"[O]peratives had for the past two years funneled arms through Cambodia to Thaksin-aligned supporters...": Report

A Thai soldier inspects the damaged vehicle of Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the People's Alliance of Democracy (PAD), in Bangkok. The Thai activist, who led a blockade of the kingdom's main airports last year, was shot and wounded in the head Friday morning in an assassination attempt the government said was aimed at inciting fresh unrest. (Pairoj / AFP/Getty Images)

Thailand extends state of emergency

After Bangkok street violence that claimed two lives and injured up to 100, the Thai prime minister also calls for a probe of the attempted assassination of a protest leader.

April 18, 2009
By Charles McDermid and Jakkapun Kaewsangthong
Los Angeles Times (California, USA)

Reporting from Bangkok -- The prime minister of Thailand extended a state of emergency Friday and pledged to launch an investigation into the assassination attempt on a prominent protest leader that occurred here earlier in the day.

The early-morning ambush of media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the movement that toppled the previous government, could dash hopes that Thailand will return to normal soon in the wake of violent street battles Monday that left at least two dead and as many as 100 wounded.

"We will continue applying the state of emergency, but for as short a period as possible, in order to restore peace and normalcy in Bangkok and its vicinities," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a televised address.

Gunmen in a pickup truck without a license plate opened fire on Sondhi's vehicle with automatic weapons about 5 a.m. as he was heading to work to host a television program. Jinttana Damrong, 56, a food vendor, was setting up her stall when the brazen attack took place.

"I went out to prepare food as usual. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a car speed up and then they started shooting. It was like an action movie -- they kept shooting nonstop. I told my son to hide, then I ran to hide."

Maj. Gen. King Kwangvisetchaichai said the assailants first aimed to shoot out the car's tires before riddling it with as many as 100 bullets. Sondhi, who founded the protest movement known as the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, was shot in the shoulder and had a bullet surgically removed from his skull, according to reports.

Sondhi's secretary and driver were also injured. Sondhi has been moved from Vajira Hospital to an undisclosed facility under police protection.

Police say they recovered 84 bullet casings from AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles. A dud M-79 shell was also found, according to local media.

"I have already ordered authorities to check how it is that war weapons emerged and were used in the capital," Abhisit said in his address.

Battlefield weapons were seen across downtown Bangkok on Monday as government troops dislodged red-shirted anti-government forces from sites they occupied around the capital, including their last redoubt at Government House, the office of the prime minister.

The street battles capped a week of violent protests in which the "red shirts" -- supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- stormed a key regional summit, forcing its cancellation and the airlift evacuation of several Southeast Asian leaders. About 3,000 remaining protesters surrendered to the government Tuesday morning even as some of the movement's chiefs vowed to intensify their struggle from underground.

Thaksin-aligned lawmaker Worawut Ua-apinyakul was quoted in the local press Thursday as saying that the protesters would unleash a "covert struggle."

Sondhi's PAD movement has been instrumental in toppling two Thaksin-aligned governments, most recently in late 2008 when his "yellow shirts" overran Bangkok's two international airports. One of the demands of the red shirts, in addition to the resignation of Abhisit, has been the prosecution of the ringleaders of the airport seizures. Sondhi and Thaksin are former business partners and, according to reports, onetime friends.

Thaksin, a billionaire telecom tycoon who is in hiding after being sentenced to jail on corruption charges, has given a spate of interviews in international media in recent days. He has called for a "people's revolution" to overthrow the Abhisit government and has also promised to return to Thailand.

According to a report Tuesday by analyst Shawn Crispin, "operatives had for the past two years funneled arms through Cambodia to Thaksin-aligned supporters in the country's northeastern provinces, where his grass-roots support runs strongest."

PAD has thus far remained silent in the escalating political crisis.

"As far as I know, at this time we won't move yet. The leaders have said we will move when it is the right time," said Pattama Deemee, a 48-year-old Bangkok business owner and PAD supporter. "In my opinion this is the beginning of underground activity meant to make us feel unsafe. This is a hard game for Abhisit and the Thai people. We will never know what will happen next."

McDermid and Kaewsangthong are special correspondents

Thailand in the grip of turmoil again

2009/04/12
Thomas Fuller
International Herald Tribune

LESS than four months after coming to power, Thailand's fragile government is facing a growing challenge from protesters loyal to its chief rival, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The turmoil threatens to return Thailand to the political paralysis that gripped the country last year and contributed to an ongoing economic crisis.

A party loyal to Thaksin lost control of power in December after some allies abandoned him.

But Thaksin loyalists are hoping that the country's financial woes, including accelerating layoffs in its vast industrial zones, will help them regain power.

In recent days, the opposition has been able to draw as many as 30,000 demonstrators, some of them newly-fired workers, to the offices of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, where they are blocking access to the seat of government.

The protests are reminiscent of the months-long sit-in that weakened the last pro-Thaksin government; it eventually fell when the constitutional court ruled that the governing party was guilty of election fraud.

"With the economy in crisis, everyone will want Thaksin to come back," said Nattawut Saikua, a Thaksin ally and charismatic speaker who has been rallying the demonstrators at night.

Thaksin, who is in self-imposed exile because he has been convicted of conflict of interest in a land deal, also addresses the festive crowds at night by video link.

The discontent has grown serious enough that the deputy prime minister offered on Wednesday to hold talks with Thaksin.

The economic crisis resonates loudly because Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, was seen by many Thais, especially lower-income workers, as a competent financial manager who paid off the country's debts to the International Monetary Fund and lifted rural incomes during his five years in power. He was ousted in a military coup in 2006, but his allies were later elected to run the government.

During his broadcast on Tuesday, Thaksin predicted that two million people would be laid off because of the country's economic slowdown and invited the unemployed to join the protest movement.

"The way out of this crisis," he told the crowd, "is to let the people choose someone who is competent enough to lead the country and solve the economic problems."

To loud applause, he said: "If you can't find someone competent enough, I'm willing to come back and do it."

The country's economy was damaged last year when anti-Thaksin demonstrators blockaded some airports, causing shutdowns that harmed the crucial tourism industry. The world economic downturn has caused further upheaval, leading to official projections that the economy will grow by an anaemic two per cent this year.

But economic issues are only part of the deep well of resentment driving the protests. Amid widespread anxiety over the succession of ageing monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, protesters are lashing out at his advisers, accusing them of meddling in politics.

They blame the advisers and the political elite for deposing Thaksin in the 2006 coup and for hounding his allies from power last year.

The duelling protests -- last year's anti-Thaksin ones and this year's pro-Thaksin rallies -- are the most visible signs of those deeper divides dogging the constitutional monarchy.

Last year, the royalists, who wore yellow to show their support for the monarchy, based their protests around the notion that one-person-one-vote democracy could not work in a country with so many poorly educated citizens and around accusations of corruption against Thaksin.

Thaksin's supporters, by contrast, fly the national red-white-and-blue flag, wear red and express more republican leanings: They support the monarchy, they say, but insist it should remain above politics.

"Democracy must have one prime minister, not two," said Pitak Kanjanawatthana, a 52-year-old owner of a Japanese restaurant in the resort town of Hua Hin, south of Bangkok, who drives three hours every evening to listen to the speeches.

Like many other protesters, Pitak directed his ire at members of the king's privy council. "The reason they are involved in politics is because the elite wants to maintain power."

This year's protests have not reached the intensity of last year's, when some of the demonstrations turned violent.

With satellite dishes, video projectors and rented tents, the latest protests appear to be well financed.

Nattawut said donations and sales of red shirts and other protest paraphernalia finance the protest, except for the broadcast equipment, which is paid for by Thaksin.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, says the protesters appeared to have staying power.

"People have underestimated the red shirts," he said. "They are very angry. And they have some genuine grievances."

ASEAN summit disruption by Red Shirt Demonstrators: A huge embarrassment for Thailand and Abhisit

Armed security officers draw their weapons after supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra tried to enter one of the venues of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 11, 2009. A summit of Asian leaders in Pattaya, Thailand, has effectively been cancelled after anti-government protesters broke into part of the conference venue, a Thai government spokesman said on Saturday. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang
Anti-government demonstrators celebrate after storming past Thai soldiers as they force their way into the 14th ASEAN Summit convention center Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Pattaya, Thailand. A Thai government officials say a summit of Asian leaders has been canceled for security reasons. The announcement Saturday came after more than 1,000 anti-government protesters smashed through glass doors to storm into the convention hall where some of the meetings were scheduled to take place. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thai anti-government demonstrators wave their flags after breaking their way into the meeting venue of the 14th ASEAN summit venue on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Pattaya, Thailand. A Thai government officials say a summit of Asian leaders has been canceled for security reasons. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
A Thai military helicopter leaves a rooftop carrying unidentified leaders Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Pattaya, Thailand, following the storming of the 14th ASEAN Convention Center by anti-government protesters. A Thai government officials say a summit of Asian leaders has been canceled for security reasons. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

Helicopters evacuate leaders from ASEAN summit

2009-04-11
AFP

PATTAYA: Helicopters began evacuating foreign leaders Saturday after anti-government protests forced the postponement of a major Asian summit in Thailand, AFP reporters and officials said.

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo boarded a civilian helicopter which landed on the roof of the luxury beach resort in the coastal town of Pattaya where the meeting was being held, an AFP correspondent said.

Police separately said that Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein had been airlifted by chopper to a nearby military airfield.

Thai protesters force Asia summit cancellation

• Summit cancelled after protesters swarm into venue
• North Asia leaders huddle at besieged hotel
• Anti-government "red shirts" clash with pro- "blue shirts"

By Bill Tarrant

PATTAYA, Thailand, April 11 (Reuters) - A summit of Asian leaders in Thailand was cancelled on Saturday after anti-government protesters breeched security and swarmed into the media centre at the hotel complex where it was being held.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Pattaya, where the East Asia Summit was being, a beach resort about 150 kms (90 miles) south of the capital, Bangkok.

"The task for me and the government now is to provide security for the leaders to travel back home safely," Abhisit said in a brief address on television.

The cancellation is a huge embarrassment for Abhisit's government, which came to power in December via parliamentary defections the opposition says were engineered by the military.

The weekend's events will raise questions about how enduring his government can be after four prime ministers over the last 15 months have failed to resolve Thailand's deep political rifts.

Many of the leaders of 16 Asian nations due to attend the summit had already arrived or were arriving in Pattaya on Saturday.

Hundreds of red-shirted supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra broke through lines of soldiers and smashed a window at the conference centre housing the media adjacent to the summit venue, the Royal Cliff hotel, blowing whistles, waving flags and shouting slogans.

Troops chased after them, but then bolted down the road to the hotel itself to prevent the protesters from reaching the venue where Asian leaders were scheduled to hold a lunch.

RED SHIRTS v BLUE SHIRTS

After rampaging about the media centre, the "red shirts" were soon huddling with reporters in impromptu news conferences around the vast conference centre. Among them was a 90-year-old woman in a wheelchair.

The East Asia Summit brings together the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand for discussions about trade, economic issues and regional security.

ASEAN leaders were to sign an investment agreement with China, but that was scrapped after the blockade kept Chinese Premier Wen Jiaboa from reaching the Royal Cliff Hotel.

The "red shirts" had intended to protest peacefully but became infuriated when a group of blue-shirted pro-government protesters arrived on the scene.

"There were at least two cases of shootings aimed to harm our red-shirt supporters, a clear evidence of government supporters possessing guns and using them directly at us," the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship said.

Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn earlier described the "blue shirts" as people "we believe are concerned about the meetings. They want them to continue, and they want them to continue peacefully".

But Reuters photographers said the blue shirts, wearing balaclavas or scarves to keep from being identified, had clubs, bricks and slingshots and thrown smoke bombs as they clashed with "red shirts".

On Friday, at least 2,000 "red shirts" broke through roadblocks manned by police and soldiers, pushing aside police vans and buses and even commandeered a fire truck.

Abhisit has insisted he will not give in to demands to step down made by Thaksin, a billionaire populist living in exile to avoid jail on a corruption conviction.

He was ousted in a 2006 coup, but his reconstituted party regained power after elections, sparking months of protests last year by "yellow shirts" that closed airports in Bangkok and took a huge toll on the economy.

(Additional reporting by Isabel Reynolds, Martin Petty and John Ruwitch in Pattaya, Viparat Jantraprap, Kittipong Soonprasert, Alan Raybould and Panarat Thepgumpanat in Bangkok; Editing by David Fox)

Thai protesters deliver a message to ASEAN summit

The group breaches security at the summit venue in Pattaya to deliver a letter calling for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's resignation and the dissolution of his government.

April 10, 2009
By Charles McDermid
Los Angeles Times (California, USA)

Reporting from Pattaya, Thailand -- A swarm of anti-government protesters broke through razor-wire barricades and a wall of riot police and military troops today in a bold move to spoil the start of a key Asian summit.

Following hours of tense standoff, hundreds of red-shirted protesters pushed past a phalanx of shield-wielding police and raced to the entrance of the posh seaside hotel slated to play host to top regional leaders, some of whom were already inside.

At the steps of the venue, the protesters, who total upward of 2,000, threatened to occupy the building if they could not deliver a letter of demands to a summit delegate -- but not one from Thailand. The breach came just minutes after a government official had assured reporters that the situation was under control.

"Our conditions are simple. Abhisit must go. This government must go," protest leader Arisman Pongreungrong told reporters.

After delivering the letter, the protesters retreated down the road just as the first drops of a monsoon rain began to fall. As they backed off, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told reporters the result was "satisfactory," but acknowledged giving a "deep sigh of relief."

"They asked us to receive a one-page letter of complaint and present it to all the ASEAN leaders. There won't be any disruption," Pitsuwan said. "This is a feature of democracy. We thank the protesters for showing maximum restraint."

Pitsuwan said the meeting of the 10-member Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, would proceed as planned. Leaders from six nonmember nations, including China, Japan, South Korea, also are scheduled to attend.

The protesters, known collectively as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, are followers of exiled former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. They are demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the dissolution of his 4-month-old coalition government on the grounds that it came to power undemocratically.

"This government is illegal. The prime minister came to power with assistance from the army. It was a 'silent coup!' " shouted a UDD official through a megaphone from the top of a cargo truck outside the hotel.

The UDD, called "red shirts" here, is also pushing for the prosecution of the leaders of a protest group, known for its yellow shirts, that stormed and occupied Bangkok's Government House and overran its two international airports last year in its successful campaign to oust two Thaksin-linked governments. The UDD claims the airport seizures were illegal and debilitating to Thailand's crucial tourism sector.

"We have broken no laws. No government places have been overrun," UDD spokesman Sean Boonprapong said today.

Demonstrations began outside the hotel earlier in the day with protesters chanting anti-government slogans and jeering Abhisit with taunts and calls to step down. Abhisit, a 44-year-old Oxford-educated economist, was selected by the Thai parliament after his political party came in second in national elections in late 2008.

The opposition's latest gambit to discredit and ultimately topple the Thai government follows a wave of crippling protests in Bangkok, the capital, that have demobilized the city center and thrust the image-conscious country back into the glare of international scrutiny.

On Thursday night, UDD lawmaker Jatuporn Prompon declared that a sea of red-shirted supporters would not allow the summit to commence. "We have run out of peaceful measures," he told a crowd of supporters.

In turn, the government reassured the public that the summit, known as the ASEAN+3, would continue no matter what actions the UDD took. About 8,000 members of the police and military were deployed to Pattaya, a city about 90 miles south of Bangkok more commonly known for its beach resorts and go-go bars.

Since Wednesday, more than 100,000 "red shirts" have been rallying and marching in Bangkok; at one point hundreds of UDD supporters surrounded the home of Privy Councilor General Prem Tinsulanonda, who they claim was behind the 2006 military coup that ousted Thaksin.

Thaksin claims the UDD is a "people's revolution" pitting democracy against an unnamed aristocracy. Speaking to supporters in a video call-in Thursday night, Thaksin said, "Abhisit is too young to play this game. He should resign and give power back to the people to decide the future of this land."

Two days earlier, UDD members attacked a vehicle carrying Abhisit while he was stopped at a red light in Pattaya, smashing his rear window and pummeling his driver and bodyguards. After the attack, Abhisit quickly reassured foreign leaders and dismissed the UDD's tactics.

"This is not the game, they cannot play like this," said Abhisit, who has refused the UDD's calls for his resignation. "If they are sincere the government is open to political reform."

Thaksin, a former policeman who became a billionaire telecom tycoon, was ousted in a bloodless 2006 military coup. He is on the lam after receiving a two-year jail sentence on corruption charges. Still, he retains significant popularity with Thailand's rural poor, mostly in the north and northeastern provinces, due to his populist measures while in office. His supporters are steadfast.

"We won't give up," said Nattanai Sirisorsakul, a 53-year-old physician from Bangkok and UDD stalwart. "Thaksin said, if we lose this time, there will be no second chance. We have to win and if the government uses violence, then we won't stay cool for long."

Even as Thailand has the government again seeing red, many Thais are weary of constant political upheaval and affronts to hard-won national pride.

"We are mindful of the effect to Thailand's reputation. But this is a safe country," said UDD spokesman Boonprapong. "I hope those outside Thailand can see this on the news and be able to distinguish internal politics. If I go to California and see a protest, I don't get a bad image of the U.S. -- I see people expressing their rights. People that value democracy should understand what we are doing."

McDermid is a special correspondent.

Protesters reach ASEAN summit hotel

04/10/2009
Agence France-Presse

PATTAYA, Thailand—(UPDATE 2) Hundreds of Thai anti-government protesters Friday reached a hotel hosting a major Asian summit after breaking through a final security cordon, AFP reporters said.

About 200 protesters passed through the last line of unarmed riot police with little resistance, chanting anti-government slogans, cheering, and clapping their hands.

Some arrived on pick-up trucks and on scooters, moving to within 50 meters (yards) of the front doors of the luxury hotel where a meeting of 16 nations is being held this weekend.

The demonstrators were part of a group of about 1,000 supporters of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra that gathered in the resort town of Pattaya after causing chaos Thursday with traffic disruptions in the capital Bangkok.

The main crowd briefly clashed with police guarding the summit venue before a smaller number forced their way closer to the building.

They waved red posters reading "Get out" and "Thailand needs change," in their campaign for the ouster of current premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has resisted calls to step down and order early elections.

An earlier AFP report said hundreds of riot police and troops were guarding the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, the summit venue.

Pattaya is the site for the summit, which groups the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

ASEAN members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Protesters break through security at Asian summit

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra break through a cordon of anti-riot policemen near the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 10, 2009. Anti-government protesters converged on the Thai beach town of Pattaya on Friday with plans to disrupt an Asian summit as part of efforts to try to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

Friday, April 10, 2009

PATTAYA, Thailand (AFP) — Thai protesters pushed through security at a summit of Asian leaders, forcing their campaign to topple Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva into the international spotlight.

Thai police vowed to use "all means necessary" to clear the hundreds of protesters away from the beach resort hotel where the leaders of China, Japan, India and 13 other nations were to gather for the three-day summit.

Around 400 protesters faced off outside against at least 200 security forces -- including riot police in full gear and army soldiers -- who stood in formation outside the hotel.

The security breach came after months of assurances from the government that it would not let the kingdom's internal political turmoil, which has been boiling for months, disrupt the meeting.

Protesters launched new mass rallies in Bangkok on Wednesday to push Abhisit to resign, insisting that he came to power undemocratically through a court ruling that toppled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's allies in December.

"Today we are not coming to stop the summit. We have come to join the summit to represent the Thai people because Abhisit cannot be responsible for our rights," protest leader Arismun Pongreungrong told AFP.

"Abhisit is not the legitimate prime minister. We have to pressure him to resign."

Thai authorities have gone out of their way to avoid clashes with protesters since mass violence broke out at a rally by anti-Thaksin demonstrators in Bangkok last October, leaving two people dead and 500 injured.

The protesters on Friday passed through the last line of unarmed riot police with little resistance, chanting slogans, cheering and clapping their hands.

Some protesters arrived on pick-up trucks and on scooters, moving to within 50 metres (yards) of the front doors of the luxury hotel and waving red posters reading "Abhisit get out" and "Thailand needs change".

British-born Abhisit has repeatedly resisted their calls to go and his government hardened its stance earlier Friday, saying it intended to arrest the leaders of the protests against the government.

Abhisit said late Thursday that he had boosted security in Pattaya for the summit, which groups the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

China earlier this week expressed concerns about security at the summit but said it was confident the Thai government could keep protesters away. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao was due to arrive later Friday.

The protests have marked the biggest challenge to Abhisit since he came to power four months ago. On Thursday around 100 taxi drivers blocked a major intersection in Bangkok, snarling traffic across the capital.

"Certain people must take responsibility for all these incidents," said the Oxford-educated premier.

Thaksin, a billionaire populist who still has a loyal following among the country's poor but is loathed by the Bangkok elite, was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

Living in exile to avoid a two-year prison sentence for corruption, Thaksin has been egging on the protesters with nightly messages to them via videolink.

Abhisit announced a public holiday across Thailand on Friday in a bid to ease tension across the country.

The government has repeatedly said it would ensure the security of the summit -- which was postponed twice and moved to different cities twice in a bid to keep away from the protests.

"We are using international standards of security protection for the 16 leaders," Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, in charge of national security, said on Friday. "They will be safe."

Thai Protesters Move to Disrupt Summit

April 10, 2009
By THOMAS FULLER
The New York Times

PATTAYA, Thailand – Several hundred anti-government protesters pushed through barricades manned by riot police and army soldiers on Friday as they tried to disrupt an East Asian summit meeting here.

It was not immediately clear whether the protesters would succeed in shutting down the 16-nation gathering in Pattaya, a beach town 100 miles southeast of Bangkok. But red-shirted demonstrators swarmed nearly unchecked onto a putting green in front of the conference center where the three-day meeting began Friday morning.

The protesters -- chanting “Abhisit, get out!” -- were allies of the tens of thousands of other “red shirts” who have gathered Bangkok to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Early in the afternoon, in a most unusual move, the deputy prime minister, Suthep Thaugsuban, emerged from the meeting and approached the swarm of angry protesters.

"We've been waiting for you,'' a protest leader shouted through a megaphone from the back of a pickup truck. "If you resign, the red shirts will stop protesting.''

The police then steered Mr. Suthep back inside.

The participants in the annual summit meting are the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Faced with protests in Bangkok that drew as many as 100,000 demonstrators this week, Mr. Abhisit declared Friday a public holiday in Thailand, linking a long weekend with another holiday from Monday to Wednesday of next week.

The government was clearly hoping the long break might defuse tensions in Bangkok by encouraging out-of-town protesters – many of them farmers from northern Thailand -- to head home. Taxi drivers had joined the protests Thursday afternoon and snarled traffic at several key intersections in the capital.

The current wave of unrest, while so far peaceful, was reminiscent of huge demonstrations in Bangkok last autumn -- protests that led to Mr. Abhisit himself coming to power.

Those demonstrations occasionally flared into violence and forced the organizers of the East Asian summit meeting to move it from the capital to the northern city of Chiang Mai. The date of the summit also was changed, from December 2008 to March 2009. The meeting was then rescheduled again, for Easter weekend in the resort city of Phuket, before it was finally relocated to Pattaya.

Mark McDonald contributed reporting from Hong Kong.

Thai Premier Stands Firm as Protests Spread, Threaten Summit

By Daniel Ten Kate and Suttinee Yuvejwattana

April 10 (Bloomberg) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rejected the demands of protesters who used taxis to block Bangkok’s streets in a bid to force his ouster before he hosts a summit of Asian leaders that starts today.

Tens of thousands of people remained camped out at the premier’s office and other locations in the capital after bringing traffic in key intersections to a standstill. Abhisit, declaring today a public holiday, said the protesters “broke the law” and vowed not to quit or call an election.

“Dissolving the parliament is not an appropriate option at the moment,” Abhisit, 44, said in a nationally televised address late yesterday. “The right time to consider that is when we have political stability and the expression of people’s rights without a climate of violence.”

The expanding rallies threaten to undermine Abhisit’s four- month-old administration as he welcomes 15 leaders attending the three-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting. Demonstrators, who have surrounded his office since March 26, say his government is illegitimate because he took power after a court disbanded the former ruling party.

“The situation is volatile and could turn violent,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. “They have pent-up rage from being insulted, underestimated and dismissed by the establishment.”

Protesters planned to travel to Pattaya, a resort town 150 kilometers (90 miles) south of the capital, where the Asean summit will take place, said protest leader Jatuporn Prompan. Leaders from China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand also plan to attend the meeting.

Disable Government

“Our aim is to make the government unable to function,” protest leader Jatuporn Prompan said by telephone. “Our demand hasn’t been met.”

Abhisit said the government has stepped up security in Pattaya to prevent demonstrators from disrupting the summit. His car was attacked by a group of protesters on April 7 in the resort town as he returned to Bangkok from a cabinet meeting.

The protests escalated on April 8 when crowds besieged the house of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, 88. They say Prem, King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s top adviser, and two fellow advisers should step down for allegedly plotting the coup that ousted former Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra. Prem has denied any involvement in the 2006 coup.

In targeting Prem, a former army chief and prime minister, the demonstrators face accusations they are criticizing the monarchy, a crime in Thailand that can see offenders jailed for as many as 15 years. Under Thailand’s constitutional monarchy, the king is head of state while the prime minister and parliament govern. The king must still approve all legislation.

Red Shirts

The protesters wear red shirts to distinguish themselves from rivals who sported yellow to show loyalty to King Bhumibol during a 193-day campaign to remove a pro-Thaksin government last year. They came from 35 provinces, mostly in Thaksin’s electoral base in northeast Thailand, to join the April 8 march.

“We love peace, but we need to fight,” Thaksin told a rally late yesterday via videophone. “We have to tell the world this government is no longer legitimate.”

Thaksin, who fled Thailand last year to escape corruption charges, has spoken to his supporters through a video link-up in rallies throughout the country since Abhisit took power. He was sentenced to two years in prison in October for helping his wife buy land from the government while he served as prime minister.

Since the coup, the courts disbanded two pro-Thaksin parties and banned about 140 politicians loyal to him, including former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat in December. Parties linked to Thaksin have won the past four national elections on heavy support from the northeast, Thailand’s poorest region.

Airport Protest

Abhisit took power in December after protesters who support him shut down the country’s airports for eight days and a court dissolved the ruling party for vote buying. He wooed a faction of lawmakers that previously backed Thaksin to join his coalition, and consolidated his parliamentary majority in a March 21 confidence vote.

Thailand’s consumer confidence fell to the lowest level in more than seven years in March, buffeted by the protests and an economy heading for its first annual contraction in more than a decade. The index dropped to 66 from 67.2 in February, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce said yesterday.

Thailand’s Stock Exchange of Thailand will remain open today along with banks, Patareeya Benjapolchai, its president, said by phone. The benchmark SET Index has risen 1.6 percent since protests began March 26, compared with a 3.7 percent rise in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index.

To contact the reporters on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at dtenkate@bloomberg.net; Suttinee Yuvejwattana in Bangkok at suttinee1@bloomberg.net

Thailand protesters demand Prime Minister Abhisit resign

Supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also seek the ouster of a top advisor to the king.

April 9, 2009
By Charles McDermid and Jakkapun Kaewsangthong
Los Angeles Time (California, USA)

Reporting from Bangkok, Thailand -- A sea of red-clad anti-government protesters flooded into central Bangkok on Wednesday to demand the resignations of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and a key advisor to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

City officials estimated that 100,000 supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra filled the capital's government district. The protesters from the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship are demanding the resignation of Vejjajiva and his 4-month-old administration because they say he gained power undemocratically.

In the afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators broke through police barricades and surrounded the home of Privy Council President Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda, who they say was behind the 2006 military coup that ousted Thaksin. Prem, a close advisor to the highly respected king, has denied any involvement in the coup.

Wednesday's rally came after a two-week sit-in outside Abhisit's office by thousands of protesters.

On Tuesday, the so-called red shirts attacked Abhisit's motorcade in the resort town of Pattaya, pelting his vehicle with bottles, smashing the rear window and punching his driver and guards. The brazen attack raised security concerns about a summit of the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, scheduled to commence in Pattaya on Friday.

Government officials said Wednesday that the summit would proceed as planned. Abhisit has refused to step down or employ violence to quell the protests.

"If it becomes a riot, the government will have to do something," Abhisit told reporters in Bangkok. "I can assure you there will be no violence starting from the government's side."

Last year, Thaksin fled Thailand before a court convicted him of abuse of power and he was sentenced to a two-year prison term. Using a video linkup Wednesday, he called on more supporters to join the protesters in pursuit of "a true democracy."

Thaksin's supporters point to the former telecommunications magnate's alleged economic prowess as the way out of the global financial crisis.

"He is smart guy. When he was in his power, poor people could make a lot of money. Today when they look at their wallet, it is empty. We want him and his policies back," 45-year-old restaurant owner Nattapon Karaked said.

According to government officials, 10,000 police officers and military troops have been deployed in central Bangkok. Pattaya is also on high alert.

Bus routes were diverted from Bangkok protest areas and visitors have been warned to avoid those sites.

Chanisa Rangtes, a 27-year-old receptionist, said the gathering of protesters in central Bangkok caused worse problems than the usual traffic jams and noise pollution.

"This isn't going to do any good for our society. People will get hurt and it will ruin our reputation, which is already getting bad. In the end we don't get anything," she said. "I'm not sure if it's even really about democracy."

McDermid and Kaewsangthong are special correspondents.

Making sense of Thailand’s turmoil

(Photo: Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images)

Thu, 04/09/2009
By Roberto Herrera-Lim
Foreign Policy

Bangkok's streets are again filled with protesters this week in what will likely prove a boisterous but futile attempt to force the government's resignation. But behind all the noise, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been directing these demonstrations from outside the country, may well have a more subtle, longer-term agenda.

Thaksin and his supporters have been attacking the country's "aristocracy"--and top adviser to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Prem Tinsulanonda, in particular. This suggests that Thaksin's maneuvers are related less to any effort to immediately oust the current government but instead to undermining the power structures centered around the monarchy, particularly the King's privy council, and the succession process that Thailand will face once ailing King Bhumibol passes from the scene.

The protests are generating more noise than usual thanks to warnings from Thaksin that "the time for talks has passed" and the sense that protesters (known as "red shirts") are pushing for a confrontation. The former prime minister, ousted in a 2006 coup, is still able to create tension in the capital by rallying his supporters from Thailand's northeast and among Bangkok's poor. But without support from the military, the monarchy, and Bangkok's middle class, these protests are highly unlikely to divide the country's political elite and threaten the current regime. Even Thaksin's allies know that even if they could force new elections, the elite-controlled institutions could undermine their administration. Thaksin is believed to be in either Dubai or Cambodia, and evidence suggests that the military is trying to block his satellite telephone calls to followers inside Thailand.

The real motive behind Thaksin's use of these protests is probably to weaken Prem, which would then allow him to position himself to eventually take advantage of a government weakened by the economic crisis, to negotiate his return to the country, and to settle his many outstanding legal and financial problems. The big unknown is whether Thaksin's moves reveal that he has inside information on how and when the succession process (and resulting power struggle) will begin to unfold, and whether his rhetoric is an attempt to position himself in the conflict for power that could follow.

To up the ante, Thaksin has warned that he expects to see a "revolution by the people" that is more intense than the civilian unrest that rocked the country in 1973 and 1992. He has also explicitly accused Prem and retired General Surayud Chulanont of having organized the 2006 coup that ousted him from office.

These are bold (and unprecedented) criticisms, because Prem has been considered for the past decade a direct representative of King Bhumibol and therefore beyond this kind of accusation. Protesters have organized demonstrations near Prem's home. By proving that he still commands considerable public support and boldly attacking Prem (and members of the military complicit in the 2006 coup), Thaksin may well be trying to establish himself as a political force to be reckoned with following the King's death-particularly if the succession process fails to produce a strong monarch.

In short, Thailand is in the midst of a power struggle that could reach deeply into its institutions and power structures. It started with a fight between the elites and Thaksin in 2006, and has begun to spill over into the public sphere. The stakes have been magnified by the uncertainty around the royal succession in a country in which the monarchy remains the most powerful political institution. Thailand's history shows that this type of conflict will take time to resolve, with results ranging from the absurd to the tragic.

Thai PM rejects calls for his resignation

A supporter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra shouts slogans while enjoying coffee and donuts at a protest rally outside Government House Friday, March 27, 2009, in Bangkok, Thailand. The new burst of political turmoil, which has plagued Thailand throughout most of last year, came as the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva grappled with the country's worst economic crisis in a decade. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)

March 27, 2009
By Ambika Ahuja
Associated Press Writer

BANGKOK—The Thai prime minister rejected calls for his resignation by thousands of anti-government protesters who ringed his office for a second day Friday in a boisterous rally.

Supporters of deposed former leader Thaksin Shinawatra have surrounded the government's main office since Thursday. The demonstrators say Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjavija's government came to power three months ago through illegal means and are demanding a dissolution of Parliament and fresh elections.

Police estimated about 30,000 people gathered outside Government House on Thursday evening.

About 3,000 demonstrators remained on the streets around the seat of government Friday as leaders took to the stage to denounce the government in the midday heat.

More were expected to join the throng in the evening to hear Thaksin, currently in self-imposed exile, make a televised broadcast to the rally from a secret location abroad.

The protest is the latest episode in Thailand's protracted political turmoil which last year saw months of protests by Thaksin's opponents.

Abhisit said he does not expect the protests to turn violent. Other demonstrations against the current government have been generally peaceful.

"Whether to resign or not resign is a political matter within the system," Abhisit told reporters Friday at his Democrat Party's headquarters. "Right now, the situation remains normal."

Abhisit went later to Parliament. It was not clear if he would try to enter Government House later in the day.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuaksuban said security officials will assess the situation before Abhisit and his Cabinet members enter the compound.

Thaksin's supporters are using the same people-power method as their rivals, who last year besieged the Government House for three months and occupied Bangkok's two main airports for one week.

The "red-shirts," as the pro-Thaksin supporters are commonly known because of their favored color, have vowed to remain outside Government House at least through the weekend. But they said they would not break into the compound as their rivals did.

"We will protest until the illegitimate government is gone. We have to stop them from causing more damage to Thai democracy," said a protest leader, Nattawut Sai-kua. "We will stay for as long as we need to get the job done."

Abhisit was voted in by Parliament in December after a court dissolved the party leading the previous government, which was packed with Thaksin's allies.

Protesters say the court decisions were political and biased against the former leader's allies.

Thaksin, who remains popular in the countryside, fled into exile last year and has been convicted in absentia of violating a conflict of interest law.

He made a brief phone call that was broadcast to the rally Thursday night. He said he was calling from Africa.

"I want to thank you, brothers and sisters, who are here to defend democracy," he said to loud cheers from protesters. "Without democracy, there will never be progress."

He was ousted in a 2006 military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

Demand for Kasit's removal shows [Thai] opposition's deep fear

February 3, 2009
By Sopon Onkgara
The Nation

THE 12-HOUR long protest rally at Sanam Luang, together with a march to Government House on Saturday by some 30,000 red-shirted opposition demonstrators and politicians, originally perceived as a formidable threat to the Abhisit Cabinet, turned out to be a flash in the pan without lasting effect. The bite was not as harmful as the loud bark.

Led by cronies and minions of Thaksin Shinawatra, who is in self-imposed exile and on the run from jail, the gathering was surprisingly large, taking up almost half of Sanam Luang. There were fiery tirades unleashed by orators angered by the recent political twist that elevated the Democrat Party to head the new coalition.

The march from Sanam Luang to Government House, blocked at intervals by barriers and police lines, was relatively peaceful - a marked change from previous unruly and violent incidents. The red-shirts' leaders understood that this time, law enforcers were not on their side as in the past.

They forced their way to Government House and declared victory after reading demands to the soldiers and police guarding the premises. Chiefly, they want a House dissolution and a snap election. Before that, they want Prime Minister Abhisit to remove Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya from his post.

Their accusation? That Kasit was an "international terrorist" who seized Suvarnabhumi International Airport as part of the leadership of the People's Alliance for Democracy during the then opposition movement's 193-day rally against the Samak and Somchai administrations.

Why should the red-shirted mob want Kasit out? Why is he singled out as an "international terrorist" when he was among thousands during the rally at the airport terminal along with musicians and ordinary people? The red-shirts and Thaksin's cronies are actually worried about Kasit even more than they are about Abhisit. How come?

Well, with full legal authority, Kasit can cause a lot of trouble for Thaksin, starting with the cancellation of his passport and requesting foreign governments to cease and desist from allowing the disgraced ex-prime minister to travel in exile and to engage in activities harmful to Thailand.

Since his self-imposed exile, Thaksin has continued his campaign to regain political power by bad-mouthing his homeland, which served as the land of opportunities for him to amass immense wealth through business monopolies, abuse of political power. The enrichment of his family and the benefits to his cronies resulted in structural decay for the entire nation.

With periodic phone-ins to TV programmes organised by his foot soldiers, Thaksin remains, to a certain extent, a pivotal factor in Thailand's political situation. He has a direct bearing on whether there is peace or chaos, politically and socially, though the significance of his influence is gradually waning.

Even after just a month in office, there is grudging recognition among the opposition politicians and their red-shirted allies that the longer Abhisit can stay in power, with growing popularity, the more he becomes a powerful accelerator for Thaksin's decline into obscurity. That's why they mobilised to flex their political muscle and send signals to Abhisit that his administration will not see peace as long as their demands are not met. Thaksin, at the same time, bleats that he must be accorded justice the way he likes it - free from any guilt or criminal proceedings.

The demand that Abhisit must dismiss Kasit is both ridiculous and pathetic. Those hecklers don't even understand who should be labelled an "international terrorist" or what activities should fit that description.

Speaking at a peaceful anti-government rally cannot be described as terrorism. Words don't generally kill people, except for some poor souls who might succumb to heart attacks if they cannot stand the exposures and truth about their own scandals and misdeeds.

The red-shirted accusers are no match for Kasit in terms of stature, track record or moral standard. His long years in the foreign service and international diplomacy have been spotless. Even Cambodia's supreme boss, Hun Sen, grudgingly welcomed him with a good heart to Phnom Penh, though Hun Sen was a target of verbal attacks during the PAD rally.

Kasit's accusers, on the contrary, are tainted by a shady past and sinister motives. They are fighting for Thaksin in exchange for personal gain. They have never fought for the public cause.

The other demand for Abhisit to dissolve the House is naive and preposterous. It is just an excuse for the red-shirt leaders to organise another rally, again for personal gain, on behalf of those who want to see the government in trouble.

The warning that the protest would be protracted if the demands are not met should not be taken seriously. Without continued funding, it will be just another flash in the pan. For Thaksin's political cronies and fat cats, organising protest rallies serves as a way to make good money.

Protesters force new Thai PM to delay maiden speech [-Abhisit caught in his own game?]

Thai anti-government supporters surround parliament (AP)

December 29, 2008
Anne Barrowclough
Times Online (UK)

Thousands of anti-government protesters have surrounded Thailand's parliament, forcing newly installed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to postpone his maiden speech, which he had been due to give today.

Carrying signs reading 'Government of treason', and 'Give us back real democracy', the protesters, who support the exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra blocked the entrances to parliament and dared MPs to pass through their ranks to get into the building.

With only a few opposition politicians willing to run the gauntlet of red-shirted protesters from the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD) Mr Abhisit's speech was delayed for five hours.

Parliament speaker Chai Chidchob said on local television that if the safety of MPs could not be assured; "we might have to postpone it to a later date."

Under the constitution, the government has until January 7 to delivers its policy statement to a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and Senate.

The protests have sparked fears of a repeat of the political turmoil orchestrated by the anti-Thaksin group People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that paralysed the former government for months and came to a head with an eight day long blockade of Bangkok's airports.

While the PAD protests aimed to toppled the government of Somchai Wongsawat, Mr Thaksin's brother-in-law, today's demonstrations are aimed at pressuring the government to dissolve the legislature and call snap elections.

The members of DAAD claim that Mr Abhisit and his Democrat Party came to power through a virtual coup d'etat.

They say they will remain in place while the government tries to deliver its policy statement Monday and Tuesday.

Eton and Oxford educated Mr Abhisit scraped into power in a closely fought election on December 17, two weeks after Thailand's Constitutional court dissolved the government of Mr Somchai.

In his inaugural address, the chaotic country's third prime minister in four months vowed to reunite the divided country and restore Thailand's tourist industry, which was decimated by the airport blockades.

Hopes that his election would soothe political tensions are tempered with a concern at his less than reputable rise to power - a rise that owes more to the backing of his powerful friends in the military and amongst the monarchists than true democracy.

However Mr Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006, and who has been accused of pulling the strings of the former government, is being seen as something of a spent force. Although he retains strong support in rural areas, he has lost ground recently as former loyalists defected to join Mr Abhisit's governemt.

Local media has speculated that Thaksin, who has been convicted in absentia of corruption has lost much of his immense wealth in the global economic crisis and no longer has the funds to support his backers.