Anti-government 'red shirt' protesters walk in front of a barricade inside their encampment in Bangkok's financial district May 8, 2010. (Credit: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj)Sun May 9, 2010
Alan Raybould and Ploy Ten Kate
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva demanded that anti-government protesters respond by Monday to his offer of an early election, running out of patience after attacks that killed two police officers at the weekend.
The "red shirt" protesters, drawn from the rural and urban poor, failed to come up with anything on Sunday, cancelling a late news conference amid reports their loosely organized leadership could not find a common response.
It was unclear what Abhisit would do if there was nothing on Monday either. The authorities are still faced with the dilemma of how to dislodge thousands of protesters, including women and children, from a fortified encampment sprawling through 3 sq km (1.2 sq mile) of an upmarket central Bangkok shopping district.
Thai stocks would not be helped by the uncertainty but might still rise on Monday, following some other Asian markets up on optimism over a European Union plan to help indebted euro zone countries, analysts said.
"There is still no sign of the protesters leaving," said Kiatkong Decho, a strategist with CIMB Securities (Thailand). "The prime minister called for a quick end to the protests but there hasn't been any concrete response from the red shirts, raising the risk that this deal could be off at any time."
The red shirts have been demonstrating since mid-March, at first demanding immediate elections, and have been in the shopping area since April 3, forcing malls and hotels to close.
"NO MORE VIOLENCE"
Abhisit does not have to call an election until the end of 2011 but has offered polls on November 14 as a way to end a crisis in which 29 people have died and more than 1,000 been wounded.
In a weekly televised address on Sunday, he restated his commitment to the plan but said: "All parties have to cooperate and there should be no violence. If we can do that, the election will happen. If not, it won't happen."
His proposals call for reforms to address social injustice, a big red shirt grievance; an independent body to ensure unbiased reporting by the media; a committee to investigate violence; and political reform, possibly including constitutional amendments.
The protesters want Abhisit to set a precise date for dissolving parliament and a say in any constitutional changes.
The red shirts also want an investigation into the events of April 10, when a failed military attempt to break up the protest led to a gunbattle in which 25 people were killed.
They have promised a response by May 15, which Abhisit said was too late. And he added: "As for my proposal, it's non-negotiable and nobody can propose conditions."
The most recent attacks took place in the Silom Road area of the capital guarded by soldiers and packed with offices, hotels and bars popular with tourists. The area is close to an entrance into the fortified encampment held by the protesters.
Two policemen were killed and 13 people wounded in gun and grenade attacks late on Friday and early on Saturday.
The red shirts denied involvement in the attacks, which will add to pressure on Abhisit from the Bangkok middle classes and elite to take a tougher line with the protest movement.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, passing through Bangkok en route to Myanmar, welcomed the peace plan and said he was encouraged by the protesters' positive response.
"However, it must be said that we remain cautious about progress as those who don't want peace or political progress continue to employ violence as a means to undermine resolution of political difficulties," he told a news conference.
The red shirts support ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006. They say the ruling coalition has no mandate, having come to power in a parliamentary vote 17 months ago that they claim was orchestrated by the military.
(Additional reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak, Khettiya Jittapong and Alex Richardson; Editing by Nick Macfie)
The "red shirt" protesters, drawn from the rural and urban poor, failed to come up with anything on Sunday, cancelling a late news conference amid reports their loosely organized leadership could not find a common response.
It was unclear what Abhisit would do if there was nothing on Monday either. The authorities are still faced with the dilemma of how to dislodge thousands of protesters, including women and children, from a fortified encampment sprawling through 3 sq km (1.2 sq mile) of an upmarket central Bangkok shopping district.
Thai stocks would not be helped by the uncertainty but might still rise on Monday, following some other Asian markets up on optimism over a European Union plan to help indebted euro zone countries, analysts said.
"There is still no sign of the protesters leaving," said Kiatkong Decho, a strategist with CIMB Securities (Thailand). "The prime minister called for a quick end to the protests but there hasn't been any concrete response from the red shirts, raising the risk that this deal could be off at any time."
The red shirts have been demonstrating since mid-March, at first demanding immediate elections, and have been in the shopping area since April 3, forcing malls and hotels to close.
"NO MORE VIOLENCE"
Abhisit does not have to call an election until the end of 2011 but has offered polls on November 14 as a way to end a crisis in which 29 people have died and more than 1,000 been wounded.
In a weekly televised address on Sunday, he restated his commitment to the plan but said: "All parties have to cooperate and there should be no violence. If we can do that, the election will happen. If not, it won't happen."
His proposals call for reforms to address social injustice, a big red shirt grievance; an independent body to ensure unbiased reporting by the media; a committee to investigate violence; and political reform, possibly including constitutional amendments.
The protesters want Abhisit to set a precise date for dissolving parliament and a say in any constitutional changes.
The red shirts also want an investigation into the events of April 10, when a failed military attempt to break up the protest led to a gunbattle in which 25 people were killed.
They have promised a response by May 15, which Abhisit said was too late. And he added: "As for my proposal, it's non-negotiable and nobody can propose conditions."
The most recent attacks took place in the Silom Road area of the capital guarded by soldiers and packed with offices, hotels and bars popular with tourists. The area is close to an entrance into the fortified encampment held by the protesters.
Two policemen were killed and 13 people wounded in gun and grenade attacks late on Friday and early on Saturday.
The red shirts denied involvement in the attacks, which will add to pressure on Abhisit from the Bangkok middle classes and elite to take a tougher line with the protest movement.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, passing through Bangkok en route to Myanmar, welcomed the peace plan and said he was encouraged by the protesters' positive response.
"However, it must be said that we remain cautious about progress as those who don't want peace or political progress continue to employ violence as a means to undermine resolution of political difficulties," he told a news conference.
The red shirts support ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006. They say the ruling coalition has no mandate, having come to power in a parliamentary vote 17 months ago that they claim was orchestrated by the military.
(Additional reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak, Khettiya Jittapong and Alex Richardson; Editing by Nick Macfie)
3 comments:
NO THAI DEMOCRACY IN THAILAND!
Speak Khmer, attach your provinces to Cambodia and you will be in a country with democracy and justice..
Abhisit was secretely hired by Queen Sirikit to be PM, and he does what she ordered him to do.
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