This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
Thailand Protests Wane Despite Calls to Shut Down Bangkok
Thailand Protests Wane Despite Calls to Shut Down Bangkok
(about 7 hours later)
BANGKOK — Antigovernment demonstrators marched to government offices on Thursday but their numbers were far lower than earlier in the week, when they started their campaign to “shut down” Bangkok.
BANGKOK — Antigovernment demonstrators marched to government offices on Thursday, but their numbers were far lower than they were earlier in the week, when they started their campaign to shut down Bangkok.
Protesters are pledging to stop elections next month while the government is vowing that they will take place. During two months of protests the number of government detractors on the streets has waxed and waned, and many parts of Bangkok have been unaffected by the demonstrations.
Protesters are pledging to stop elections next month while the government is vowing that they will take place. During two months of protests, the number of government detractors on the streets has waxed and waned, and many parts of Bangkok have been unaffected by the demonstrations.
But the country appears no closer to resolving its debilitating power struggle, and protesters say they will not give up until Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and other key ministers step down.
But the country appears no closer to resolving its debilitating power struggle, and protesters say they will not give up until Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and other key ministers step down.
Ms. Yingluck, who called elections last month in a failed attempt to defuse the crisis, presided over a political forum on Wednesday meant to be a concession to her opponents to discuss the possibility of postponing the election.
Ms. Yingluck, who called elections last month in a failed attempt to defuse the crisis, presided over a political forum on Wednesday meant to be a concession to her opponents to discuss the possibility of postponing the election.
But in a sign of the distrust and the highly fractious political atmosphere in the country, the protest leaders, the opposition Democrat Party and the Election Commission all refused to take part in the meeting.
But in a sign of the distrust and the highly fractious political atmosphere in the country, the protest leaders, the opposition Democrat Party and the Election Commission all refused to take part in the meeting.
Ms. Yingluck said it was “regrettable” that the Election Commission “refused to show up,” although the secretary general of the organization attended as an observer. The governing party has accused the commission of lacking independence and being overly politicized.
Ms. Yingluck said it was “regrettable” that the Election Commission did not show up, although the secretary general of the organization attended as an observer. The governing party has accused the commission of lacking independence and being overly politicized.
Phuchong Nutawong, the secretary general of the Election Commission, was quoted as saying the commission was “ready to arrange” the election on Feb. 2.
Phuchong Nutawong, the secretary general of the Election Commission, was quoted as saying the commission was ready to arrange the election on Feb. 2.
Ms. Yingluck’s party would almost certainly win the election. The Democrat Party, which has not won an election in more than two decades, is boycotting and has allied itself with the protesters.
Ms. Yingluck’s party will almost certainly win the election. The Democrat Party, which has not won an election in more than two decades, is boycotting and has allied itself with the protesters.
Highlighting the threat of violence in the deeply polarized country, a protester was injured in a shooting Wednesday morning and the compound of a former prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, was damaged by a small explosion. Mr. Abhisit, the head of the Democrat Party, was not home at the time of the blast.
Four plainclothes police officers were hospitalized overnight after being beaten by the protesters, according to the police. The government has been praised by foreign governments for its restraint in handling the protests but police officers recently held their own protest demanding more protection. One police officer was shot dead last month as protesters tried to block the registration for elections.
In two months of protests, a total of eight people have been killed and more than 477 injured.
On Wednesday, one of the leading intellectuals supporting the protests explained his rationale for the demonstrations, which have divided the society between northern Thailand — which largely supports the government — and southern Thailand and members of the middle and upper classes in Bangkok, who are seeking to banish Ms. Yingluck and her family from the country.
Thirayuth Boonmee, one of the few prominent scholars to overtly back the protesters, said a “tsunami of corruption” had created “anarchy” in Thai society.
“The principle of one person, one vote must not be violated,” he said. “However, when the elected government is corrupt, it can of course be overthrown.”
Mr. Thirayuth echoed the view of the protest leaders in saying the driving force behind corruption in Thai society was Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister and Ms. Yingluck’s brother.
Corruption has been a problem in Thailand for decades, and by at least one measure it did not worsen significantly after Mr. Thaksin became prime minister in 2001. The country’s score in a “corruption perception index” by Transparency International, a corruption monitoring group, has remained largely unchanged for the past 15 years.
Mr. Thirayuth said Thailand could probably not stomach an armed revolution in the style of France or the United States in the 18th century, but seemed to be pursuing a “peaceful revolution.”
Suthep Thaugsuban, the protest leader, marched through Bangkok on Wednesday collecting cash donations from supporters. He has laid out a plan where an unelected “people’s council” would reform the political system. Only then can “pure democracy” be achieved, he says.
By many measures, Thailand seems an unlikely candidate for a social revolution.
The country has rapidly modernized in recent years, unemployment is close to zero and living standards are well above those of many neighboring countries.
At the heart of the protest movement appears to be a highly emotional reaction to the political dominance of Mr. Thaksin and his allies, and a backlash against the emergence of a newly assertive voting class in northeastern Thailand, a populous area that historically was an impoverished backwater but was galvanized by Mr. Thaksin’s party and its policies.
Mr. Thaksin is from the north while Mr. Suthep is from southern Thailand, the stronghold of the opposition.
A different set of protests have been held this week in northern Thailand: large crowds have gathered for candlelight vigils under the slogan “respect my vote.”
