Anti government protesters wave Thai flags as they gather during a demonstration Friday, June 20, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. The protesters, spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy movement, claim that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Anti government protesters face off against police as they gather during a demonstration Friday, June 20, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. The protesters, spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy movement, claim that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)By SUTIN WANNABOVORN
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Several thousand protesters besieged Thailand's seat of government Friday, delivering fiery anti-government speeches and singing nationalistic songs as they vowed to stay until the prime minister resigns.
After initially scuffling with the demonstrators, the police offered little resistance as crowds surged toward and pressed up against a fence on two sides of the Government House, a compound of ornate buildings from the 1920s.
The protesters, spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy, claim that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup.
The group led mass protests before the coup, demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power.
They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against Thaksin and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest.
An almost festive atmosphere prevailed as protesters — many of them from Bangkok's middle class — waved, cheered and chatted with security officials. Others, dressed in the alliance's trademark yellow, shouted "Thaksin out, Samak out."
By Friday evening, the crowd swelled further with people who had finished work for the day.
"I just want the government run correctly. This government is a puppet of Thaksin," said Winit Loh, a high school teacher from the northern city of Chiang Mai who came with two of his students.
Alliance leaders say they don't want to occupy the compound itself but plan to peacefully maintain a siege around it.
Chamlong Srimuang, an alliance leader, said the protesters would camp around the compound overnight and then stay on until Samak's four-month-old coalition government resigns.
Samak himself was not at Government House on Friday. He and all his ministers, as well as other government officials who normally work in the compound, were on leave or at other locations.
Samak, after meeting with the army commander and other senior security officials, declared the situation was under control and could be handled by police without help from the military, said deputy government spokesman Nattawut Sai-gua.
There were no immediate plans to declare a state of emergency or martial law, he said.
When a police spokesman was asked why police let the demonstrators occupy the streets outside Government House despite earlier vowing to block them, he said, "No one got hurt.
"There was no image of the police hurting Thai people and that's the most important thing and should satisfy our superiors on every level," the spokesman, Maj. Gen. Surapol Tuanthong, told Thai television station TPBS.
"The politicians will have to find their own political solution," he said.
In the afternoon, police radioed estimates that about 22,000 people were taking part in the protest. Alliance leaders gave far higher figures that appeared to be greatly inflated.
Reporters saw about a dozen protesters injured in the initial scuffles, but the police, although equipped with tear gas and water cannons, used minimal force. The Bangkok Post's Web site said seven police were injured.
Government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat said schools and government offices near Government House had been ordered to close Friday for safety reasons and "to allow police to work smoothly."
Protesters also brought up other issues, including a disputed border region with Cambodia and high fuel and food prices, accusing the government of mismanaging the country.
Samak's People's Power Party won general elections in December. His Cabinet is packed with Thaksin's allies, and critics say rehabilitating the former leader is among the government's top priorities.
This time around, the military has repeatedly said it will stay out of the political fray.
After initially scuffling with the demonstrators, the police offered little resistance as crowds surged toward and pressed up against a fence on two sides of the Government House, a compound of ornate buildings from the 1920s.
The protesters, spearheaded by the People's Alliance for Democracy, claim that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup.
The group led mass protests before the coup, demanding Thaksin step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power.
They now accuse Samak's government of interfering with corruption charges against Thaksin and trying to change the constitution for its own self-interest.
An almost festive atmosphere prevailed as protesters — many of them from Bangkok's middle class — waved, cheered and chatted with security officials. Others, dressed in the alliance's trademark yellow, shouted "Thaksin out, Samak out."
By Friday evening, the crowd swelled further with people who had finished work for the day.
"I just want the government run correctly. This government is a puppet of Thaksin," said Winit Loh, a high school teacher from the northern city of Chiang Mai who came with two of his students.
Alliance leaders say they don't want to occupy the compound itself but plan to peacefully maintain a siege around it.
Chamlong Srimuang, an alliance leader, said the protesters would camp around the compound overnight and then stay on until Samak's four-month-old coalition government resigns.
Samak himself was not at Government House on Friday. He and all his ministers, as well as other government officials who normally work in the compound, were on leave or at other locations.
Samak, after meeting with the army commander and other senior security officials, declared the situation was under control and could be handled by police without help from the military, said deputy government spokesman Nattawut Sai-gua.
There were no immediate plans to declare a state of emergency or martial law, he said.
When a police spokesman was asked why police let the demonstrators occupy the streets outside Government House despite earlier vowing to block them, he said, "No one got hurt.
"There was no image of the police hurting Thai people and that's the most important thing and should satisfy our superiors on every level," the spokesman, Maj. Gen. Surapol Tuanthong, told Thai television station TPBS.
"The politicians will have to find their own political solution," he said.
In the afternoon, police radioed estimates that about 22,000 people were taking part in the protest. Alliance leaders gave far higher figures that appeared to be greatly inflated.
Reporters saw about a dozen protesters injured in the initial scuffles, but the police, although equipped with tear gas and water cannons, used minimal force. The Bangkok Post's Web site said seven police were injured.
Government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat said schools and government offices near Government House had been ordered to close Friday for safety reasons and "to allow police to work smoothly."
Protesters also brought up other issues, including a disputed border region with Cambodia and high fuel and food prices, accusing the government of mismanaging the country.
Samak's People's Power Party won general elections in December. His Cabinet is packed with Thaksin's allies, and critics say rehabilitating the former leader is among the government's top priorities.
This time around, the military has repeatedly said it will stay out of the political fray.
18 comments:
don't worry cambodia, they are only protest their own gov't whom they accused of trading in business with cambodia. it's really is their own problem, not cambodia. and of course, they wanted to mix the two things together again, very typical of the pad thugs and thus politically attack their own gov't and to make it look it they are protesting the preah vihear listing, which is not even theirs in the first place. clever of them, huh! not!!!! cambodia and the world can see their true colors in clear, plain sight! god bless cambodia.
This is ridiculous of the thai. First I thought they were protesting against the preah vihear issue but now i see that the preah vihear was just an opening for the PAD to stir up the anti gov rallies for their political gains. So stupid of the thai media for even promoting the stories without seeing the underlying agenda.
But hey y should i complain. They are not hurting khmer interest only their own.
Look at what Ah Khmer-Yuon has done!
Siamese is creating problem among themselve between the two political parties. They fight to get the piece of fishe head side; seem to me that no one wanted tail side. They got internal argument then smear all over to Preah Vihear issue. We Khmer people also not happy what Hun Sen GVT did but we are a compassion nation and understand wisely. PEACE WILL BE MET THE JUSTICE WILL BE PREVAILED.
May god bless Cambodia!
correct, it's their own problem as they have nothing to protest against preah vihear because it belongs to cambodia, not thailand.
you know, sometimes, i have a feeling that someone is trying to sabotage the good relationship that thailand and cambodia wanted to mend fence and live side by side without this kind of rhetoric and political attack on each other back and forth back and forth non-stop. i hope the thai authority and gov't that deal with the international laws and international justice can teach and educate the pad and other hardcore radical group that everything can be solved peacefully without jumping to a blind conclusion like that. it is useless for them to try to claim cambodia's preah vihear temple and the world community also said no more since 1962 already. so, what are the pad thinking now? that they can just reclaim preah vihear from cambodia and that they think cambodia will yield to their demand, even for co-joint or something with the preah vihear temple? not a slight chance, girlfriend! so stop dreaming already! even one thousand years from now, it is still belongs to cambodia, permanently and forever! god bless cambodia.
i suggest to the pad thugs to mend fence and make friends with cambodia, instead of cultivating hates and unproductive or uncooperative feeling from cambodia. a subtle hint: there are other and better ways to win the heart and mind of the khmer people, however, not this kind of aggression and harrassment toward cambodia. i say perhaps, the thai people did to work a little hard regards this direction. but thai people have to show cambodia that! thank you.
OMG! Look at what Ah Khmer-Yuon has done!
Thai's democracy is much much mature than the khmer's.
And 3:20pm just stop your none sense barking, it's just too old.
Two years ago, King Phumipol's birthday, the longest reign monarchy in the wolrd after he killed his old brother and took the throne, Communist Hanoi and its people also celebrated a birthday concert dedicated to King Phumibol and they played his songs his musics King Phumipol composed. The Communist Viet in Hanoi chanted and wished King Phumipol a HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
You Khmers need to come to the reality and UNITE. You Khmers must know that this world is full of secrets and full of deceptions and tricks and so many things you don't know about.
What if Hanoi and King Phumipol made a deal, and said You protest and I send my people to infiltrate in Cambodia government. They can't fight us because we have 85 million and you (Thai) have 65 millions.
US? The American now do the business with Vietnam (85 millions) and Thailand (65 millions) not Cambodia.
Why US, Chevron bought Cambodian oil? It is not about the US has no oil and want that little tiny oil in Cambodia, but the US want to BEAT China only.
There are too many games in politics they have played and the strong ones will survive.
China is not only dominating in South East ASia, she is in South America, and Africa as well.
Don't have a hope that the US will help to free Cambodia, it is Cambodian politicians themselves have to come to ONE VOICE and start to plant the new generation like Minica Lavana, young scientists to be best among the world.
Here are their games: The US may close their eyes and let Vietnam and Hun Sen do whatever they want in Cambodia as long as Vietnam do the business and go with the US. China may threat Vietnam: if you go with the US I will help Sam Rainsy.
The competition betwen US and China is not going to stop, so Khmers have to be cleaver and use this opportunity to develop your self. How the hect thousand parties in one small nation?
It is a game of Communist Vietnam to force the nation of Cambodia weak. Cambodia should have only CPP and its Opposition.
Another thing your Khmers should know: The Khmer krom exile government is also part of Vietnam Communist scheme. There are good Khmer Krom but there are bad and fake among them.
Do you Khmers know why Hun Sen wants to keep FUNCENPEC and allows to have too many parties? The answer is being said.
Vietnam is so happy to see you Khmers fight with each others.
Face the reality, and stop bullying
Thailand and its people.
If Thailand and Vietnam just walk into Cambodia Khmers are all dead.
Start to see the REAL World.
I meant Monica Lavana not Minica Lavana.
12:01AM !
If all Thai's women and yuon's females walked into Cambodia, they all will be pregnant for sure and you can bet your life on that.So, don't mess up with khmers.
12:01AM I'm nearly falling in sleap by reading your personal comment. I really wanted to address you a litle bit First I admire you for your effort reciting us of your comprehension. I think that Siamese education minister should have to teach Siamthai students the true story at all level including military academic, make sure the Siamthais offspring get used to absorb mentally to the right enformation. You're one among Siamese interlectual I suppose!..You have claimed that Cambodians did not know the real world surounding; you're wrong, possible Khmer HUN SEN under YUON pressure. I want to tell you this, what you have known it just a fraction of knowledge what is going on in the Southeast ASIAN nations especially in Cambodia, you don't know what KHMER know, dear don't jump to that conclusion yet. What I could agreed with you is saying that: THE SURVIVER IS THE STRONGEST PLAYER IN THIS REGION, what that mean the stronger PLAYER?, it applies to all nation of the region small and large size populations of the country, then let wiat and see what the outcoming will be.
God bless Khmer all!
12:01am ! stop your blah blah blah.There is nothing new but personal opinion. I think you are full of it.
1;45am. The hell you bashed Khmer men that we are just like animals?
The first to get pregant are all your slut mother, ah preit.
Ah 10:39am motherfucker !
yOU probably don't understand what i'm talking about.Go and fuck your mother now ah choy mray.
Ah runteass banh. 11 25 am. I don't have mother, can I fu..your slut mother? Ah cho m'ray.
The only way for Cambodia and Thailand to successfully resolves this dispute is for both to kick out all Ah Khmer-Yuon criminals from Thailand and Cambodia.
When God create human and God create all human in his image and for the Vietcong to oppress and desecrate God creation and they are bounded to doom in hell for eternity!
Doom to all of you Vietcong motherfucker in hell!
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