Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Thailand's prime minister rejects protesters' demand to step down


December 10, 2013

Thailand’s prime minister has said she intends to remain in office on a caretaker basis until snap elections early next year. The opposition is demanding an unelected "people’s council" be appointed to curb corruption.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday appealed to the opposition to accept early elections as a way out of Thailand's political crisis and for protesters to clear the streets.

"I have retreated a lot, and I don't know how to retreat more. So I ask to be treated fairly," Yingluck told a Bangkok press conference after a cabinet meeting.

"I must do my duty as caretaker prime minister according to the constitution," she added.

She also accused the opposition of pursuing a campaign against her family.

 "I'm not without emotion," she said. "I'm also Thai. Do you want me not to step foot on Thai soil anymore?"

Yingluck's older brother, Thaksin Shinawatra is a former prime minister who has been living in exile since 2008 to avoid serving a two-year jail term after having been convicted of abuse of power.

Demand for a 'people's council'

The prime minister's pledge to stay in office on a caretaker basis until the election set for February 2, follows a call issued by protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban late on Monday in which he demanded that Yingluck to step down within 24 hours to make way for an unelected "people's council."

Speaking to an estimated more than 100,000 supporters outside of the government's headquarters, Suthep cited a clause in Thailand's constitution, which states that "the highest power is the sovereign power of the people."

Thailand has been in upheaval since former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was toppled in a military coup in 2006. The latest protests were sparked by an attempt by his sister's government to pass a bill that would have granted an amnesty to Thaksin, possibly paving the way for his return. The demonstrators accuse Yingluck of acting as a proxy for her brother.

pfd/kms (AP, Reuters, dpa)

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yingluck's rejection to step down was right and her acceptance to a new election was totally conform to the democracy's concept.

The traitor Hun Sen should follow her step to end Cambodia's crisis.

Bun Thoeun

Anonymous said...

But Hun Sen doesn't rule by Democrazy concept, so why wish for that which is not?

Anonymous said...

ទោះយ៉ាងណាក៍លោកស្រី យិនឡាក់ នៅតែគ្រាន់
បើជាងអាជនថោកទាប ជនកំសាក ហ៊ុនសែន និងបក្សពួកដែរ ។ ដូច្នេះ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរទាំង
ក្នុង​ និងក្រៅប្រទេសត្រូវការផ្លាស់ប្តូរអ្នកដឹកនាំដ៏
ថោកទាប ព្រៃផ្សៃនេះចេញជាដាច់ខាត ។ សូម
អង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ​ និង សហរដ្ឋងាមេរិកធ្វើ
តាមបំណង និង​ ឆ័ន្ទៈប្រជាពលរដ្ឋទាំងអស់គ្នា​ហើយ ជួយធ្វើអន្តរាគមន៍ និង ជួយជ្រោមជ្រែង
ឲការផ្លាស់ប្តូរនេះធ្វើបានសម្រេចក្នុងពេលដ៏ខ្លីខាងមុខនេះ ។

នៅប្រទេសណាក៏គេគោរពតាមមតីភាគច្រើន ដូចនៅប្រទេសថៃបច្ចុប្បន្ន ក៍កំពុងគោរពតាម
មតី និង ឆន្ទៈរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋភាគច្រើន
ដែរ មិនអាចធ្វើតាមអ្នកមានប្រាក់ច្រើន
ឡើយ ។

Anonymous said...

shut up! democracy in cambodia don't change overnight! it takes a bit of time for cambodian people to adjust, adapt, etc! why rush it down khmer throat like that! they can choke!

Anonymous said...

democracy start with education in the classroom. how can you turn people to democracy when most of them lack the understand of what democracy is like? they are cambodians, not americans, etc, you know!

Anonymous said...

educate them in the classroom!

Anonymous said...

sometimes, i wonder, can western democracy work for everybody in asia? i mean, they are different in culture as well! it takes a certain culture for democracy to take roots. some culture just resists to it, especially one with caste system or social class discrimination, etc. democracy works best if people follow the philosophy of realism like that of the greeks, the romans, the french, the american, etc! in asian culture, they are a different concept and may take time to adapt and adjust to! why can't people understand that?

Anonymous said...

6:01 AM, 6:03 AM, 6:26 AM


you know! really! ok!
and shut the fuck up! ok!

Anonymous said...

CRNP? it a joke..

Anonymous said...

That is good at least it makes you laugh instead of making you sob and cry.

Anonymous said...

Gentlemen

Who may feel or assume that democracy only exists in Asia, please read Buddhist Scripture for true knowledge of democracy. You don't have to look too far or make any assumption.
SANGHA" is group-root of democracy.
Buddhism is s study of humanity. What's NOT to do and What's to do, guided by respect.

Many in Asia are Buddhist, but are they?

NEANG SA

Anonymous said...

Yingluck est de quelqu'un a eu l éducation suffisant d être à la place qu elle a, mais hun sen est de quelqu'un a jamais eu l éducation minimum même juste une petite place de fonctionnaire, donc hun doit s accrocher jusqu'à sa mort.
Par une voie pacifique pour faire de descendre hun de son pourvoir, jamais il ne faut pas rêver, et surtout par une système de Mr ghandi, ça ne marche jamais, car les youns et les britanniques ne sont pas les mêmes mentalités.