The story is here, and begins:
The U.S.’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, says it has cancelled its plan to use Thailand’s Vietnam War-era U-Tapao airbase for an atmospheric research study because Thailand’s government has put off granting its approval.
For reference, my earlier story on U-Tapao is here.
Reuters reports:
Thailand’s “red shirts” turned out in force on Sunday to warn the judiciary they will not stand by if a plan to amend the constitution is rejected, a rewrite critics say is aimed at allowing exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to come home.
And:
According to police estimates, 35,000 red shirts had gathered at Democracy Monument in central Bangkok by late afternoon, many from Thaksin strongholds in the north and northeast, meeting in a festive atmosphere under light police presence.
And:
The red shirts chose June 24 for their latest gathering as it marks the anniversary of a revolution that brought an end to absolute monarchy in 1932.
The story is here, and begins:
Plans for the U.S. government to expand its use of a Thai military airbase have created a stir in Thailand, with domestic politics likely playing a significant role in the controversy, according to a Thailand security expert.
Related to my last post…
@Anasuya found this notable sticker today at a Red Shirt event here in Bangkok.
Yes, it refers to lèse-majesté — Article 112 of the Thai criminal code — and is modeled on…the Pizza Company logo.
Pizza Company restaurants are popular and widespread here in Thailand, and their advertisements often include a jingle with the number you dial for delivery: 1112.
Hence, the play on 112 and the (likely unintentionally misspelled) reference to “fast derivery.”
Bloomberg reports today:
For all the bickering among Thai political parties, they agree on one thing: Now isn’t the time to amend a law last changed in 1976 that has been used to shield the royal family from criticism.
Worth a read.
Reuters reported yesterday:
The elderly man dressed in homespun cotton looks like a kind-hearted grandfather from a rural Thai soap opera.
But it would be unwise to underestimate Chamlong Srimuang, a key figure in Thailand’s turbulent recent history, or the “yellow shirt” army he commands.
“We have successfully overthrown three prime ministers, which proves our track record is excellent,” says Chamlong, co-leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose yellow-clad members shut down Bangkok’s international airport in 2008.
“We have the ability to overthrow another government again if need be.”
That last claim might have rung hollow before June 1, when thousands of protesters from the long-dormant PAD blockaded the Thai parliament.
Worth a read.
Bloomberg today reports on the political situation here in Thailand:
Thailand’s ruling party warned democracy is under threat as its highest court moves to stop lawmakers from changing the constitution in a country that has suffered 18 coup attempts in the past eight decades.
The Constitutional Court has no right to prevent Parliament from voting on an amendment that would create a new body to rewrite the charter, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung told reporters yesterday. A judicial challenge to the legislators’ efforts could lead to the disbanding of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s party, the third time courts have disqualified elected allies of her brother Thaksin Shinawatra since he was ousted by the military six years ago.
“Did they fall asleep and didn’t know we got our power from the election?” Chalerm said, referring to judges on the nine-member Constitutional Court. “Don’t go too far. This is too much and no one can accept this.”
The dispute risks reigniting street protests pitting Thaksin supporters who have won five straight elections against opponents who accuse him of undermining the monarchy and subverting the legal system to allow his return from exile. Thai stocks dropped to a four-month low as consumer confidence fell for the first time in half a year in May because of escalating political strains and higher costs for food and oil.
And:
Another ‘‘judicial coup” may take place before street protests spin out of control, a possible pretext for another military intervention, according to Paul Chambers, director of research at the Southeast Asian Institute of Global Studies at Payap University in Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand.
“If things continue as they are right now, then Yingluck’s days are numbered,” he said. “If Pheu Thai steps back and ends the attempts to change the constitution, then Yingluck can stay in office perhaps until her term is over.”
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial that ran in today’s paper, assesses things in a fairly hopeful manner.
The headline and sub-hed are: “Thailand’s Elites Reconcile: The problem of Thaksin’s return may finally be resolved.” Worth a read.
A quick follow-up post on yesterday’s Yellow Shirt protests over the bill that could lead to Thaksin’s return…
Many people here in Thailand, as well as Thailand-watchers abroad, may well be thinking: Here we go again.
The WSJ reported yesterday:
Around 2,000 followers of the so-called Yellow Shirt movement swarmed around the Parliament building, preventing legislators from getting in. The action recalled the massive and sometimes violent political protests in recent years that at times destabilized business and tourism on one of Southeast Asia’s linchpin economies, and raised fears of a possible reprise in the weeks or months ahead.
Political analysts say Friday’s scenes show that a long-simmering question—the fate of Mr. Thaksin, who now lives in exile in Dubai—is coming to the boil, threatening a fragile détente between his supporters in the current government and the military and conservative bureaucrats who removed him from power in a bloodless coup in 2006.
And:
The siblings have made efforts to reconcile with the establishment forces that ousted Mr. Thaksin, say academics and Thailand analysts. Ms. Yingluck in particular has worked to build closer ties with military leaders and key establishment figures such as chief royal adviser, Prem Tinsulanonda, these people say. If the Yingluck government is intent on bringing Mr. Thaksin back to Thailand, they say, now is the time to push through the necessary legislation.
The story also touches on divisions in the Red Shirt camp and the prospects of the Yellow Shirts being able to organize sufficiently large protests going forward.
Reuters ran a story yesterday, as well.
AFP has this story today:
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday warned the deeply divided kingdom faces a “cycle of violence” unless steps are taken towards reconciliation after years of civil unrest.
And finally, MCOT reports today:
House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont on Saturday decided to cancel next week’s parliamentary sessions regarding charter amendment and national reconciliation bills following recent chaos and disruption in the parliament.
Deputy House Speaker Charoen Chankomol said Mr Somsak decided to suspend the planned meeting on June 5 to deliberate the charter amendment and the June 6-7 sessions on the proposed reconciliation bills.
Mr Charoen said the House Speaker will call a meeting of representatives from both the government and opposition next Tuesday to find solutions, and if there is still problem with the deliberation of the reconciliation bills, other pending bills may be raised for consideration instead.
Meanwhile, the Red Shirts themselves held a rally today at the Thunderdome arena, in Bangkok’s north.
This Tweet and image came through at 1:20 p.m. Bangkok time from @LyNGinG.
แดงแน่นธันเดอร์โดม รอดู “จตุพร-ณัฐวุฒิ-วีระกานต์” กลับมาจัดรายการ “ความจริงวันนี้” ครบรอบครึ่งทศวรรษ twitter.com/LyNGinG/status…
— Lyng MakokiaT (@LyNGinG) June 2, 2012
So, what comes next?
Will Yingluck and Pheu Thai continue to push for the bills’ passage, perhaps a week or two down the line? Or will they abandon their efforts for now?
Will the Yellow Shirts continue to block Parliament in an effort to derail voting?
Will the Red Shirts begin protesting again?
What if the vote goes ahead, and the bill is passed?
Image above: Today’s IHT and Bangkok Post front pages.
Just briefly, an update on the Thai parliament and the controversial reconciliation bills:
A vote was due to take place today, but the Parliament building was blocked this morning — and apparently continues to be blocked — by members of the PAD (yellow shirts) and the so-called multi-colored group.
The demonstrators’ intention is to stop a vote by preventing the ruling Pheu Thai lawmakers from entering the compound. It’s unclear when the vote will now occur.
Here are some photos I snapped from Thai TV a few hours ago.
Some MPs were forced to access the building via a hole in a fence:
And here are some photos of the PAD/multi-colored protesters:
More recently, here’s a Tweet (via @RichardBarrow) and photo (via @LyNGinG) from 1:10 p.m. Bangkok time:
1:10pm Yellow Shirts on Pichai Rd say they will not allow MPs to pass twitter.com/LyNGinG/status… – TR @LyNGinG #OccupyParliament
— Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) June 1, 2012
(Image: @LyNGinG.)
You can follow me on Twitter for more.
The story is here, and begins:
Thailand boosters may have hoped the World Economic Forum on East Asia now under way in Bangkok would be a chance for the country to put its best face forward after years of political unrest and last year’s devastating floods.
Instead, visitors on Thursday awoke to news of a bizarre scuffle in Parliament that only served to remind people of how far Thailand has to go to resolve its deep political divisions.
The piece includes some embedded videos of yesterday’s events. Worth checking out.
UPDATE: The story has been updated to include today’s happenings.