PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESSMore violence feared if Somchai party is declared illegal
Dec 2, 2008
By Nirmal Ghosh, Thailand Correspondent
Straits Times (Singapore)
BANGKOK - THAILAND is bracing itself for more trouble today as its Constitutional Court begins handing down a ruling that could lead to Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government being dissolved.
Thai police yesterday asked the military to help step up security in the capital, fearing that pro-government supporters would react violently should the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) be declared illegal for electoral fraud in last year's polls.
Already, anti-government protesters in Bangkok have come under attack in recent days. Pro-government 'red-shirts' are said to be prepared to head for the capital from the provinces in their thousands once the signal is given.
The court verdict could prove a turning point in a country roiled by months of political turmoil.
The conflict pits the yellow-shirted members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against Mr Somchai and his government, seen by them as corrupt proxies of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
In their campaign to bring down the government, the PAD's supporters seized the Prime Minister's official compound in Bangkok in August and, last week, took over both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports.
The airport seizures have stranded over 350,000 travellers in Thailand. Various airlines and governments were scrambling yesterday to deploy more flights to Phuket, Chiang Mai and U-Tapao to get them out.
At the same time, the PAD allowed airlines to fly about 80 empty planes out of Suvarnabhumi airport.
Meanwhile, in a switch of tactics, the PAD yesterday moved most of its supporters at Government House to the airports.
'We are not abandoning the site,' PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila insisted. By evening, hundreds were still ensconced in the compound.
As all sides braced themselves for the court decision, senior members of the PPP were said to be urgently considering alternatives should the party be thrown out of power.
Already its members are describing a dissolution of the party as a 'judicial coup'. The judgment could come within days, if not today
One option is for the PPP itself to dissolve Parliament before the judgment is out, and to call an election - which it is sure to win.
In this scenario, its MPs would merely switch to another party, Puea Thai, and fight the election.
Another option is for the PPP to set up a 'government in exile' and create a resistance movement nationwide, should there be a military coup.
The mechanics for this are being worked on right now, but the idea is not new: it was considered but not implemented in September 2006 when the army toppled the Thaksin government.
It is not clear where such a 'government in exile' would be based, but Thaksin is said to be in Cambodia while also working on setting up a base in Dubai.
Mr Somchai, who was asked by reporters yesterday when he would return to Bangkok, remarked that he could run the country from anywhere.
'The place is not an issue as long as I can work and get cooperation from all parties,' he added, insisting that he was not stepping down.
For the moment, Chiang Mai is his base as the northern city is home ground for him - and Thaksin - making it harder for the army to detain him in the event of a coup.
The political upheaval has also disrupted plans for Asean meetings from Dec 13 to Dec 17.
'I will propose at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow to postpone the summit to March as we can't open our airport for leaders' planes to land yet,' Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat said.
Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono proposed his country as an alternative venue.
Indonesia and Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan were offering to hold the meeting of its foreign ministers and East Asian dialogue partners in the Asean Secretariat offices in Jakarta, while the finance ministers could meet in Bali, he said.
nirmal@sph.com.sg
Additional information from Reuters
Thai police yesterday asked the military to help step up security in the capital, fearing that pro-government supporters would react violently should the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) be declared illegal for electoral fraud in last year's polls.
Already, anti-government protesters in Bangkok have come under attack in recent days. Pro-government 'red-shirts' are said to be prepared to head for the capital from the provinces in their thousands once the signal is given.
The court verdict could prove a turning point in a country roiled by months of political turmoil.
The conflict pits the yellow-shirted members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against Mr Somchai and his government, seen by them as corrupt proxies of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
In their campaign to bring down the government, the PAD's supporters seized the Prime Minister's official compound in Bangkok in August and, last week, took over both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports.
The airport seizures have stranded over 350,000 travellers in Thailand. Various airlines and governments were scrambling yesterday to deploy more flights to Phuket, Chiang Mai and U-Tapao to get them out.
At the same time, the PAD allowed airlines to fly about 80 empty planes out of Suvarnabhumi airport.
Meanwhile, in a switch of tactics, the PAD yesterday moved most of its supporters at Government House to the airports.
'We are not abandoning the site,' PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila insisted. By evening, hundreds were still ensconced in the compound.
As all sides braced themselves for the court decision, senior members of the PPP were said to be urgently considering alternatives should the party be thrown out of power.
Already its members are describing a dissolution of the party as a 'judicial coup'. The judgment could come within days, if not today
One option is for the PPP itself to dissolve Parliament before the judgment is out, and to call an election - which it is sure to win.
In this scenario, its MPs would merely switch to another party, Puea Thai, and fight the election.
Another option is for the PPP to set up a 'government in exile' and create a resistance movement nationwide, should there be a military coup.
The mechanics for this are being worked on right now, but the idea is not new: it was considered but not implemented in September 2006 when the army toppled the Thaksin government.
It is not clear where such a 'government in exile' would be based, but Thaksin is said to be in Cambodia while also working on setting up a base in Dubai.
Mr Somchai, who was asked by reporters yesterday when he would return to Bangkok, remarked that he could run the country from anywhere.
'The place is not an issue as long as I can work and get cooperation from all parties,' he added, insisting that he was not stepping down.
For the moment, Chiang Mai is his base as the northern city is home ground for him - and Thaksin - making it harder for the army to detain him in the event of a coup.
The political upheaval has also disrupted plans for Asean meetings from Dec 13 to Dec 17.
'I will propose at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow to postpone the summit to March as we can't open our airport for leaders' planes to land yet,' Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat said.
Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono proposed his country as an alternative venue.
Indonesia and Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan were offering to hold the meeting of its foreign ministers and East Asian dialogue partners in the Asean Secretariat offices in Jakarta, while the finance ministers could meet in Bali, he said.
nirmal@sph.com.sg
Additional information from Reuters
18 comments:
Somchai must not blink.....confront the military now or be a push around by them any time they want to.
Elected Government should lead the country, not military! Somchai should prove and teach the military a historical lesson.
thai is blink to war and no one can stop them ,even King can't be help. becuased all thai need refresh thing that systems of goverment fallen to richment and took profit the country to their own power ,money that came not the right thing ,
the body that monitors/organizes election in Thailand is much better than NEC in cambodia. They are impartial. The Thai people have spoken, and now these protesters take the elected government as hostage. The Thai government has a mandate they must be tough with these people no matter the King or the military give them support, let the world know. It's about time that the Thai government stop acting pussy cat.
If anti-govt protesters think the election was fraud, why do they want to change the election system i.e. elect and appoint. This is only the excuse against the government. The world will know
The anti-government protesters will not settle anything less than their own party to become a prime minister. I don't think think elitists want democracy for thailand. the election were just a test to the poor thai at the rural. Now that the rural had put their own PM to government, the elitists do not like it. Plus the king is just like the dummy. After all, all thais are respecting the king, but if the king seems not to like the poor; may it is time for the poor to do away its king rule system. The army seem not to like the poor also.
To all the thai peasants, most of you all khmer ethic, you better wake up. Thai elitists do not like you or your people to rule Thailand.
You should stand up for yourself.
If the court ruled to abandond your party, you should protest the same way as the anti-goverment do to your current government. But this time, you will not get the support from the King, Military, and the Police. You will be crushed with no mercy. Just watch!
The current unrest is a direct result of the clash between REAL democracy and the class system that embeded in Thai's society for centuries.
In the contrary to what the Western world has been led to believe. Thai democracy is far from a mature one. It has just reached a transition point, and could go either way. At the mean time it seems that:
Thai Democracy = DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO SYSTEM.
“Khmers could build up an empire in the past, and why can’t we Khmers protect our existence in the present danger of hungry neighbors like Vietnam and Thailand?”
The talk about which country either US or China that Cambodia needs to ask for their kindness and assistance to help protect sovereignty and existence of Cambodia has reached the peak, as far I can see. And as far as I study into the matter, I have all these recommendations:
-Cambodia is a tiny, powerless country and to survive in this “dog eats dog world”, Cambodia must depend on superpower, rich countries and side with them. There’s no interest that Cambodia will receive if standing and voicing against all these countries. US, China and other European Countries are no exception for Cambodia to build allies with. At some points of time we can forget the past and look at the future, but this does not apply that Cambodia has to move forward with “blank heads of her past history”. These questions must be raised every time to remind us Khmers all:
1. Which country brought up the genocide and supported the Pol Pot regime all along the way? That’s prominent China and other hidden countries that are beyond the events that could be interpreted.
2. What were the root causes that drove Cambodia in sequent tragedic unrest? The answer that history lessons teach us are that: the leaders are too concerned about power struggle even putting the interests and even worse the existence of country at risk. Power struggle is in the heart of human since they start to breathe. And the way I see it is that: “When the existing system does encourage the practice of too high self-sustained power and pride without check & balance; and in the meantime neglect the importance of team work or team spirit to build up a strong system for a winning goal for all, then such destructively-designed system is not immune to negative aspects of daily lives such as: the power abuse, conflict of interest, injustice in the society, inequality in term of chance and fairness for competition, nationwide practice of nepotism, culture of impunity, etc.
3. What are root causes of the current unwanted social phenomenon? First of all, because power is maintained for one man and is believed too proudly by this man “Hun Sen”, that he can hold the fate of this country as hostage for his power and family dynasty whenever they want. Take the names of schools where he went to preside in the inauguration as an example: all followed by his name “Sen blah blah the fuck-though building schools and other infrastructures alike in the country are the duties and obligation of a government.” And Khmers with “the right minds and wisdoms” can obviously see that this man “Hun Sen” has been overwhelmingly addicted to power and self-pride. Despite all of these facts, this man “Hun Sen and his cronies as in the so-called system aiming to maintain Hun Sen’s regime” by all means (fake Khmers, Cambodia Red Cross, authorities at all level etc to justify their acts) STIRS AND COMPLICATES the negative social impacts and tend to believe all of the terrible things and miseries are not triggered by their power-addiction and one-man-show-only system. (Shamefully with their eyes open!!. These ruling people just need to use their “conscience and right minds to see all of these negative impacts”.) More comprehensive explanation can be concluded from this present day severely-chronic illness: Corruption practice at all authorities’ levels and in every breathe Khmers take. Khmers in the country must confess to the fact that more or less they practice corruption. This is, to a much extent, very true. Likely Khmers are corrupt because they want to survive in this lawless country where the system forces them to adapt into and make extra money from corrupt activities in order to BRIBE TO PLEASE the tops. And the masterminds “the tops” are CPP officials: high-ranking officials, military generals, chief of police etc-and they are controlled by one man that is “Hun Sen and his dynasty”. Say if Hun Sen is “so dumb not to realize all the negative impacts” and it can explain why “ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW UNTIL NOW STILLS REMAINS IN THE DRAWER OF THE UNSCRUPULOUS LEADERS LIKE SOK AN!”
4. Have Khmers been fighting for one common goal-surviving of the existing country? We can’t expect everyone has several resembled things in mind; that’s impossible. But under this circumstance- Cambodia vulnerable to being used as ideological or power-testing battle zones between US and China; and DANGER FROM the hungry neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam(NOT TO MENTION THAT YOUNS ALMOST OUTNUMBER KHMER IN CAMBODIA)- I need to ask this ignorant question: Can we Khmers speak with one voice-to favor both countries US and China and if possible provide any of these country “our space to deploy their troops like in Japan and Korea” in order to protect our country existence from the untrustworthy Vietnam and Thailand?
5. We need a system which is governed by rule of law and we need mechanism to make such system work. Good governance, transparency and MOST IMPORTANTLY A SYSTEM THAT VALUES INDIVIDUAL’S PROGRESS (with check & balance of power) TO INSPIRE OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS, WILL HAPPEN ONLY IN OUR DREAM AND WE KHMERS ARE PRONE TO MORE AND MORE SUFFERING AND EVEN WORSE FACE THE EXTINCTION OF OUR COUNTRY. And here is the question: What are obstacles that deprive Khmers from having such system with the rule of law? Governing people “ignorant or incapable”? Why can’t we complain and ask for the change of such useless people from the system? If so, these people should be placed somewhere in the system but not on top in deciding the fate of the country.(Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, Cham Prosith, Tea Banh etc) THE WAY I SEE IT IS THAT “THE GOVERNMENT STIRS AND COMPLICATES THE PROBLEM BY PROTECTING THEIR CRONIES AND SEEK NO BETTER ALTERNATIVES FOR THE POSTS. AND FROM THE RECENTLY-FORMED GOVERNMENT, HUN SEN HAS ADDED UP ITS MEMBERS IN THE GOV.T OVER FOUR HUNDRED “400” MORE EVEN THOUGH UNDER THE TIME THAT COUNTRY NEEDS TO RAISE CIVIL SERVANTS’ SALARY.” What is their explanation for this question? TO ATTRACT MORE DEFECTORS AND SPLIT SRP AND SURRENDER THE FATE OF THE COUNTRY TO YOUN MASTER???
In this end, Khmers must take side with super-power and rich countries like European countries for their aids both financially and technically. THE LEADERS THAT SPEAK AND ACT TO PROTECT SELF-INTEREST AND DRAG CAMBODIA INTO CIVIL WARS, INDOCHINA WAR, AND TURNED CAMBODIA TO IDEOLOGICAL BATTLE ZONES MUST BE CONDEMNED AS ACT OF TREASON AND KHMERS WITH “THE RIGHT MINDS AND WISDOMS” MUST REJECT SUCH LEADERSHIP AND LOBBY AND REPAIR THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPER-POWER AND RICH COUNTRIES. AND CAMBODIA MUST ACT IN THE SPIRIT OF RESPECTING AND ABIDING BY INTERNATIONAL LAWS LIKE ICJ, PARIS PEACE ACCORD AND FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WORLD BODY LIKE UN AND OTHER WORLD INFLUENTIAL BODIES.
From Khmer love Khmer
(Copy and Paste Only)
Thai dictator monarchy will end soon. Congratulations to those Thais who have wished for a "Republic of Thailand" with real democracy regime.
I encourage the elected government to endeavour until the last blood drop. Get rid of this blood-thirsty and agressive monarchy. The colour "yellow" is in fact not good for your eyes.
Raja
8.46 am, don't call each other names. Your current war has nothing to do with Khmer. It is to do with the gap of being too rich and too poor. This is call Thai Revolution. We had one already and that was the Khmer Rouge and may need another one soon.
ah fake siam, please go and help your own people.
Yes, go and help your prime minister and you better start selling your villa in Bangkok before it's too late.
Hun Sen better start prepare refugee camp for those fake Thais.
Ah Sdach Siem Kbal Khoch.
Vea Chang Ban Dey Khmer.
Constitutional court of kangaroo!
SomChai & Takshin,
I support you 100%, you can't be losers!!! People voted for you!! You are responsible for the country at least this term. Don't let PAD nor military take advantage of your term. PAD has king and his family behind, but you have people!! King can never live without people!! Luckily, you are the kings if you have more support than the real king like now!!
Be strong, confident and keep fighting!! If you need land to build up your kingdom, come and talk to Hun Sen as long as you have money, he will welcome you warmly. Spend money to bring your beloved country back, it is worthless.
Yours Faithfully,
1:10pm, are you being sarcastic or are you encouraging Thais to robe more of Cambodian land. You should know better that some Cambodian has weakness when they see $$.
He is trying to be funny.He doesn't mean it you idiot.Just leave him alone.
9:33, aren't you too bored?
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