ID :
54941
Sun, 04/12/2009 - 00:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/54941
The shortlink copeid
THE COLOURFUL WORLD OF THAI POLITICS
PATTAYA, April 11 (Bernama) -- Last year it was the sea of yellow, now it is the turn of the red masses, who in turn, have to contend with the emergence of the men in blue in the topsy-turvy world of Thai politics.
The "Red Shirts" who are aligned to former Thai prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, have caused much red-faces among Thai government officials when they
managed to force the postponement of the Asean Summit and related summits here
Saturday morning.
Although the "Red Shirts" from the United Front for Democracy Against
Dictatorship (UDD) promised to withdraw Friday after submitting petititons to
the Asean Secretariat demanding the resignation of Thai premier Abhisit
Vejjajiva, whom they claimed was illegitimately elected, the protestors were
again back Saturday for more blood.
This was because they asserted that they had been assaulted by people in
blue shirts as they retreated. A number of people were injured in the scuffle.
The demonstrators besieging the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall
(PEACH) here are in greater numbers Saturday and their leaders in Bangkok have
also asked taxi drivers and supporters to head for this resort city.
Even Thaksin spoke on a video link urging his supporters to swarm the summit
venue Saturday and force Abhisit to resign and dissolve Parliament.
UDD leaders have also ended their 30-hour blockade of the Victory Monument
in Bangkok, about two hours from here by car, and it would appear that the
protesters would turn their sights on Pattaya to disrupt the summit.
The postponement is a great embarassment for the Thai government as this is
the first time that the summit had been postponed due to demonstrators.
The first time that the Asean Summit has been postponed was in December 2006
when Typhoon Utor threatened the safety of delegates. The Philippines was the
host of the 2006 Summit.
The Nation newspaper said in its editorial Saturday that if the summits
ended up not taking place due to pressure from the protesters and supporters of
Thaksin, it would not only severely damage the reputation of the government but
also harm the country.
It said the red-shirt protesters were wrong in thinking that blocking the
summit this weekend would be a "victory" as the ongoing political crisis had
already adversely affected the Thai economy.
The World Bank has already predicted that Thailand's gross domestic
product will be minus 2.7 per cent this year, a revision of an earlier forecast
of 2.0 per cent growth.
Viewed against the overall growth of 5.3 per cent for Asean this year,
Thailand's 2.7 per cent contraction would be one of the worst performances in
the region.
Even without the political problems, the Thai economy has already been
affected by the reduced global trade.
Thai producers and exporters are suffering from falling demands from the
United States, which has been one of their main buyers for decades.
Last year, the "Yellow Shirts" from the People's Alliance for Democracy
(PAD) laid seige to Government House, the office of the Prime Minister, for
three months and even forced the closure of two airports.
Now it is the turn of the Red Shirts to cause further uncertainty in
Thailand.
-- BERNAMA
The "Red Shirts" who are aligned to former Thai prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, have caused much red-faces among Thai government officials when they
managed to force the postponement of the Asean Summit and related summits here
Saturday morning.
Although the "Red Shirts" from the United Front for Democracy Against
Dictatorship (UDD) promised to withdraw Friday after submitting petititons to
the Asean Secretariat demanding the resignation of Thai premier Abhisit
Vejjajiva, whom they claimed was illegitimately elected, the protestors were
again back Saturday for more blood.
This was because they asserted that they had been assaulted by people in
blue shirts as they retreated. A number of people were injured in the scuffle.
The demonstrators besieging the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall
(PEACH) here are in greater numbers Saturday and their leaders in Bangkok have
also asked taxi drivers and supporters to head for this resort city.
Even Thaksin spoke on a video link urging his supporters to swarm the summit
venue Saturday and force Abhisit to resign and dissolve Parliament.
UDD leaders have also ended their 30-hour blockade of the Victory Monument
in Bangkok, about two hours from here by car, and it would appear that the
protesters would turn their sights on Pattaya to disrupt the summit.
The postponement is a great embarassment for the Thai government as this is
the first time that the summit had been postponed due to demonstrators.
The first time that the Asean Summit has been postponed was in December 2006
when Typhoon Utor threatened the safety of delegates. The Philippines was the
host of the 2006 Summit.
The Nation newspaper said in its editorial Saturday that if the summits
ended up not taking place due to pressure from the protesters and supporters of
Thaksin, it would not only severely damage the reputation of the government but
also harm the country.
It said the red-shirt protesters were wrong in thinking that blocking the
summit this weekend would be a "victory" as the ongoing political crisis had
already adversely affected the Thai economy.
The World Bank has already predicted that Thailand's gross domestic
product will be minus 2.7 per cent this year, a revision of an earlier forecast
of 2.0 per cent growth.
Viewed against the overall growth of 5.3 per cent for Asean this year,
Thailand's 2.7 per cent contraction would be one of the worst performances in
the region.
Even without the political problems, the Thai economy has already been
affected by the reduced global trade.
Thai producers and exporters are suffering from falling demands from the
United States, which has been one of their main buyers for decades.
Last year, the "Yellow Shirts" from the People's Alliance for Democracy
(PAD) laid seige to Government House, the office of the Prime Minister, for
three months and even forced the closure of two airports.
Now it is the turn of the Red Shirts to cause further uncertainty in
Thailand.
-- BERNAMA
