BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Hundreds of pro-government activists in Thailand attacked an opposition rally with axes and sticks Thursday, injuring at least 20 protesters, three seriously, an official said.
It was the worst violence in a long-running feud between supporters of the ruling People's Power Party, aligned with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and members of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy.
Supoj Laowansiri, the governor of the northeastern province of Udon Thani, said about 600 supporters of the ruling party armed with axes and sticks attacked 100 members of the anti-government group, known as PAD. The northeast is a government stronghold.
The Nation newspaper said on its Web site that one of the protesters had died, but Supoj and other officials did not confirm the report.
«I am sorry this happened even though we prepared about 400 policemen to provide security for them,» Supoj said. Police are investigating the clash and charges could be filed against those responsible, he said.
PAD, made up of assorted pro-democracy and royalist groups and elements of the military, led months of demonstrations that ended in Thaksin's ouster in a September 2006 military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power. It resumed its protests in May, calling for the removal of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
The group contends that Samak is little more than a proxy for Thaksin. Samak has been accused of trying to amend the military-backed constitution to prevent Thaksin from facing justice.
Banned from politics for another four years, Thaksin faces an array of corruption-related charges.
PAD has lately seized on a territorial dispute near Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple along the Thai border, attacking Samak's government for initially supporting Cambodia's application to UNESCO for the temple complex to be listed as a World Heritage Site. The application was recently approved, and PAD argues that it undermines Thailand's claim to land around the temple.
Samak has accused the protesters of trying to undermine his democratically elected government.
Thaksin retains great popularity among the rural poor for being the first prime minister in modern Thai history to truly reach down to the grass-roots level and for introducing a slew of social welfare plans, including virtually free medical care.
It was the worst violence in a long-running feud between supporters of the ruling People's Power Party, aligned with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and members of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy.
Supoj Laowansiri, the governor of the northeastern province of Udon Thani, said about 600 supporters of the ruling party armed with axes and sticks attacked 100 members of the anti-government group, known as PAD. The northeast is a government stronghold.
The Nation newspaper said on its Web site that one of the protesters had died, but Supoj and other officials did not confirm the report.
«I am sorry this happened even though we prepared about 400 policemen to provide security for them,» Supoj said. Police are investigating the clash and charges could be filed against those responsible, he said.
PAD, made up of assorted pro-democracy and royalist groups and elements of the military, led months of demonstrations that ended in Thaksin's ouster in a September 2006 military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power. It resumed its protests in May, calling for the removal of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
The group contends that Samak is little more than a proxy for Thaksin. Samak has been accused of trying to amend the military-backed constitution to prevent Thaksin from facing justice.
Banned from politics for another four years, Thaksin faces an array of corruption-related charges.
PAD has lately seized on a territorial dispute near Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple along the Thai border, attacking Samak's government for initially supporting Cambodia's application to UNESCO for the temple complex to be listed as a World Heritage Site. The application was recently approved, and PAD argues that it undermines Thailand's claim to land around the temple.
Samak has accused the protesters of trying to undermine his democratically elected government.
Thaksin retains great popularity among the rural poor for being the first prime minister in modern Thai history to truly reach down to the grass-roots level and for introducing a slew of social welfare plans, including virtually free medical care.
13 comments:
Bing go, see now they thais got cursed
The work of unfidel Kamen!
Noth-East Thailand is Issan Province. They don't want the stupid dispute to get out of hand, but they will not accept Cambodia to make profit from their temple alone. They want a fair joint Development so that they, too, can profit from their temple. And if they can't get that, I am sure that war will be imminent. No ASEAN, UNSC, can help anyone. They will coupe their government if need be....
Give back Khmer land and no more talk.
Woot, love my khmer peeps in thailand. Prosperity will come your way in the future.
2:55 AM...Stupid Issan dude again. Well, at least you did your home about the Issan region, which is in the north eastern of Thailand. We Khmers don't want the dispute gets out hand either. So, the Thais solders should withdraw back the status quo before July 15. Of course, you guys will gain profits too from the listing of the temple. The secrete deal the Thailand and Cambodia did was to let Cambodia own the temple and the rich Thais can build hotels and Casinos to make money from tourists and gamblers. This is called joint development. You understand? You people living the region can come and visit as well. Don't worry, you have to pay the fee to get in.
From Khmer Issan living in Preah Vihear Province.
good, this is more like it. this what the thai gov't should do all along to control their unruly population. after all, isn't that the gov't's job to control their people? i think this is a good move by the thai gov't to try to educate and control their ignorant people who just want to mislead and create problem between cambodia and thailand. i, as a khmer person, for once, have something good to say about thailand on this. good job, thai gov't. please keep it up to control your people from using preah vihear as political infighting of the thai gov't, which is the rightful body of law that the UN council will look at for advise etc..., not the pad thugs or what else out there! from now on, this is what the thai gov't should do to any group who want to tell the gov't what to do, especially when gov't is trying to make peace with neighboring countries like cambodia as gov't don't need any trouble-makers from murkying the already problematic situation. in other words, gov't do have power and ability to stop this kind of nationalistic rhetorics from inflaming an otherwise good relations between cambodia and thailand. again, good hearing the thai gov't is now starting to crackdown on trouble-makers like in the case of preah vihear. however, make sure it is trustworthy by cambodia as well, not just a show to impression cambodia and the UN for that matter!!! we will keep an eye on this situation.
yes, it's about time the pro-gov't group step up in all of this because it seems all along they just sit still and let the pad thugs and others do all the damaging with cambodia.
sometimes, i wonder why thailand is doing what they do? it is because they know well in advance that it it comes to the UN council meeting with cambodia, thailand has a lot of explaining to do to the UN council. one has to wonder out loud.
well, at least, there is an outside pressure to make thailand reconsider its foreign policy with cambodia as cambodia will only uphold the icj verdict and the treaty of 1907, nothing less.
So the Thai military didn't protect them? And they want to protect the Khmer from the protesters?
Is the government work for the peolpe? or for themself.I believe Thai people don't want the war between Khmer and Thai.
Is the Government of Thailand work for the people,For the Country or for themselves ? Because I believe Thai people do not want the war between Khmer and Thai.
This is 21 Century Everybody do understand the History of their own Country,Do you agree?
Siem veah throv thumneay preah mok pi veah tver bahb Khmer. Tich thiet Siem nov sol thier muy thook! Puok ah chaoh jongrai!
"Daen Dei Khmer Klaay to chea Sovanaphoom"
Just give back the temple the Khmer people in Issan, and all problem solved.
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