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Thailand
Protesters shut down parliamentary meeting
Article published on the 2008-11-24 Latest update 2009-01-21 10:16 TU
PAD protesters in Bangkok.
(Photo: Reuters)
Thousands of anti-government protesters marched through the streets of Bangkok Monday, forcing MPs to cancel a parliamentary meeting.
The protesters from the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said that 18,000 people marched through Bangkok’s historic district and met police at Parliament, where the speaker cancelled proceedings. The PAD has been waging a campaign since August to remove the current government from power, because it claims it is acting as a proxy-government for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. Protesters hijacked four city buses during the march to barricade parts of the city from traffic, local authorities reported. One bus was halted after police shot out its tyres, and the occupants were taken into custody. Police confiscated guns, ammunition and slingshots on the arrested men who claimed that the busses would be used as a shield in case there was any shooting at Government House. Another group of protesters arrived by bus at an airport terminal where Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has set up a temporary cabinet office since the PAD occupied his offices in Government House in August. “The trend is not good at the moment in terms of employment and in terms of purchasing power of the people,” he said. “And we haven’t seen the government doing anything serious enough on that regards. And this is mainly because of the political tension and the will of the government not to resign and just to stay into power.” Chomthongdi says the government has only been focusing on the stock market, and has been ignoring the general population. “To really focus on the poorer population, on labour, on farmers—that hasn’t been done so far,” he said. Politics has come in the way of government anti-poverty programmes, says Chomthongdi. According to him, as a result of infighting, the government has no legitimacy.Analysis: Jacques-Chai Chomthongdi, Focus on the Global South
Jacques-Chai Chomthongdi, a development specialist with the Focus on the Global South in Bangkok, told RFI that rural people are suffering from the government’s lack of action over the past six months.
