Anti-government protesters enter Thai finance ministry

[webfact]

Thai anti-government protesters occupy finance ministry
by Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI

BANGKOK, November 25, 2013 (AFP) - Thai anti-government demonstrators on Monday stormed the finance ministry and threatened to seize more government buildings in a dramatic escalation of their efforts to topple embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The mass protests against Yingluck and her brother, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, are the biggest since 2010 when the kingdom was rocked by its worst political bloodshed in decades with more than 90 civilians killed.

The turmoil has raised fears of a fresh bout of street violence in a country that has been convulsed by several episodes of political unrest since royalist generals overthrew Thaksin in a coup in 2006.

Police said around 30,000 protesters opposed to Yingluck's elected government marched on more than a dozen state agencies across the capital on Monday including military and police bases, as well as several television stations.

Hundreds of demonstrators, spurred on by protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, occupied buildings in the compound of the finance ministry, waving flags and dancing, according to AFP correspondents at the scene.

"Tomorrow we will seize all ministries to show to the Thaksin system that they have no legitimacy to run the country," Suthep said, addressing the crowd through a loud speaker.

Chanting "Thaksin get out, army come in", some of the demonstrators had earlier called for the intervention of the military in a country that has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

The move comes after a boisterous rally on Sunday brought up to 180,000 anti-government demonstrators on to the streets of Bangkok, according to a revised estimate Monday from National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut.

Around 50,000 pro-government "Red Shirts" met overnight in a suburban football stadium in Bangkok in support of Yingluck and Thaksin, who remains a hugely divisive figure in Thailand.

The rallies are the biggest challenge yet for Yingluck, who swept to power in elections in 2011 on a wave of support from the "Red Shirts", whose protests in 2010 were crushed by the previous government.

Yingluck on Monday told reporters she would neither resign nor dissolve parliament despite the mounting pressure.

But experts said she is running out of room to manoeuvre.

"Yingluck's options are very limited. Something has to give this week. It will be very difficult for Yingluck to stay in office, let alone get anything done," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

The Thai capital has faced weeks of opposition-backed rallies sparked by an amnesty bill that could have allowed the return of Thaksin from self-imposed exile.

The amnesty bill -- which was rejected by the upper house of parliament -- also angered Thaksin's supporters because it would have pardoned those responsible for the 2010 military crackdown on their rallies.

Former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva -- now the opposition leader -- and his deputy Suthep face murder charges for overseeing the military operation, which involved soldiers firing live rounds and backed by armoured vehicles.

In another blow to the government, the Constitutional Court last week blocked the ruling party's plans for a fully elected Senate.
The opposition Democrat Party is seeking to raise the pressure on Yingluck with a no-confidence debate on Tuesday -- although her party dominates the lower house and should comfortably defeat a move against her.

Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon-turned-politician, draws strong support from many of the country's rural and urban working class, but is loathed by the elite and the middle classes, who accuse him of being corrupt and a threat to the monarchy.

"Yingluck, Thaksin, their party and their corrupt system must go this week," demonstrator Thanabhum Prompraphan, 50, told AFP.

"This is real people power. We will stay peaceful... whistles are our weapons," he said.

A series of protests by the royalist "Yellow Shirts" helped to trigger the coup that toppled Thaksin, who now lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid a prison term for corruption that he contends was politically motivated.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-11-25

[jdinasia]

and "thar she blows!"

It is going to be a bit sketchy in some areas of BKK from today on.

[noikrit]

Quote " Who lives in self-imposed excile" Say it as it is !!! He's a convicted criminal on THE RUN !! ...

[kimamey]

I'd love to see this government fall and held accountable for anything they've done but I'm not sure this is the way to go about it. It depends on what they do next as there's a risk of it becoming violent.

It would be interesting to see what the government would do if the protesters caused as much trouble as in 2010 but that wouldn't help those who live and work in Bangkok.

[EvilDrSomkid]

I hope they have the sense to stay away from the airports this time.

[coma]

And there goes the beginning of the end.

[Tatsujin]

Bad bad move. You're now no better than the red thugs. I'd hoped some lessons had been learned, but I guess that was too much to hope for.

[jes]

Disneyland. If these bandits overturn this government, then th "reds" will do bad things, worse than 2010. This is the only way the so called Democrats ever can form a government. They will never win it by election.

[h90]

I'd love to see this government fall and held accountable for anything they've done but I'm not sure this is the way to go about it. It depends on what they do next as there's a risk of it becoming violent.

It would be interesting to see what the government would do if the protesters caused as much trouble as in 2010 but that wouldn't help those who live and work in Bangkok.

If it is right or wrong can be only told afterwards.

If they win peacefully whatever they did is right.

If a few people get hurt/killed but they win, than we can discuss forever if it was worth it and if Thaksin would have murdered much more or not.

If someone get killed and the government continues it was very very wrong.

But who can tell now. Sure is only that Suthep has his best in mind, lets hope he can win fast and without blood!

[h90]

Disneyland. If these bandits overturn this government, then th "reds" will do bad things, worse than 2010. This is the only way the so called Democrats ever can form a government. They will never win it by election.

they just won a few by elections in red areas

[londonthai]

I hope they have the sense to stay away from the airports this time.

nope, they can do anything they ever wish to do - they are covered by an immunity from the bosses at the top.

book a train, bus, boat in advance, going to be crowded

[h90]

And there goes the beginning of the end.

The only question is the end of who....but it looks like the end.....

On the other hand how long was the PAD at government house?

[h90]

I hope they have the sense to stay away from the airports this time.

nope, they can do anything they ever wish to do - they are covered by an immunity from the bosses at the top.

book a train, bus, boat in advance, going to be crowded

If they would have some magical rich bosses, they would simply bought the last elections or at least the MPs.....So more it seems it is the people who are fed up with corruption.

[Ricardo]

If they're looking for the missing rice-scheme money, in the Finance Ministry, then I suspect that it's long gone.

[steelepulse]

Hopefully the baht will take a nice depreciation drop.

[ginjag]

Bad bad move. You're now no better than the red thugs. I'd hoped some lessons had been learned, but I guess that was too much to hope for.

<deleted>, "no better than the red thugs" you want a scan for sure. I hope some lessens can be learned and the Thai people are never bought again at election time. To add -never got what was promised them. The only thing they achieved was mega corruption.

[londonthai]

If they would have some magical rich bosses, they would simply bought the last elections or at least the MPs.....So more it seems it is the people who are fed up with corruption.

sure they tried and failed. That's their next attempt to take power back

[bigbamboo]

I'm afraid Suthep has overstepped the mark here. He is now guilty of the kind of incitement we saw in 2010.

Let's just hope this doesn't turn out the same way.

Edited November 25, 2013 by bigbamboo

[Old Man River]

If it is right or wrong can be only told afterwards.

If they win peacefully whatever they did is right.

If a few people get hurd/killed but they win, than we can discuss forever if it was worth it and if Thaksin would have murdered much more or not.

If someone get killed and the government continues it was very very wrong.

But who can tell now. Sure is only that Suthep has his best in mind, lets hope he can win fast and without blood!

It looks like Suthep wants a violent response. You poke someone in the face long enough ...

[webfact]

POLITICS
Suthep-led protesters take over Budget Bureau

Photo : Thanis Sudto

BANGKOK: -- Anti-government protesters led by Rajadamnoen rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban on Monday entered and occupied the first floor of the Budget Bureau's building.

They faced no enough resistance from police deployed there. The bureau is in the same compound as the Finance Ministry.

A reporter from the Democrataffiliated Blue Sky TV station said in an interview that the electricity at the bureau had already been cut off.

It is still unclear if Suthep will move forward to the Finance Ministry. Finance Minister Kittirat Na Ranong is reportedly on the ministry's sixth floor.

Chaos descended on the bureau after Suthep instructed the protesters to enter the compound in a peaceful way.

Suthep told the protesters not to touch anything or destroy the bureau's assets.

The bureau was one of the 13 destinations that the protesters visited Monday. The crowd was led by Suthep, who is leading the protest against the Yingluck government that aims to root out the Thaksin regime.

The protests at other destinations, including TV stations, were peaceful and saw the protesters presenting flowers to the representatives of the stations.


-- The Nation 2013-11-25

[jdinasia]

I'm afraid Suthep has overstepped the mark here. He is now guilty of the kind of incitement we saw in 2010.

Let's just hope this doesn't turn out the same way.

Actually this is closer to what happened in 2006 by far!

Radical civil disobedience but no evidence of violence. Suthep, of course, should be held personally responsible for any and all damages.

If they are smart they simply will not fortify the area and will instead just "sit down" if the police decide to come take it back.

[rubl]

"Suthep told the protesters not to touch anything or destroy the bureau's assets.'

The damage to government house was indeed appalling, should not happen again.

[ratcatcher]

Disneyland. If these bandits overturn this government, then th "reds" will do bad things, worse than 2010. This is the only way the so called Democrats ever can form a government. They will never win it by election.

Sorry to spoil your daydream, but the bandits are the government.

If Yingluck was smart she would call a snap election and spoil Suthep's party.

I believe what the opposition is trying to do is save the Kingdom before it sinks. When the the rats will desert the ship. Stay tuned, rocks ahead.

[Prbkk]

Barely moving. The troubles have been priced-in already. SET is down a fraction. The markets spoke last week. It will be interesting to keep an eye on them

Hopefully the baht will take a nice depreciation drop.

[laurentbkk]

what next ? civil war ? coup ?

[Thainy Tim]

Bad bad move. You're now no better than the red thugs. I'd hoped some lessons had been learned, but I guess that was too much to hope for.

I don't think a peaceful occupation of a government building is anywhere near in the same league as the red shirts mate. They have not burned it down and are not filling it with weapons.

Lessons probably have been learned, hence the huge contrast between the two types of demonstrations.

[ratcatcher]

It appears Channel 3 celebrity Khun Sorayuth has made peace with the demonstrators as has the big boss at Maleenont Tower. All is whistles and red roses.

[wimpey1946]

Hopefully the baht will take a nice depreciation drop.

wich will also be bad for Thailand, on wich side are you ??

[Prbkk]

A modest depreciation would be good for the economy ( but a bit problematic if the govt is looking at huge USD denominated debt)

quote name="wimpey1946" post="7079920" timestamp="1385370799"]

Hopefully the baht will take a nice depreciation drop.

wich will also be bad for Thailand, on wich side are you ??

[JRSoul]

Bet the real figures from the rice scam are going through the shredders.