Defiant Thai protesters snub PM talks plea

[webfact]

Defiant Thai protesters snub PM talks plea
by Apilaporn VECHAKIJ

BANGKOK, November 29, 2013 (AFP) - Thai opposition protesters rejected government talks to defuse their rallies Thursday after the prime minister called for an end to the demonstrations as she survived a no confidence vote in parliament.

The nearly one-month-long demonstrations are the biggest since mass protests three years ago which degenerated into the kingdom's worst civil strife in decades with more than 90 people killed and nearly 1,900 wounded.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra received a much-needed boost as lawmakers in the ruling party-dominated lower house overwhelmingly rejected the censure motion against her 297-134.

The motion was filed by the opposition Democrat Party, which alleges widespread corruption in government and accuses Yingluck of acting as a puppet for her brother, the ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Yingluck -- who denies the accusations -- delivered a televised national address following the confidence vote, urging demonstrators to end their rallies.

"I propose to protesters to stop protesting and leave government offices so the civil service can move forward," she said.

"The government does not want confrontation and is ready to cooperate with everybody to find a solution," she added.

But just hours later the demonstrators cut off the electricity to the national police headquarters in Bangkok, a senior officer said, adding that the building was running on generator power.

The move also hit the forensic department of a hospital next door although the main facility was unaffected, the hospital director said.

So far authorities have avoided confrontation with the demonstrators and Yingluck has ruled out the use of force to end the protests.

In a speech late Thursday, rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban said he would not "talk or negotiate" with the government and set a fresh deadline for the demos to reach their climax.

"Yingluck said the government can still govern, can still work -- I want to say that they will only be able to work for a few more days, then we will not let them work anymore," he told several thousand supporters in Bangkok.

The former opposition MP said he would outline a new rally plan on Friday evening.

"We might take action immediately. Prepare running shoes, brave hearts, backpacks, towels and packed-food," he said.

Protesters are demanding the end of the "Thaksin regime" and want to replace the government with an unelected "people's council" -- a demand Yingluck said was impossible under the constitution.

Thaksin, a billionaire tycoon-turned-politician, remains a hugely divisive figure seven years after he was deposed by royalist generals.

He is adored by many of the country's rural and urban working class but hated by many southerners, middle-class Thais and the Bangkok elite, who see him as corrupt and a threat to the monarchy.

Calls for restraint from both sides
The protests have triggered growing international concern, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon the latest world leader to voice alarm.

"The secretary-general calls on all sides to exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from the use of violence and to show full respect for the rule of law and human rights," said his spokesman Martin Nesirky.

Protesters marched to the defence ministry Thursday, a day after entering a major government complex in the north of the capital and forcing the evacuation of the Department of Special Investigations -- Thailand's equivalent of the FBI.

A court has issued an arrest warrant for Suthep for his role in the ministry seizures.

One option to deflate the protests would be for Yingluck to dissolve the lower house and call fresh elections, knowing that pro-Thaksin parties have won every election for more than a decade.

The possibility of military intervention also constantly looms over Thailand, which has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since 1932. But so far the army has shown little enthusiasm for getting involved.

The recent protests were sparked by plans by the ruling Puea Thai party to introduce an amnesty that could have allowed Thaksin's return from self-imposed exile.

The Senate blocked the controversial bill but demonstrators have since broadened their goal to toppling the government.

Yingluck on Monday ordered special security measures to be expanded to cover all of the capital.
An estimated crowd of up to 180,000 people joined an opposition rally on Sunday, but turnout has since fallen sharply.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-11-29

[chooka]

Geez grow up people and at least give it go. When one side refuses to talk then there may only be one option left and the authorities may have to move and disperse people. Then the blame can only be directed at the side who refuses to co operate and talk.

[NongKhaiKid]

Might be difficult to have a meeting with YL as I doubt she has much of an attention span and would have to rush to another room every minute to Skype Dubai.

[chooka]

Might be difficult to have a meeting with YL as I doubt she has much of an attention span and would have to rush to another room every minute to Skype Dubai.

How about a sign of respect and a birthday gift by calling the whole thing off which is only hurting the country. Use your vote to protest at the next election.

[NongKhaiKid]

Might be difficult to have a meeting with YL as I doubt she has much of an attention span and would have to rush to another room every minute to Skype Dubai.

How about a sign of respect and a birthday gift by calling the whole thing off which is only hurting the country. Use your vote to protest at the next election.

Nice idea but Suthep has the bit between this teeth.

[JRSoul]

Any equivalence of the DSI and FBI is purely in the mind of Thai wishful thinkers.

[ramrod711]

Protesters marched to the defence ministry Thursday, a day after entering a major government complex in the north of the capital and forcing the evacuation of the Department of Special Investigations -- Thailand's equivalent of the FBI.

Must have been quite a scene, Tharit deserting the sinking ship, like the rat he is, to the tune of several thousand whistles that he declared as illegal.

[dcutman]

The opposition demands the Thaksin lackeys out and YS already said that is not going to happen. I just dont see any sort of dialog getting started based on this.

[cup-O-coffee]

Never read so much <deleted> about so many sheep being so easy to manipulate and control, and stirred into a state of lunacy. No one is protesting about anything that was, is or will be beneficial to their well-being, health and welfare. Nothing in Thai government has ever changed, is changing, or will change which benefits the little guy. These blind fools are just yelling and acting like lunatics over principles that do not affect them either way on any other given day. The only thing that will come out of this is a bunch of yelling lunatics returning home, jobless and that much poorer.

[webfact]

Protest leader Suthep rejects dialogue with government
By English News

BANGKOK, Nov 29 – Key protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban announced last night that protesters will never negotiate with the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra which earlier in the day offered a truce and a dialogue with the opposition.

In his speech to demonstrators at the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road, the former Democrat MP predicted the final chapter of the “battle” in the next few days, saying one side or the other will have to go.

“If we win, we will have a people’s assembly and a people’s government which will lead Thailand to a genuine constitutional monarchy,” he said.

He said a national reform will not matarialise unless what he calls "the Thaksin regime" is totally abolished but "the people must come out and join the demonstrations to put pressure on the government.

“This saga must end as soon as possible. We don’t want the prime minister to inflict more damage to the country,” he said, adding that he would keep his operational plan until tonight.

“We will execute the plan immediately after I make the announcement (Friday night). Be ready and prepare your belongings for the operations,” he said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, in an address to the nation yesterday, called on protesters to stop their demonstrations.

Mr Suthep hit back, “We will not stop but will intensify our protests. We will never send any representative to hold talks with the government. No dialogue, no negotiation.”

He dismissed a statement by Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok on confidential negotiations with him and stood firm that there were no talks whatsoever.

“I was contacted by some high-ranking people, not ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. We won’t talk to the government,” he declared. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-11-29

[pisico]

Deja vue.... Different shirt color. Same childish behaviour.

In 2010 Abhisit offered talks with the Red shirts protesting out on the streets. The reds rejected the talks.

Now is Abehisit and his attack dog Suthep rejecting any talks.

Suthep, who was an (Agriculture Minister who resigned lest be indicted for benefiting from deals made with companies that had received government contracts) has been labeled by Khun Voranai as a "false prophet".

Would you have any of these guys as partners in your business?

What partnership can expect ASEAN from a Lilliput-like country such as Thailand?

Way to go Thailand!

[tominbkk]

Geez grow up people and at least give it go. When one side refuses to talk then there may only be one option left and the authorities may have to move and disperse people. Then the blame can only be directed at the side who refuses to co operate and talk.

What if the ones that want to talk never talk straight or fair?

[tominbkk]

Might be difficult to have a meeting with YL as I doubt she has much of an attention span and would have to rush to another room every minute to Skype Dubai.

How about a sign of respect and a birthday gift by calling the whole thing off which is only hurting the country. Use your vote to protest at the next election.

Wait that long and Thaksin will be on his throne.

[Yunla]

Then the blame can only be directed at the side who refuses to co operate and talk.

I think that may well be the reason behind Suthep's actions. I think he may be intentionally sabotaging what was a successful democratic massprotest for reasons I will not speculate on here. I do however see him as a harlequin figure at this point, but that his reasons and/or the people behind those reasons may be far more serious than he is. Just watching this from a distance and mapping the timeline of the protests, there was an acute spike and change of direction, which set alarm bells ringing in my head at least.

[chooka]

Geez grow up people and at least give it go. When one side refuses to talk then there may only be one option left and the authorities may have to move and disperse people. Then the blame can only be directed at the side who refuses to co operate and talk.

What if the ones that want to talk never talk straight or fair?

I don't think there is a politician on the planet who speaks straight. That doesn't mean they shouldn't at least try.

[Artisi]

Might be difficult to have a meeting with YL as I doubt she has much of an attention span and would have to rush to another room every minute to Skype Dubai.

How about a sign of respect and a birthday gift by calling the whole thing off which is only hurting the country. Use your vote to protest at the next election.

Agreed, the clone should call it off by Wednesday of next week, now that would be a birthday gift worth giving.

It also allows the protesters to vote sooner than later and if the fugitive / YL / the merry band of brown-noses are so sure of themselves as being the only ones wanted / needed to rule Thailand then what is their problem with an early election. Maybe they know something we don't ----

[Halion]

Ms. Yingluck, the nation saw how you answer questions during the no confidence debate. Why would they want to waste their time talking with someone who claims to have no knowledge on anything topical. Please do the noble thing for once in you family's life and pack you bags and go stay with you loving brother.