Key dates in Thai political crisis - Chrono

[Lite Beer]

Key dates in Thai political crisis - Chrono

BANGKOK, February 2, 2014 (AFP) - Following is a timeline of the main events in Thailand's political crisis since controversial tycoon-turned-politician Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted as premier more than seven years ago:

-- 2006 --
September 19: Army seizes power in a bloodless coup while Thaksin is in New York. More than a year of military rule follows.

-- 2007 --
June: Anti-graft panel freezes Thaksin's assets.
December: People Power Party, comprising Thaksin's allies, wins elections and goes on to form a coalition government.

-- 2008 --
May: Royalist anti-Thaksin "Yellow Shirts" relaunch street protests that precipitated the 2006 coup.

September: State of emergency declared after clashes between pro- and anti-government groups that left one person dead and dozens wounded.

Constitutional Court strips Thaksin-allied premier Samak Sundaravej of his powers, ruling he illegally accepted payments for hosting TV cooking shows. Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat takes his place.

October: Clashes between police and demonstrators leave two people dead and nearly 500 wounded. Court sentences Thaksin in absentia to two years in jail for corruption after he flees the country.

November-December: Thousands of Yellow Shirts blockade Bangkok's airports. State of emergency imposed for nearly two weeks.

December: Constitutional Court dissolves Somchai's party, forcing him from office. British-born Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrats becomes premier in a parliamentary vote with army backing, leading a six-party coalition.

-- 2009 --
January-March: "Red Shirts" loyal to Thaksin stage mass protests in the capital against Abhisit's government.

April: Red Shirts storm the venue of an Asian summit in the beach resort of Pattaya, forcing the evacuation of regional leaders. Riots and a 12-day state of emergency in Bangkok ensue, leaving two people dead.

-- 2010 --
February: Supreme Court confiscates $1.4 billion of Thaksin's wealth after ruling he abused his power.

March: Tens of thousands of Red Shirts begin rolling demonstrations calling for Abhisit's government to step down, saying it is elitist and undemocratic.

April-May: Street clashes between Red Shirt protesters and armed troops leave more than 90 people dead, mostly civilians, in the country's worst civil unrest in decades.

-- 2011 --
May: Government announces July 3 election. Thaksin's youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra emerges as the main opposition candidate for premier.

July: Thaksin's allies sweep to power on a wave of support among their Red Shirt followers.

August: Parliament elects Yingluck as Thailand's first female prime minister.

-- 2012 --
April: Addressing supporters from neighbouring Laos, Thaksin vows to return by the end of the year.

June: Parliament shelves debate on controversial legislation that opponents feared would open the door to Thaksin's return.

November: Police fire tear gas and detain dozens of demonstrators as clashes erupt at the first major street protests against Yingluck's government.

December: Authorities announce former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban will face murder charges linked to the 2010 crackdown. Twenty-four Red Shirt leaders go on trial on terrorism charges linked to the 2010 protests.

-- 2013 --
October: Thousands of people join daily rallies in Bangkok against another controversial amnesty bill.

November: Lower house of parliament overwhelmingly passes legislation but the upper house rejects it. Opposition protesters occupy the finance and foreign ministries demanding Yingluck resign.

December: Police use water cannon and tear gas on protesters who storm the government and police headquarters. Opposition lawmakers resign en masse from parliament.

Yingluck calls early elections as demonstrators return to the streets. Opposition announces a poll boycott, saying reforms are needed before the vote is held.

-- 2014 --
January: Tens of thousands of opposition protesters occupy major intersections in the capital in an attempt to "shut down" Bangkok, vowing to stay put until Yingluck quits.

Demonstrators besiege polling stations for advance voting in parts of the country, preventing hundreds of thousands casting ballots. Government rejects calls for an election delay in response to several bouts of political violence in which at least 10 people have been killed and hundreds injured.

February: A daylight gun battle shakes Bangkok as pro- and anti-government protesters clash on the eve of the election. Polls open without major problems in central and northern Thailand but opposition demonstrators block voting in dozens of constituencies in the south and Bangkok.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2014-02-02 | AFP News Sponsor
Published with written approval from AFP.

[DocN]

Oh...again, Thailand popped out of the ocean in 2006 and had an immediate coup...

[londonthai]

Forced constitution from 2006 missed out

[Why ask]

I believe it lies a little deeper than such basic reporting.

-m.

[noitom]

Oh...again, Thailand popped out of the ocean in 2006 and had an immediate coup...

Yes, all of a sudden it all began in 2006 and The Nation wants to hit this hard. It's a shame that the Thai people are shut out and anesthetized to their own factual and political history.

[Fryslan boppe]

"Key dates in Thai political crisis"

What political crisis?

Coup-monger and Opposition noise does not a political crisis make...It is just coup-monger and Opposition noise.

If that noise is equated to being a "political crisis', I wonder what a real political crisis would look like.

Given circumstances, the ruling majority in Parliament deemed it politically expedient to call an election now....It is done all the time, for different reasons.

Other electoral democracies can look back on the ups-and-downs of political life. The ruling majority and Opposition will be at each other's throat, same as British Laborites and Conservatives, American Tea Party types and the Democrats, etc. but that is the nature of the beast...To call that stuff a crisis is certainly what the Opposition would like, but elections keep everyone in their place.

Following today's election, electoral winners will take their rightful seat in parliament, the Opposition will continue to make noise as is their prerogative, and life goes on.

What political crisis?

[Jeremy50]

Change the name back to Siam and start again.

[alant]

Oh...again, Thailand popped out of the ocean in 2006 and had an immediate coup...

Yes, all of a sudden it all began in 2006 and The Nation wants to hit this hard. It's a shame that the Thai people are shut out and anesthetized to their own factual and political history.

Did it all start in 2006?

Is the cause of this that the democratically elected government was deposed by a coup?