Protest Stand-Off Continues
Anti-government protesters in Bangkok
Thai prime minister Samak has remained relatively calm in his response to the situation and his reaction has surprised many local observers and may even have surprised the protesters themselves. Speaking about the PAD protests Samak said, ‘They want a spark . . . they want the military to come out and stage a coup again.’ Samak doesn’t want to provide that spark with heavy-handed policing and thus far he has kept his famous temper in check. That could change at any time, but if he remains jai yen he may yet win the day. Since the protest began in May, Samak has acknowledged that people have a democratic right to demonstrate so long as they do so within the limits of the law. In the last few months, the PAD have blocked roads and set up a large stage close to Government House which has been the focal point for the protests. There have been many objections from ordinary Bangkok people who have been prevented from getting to school or work and have had their daily lives disrupted by the ongoing PAD protests. The Thai government says it has been gathering evidence about PAD activities in the last few months and will be seeking arrest warrants for 5 of the group’s leaders on grounds of illegal assembly and inciting unrest.
The army has said they will not intervene and the police have been acting with restraint so it could be a long waiting game and a battle of wills between government and protesters. Sonthi Limthongkul, one of the PAD leaders occupying the compound in Government House declared, ‘I won’t leave until there is a political change. If you want me to leave, you will have to kill me and take me out of here.’ PM Samak has continued to assert his stance: ‘I won’t yield. My cabinet won’t yield. The military and police won’t yield.’
Related Articles:
