jfchandler

Thai Protesters Demand Prime Minister Step Down

BANGKOK: - Tens of thousands protesters have rallied outside Thailand's government house in a bid to force Prime Minister Samak Sundarvej from office. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, protesters pushed their way into the compound surrounding the building and early in the day also entered the studios of a state broadcaster and temporarily halted transmission.

An alliance of anti-government groups organized Tuesday's rally, bringing tens of thousands of people onto roads surrounding the Thai government's administration building. Protesters say they plan to blockade other key government buildings.

They demand that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej stand down. They accuse his government of corruption and say he is merely a stand-in for former Prime Minister Thakshin Shinawatra.

There have been smaller protests nearly every day for three months. Opposition leaders called for massive rally for what they call D-Day to pressure Mr. Samak's seven-month-old administration to resign.

Khun Nanthana has tended many of the protests.

"We don't want the Samak government because he's very corrupted and he is a nominee from the Thaksin government," Khun said. "Thaksin is not really gone - he's a billionaire - he exploited Thailand and took everything, and he's got lots o money so he can pull strings.

Mr. Thaksin held office from 2001 to 2006, when he was ousted in a military coup after being accused of abusing his power. He faces several court cases on corruption charges. Earlier this month he fled to Britain, saying he could not get a fair trial. Mr. Thaksin denies any wrongdoing.

Earlier Tuesday, up to 80 armed men, claiming they were anti-government activists, broke into the studios of a state television broadcaster and temporarily disrupted broadcasts. While rally protesters cheered news of the incident, it is not clear who organized it.

Police made several arrests at the television station but the overall police presence has been modest, apparently as the government seeks to avoid violence.

Chum Lelayuwa, an advertising industry executive, says many people are attending the rally to literally "blow the whistle" on corruption.

"People blow the whistle - we blow the whistle now," Chum said. "We send a signal to all the Thai people that the government [is] no longer legal. He's [Mr. Samak] got to go out."

Protest organizers were expecting as many as 300,000 to attend the rally over the length of the day, although around midday, police estimated the crowd was around 30,000.

Thailand has been wracked by political divisions for nearly four years, as the Thai middle class turned against Mr. Thaksin.

But Mr. Thaksin remains a popular figure among the urban and rural poor largely thanks to his plans cheap health care and low-cost loans for village projects. Mr. Samak's government has maintained many of these programs.

The rally led to share prices tumbling on the Thai stock exchange in early trading.

-- Voice of America 2008-08-26

Huge Government Protest in Thailand

By SETH MYDANS BANGKOK — Thousands of anti-government protesters besieged government offices in Bangkok on Tuesday and entered the grounds of the prime minister's office in some of the most aggressive actions in months of street demonstrations.

The organizers of the protest called it their "final war" in their effort to oust the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whom they accuse of being a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

An estimated 30,000 protesters gathered outside several government ministries and briefly shut down a pro-government television station. As they entered the compound of the prime minister’s office, Mr. Samak moved a scheduled cabinet meeting to the country’s military headquarters.

Continuing protests by the same group, the People’s Alliance for Democracy, weakened Mr. Thaksin before he was ousted in a military coup in September 2006.

He fled abroad but returned to Thailand in February. Ten days ago he fled again, to London from Beijing, where he was attending the Olympic Games, to evade court dates for corruption cases in Thailand. He and his wife Pojaman are reported to have asked for political asylum in Britain.

Although it was unclear what their exact motives were, the demonstrators appeared to be seeking to create a chaotic situation that could provoke the army to intervene with strong military action.

The army commander, Gen. Anupong Paochinda, however, said that the military would stay away from the demonstrations. “The army will not launch a coup,” he said. "The people can be assured.” He said it was the police’s role to control the demonstrations.

Mr. Samak said he had placed the police under the direct command of the interior minister, Police General Kowit Wattana, but stopped short of declaring a state of emergency.

He struck a defiant tone, saying: "I will stay to protect the country and I will not step back. I am not afraid of these people."

He added: "The government’s endurance has come to an end. The government has been patient and gentle all the time. I would like to tell the people who are out there, if you don’t want yourself or your family to be in trouble, please go home."

-- New York Times 2008-08-27

Thai Protesters Break Into Prime Minister's Office (Update4)

By Rattaphol Onsanit and Daniel Ten Kate

Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Thai protesters stormed Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's office compound and a state-run television station, meeting token police resistance as the government avoided violent clashes that may force its downfall.

``The government's patience has almost reached the breaking point,'' Samak told reporters after shifting his weekly cabinet meeting to a military office to dodge protesters. ``I can't allow those people on the street to overthrow my government.''

In power for about six months, Samak threatened to arrest leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, an anti- government group spearheading today's protest that also blocked roads and broke into other government buildings. He called their demands ``unreasonable'' and said police are ready to remove protesters from his office complex.

The People's Alliance claims Samak runs the government at the behest of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and fled to London earlier this month to escape corruption charges. The military has pledged to stay on the sidelines as the protests take a toll on the economy, contributing to a 23.8 percent decline in the benchmark SET Index since they began May 25.

``This is all provocation today from the People's Alliance to generate an overreaction from the government,'' said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute for Strategic and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. ``If Samak doesn't react hastily and holds his ground, the protesters may become frustrated.''

Any police response to the protest will be ``soft and gentle,'' Samak told foreign media in a briefing late today.

Arrests Planned

The baht fell to the weakest in almost a year as the government said it was preparing to arrest those seeking to overthrow it. The protests are led by Sondhi Limthongkul, a former business associate who fell out with Thaksin in 2005 and then formed the People's Alliance.

Thailand's army ruled out staging a coup as Thai PBS channel reported several thousand protesters pushed through the gates to Samak's office and gathered outside the main buildings.

``I want to insist that there won't be a coup,'' Army Chief Anupong Paojinda told reporters today in the capital. ``People should not get panicked. The military won't get involved in politics.''

The protests are proceeding peacefully at the television station and Samak's office, with organizers giving speeches and playing nationalist songs. Some protesters have even asked Government House officials if they could use the bathroom, according to a broadcast on ASTV, a cable station run by Sondhi.

``Samak has tried to stop our rallies so many times but he cannot,'' said Parnthep Pongpourpan, a protest organizer. ``We expect that he will resign under the pressure.''

The currency fell 0.4 percent today to 34.22 per dollar and the benchmark SET Index is down 1.9 percent.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rattaphol Onsanit in Bangkok at [email protected]; Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at [email protected]

Last Updated: August 26, 2008 07:53 EDT

Thai protesters break into premier's compound

By SUTIN WANNABOVORN

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — A mob of anti-government protesters pushed their way into the compound housing the offices of Thailand's prime minister on Tuesday, one of a series of actions against state agencies in the capital.

The demonstrators, from the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy, stopped once they entered the compound at Government House at about 2:30 p.m. and did not attempt to enter the official offices there, footage on Thai TV channel 9 showed.

Earlier, mobs of alliance protesters took over a state-controlled television station and besieged several ministries in a self-described "final showdown" to try to bring down the elected government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

It was the first time in recent years that a large crowd managed to get onto the Government House grounds. The crowd of several thousand appeared peaceful.

Samak was expected to speak about the situation late Tuesday afternoon.

The protests were the latest effort by the alliance to force Samak's government from office. The group contends Samak is a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and now has gone into self-imposed exile in England.

The protest group led months of demonstrations that ended in Thaksin's ouster by the September 2006 military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

The strategy of the alliance now appears to be to provoke a violent crackdown from the government, with the goal of winning public sympathy and perhaps compelling the army to step in to restore order. The need to preserve order and avoid violent clashes was one of the excuses given by the military for the 2006 coup.

Gen. Anupong Paochinda, the country's powerful army chief, reassured the public that the military would not stage a coup, adding that the latest crisis can be solved politically.

Police on Tuesday were exercising obvious restraint, and there were no reports of them using any force.

Tuesday's actions by the alliance, which aligns itself with conservative factions of the monarchy and the military, began with a pre-dawn raid by about 80 masked members of the group on the main studios of TV Channel 11, operated by the government as National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, or NBT.

Footage of the incursion showed the attackers, armed with clubs and iron rods, herding staff out of the building and destroying some property. The station was prevented from broadcasting until police rounded up the invaders more than an hour later. Police said the attackers also were armed with knives and at least one gun, a .45-caliber pistol.

Crowds of protesters took over the TV station a second time at about 8 a.m., pushing down a gate and rushing past police to occupy the offices. The station was temporarily forced off the air, resuming broadcasting within an hour from a remote location. The protesters claim the station is a political mouthpiece for the government.

The Thai Journalists Association protested the seizure of Channel 11, describing it as a threat to press freedom and freedom of expression.

As many as 30,000 supporters of the alliance carried out protests at about four government ministries and Government House.

In some cases, they were preventing employees from entering, according to a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to a reporter.

Samak, whose party won national elections last December, has refused to step aside and insisted as late as Monday that the protests would not affect Tuesday's weekly Cabinet meeting.

But by Tuesday morning, the government said it was moving the meeting from Government House to military headquarters to avoid protesters, deputy government spokesman Natawut Saikau said.

Protest leaders claimed several hundred thousand people were on the streets of Bangkok, but the numbers appeared far smaller. The group has a record of vastly inflating its crowd estimates.

"We are now controlling most of the key government offices to prevent them from coming to work," said Sondhi Limthongkul, a co-leader of the Alliance. "Today, we declare a long, long holiday for the government."

Outside of Bangkok, protesters said they had blocked three main highways leading into the capital.

The group has accused Samak of trying to amend the constitution to help Thaksin avert a string of corruption charges against him. They also have accused the government of failing to aggressively prosecute cases against Thaksin and refusing calls to extradite him to face justice.

It has also proposed replacing the country's electoral democracy with a system that would be dominated by appointees from the bureaucracy and the military, on the grounds that the country's rural majority is not sophisticated enough to choose good public servants.

The alliance appeared to be a threat to Samak's six-party coalition government earlier this year, but had been steadily losing influence. It alienated many Bangkok residents by disrupting already bad traffic in the capital city.

It also has lost its focus since Thaksin — who returned to Thailand when Samak's government came to power — went back into exile into England, becoming a fugitive when he missed a court appearance on one of several corruption charges pending against him. Thaksin claimed he could not get a fair trial in his homeland.

The group has hopped from issue to issue to try to rebuild its following. Last month it attacked the government for allegedly giving up Thai territory to Cambodia, and this month it has joined Bangkok residents unhappy over plans to move Parliament to their neighborhood.

2008-08-26

No food.... threats of fire hoses.... and police posing as protesters.....

PM Samak Threatens to Starve the Protesters

During a press conference PM Samak Sundaravej told foreign reporters that the government will not use force to disperse the PAD protesters.

PM Samak claims the PAD is unreasonable in its demands. He adds that the PAD's hatred for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been transferred to him.

In addition, he also reveals that no one will be allowed to enter the Government House, cutting off the PAD's access to food and drinks.

Chamlong Claims PM Samak Will Deploy Forces against Protesters

Key PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang, citing a source with a general rank, claims that PM Samak Sundaravej has plans to use force to disperse the PAD protesters who are camping out inside Government House.

He says he has received informations that the police will spray the protesters with high-pressured hosts from fire fighting trucks.

The PAD leaders have moved the makeshift stage inside the Government House for safety reasons.

Chamlong believes the PAD will be able to achieve its victory if it manages to maintain its hold on the Government House until tomorrow morning.

Undercover Special Branch Police among PAD Protesters

Around 200 members of the Special Branch Police undercover agents have donned yellow t-shirts and mingled with the PAD protesters at Government House.

It's been reported that most of the undercover officers are loitering around gate no. 4 of the Government House, where there are only a small number of PAD supporters gathering.

-- Thailand Outlook Channel 2008-08-26

It's an interesting comment on Thai television news coverage...

The government sets a supposed 6 pm ultimatum for protesters to move out of Govt. House...and then there's no live TV coverage from there of what if anything is ensuing as the 6-7 pm hour ensues...

Samak just finished up his English news conference...a bit past 6:30 pm...

Among other things...beyond those already cited above...

He ducked a question on what he thought of Thaksin's claims about bias in the Thai judiciary... "For me..I must keep my mouth shut.... Feel for my difficulties not to ask about the court."

He replied to the question about whether he was Thaksin's "proxy"... "When he asked me to hold the flag, I hold the flag." But he said since then he runs the show himself. "I use my own ability to be the leader of the party."

And... he said the PAD leaders want the military to stage another coup, but said that will not happen.

He also said he had the Thai people on his side... "I touch with the people. I know what they think," he said, referring to 30,000 or 40,000 demonstrators out of 63 million Thais...

He's saying he won't resign, and his govt didnt do anything wrong...

He's also talking about dealing with the protesters at Govt. House "soft and gentle" by blocking new people coming in, surrounding them with police and not having any "spark" to more confrontation....

"We think by tomorrow morning we can finish..."

I'm laughing in listening to Samak's rambling explanation...

He started by admitting that Thaksin had returned to the country "a little early"...

He's portraying the PAD movement as just the work of a handful of people who have "seduced" all their followers....and restated the protesters have been ordered out as of 6 pm today...

Samak is holding an English language news conference on Thai television now at 6 pm...as promised.

Protesters will be dispersed in 24 hours: Gov't spokesman

BANGKOK: - Police are expected to complete clearing protesters off the grounds of Government House within 24 hours, government spokesman Wichianchot Sukchotrat said on Tuesday.

"Government House will open for business no later than Wednesday and everything will be backed to normal in 24 hours," he said, voicing confidence that police could evict protesters.

The crowds would be dispersed and the prime minister deems the situation unwarranted to declare a state of emergency, he said.

-- The Nation 2008-08-26

I agree! Dear ThaiVisa Admin could you set up something like this?

So what's the current status? Did the hooligans go back home? Or are they still trying to overthrow the legitimately elected government?

Perhaps you should actually read the contents of this thread....

The govt has vowed to remove the protesters ... The protesters have vowed to stay for 3 days....

PM Samak to Explains the PAD Rally to Foreign News Agencies

BANGKOK: - Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has scheduled a press conference for foreign news agencies at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile Deputy PM and Interior Minister Kowit Wattana has been meeting with National Police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan and Metropolitan Police chief Asawin Kwanmueng. They are expected to draw up measures to handle PAD protesters after having been given an order by PM Samak to deal with the PAD supporters.

-- Thailand Outlook Channel 2008-08-26

Schools Temporarily Suspended in Fear of Violence Breaking Out

UPDATE : 26 August 2008

BANGKOK: - Schools located near the locations of the PAD mobile rally sites have decided to temporarily closed down to ensure students' safety.

Schools that have decided to temporarily suspend classes are Makutkasatriyaram Temple school, Wat Sommanas school, Rajavinit Mothayom school, Mathayom Wat Benjamabopit school and Chitralada school.

Other schools nearby are currently reviewing the situation and will notify parents and students via traffic radio network 100 FM. These schools are Santiratwitthayalai school, Sriayudhya school, Surasak Montri school, Samsen Witthayalai school, and Satriwithaya school.

-- Thailand Outlook Channel 2008-08-26

PAD to continue laying seige on gov't installations for three days

BANGKOK: - People's Alliance for Democracy spokesman Suriyasai Katasila on Tuesday said protesters would continue to lay seige on Government House and other installations for three days.

"We will not waver in the Thai Khu Fah plan to force the prime minister to step down," he said.

On Wednesday, the PAD will step up pressure by cutting electricity and water supplies at key government installations, he said.

Should the government insist on clinging to power, the PAD will prescribe stronger measures, he said.

-- The Nation 2008-08-26

FYI...I sent an email to TrueVisions on Sunday asking for an update on their NFL football scheduling plans... As of now...Tuesday afternoon...not received any reply...

But...I did yesterday also do a search on their web site programming schedule for August, and found two NFL listings....both 2-1/2 hours in length.... but not sure what they are...

They're both listed on True Sport 4, on Aug. 30 and 31, from 10:30 am to 1 pm...and are titled only.... NFL 2008/2009.

Anyone have any knowledge/idea as to what those entries are???

TV's not much help for those not fluent in Thai....

And now NBT back on the air again...as of about 4:40 pm...

NBT has been off the air again for the past 10 minutes or so...since about 4:30 pm...

Kowit orders police to evict protesters out of Government House by 6 pm

BANGKOK: Interior Minister Kowit Watana has ordered police to evict protesters from Government House compound by 6 pm, a well-informed source.

Government Spokesman Wichianchote Sukchokerat, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the prime minister will be able to enter Government and work in his office there as usual on Wednesday.

--The Nation

08-26-2008

Police chef says Govt should talk to PAD

BANGKOK: Police Commissioner-General Pol Gen Phatcharawat Wongsuwan said Tuesday that he would propose that the government hold talk with leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy.

The police chief was speaking to reporters while attending a meeting with Interior Minister Kowit Watana at the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

Phatcharawat said the situation had peaked but Kowit would have a final say on how to deal with the situation.

The Nation 08-26-2008

Here's the explanation from PAD as to what happened at NBT... believe it or not....

NBT Back on Air with Makeshift Props

UPDATE : 26 August 2008

The broadcast of the NBT television station is back on the air, first with reports from its outdoor broadcasting van, and now from a makeshift studio.

NBT has played over and over again the video footage of a group of armed men entering its premises early this morning and destroying its properties. The men claims to be PAD members but PAD core leader Sondhi Limthongkul has denied that, saying this is a set-up to try to arrest the five core leaders for treason.

It is reported that PAD members remain at NBT and are trying to broadcast ASTV's signal via NBT.

--Thailand Outlook Channel

It is being reported that the police are issuing arrest warrants for 5 PAD leaders.

This is from the Thailand Outlook Channel web site....

Arrest Warrants Soon to Be Issued for PAD Leaders

UPDATE : 26 August 2008

The National Police Office deputy spokesman says authorities believe the PAD is trying to instigate violence despite the group's vow to carry out its protest peacefully. He adds arrest warrants will soon be issued for the key PAD leaders.

The National Police Office Deputy Spokesperson Police Major General Surapol Tuantong spoke to reporters after meeting with related police agencies for over 6 hours. He says there're reasons to believe the PAD is trying to widen the scope of their protest and this could result in violence breaking out.

Police Major General Surapol says the police are current gathering evidence to officially file charges against the 5 key PAD leaders who masterminded the mobile rally strategy that saw many government offices seized by the PAD mobile units.

He adds that many of the actions taken by the PAD leaders violate national security laws. Police are currently putting together enough evidence to file for arrest warrants for the key PAD leaders.

PAD declares victory, in defiant of anti-riot measures

BANGKOK: -- Immediately after the prime minister's televised speech calling for the crowds to disperse, People's Alliance for Democracy leader Sondhi Limthongkul showed up on the steps of Thai Khu Fah Building at Government House to declare the victory.

Sondhi vowed to continue the protests until Samak resigned.

He said protesters would not evacuate Government House, the two NBT stations and other installations, shrugging off the government threat to invoke anti-riot measures.

--The Nation 2008-08-26

PM issues his last warning to protesters, his patience running out

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej appeared on the live broadcast at 3.00 pm on Tuesday issuing a stern warning for protesters to disperse before authorities starting to enforce the law to restore peace and social order.

Samak said he will not allow five or six protest leaders, who he sees as a street gang, to bring down his government.

"Police will soon starting to enforce the law to clear road blockade at various points in Bangkok and upcountry and evict protesters from government installations, including Government House," he said.

Police will act in accordance with prescribed steps to deal with protesters and soldiers will step in if deemed necessary; there is no way that a handful of people could oust the elected government of 63 million people, he said.

Since morning, protests are no longer peaceful and unarmed as claimed and this is evident from the raid of the NBT station, he said.

He reminded his opponents that he was close to running out of his patience, saying that the government has yet to invoke many security laws and anti-riot measures to disperse the crowds.

The government has appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Kowit Wattana to take charge of restoring normalcy, he said. Kowit would have a full mandate to supervise the police and interior measures.

The prime minister thanked Bangkok residents for refusing to support the protests and called on villagers supporting the People's Alliance for Democracy to reconsider their stand.

He urged the media to provide a cautious coverage in order to avoid inflaming the situation.

He called on PAD supporters to reflect on their stand, arguing that there is no justification to oust the elected government by inciting riots.

-- The Nation 2008-08-26