Protesters: We have nothing to do with the state of emergency
Bangkok Post is guessing (again?): the government's decision to declare a state of emergency will lead to more protests and the Constitutional Court will postpone the elections.
State of emergency? Protesters don't care. Yesterday they besieged the office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, the highest official boss, after Prime Minister Yingluck started work there. Yingluck and her secretary of state hurried off through the back exit [that the demonstrators overlooked?].
Another group besieged the Ministry of Employment, which houses the Center for Peacekeeping, responsible for the state of emergency, headed by Minister Chalerm Yubamrung (Employment). The siege lasted only a short time, after which Chalerm gave a press conference and announced the slogan of the state of emergency (see Breaking News of January 22).
Yet another group went to the headquarters of the Royal Thai Police (the national police force) and tore down the letters from the wall (also reported in Breaking News).
It is getting annoying, but we also reported the following news fact: the Electoral Council went to the Constitutional Court with the question whether the elections, scheduled for February 2, can be postponed and who is allowed to do so: the government or the Electoral Council?
Pheu Thai source: Government is crooked
According to a source at ruling party Pheu Thai, the government has done a wrong job by declaring a state of emergency. After all, no incidents have occurred that justify the measure. Not only does the measure fail to deter demonstrators, but it scares away tourists who believe the government is 'incompetent'.
What is also telling is that the police are in charge and not the army, which indicates that the government cannot give orders to the army. The source embarrassingly calls the action at police headquarters where part of the lettering on the wall was violated.
The question is, says the source, whether the government can enforce the state of emergency. The center responsible for this has not yet issued any orders. They will not be given until Monday, after the primaries on Sunday.
However, the management of TV stations will be invited to discuss the reporting. This may not lead to provocations or disruption of public order. But censorship is out of the question, says Paradorn Pattanatabut, secretary of the National Security Council.
We already reported the reaction of action leader Suthep Thaugsuban to the declaration of the state of emergency. See the posting Suthep thinks the state of emergency is ridiculous. Suthep calls the Center for Peacekeeping illegal.
He also warns the government: 'Don't use weapons against us. Don't stop the protests. Do not cut off the supply of food and other supplies. Then you not only have to deal with the people, but then you also have to deal with the soldiers.'
(Source: Bangkok Post, January 23, 2014)
More news later today in Bangkok Breaking News.
Don't think it's so strange that the state of emergency has been declared! After a few (bombs, grenades) between the public and further some shooting exercises on employees of the various parties!! Hope that peace will return soon and both parties will be there come out peacefully.
I work in the audiovisual sector, I have a good wife in Bangkok who runs her own company and her conclusions about the whole fuss are radical… Her words ;"Time we split Thailand, give the south to the "yellows" and let “us” the north, let that “Suthep” choke on his “vomit”… give us Thailand back and let us “work” and build a future without those “air blowers”…they keep the economy “death”…!!
Thailand is now truly divided and clearly heading for a “civil war”…no less no more…!”
Her words… :(
And what do you mean by saying this?
Or that good woman?
Let us go north?
Doesn't that mean she has to leave Bangkok?
Not much of a thoughtful comment, it seems to me, prompted solely by short-term thinking, the specialty of many in Thailand and beyond.
If in Thailand the situation were to become analogous to, just to name a few, Indonesia where the Suharto family & clan rule the country, or the Philippines where the Marcos family & clan are in charge, then I don't think it would be any better up, for no one.
And that is exactly what people, and the types and quantities are growing, are afraid of in Thailand, hence the protests.
And whether Suthep vomits?
It all depends on how you look at it, and especially whether you can see further when the nose is long.
More and more Thais are opening their mouths and openly expressing disgust at what is happening in Bangkok right now. Your wife is one of them. My Sympathy has them. As a Thai, she has the courage to think about the future in constructive form. In addition, many stupid Thais are now daily trying to destroy the Thai future. How they do that, you can (unfortunately) see extensively on TV every evening with the uncrowned prince Suthep 1 of Bangkok in their midst.
However, I think that, with all due respect, your wife is exaggerating a bit with splizing. That will be the end of Thailand in every respect in my humble opinion. Maybe Taksin will buy half? (smile)
Not necessary the state of emergency??? And who is responsible for that state of emergency??? Surely that protest movement headed by Suthep who has been holding Bangkok hostage for 10 days now and paralyzing the economy? or not??? Without that “Bankok Shutcon” and with it the unrest, no state of emergency necessary, right???
Ever heard of cause and effect?
Assume that what precedes these protests has not penetrated?
Again, anyone who thinks that Suthep is vomiting should ask himself what he ate, in short, the cause of his vomiting.
The vomiting is simply the result of something.
And what is that something?
Anyone who condemns what is happening now and points to the economy should take a look at the growth of the black money circuit in the last two years, which, if I can believe the UN, is now almost 20%, the idiocy of the rice mortgage system where now there is no more money for the small farmers, the proposed loans that this government wanted to saddle Thailand with, the hassle about the amnesty law, and so on and so forth.
I dare say that the above will have a much greater negative impact on the economy for JAAAAAREN than the demonstrations.
But as stated earlier, short-term thinking is rampant in Thailand and also with many on this forum.
Need the state of emergency?
Certainly yes, from the government's point of view, mainly to be able to stay in office.
But, and this is forgotten, the plans are indeed to be able to break up the protests against the government, to curtail freedom of the press by banning newspapers, magazines and publications, to take unwelcome TV stations such as Blue Sky off the air, and more of that beauty.
And what about the refusal of the minister and the chief of police not to investigate the shootings and bombings at the protests, because this was staged by the demonstrators themselves?
But, keep thinking short-term.
Good for the short term, bad for the long term.
PS
Today, new protesters are on their way from Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.
Ex Redshirts!
Nice, cause and effect, let's continue then (and we'll even make the term a bit longer than you do): the cause that the Shinawatras could have come to power at all, could it be that a whole large group of people in Thailand has always been completely ignored by the established order that had put their tentacles in business, army and monarchy?
I am completely impartial, for me yellow and red lead to old iron. I also have the feeling that this is the case for most (younger) Thais.
Read the following article, interesting: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jackson-diehl-why-the-elites-are-rising-up/2013/12/22/5ca3041e-68c7-11e3-ae56-22de072140a2_story.html
By definition, American journalists and politicians have no insight and understanding of what is happening outside America.
Every now and then I think that they also have a few things wrong in their own country.
Since WW2, not much has really gone right in US foreign policy, mostly due to mistakes made by not being able to gauge how others feel about something.
Therefore, after reading a lot of US thoughts on Thailand, allow me not to tarnish me anymore?
As far as the “tentacles” of governments, politicians and companies are concerned, I don't think it's much different in the US and Europe, for example, since the club of Rome.
In the US, democracy is actually run by “big capital” and Europe has not been much different since the sale of democracy to the wholly undemocratic EU.
The fact is that slowly, under pressure from many young people, a change is noticeable in Thai society.
That is the reason for the unrest in Thai politics.
And yes, Suthep cs are much more aware of that than the Shinawatra clan, which is actually only busy making Thailand a personal toy, analogous to Indonesia/Suharto and the Philippines/Marcos.
And indeed, there is plenty to criticize about Suthep's ideas as well.
But it is clear that elections are not really useful in the current climate and that much needed change is needed in Thailand, as in the rest of the world.
Unfortunately, we're in between. look at them, and have nothing to contribute but empty notes.
In fact, this is also the case in our own country.
So the Netherlands.
I agree with your story HansNL. It has been restless in Thailand for about 40 years. No one wants that to be true, but it is true. This explosion of (so-called) non-violent demo finds its origin in the experiences of the last 40-50 years.
The Tourist is less interested in that. He does not want to know these backgrounds, does not want to see them and even less wants to understand them. A flight, with a top hotel, lots of good food and cocktails on white beaches and blue skies is his goal. If possible, everything for 14 days under € 1000.
It is the Thai themselves who must change this. However, he never listened to outside comments and advice. And they still don't. Even if you prove them wrong; they stick to their age-old ideas and structures.
That the Russians and the Chinese finally tap the Thais hard on their fingers, and among other things. demanding more safety (and boycott) for their tourists is a very good start. The Thais won't be interested, but it's a start. It is strange that the Dutch government is not so careful of its compatriots.