A child climbs a barricade during a demonstration in Bangkok against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (By Sukree Sukplang -- Reuters)By Alan Sipress
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, April 8, 2006; A20
BANGKOK, April 7 -- As the last rays of a Bangkok workweek glinted off the golden spires of the royal palace Friday evening, office workers, labor activists and young parents with children spilled into the capital's royal plaza. Many had come to confirm they were truly witnessing the twilight of Thaksin Shinawatra, who announced his resignation as prime minister this week.
Nongnaith Chairat, 55, a professor of library science, said she had been too timid to protest earlier. But Friday she joined the thousands of Thais who turned out to demand that Thaksin make good on his pledge to give up power.
"I don't believe him," Nongnaith said. "He's still planning to be in the background all the time. I want him to resign absolutely."
She had watched on television as huge demonstrations rocked Bangkok over a period of months. Now, her sister at her side, Nongnaith stared at the crowd streaming past helmeted police and a phalanx of pamphleteers. Onstage, a rock band sang, "Thaksin, get out," as it pounded out a deafening protest anthem.
It was as if this last tumultuous week, in which the prime minister survived a massive protest vote only to announce his resignation two days later, had never occurred. The rally appeared almost identical to those culminating in Thaksin's unexpected decision Tuesday to immediately turn over power to a deputy until parliament could convene to name a new prime minister.
Still, the resignation had prompted a subtle shift in mood, from celebratory to determined. The banners and placards demanding Thaksin's ouster had been replaced by a sea of blue and white balloons inscribed with slogans praising the power of the people -- and warning they would be back.
Sondhi Limthongkul, the media magnate who ignited the anti-Thaksin protests, told reporters Friday that the rallies would be suspended until the beginning of May. If there was no substantive political change by then, he said, the demonstrations would resume and continue through the month.
Many people have expressed concern about Thaksin's decision to keep his seat in parliament and continue running the political party Thais Love Thais, which he founded and financed.
At the same time, his resignation as prime minister has revealed the differing agendas of the groups that united to oust him. They had closed ranks after Thaksin was accused of abusing power, in particular of enriching himself in a telecommunications deal. But differences over the fates of Thaksin and his party, constitutional reform and even free trade negotiations with the United States now threaten to splinter the rebellious front.
Political and business analysts concluded that stability was at hand after Thaksin said he would step aside for the sake of national unity. The Bangkok stock market rallied sharply, and the Thai currency, the baht, strengthened against the U.S. dollar. Thaksin prepared to depart Saturday on a trip to England with his daughter.
The protest leader Chamlong Srimuang initially declared his mission accomplished, signaling that the brown-robed monks and blue-clad activists who make up the ascetic movement he leads known as the Dharma Army would stay away from further protests. But he reappeared Friday, telling the cheering crowd: "Thaksin's regime still exists. We will fight, and we will definitely win."
Though Chamlong's followers were absent, many veterans of the anti-Thaksin movement returned to the plaza. Seated on a mat in a freshly pressed gray shirt and white trousers, Wichit Santong, 75, recalled how he had first participated in the rallies late last year when they were modest enough to fit inside a university hall.
"We don't want Thaksin's followers to stay in the cabinet," said Wichit, a retired Labor Ministry official. "Most of them are corrupted people. We don't believe they will bring the country to peace and prosperity."
Some protesters have vowed to continue until Thaksin's influence has been purged from the administration. Some have demanded that the results of last weekend's election, which was boycotted by the main opposition parties, be annulled and another vote held. Still others, including influential figures in the protest movement, insist that King Bhumibol Adulyadej make a rare intervention in politics and name a new prime minister.
But for Pornthip Fanwanfai, a religious activist, politics was irrelevant. All that mattered was a reckoning for Thaksin.
"We insist that all his earnings be investigated," said Pornthip, 32, a floppy red hat pulled down over dark bangs. "If the result of any investigation is that Thaksin is guilty, he has to be punished. The issue is only Thaksin."
Preecha Saengchaen, 38, a civil engineer, countered that Thaksin wasn't the point at all. "I want to see an overall change in Thai politics," he said. "I want people in Thailand to get their rights, to see more checks and balances and the right to impeachment."
For others, the main concerns were economic. Some had joined the rallies because they opposed a free trade agreement with the United States. Black-shirted labor activists signed on to resist Thaksin's proposed privatization of the state electricity utility. Both groups passed out leaflets in the plaza on Friday.
Savit Kaewvarn, 45, a train engineer, said his railroad union would not stand down until the government had reversed its plans to sell state enterprises.
"Our main issue is we want the constitution amended so no state enterprise can be privatized and all those already privatized are returned back to the state," he said. "If the result is not what the people want, there will be another rally again."
Nongnaith Chairat, 55, a professor of library science, said she had been too timid to protest earlier. But Friday she joined the thousands of Thais who turned out to demand that Thaksin make good on his pledge to give up power.
"I don't believe him," Nongnaith said. "He's still planning to be in the background all the time. I want him to resign absolutely."
She had watched on television as huge demonstrations rocked Bangkok over a period of months. Now, her sister at her side, Nongnaith stared at the crowd streaming past helmeted police and a phalanx of pamphleteers. Onstage, a rock band sang, "Thaksin, get out," as it pounded out a deafening protest anthem.
It was as if this last tumultuous week, in which the prime minister survived a massive protest vote only to announce his resignation two days later, had never occurred. The rally appeared almost identical to those culminating in Thaksin's unexpected decision Tuesday to immediately turn over power to a deputy until parliament could convene to name a new prime minister.
Still, the resignation had prompted a subtle shift in mood, from celebratory to determined. The banners and placards demanding Thaksin's ouster had been replaced by a sea of blue and white balloons inscribed with slogans praising the power of the people -- and warning they would be back.
Sondhi Limthongkul, the media magnate who ignited the anti-Thaksin protests, told reporters Friday that the rallies would be suspended until the beginning of May. If there was no substantive political change by then, he said, the demonstrations would resume and continue through the month.
Many people have expressed concern about Thaksin's decision to keep his seat in parliament and continue running the political party Thais Love Thais, which he founded and financed.
At the same time, his resignation as prime minister has revealed the differing agendas of the groups that united to oust him. They had closed ranks after Thaksin was accused of abusing power, in particular of enriching himself in a telecommunications deal. But differences over the fates of Thaksin and his party, constitutional reform and even free trade negotiations with the United States now threaten to splinter the rebellious front.
Political and business analysts concluded that stability was at hand after Thaksin said he would step aside for the sake of national unity. The Bangkok stock market rallied sharply, and the Thai currency, the baht, strengthened against the U.S. dollar. Thaksin prepared to depart Saturday on a trip to England with his daughter.
The protest leader Chamlong Srimuang initially declared his mission accomplished, signaling that the brown-robed monks and blue-clad activists who make up the ascetic movement he leads known as the Dharma Army would stay away from further protests. But he reappeared Friday, telling the cheering crowd: "Thaksin's regime still exists. We will fight, and we will definitely win."
Though Chamlong's followers were absent, many veterans of the anti-Thaksin movement returned to the plaza. Seated on a mat in a freshly pressed gray shirt and white trousers, Wichit Santong, 75, recalled how he had first participated in the rallies late last year when they were modest enough to fit inside a university hall.
"We don't want Thaksin's followers to stay in the cabinet," said Wichit, a retired Labor Ministry official. "Most of them are corrupted people. We don't believe they will bring the country to peace and prosperity."
Some protesters have vowed to continue until Thaksin's influence has been purged from the administration. Some have demanded that the results of last weekend's election, which was boycotted by the main opposition parties, be annulled and another vote held. Still others, including influential figures in the protest movement, insist that King Bhumibol Adulyadej make a rare intervention in politics and name a new prime minister.
But for Pornthip Fanwanfai, a religious activist, politics was irrelevant. All that mattered was a reckoning for Thaksin.
"We insist that all his earnings be investigated," said Pornthip, 32, a floppy red hat pulled down over dark bangs. "If the result of any investigation is that Thaksin is guilty, he has to be punished. The issue is only Thaksin."
Preecha Saengchaen, 38, a civil engineer, countered that Thaksin wasn't the point at all. "I want to see an overall change in Thai politics," he said. "I want people in Thailand to get their rights, to see more checks and balances and the right to impeachment."
For others, the main concerns were economic. Some had joined the rallies because they opposed a free trade agreement with the United States. Black-shirted labor activists signed on to resist Thaksin's proposed privatization of the state electricity utility. Both groups passed out leaflets in the plaza on Friday.
Savit Kaewvarn, 45, a train engineer, said his railroad union would not stand down until the government had reversed its plans to sell state enterprises.
"Our main issue is we want the constitution amended so no state enterprise can be privatized and all those already privatized are returned back to the state," he said. "If the result is not what the people want, there will be another rally again."
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