By the time I finish writing this post, things may have changed, but the situation at the two Bangkok airports has been pretty stagnant for the past three days.
In case you don’t know already, the PAD – anti-government thugs who go by the name of People’s Alliance for Democracy – have taken over both Bangkok airports (Suvarnaphumi and Don Meuang) forcing them to shut down. This has frozen both cargo and passenger movements.
Short of guns and explosions, I find it hard to imagine anything more harmful to Thailand than this latest ridiculousness. The PAD has crossed a line into territory where only their most ardent supporters seem willing to follow. Everyone recognizes that this group is costing the country billions of baht per day. Newspaper editorials are accusing them of using “terrorist tactics”.
The government has been completely ineffectual in dealing with the PAD since they took over government house a couple of months ago, and to let the group shut down flight operations at a major regional hub seems an unforgivable lapse on the part of the government and the police.
The PAD has now had three days to build their numbers, hunker down and create a strong defensive position. It will take a monumental effort to dislodge them now. They have used vehicles to block access, and put up barbed wire and other barriers.
Short of outright violence, I can’t imagine what they could do to up the ante any higher. But then, I would have thought that this move (taking over the airports) was unimaginable, if only because I can’t conceive of a government which would concede to this kind of action, much less to allow three days to pass without ending the occupation!
There have been hundreds of thousands of words written about this already, so I’ll keep my thoughts brief.
I confess to be astounded and amazed that the situation has been allowed to get to this point. One editorial writer at the Bangkok Post today said that he can’t recommend that the Prime Minister resign, because that would be the same as caving into the blackmail tactics of the PAD, but he blames the ineptness of the government for allowing us to get here. I have to agree.
Another newspaper column today said that this government can no longer govern. Again, it’s difficult to disagree with that idea.
We seem to be left with only two options that I can see: either the Army takes over the government in a military coup (which is a typical resolution here in Thailand) or the courts force the dissolution of political parties via legal action that is currently underway, possibly forcing a Parliamentary dissolution.
Last night I was sitting in the Big Mango enjoying a Thanksgiving turkey dinner while the banter around the bar – driven by the owner, Smitty – was about the likelihood of a military coup on Thursday night. There were lots of signals that it was about to happen, but it didn’t.
General Anupong said again today that there will be no coup. But then, that’s what every Army chief says right up to the moment the tanks roll in the streets.
The court case to dissolve the political parties is due for a resolution next week. That’s far too long to allow protesters to keep the airports closed. Three days has been far too long already, and people are screaming for something to happen to bring an end to this crisis.
There’s plenty of blame to go around, but personally I lay most of it at the feet of the PAD, who have harried and harassed the government without allowing the legal processes time to work. No one is running Thailand at the moment, it’s just cruising on autopilot or inertia.
The damage caused by the events of 2008 will be felt in Thailand for years to come.
11 responses so far ↓
werewolf // Friday, 28 November 2008 at 6:29 pm |
Just spotted this at Nation Online
My best guess is that the gov’t ordered the police to move on the protesters and the chief refused. Removing him may signal action coming soon.
Stay tuned.
// Friday, 28 November 2008 at 11:58 pm |
And now this from the Bangkok Post:
Utter tripe manufactured by someone who has never been to Thailand, appartently, but damaging to the country nonetheless.
EmptySuit // Saturday, 29 November 2008 at 9:08 am |
“I can’t conceive of a government which would concede to this kind of action, much less to allow three days to pass without ending the occupation!”
Remember, TIT, which until the 1930s was ruled by an absolute monarch and by military governments until very recently. This military/royalist elite is still the predominant source of power in Thailand.
As the Queen recently demonstrated, it’s no secret where royal sympathies lie, and it’s likely the military leadership largely agrees.
The end result is that the PAD can get away with things protesters in other parts of the world can only dream of.
They’re obviously trying to create such havoc that the military will feel obliged to step in and assume power. That would end the current government and that’s precisely what they want.
Of course this is nothing you don’t already know, WW. Just had to put it out there.
Mike // Saturday, 29 November 2008 at 9:49 am |
I read somewhere (The Nation ?) that the judges in the constitutional court case against the PPP have heard enough evidence for a verdict, and will not be calling any more witnesses. If they do have enough evidence for a verdict, why not hand it down now, instead of prolonging this circus ?
It also said that PPP leaders are expecting the case to go against them, and the party to be dissolved. If that is the case why won’t the PM earn some good karma (and sympathy votes in the next election) by quitting now “for the good of the nation etc” before he is pushed out ? IMHO better to walk with dignity, than get thrown out.
In either event the PAD would have achieved what they wanted, and have no reason to keep the airport closed.
Of course, in any coming election, the PPP/TRT in its new incarnation would almost inevitably win power again, and as one of the leaders of the proposed new party (Phue Thai ?) is Thaksin’s cousin, it would probably start all over again…..
Perhaps a military coup might be the best thing for a while, until Thaksin’s influence (real or percieved) has diminished ?
Mike // Saturday, 29 November 2008 at 7:54 pm |
BKK made it at #2 spot on the TV news here in Aus. tonight, behind the Mumbai killings, showing the police allowing MORE protesters to go through into the terminal.
Does n’t anybody in the police have half a brain to use ? Don’t let reinforcements come in, block off the airport road with barbed wire, a water cannon or two and some riot police.
// Sunday, 30 November 2008 at 5:29 am |
I just want to go home for Christmas to see my mum!
Hjortfot // Monday, 1 December 2008 at 1:12 am |
I have just looked at BBC reporting from the inside of the Suvarnaphumi terminal building showing how well equipped the PAD demonstrators are. Very well organized and with adequate supplies. The cots shown on the TV looked coming from the military stores. These spontaneous demonstrations are fare from spontaneous. They are master minded by parties with resources. The military are not intervening showing their support for PAD. The police is standing by watching the PAD thugs sabotaging the police vans. The action by the PAD is not in any way legitimate. The only reason for not using force to evict the demonstrators is as far as I can see, that the longer you wait the more support from the public when you ultimately use force.
Just look on the deliberations on the master mind behind the killings in Mumbai. There is mastermind behind the PAD demonstrations as well.
I was on the last flight landing at Don Meuang being in transit. Only tomorrow I will be able to leave rerouted via Kuala Lumpur. I hope everything will be over on my next visit in mid December.
I hope it will be a constitutional solution. We don’t want a precedence when a mob of 15,000 can force a PM to retire. The differences between the sympathies in electorate in Bangkok and the countryside will invite future similar events once the pattern has benn established.
swampthing // Monday, 1 December 2008 at 11:05 am |
“Utter tripe manufactured by someone who has never been to Thailand, appartently, but damaging to the country nonetheless.”
…I take your point, except there’s a real danger of this thing escalating to something very bloody indeed. You won’t want to be overheard shouting “Come on in, the water’s lovely” while tourists are being mowed down in the crossfire at Suvarnabhumi.
swampthing // Monday, 1 December 2008 at 11:07 am |
So what I’m saying is that, right now, at this very point in time, Thailand probaby is among the world’s 20 most dangerous places to be. It wasn’t a week ago, and may not be a week from now. But right now it is.
// Monday, 1 December 2008 at 1:35 pm |
swampthing: I respectfully disagree. Unless you’re wearing yellow (PAD) or red shirts (UDD) I don’t think there’s much danger here. Potential danger? Yes, but not nearly enough to put Thailand in company with Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan.
All things considered, I feel safer in Bangkok than in any major city in America.
// Monday, 1 December 2008 at 1:49 pm |
A furthere update from the Bangkok Post: