross Society to assist the injured, especially those in the three Southern border provinces.
The deputy minister says people can donate blood with the ministry on September 2nd from 09.00 – 16.00 hrs at the Agricultural Land Reform Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Avation: Fate of two airlines still up in the air
One-Two-Go, Orient Thai explore options
click here Fate of two airlines still up in the air
Bangkok Post, Thailand
An air of uncertainty surrounds whether Orient Thai Airlines and its budget carrier One-Two-Go, now facing a 30-day suspension due to poor safety standards, will be flying again.
The relaunch largely depends on whether the carriers can overcome mounting problems related to restructuring and getting licences back from the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).
Embattled founder Udom Tantiprasongchai yesterday declined to specify whether operations would resume if the DCA's current audit reaches a positive conclusion on Aug 21.
He also remains uncommitted to the announced schedule to restart flights on Sept 15, telling the Bangkok Post yesterday that it was a ''tentative'' date first mentioned in a July 18 statement announcing a 56-day grounding.
''The future lies in how we tackle pending problems,'' said another management insider.
The latest headache involves disputes with employees who would be laid off over the terms of compensation as part of the airlines' restructuring plan.
These employees, reportedly numbering as many as 200, out of a total 1,000 on the company's payroll including 80 cockpit staff, had sought assistance from the Labour Department that they would be fairly treated under the law.
About 100 staff One-Two-Go staff rallied yesterday at Don Mueang airport to demand fair compensation. They also demanded the 50,000-baht insurance fee that the company had collected from them in exchange for previous flight attendant training.
Mr Udom said that management would take full responsibility for the layoffs but first it had to get its finances in order by processing refunds for unused tickets of customers.
Mr Udom said he had cleared the air with the employees, assuring them of compensation in line with the legal severance framework, and would pay the amount in installments.
He asked the staff to decide whether they wanted to stay with or leave the company, so that management could finalise the total compensation budget within this month.
Airline employees said those who choose to remain with the carriers would see their salaries decline on a sliding scale by 15-50% as part of the cost reduction campaign.
Mr Udom has reportedly been in talks to woo some investors, including those overseas, to provide fresh capital. ''We are open to many options,'' he said.
A new airline model for One-Two-Go, which may do away with the budget airline structure, could be adopted and the group may concentrate more on charter flights and less on scheduled services.
''In the past, we (One-Two-Go) might have exhausted our resources in competing somewhat unnecessarily with rival budget airlines with a nationalistic motive in a deadly race,'' he said, referring to the fight with Malaysia-based AirAsia.
Mr Udom said the airlines' current preoccupation was to do everything possible to meet DCA safety standards, as the airlines were starting anew.
The DCA suspended the airlines for poor safety standards and management, and falsification of documents by some pilots who had misstated their level of aviation proficiency.
Regulators revoked the flying licences of seven foreign pilots, six Indonesians and a Venezuelan, and suspended the licences of two Thai pilots.
A senior DCA official said the department was pleased so far with the airlines' compliance with safety standards they were asked to follow.
''If they are able to fulfill the requirements, we (DCA) are ready to return the licences to them,'' he said.
The airlines are also facing a string of huge compensation lawsuits in the US courts by lawyers representing British and American families of victims of One-Two-Go flight OG269 which crashed in Phuket on Sept 16, 2007, leaving 89 dead and 41 injured.
click here Fate of two airlines still up in the air
Bangkok Post, Thailand
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