Protests Shake a Divided Thailand

Police block the anti-government crowd near Government House in Bangkok May 31, 2008. Anti-government protests on the streets of Bangkok have knocked Thai stocks sharply lower, as investors already fretting over slower exports and soaring inflation worry another coup may be on its way. Picture taken May 31, 2008. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

June 3, 2008
By THOMAS FULLER
The New York Times (USA)

BANGKOK — Only five months after national elections ended military rule here, a week of street protests has weakened the coalition government and highlighted the country’s failure to move beyond the stalemate that has frozen politics here for more than two years.

Thousands of protesters have set up camp near the prime minister’s office, turning a major intersection in front of the United Nations offices into a round-the-clock carnival of protest songs, fiery speeches and — because this is Thailand — vendors hawking many types of sausages, smoked squid and green mangos.

The protesters are in the streets for many of the same reasons that they were two years ago: They want to see the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, put on trial for corruption. Mr. Thaksin, who was overthrown in a 2006 coup, returned to the country in February as an ally of the current government. The protesters are also defending the aging king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, from what they see as attacks on the institution of the monarchy. And they are distrustful of a government that received the core of its support from the countryside.

“The government didn’t win the vote among educated people,” said Somsak Kosaisook, one of the organizers of the protest. The poor and uneducated were “trapped” into voting for the government, he said.

While the protesters appeared to have strong support, they also elicited concern and criticism from a nation that remains deeply divided and worn down by two years of political battles with no clear resolution in sight.

Thailand, more liberal and pluralistic than the neighboring democracies of Malaysia and Cambodia, has a long tradition of street protests. But unlike the antigovernment protests of previous years, the current round aims to take down a democratically elected government, not military rulers.

“It’s a dangerous trend,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University. “I’m not a fan of the PPP,” he said of the governing party, “but you have an elected government, and you have 10,000 people taking to the streets who want to overthrow it.”

Newspapers have highlighted the plight of students and commuters inconvenienced by the noise of the protest and the traffic jams that it causes. And there have been rumors of a possible military coup.

But many also blame the government for mishandling the protests. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Samak threatened Saturday to clear away the demonstrators by force. He later backed down.

“The prime minister should have engaged these people from the beginning,” said Panitan Wattanayagorn, an expert on Thai politics, also at Chulalongkorn in Bangkok.

Protesters took to the streets, Mr. Panitan said, because they realized that they were not getting their way in Parliament. They opposed a plan by the government to amend the Constitution written under the military government and called for the resignation of Jakrapob Penkair, a minister whom they accused of insulting the king in comments to foreign correspondents last August.

After veiled threats by the military of another coup, Mr. Jakrapob resigned on Friday, and the government backed down from its plan to amend the Constitution.

Minor parties in Mr. Samak’s governing coalition have met to discuss the future of the alliance.

“Samak has been severely weakened,” Mr. Thitinan said. “This may lead to his downfall.”

Mr. Somsak, the protest leader, says that “in principle” that the demonstrations will continue until Mr. Samak steps down. On the slowest day, he says, his movement receives around $30,000 in donations from the public, so he will not have any trouble continuing the protest.

His main target, he said, was Mr. Thaksin, who he believes is influencing the government from behind the scenes.

“This is the No. 1 reason people have come here to protest,” Mr. Somsak said. “Everyone wants to see him go on trial.”

Mr. Thaksin returned in February to crowds of cheering supporters. He has vowed to stay out of politics and faces charges of corruption. Yet despite his lower profile, he has retained a remarkable ability to divide the country.

Among the crowd on a recent evening, when the number of protesters swelled to several thousand, were a business school student, a retired soldier, the owner of a small electronics shop and a factory owner. They vented their animus toward Mr. Thaksin.

“This could last a year,” Mr. Somsak said.