Anti-amnesty groups step up rallies in bid to topple PM Yingluck

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POLITICS
Anti-amnesty groups step up rallies in bid to topple PM
POLITICAL DESK
THE NATION



TODAY IS D-Day for Yingluck Shinawatra's government, which is under pressure from all-out resistance to the amnesty bill from various groups. Several anti-amnesty movements will today join forces to hold street marches with the objective not just of killing the amnesty bill, but of over throwing the Yingluck government.

Apart from the bill - which many see as a case of the govern ment having shot itself in the foot - the administration is also on the defensive against nationalist groups fired up by the Preah Vihear land dispute, which is expected to reach its conclusion today in a much-awaited ruling at 4pm by the International Court of Justice.

Depending on what action the court takes, a possible outcome is that Thailand will have to cede some of its soil to Cambodia.

In another move by the anti-amnesty movement to pile up pressure on the Pheu Thai-led government, demonstrators belonging to the People's Army Against the Thaksin Regime camping at the Phan Fa Lilat Bridge will this morning march to three undisclosed locations. The largest anti-amnesty rally is being held at Democracy Monument.

Four newly formed groups, rallying their supporters through the social media, have also announced separate marches to be held today on several Bangkok streets. The first group, calling itself the Civil Community, vowed to gather in front of the Silom Complex at noon and begin a march at 12.34pm.

They will be joined by marchers from the Asoke Community, the Ratchadaphisek Community and a group based in the Saphan Khwai and Aree areas, in a march to Rajdamnoen Avenue to meet up with those currently rallying at the Democracy Monument under the guidance of the opposition Democrat Party. Meanwhile, former leaders of the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy Sondhi Limthongkul and Chamlong Srimuang will hold a press conference on the political situation today at 10.30am.

In defiance of the anti-amnesty movement, the red-shirt movement has sponsored a large gathering of around 10,000 red shirts at Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi in a show of unity between the ruling party and the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra red-shirt movement, despite the fact that a large number of red shirts are opposed to blanket amnesty.

In another move not to be missed today, the Senate will meet at 10am to vote on rejecting the bill in its first reading. Will it be in time? The anti-amnesty rally led by the Democrat Party has delivered an ultimatum for the ruling Pheu Thai Party to scrap the bill by this evening.

Political observers believe the government will miss the opposition's deadline to abandon the bill by 6pm.

The protesters would then escalate their efforts to topple the government as their goal goes beyond the annulling of the bill, a key leader of a coalition party told The Nation.

A House dissolution could be demanded by the protesters.

However, for several reasons, the ruling Pheu Thai Party is not ready to call a snap election at this juncture.

Dissolving the House now will not ensure the bill is absolutely dead because the new House of Representatives can resubmit the same bill within 60 days. If there is a chance for the bill to be revived, that point will be used by the opposition Democrat Party in its election campaign.

These issues are coming to a crescendo as the government and Yingluck are losing popularity, according to poll results released yesterday.

Last week's strategic retreat by the government on the amnesty bills also signals that dissolution of the House is not an option. On the contrary, it seems to be rather a tactical retreat before striking back.

A Pheu Thai source said the party would do anything to try to convince society that the government would not reaffirm the amnesty bill after it is rejected by the Senate.

The source said the red-shirt rally yesterday was a strategy of the party to show to its supporters it was not retreating and the show of force was also aimed at intimidating the military and independent organisations

"But in the end, if the party sees that it cannot go further, the House will be dissolved," the source said.

Pheu Thai denied yesterday that its strategic committee has recommended the government to dissolve the House following mounting protests against the amnesty bill.

"I think the false news was spread with a political purpose," party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said.

He said he had checked with government leaders and they also ruled out a House dissolution.

The government's opponents would hold simultaneous protests on Silom Road, the Asoke intersection and Soi Aree in the Saphan Kwai area before moving to the Democracy Monument, he said.

A complaint would be lodged with the attorney-general this week, seeking to dissolve the Democrat Party for allegedly attempting to bring down the government, he added.


-- The Nation 2013-11-11

[winstonc]

todays the day........fingers crossed ita a bad day for thaksin and miss merry band of thieves..blue sky tv..if you want to watch...have a great week everyone..

[jdinasia]

I thought PTP had already filed a complaint trying to dissolve the Dems.

[Thainy Tim]

So looks like it's crunch time.

Will be getting the popcorn and beers in for this one.

[NongKhaiKid]

I thought PTP had already filed a complaint trying to dissolve the Dems.

Plus the voice of impartiality DSI Chief Tarit has warned protestors against breaking the law by continuing their activities since the government has withdrawn amnesty bills so there's no need to protest anymore.

What an authoritarian attitude, we'll decide what you can protest about and when.

Why is Tarit involved in something that is basic policing, control of public demonstrations and if they are illegal, get out of hand etc. surely it's the inital job of the BIB ?

i think nowadays Tarit should be pictured beside an old gramaphone with his ear cocked towards the huge trumpet speaker as in the label HMV.

[Ricardo]

Hope that it all stays peaceful, that the Senate meet & return an amnesty-bill restored to its original-format without clearing political-leaders, and that the ICJ-verdict doesn't cause a major reaction.

Hope that the Red-Shirt protest-meetings aren't mis-led into violence, despite their being upset about the amnesty for Abhisit & Suthep & the army, under a pretext of 'defending democracy & Yingluck'.

This is a time for the system to be allowed to work, giving the limited-amnesty for low-level people, and snubbing the Big-Boss's ardent hopes to return.

[chainarong]

It's highly un-likely that this will happen, this ad hoc group needs to be very co-ordinated ,to join as one, with one voice, there are , looking in from the shadows other players watching with interest, more dialog with these people and it would make the current administration position un-tenable.

[55Jay]

Did the government hold their planned rally in BKK yesterday? Thought they said BKK on Sunday, then up country, ending back down in Chonburi.

[smartconsulting]

I seem to remember in a news report on Thai visa.com it saying that Yingluck was withdrawing the Amnesty bill due to public pressure. I remember the Thai Visa news story stating she was doing this because the majority of Thai people don't want the bill and the government represents the ideas of the people. May I politely ask where this information came from? Today reading this story and coming to work at the Thai army base I work on to see all the gates barricaded to protect it from the mob. Hmmmmmm. Here is the article.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/680106-thai-govt-drops-amnesty-bills/

Edited November 11, 2013 by smartconsulting

[boomerangutang]

PT may retreat, but they won't give up their prime goal: to get T back in the PM's chair and get the 46 billion baht (plus %) in assets returned to him. Meanwhile, all else, as seen by the Shinawatre government, is unimportant: hill tribers, education, libraries, parks, natural habitat, alternative energy, etc.

[aussieinthailand]

"Anti-amnesty groups step up rallies in a bid to topple PM"

Can't legally and legitimately so we'll just have another coup, Don't care about the will of the majority of the people, we just want all the power and don't care how we take it, then cry that the other side are the evil ones and it's the red's, PTP, Thaksin, Yingluck, and Santa clause are to blame.

What a steaming pile of buffalo sh_t...

[smartconsulting]

PT may retreat, but they won't give up their prime goal: to get T back in the PM's chair and get the 46 billion baht (plus %) in assets returned to him. Meanwhile, all else, as seen by the Shinawatre government, is unimportant: hill tribers, education, libraries, parks, natural habitat, alternative energy, etc.

So are you saying the two stories are bad reporting or you don't believe that Yingluck withdrew the amnesty bills?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited November 11, 2013 by smartconsulting

[AleG]

The source said the red-shirt rally yesterday was a strategy of the party to show to its supporters it was not retreating and the show of force was also aimed at intimidating the military and independent organisations

So they gather a mob to intimidate protesters, and here I thought PTP was trying to achieve reconciliation.

[MK1]

Hope that it all stays peaceful, that the Senate meet & return an amnesty-bill restored to its original-format without clearing political-leaders, and that the ICJ-verdict doesn't cause a major reaction.

Hope that the Red-Shirt protest-meetings aren't mis-led into violence, despite their being upset about the amnesty for Abhisit & Suthep & the army, under a pretext of 'defending democracy & Yingluck'.

This is a time for the system to be allowed to work, giving the limited-amnesty for low-level people, and snubbing the Big-Boss's ardent hopes to return.

Which system are you hoping about ?…hoping that more money come to prop up a failed rice subsidy scheme or hoping to sell the country down the river to the Chinese to build self-indulgent mega-projects that would take decades to deliver?? In reality, what your hoping for is more hopelessness.

Edited November 11, 2013 by MK1

[winstonc]

Hope that it all stays peaceful, that the Senate meet & return an amnesty-bill restored to its original-format without clearing political-leaders, and that the ICJ-verdict doesn't cause a major reaction.

Hope that the Red-Shirt protest-meetings aren't mis-led into violence, despite their being upset about the amnesty for Abhisit & Suthep & the army, under a pretext of 'defending democracy & Yingluck'.

This is a time for the system to be allowed to work, giving the limited-amnesty for low-level people, and snubbing the Big-Boss's ardent hopes to return.

Which system are you hoping about ?…hoping that more money come to prop up a failed rice subsidy scheme or hoping to sell the country down the river to the Chinese to build self-indulgent mega-projects that would take decades to deliver?? In reality, what your hoping for is more hopelessness.

halfwit trolling their on the back foot now on here so their trying to get you biting ignore them..

[Spare]

The time is right to roll in the tank.

If this thing happens 2 years only, it will be remember as the 11-11-11.

[h90]

"Anti-amnesty groups step up rallies in a bid to topple PM"

Can't legally and legitimately so we'll just have another coup, Don't care about the will of the majority of the people, we just want all the power and don't care how we take it, then cry that the other side are the evil ones and it's the red's, PTP, Thaksin, Yingluck, and Santa clause are to blame.

What a steaming pile of buffalo sh_t...

Tell me what the will of the majority of the people is? I don't know.

But somehow I doubt that higher taxes (which is a logical result) to finance corruption is what they want.

[icare999]

lets hope this is start of getting rid of Taksin and his totally evil band at long last. Thailand will not move forward until he is at long last fully defeated. As far as his band of red shirt thugs are concerned anyone who believes they are nothing more than fascist bastards would be the sort of person who would have supported Hitlers brown shirts or his SS.

[boomerangutang]

PT may retreat, but they won't give up their prime goal: to get T back in the PM's chair and get the 46 billion baht (plus %) in assets returned to him. Meanwhile, all else, as seen by the Shinawatre government, is unimportant: hill tribers, education, libraries, parks, natural habitat, alternative energy, etc.

So are you saying the two stories are bad reporting or you don't believe that Yingluck withdrew the amnesty bills?

For starters, I don't believe what Yingluck says, anymore than I believe what T or Chalerm say. Their credibility quotient is zero.

Secondly, it's not up to her to withdraw the bill. It's up to parliament to vote it down, which hasn't been done yet.

Thirdly, her and PT's primary objective is to bring T back. They tried doing it by altering the Constitution, By giving him a special passport, by contravening the will of the Thai people, and by ignoring most major issues affecting Thais.

They won't give up. Feathering T's nest is their main objective. All else is secondary. They'll be back with their anti-reconciliation ways - as fixated as ever.

[EyesWideOpen]

lets hope this is start of getting rid of Taksin and his totally evil band at long last. Thailand will not move forward until he is at long last fully defeated. As far as his band of red shirt thugs are concerned anyone who believes they are nothing more than fascist bastards would be the sort of person who would have supported Hitlers brown shirts or his SS.

I fully agree. Thaksin and his clan are like a cancer upon Thailand, eating away at it.

The sooner they are gone the better. I wish success for these anti -amnesty groups !!!!!!!!!

[brewsterbudgen]

"Anti-amnesty groups step up rallies in a bid to topple PM"

Can't legally and legitimately so we'll just have another coup, Don't care about the will of the majority of the people, we just want all the power and don't care how we take it, then cry that the other side are the evil ones and it's the red's, PTP, Thaksin, Yingluck, and Santa clause are to blame.

What a steaming pile of buffalo sh_t...

Mob rule trying to overthrow an elected government. Both sides are as bad as ech other.

[Robby nz]

So are you saying the two stories are bad reporting or you don't believe that Yingluck withdrew the amnesty bills?

No one seems to have answered you directly so I will :

Those who proposed the 6 bills which had not been presented to the house withdrew these 6 bills with great fanfare.

However these 6 bills had not been considered by the house and therefor were not what the protests are about

The bill which is before the senate was passed by the house and has not been withdrawn.

If the bill is rejected by the senate then the govt must wait 180 days before it can bring it up again for debate.

If after the bill is again voted on after 180 days it can be made into law without having to go to the senate again

Yingluck and others have said that the Govt will not follow up on this bill after 180 days IF it is rejected by the senate.

There was the option of withdrawing this bill from the senate before deliberation started and scrapping it as per the other 6, but the Govt did not do this.

This is seen by some as a sign of insincerity.

[ridkun]

I seem to remember in a news report on Thai visa.com it saying that Yingluck was withdrawing the Amnesty bill due to public pressure. I remember the Thai Visa news story stating she was doing this because the majority of Thai people don't want the bill and the government represents the ideas of the people. May I politely ask where this information came from? Today reading this story and coming to work at the Thai army base I work on to see all the gates barricaded to protect it from the mob. Hmmmmmm. Here is the article.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/680106-thai-govt-drops-amnesty-bills/

They withdrew other 6 amnesty bills, and none of which are the controversial one they passed. Once the lower house passed a bill, they can't withdraw it.

[Artisi]

"Anti-amnesty groups step up rallies in a bid to topple PM"

Can't legally and legitimately so we'll just have another coup, Don't care about the will of the majority of the people, we just want all the power and don't care how we take it, then cry that the other side are the evil ones and it's the red's, PTP, Thaksin, Yingluck, and Santa clause are to blame.

What a steaming pile of buffalo sh_t...

Mob rule trying to overthrow an elected government. Both sides are as bad as ech other.

It's certainly not mob rule, that's the speciality of Thaksin's merry men. This current protest slowly gathering momentum, consists of reasonably informed Thai people sick of the manipulation of the rule of law and the endeavour of the current government of forcing amendments through parliament to favour a fugitive convicted criminal who want's everything his own way and sees himself as next messiah and absolute ruler of Thailand.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Artisi

[aussieinthailand]

The source said the red-shirt rally yesterday was a strategy of the party to show to its supporters it was not retreating and the show of force was also aimed at intimidating the military and independent organisations

So they gather a mob to intimidate protesters, and here I thought PTP was trying to achieve reconciliation.

"So they gather a mob to intimidate protesters,"

I wonder why so many here think that any time the red shirts gather or protest they are a "MOB", But when it's the yellow shirts they are just innocent protestors

[winstonc]

The source said the red-shirt rally yesterday was a strategy of the party to show to its supporters it was not retreating and the show of force was also aimed at intimidating the military and independent organisations

So they gather a mob to intimidate protesters, and here I thought PTP was trying to achieve reconciliation.

"So they gather a mob to intimidate protesters,"

I wonder why so many here think that any time the red shirts gather or protest they are a "MOB", But when it's the yellow shirts they are just innocent protestors

just a bit of information for you boy....there are no yellow shirts there ok...you must be talking about b4...im sorry this is about now..just to bring you up to speed...

[smartconsulting]

So are you saying the two stories are bad reporting or you don't believe that Yingluck withdrew the amnesty bills?

No one seems to have answered you directly so I will :

Those who proposed the 6 bills which had not been presented to the house withdrew these 6 bills with great fanfare.

However these 6 bills had not been considered by the house and therefor were not what the protests are about

The bill which is before the senate was passed by the house and has not been withdrawn.

If the bill is rejected by the senate then the govt must wait 180 days before it can bring it up again for debate.

If after the bill is again voted on after 180 days it can be made into law without having to go to the senate again

Yingluck and others have said that the Govt will not follow up on this bill after 180 days IF it is rejected by the senate.

There was the option of withdrawing this bill from the senate before deliberation started and scrapping it as per the other 6, but the Govt did not do this.

This is seen by some as a sign of insincerity.

A very well informed explanation compared to the rest! Thank you!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[dunks]

I cannot believe that 'the one who rules from afar by skype' is still alive.

I wish someone would deal with the situation as the Romans would have done by wipeing him and his entire family from the face of the earth, forever ridding the world of their evil and corruption.

Then perhaps Thailand could finally resolve some of its current troubles that are only made worse by the continued presence of the shinawatras and their PTP cronies.

[lostmebike]

'There maybe trouble ahead'

[bigbamboo]

The time is right to roll in the tank.

If this thing happens 2 years only, it will be remember as the 11-11-11.

No, they should really go for it and let loose the mighty blimp.

Or is it still at the menders?