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State of Emergency


waerth

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There seems to be a local, Thai panic...schools are said to be closed in my area (Soi 93 Suk) in Bangkok. Teachers are staying home.

Talk of water being shut off...great, now I will be a MORE smelly farang :confused:

 

 

The govmt ordered over 100 public schools to close in Bangkok. Who knows why. Traffic was terrible about 9 AM as all the parents drove to pick up their kids and bring them home.

 

Meanwhile, sez the Post:

 

 

Journalist groups protest state of emergency

 

 

Media organisations issued a joint statement, opposing Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's announcement of the state of emergency in the capital.

 

"Five media organisations are confident that political crisis could be solved through peaceful means," Nattaya Chetchotiros, chairman of the Thai Journalists Association said Tuesday afternoon.

 

The media agencies are the Press Council of Thailand, the Thai Journalists Association, the Confederation of Thai Journalists, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and the Thailand Cable TV Association.

 

According to the joint statement, the state of emergency imposed at 7am Tuesday deprives the Thai people of basic rights and freedom.

 

The state of emergency forbids five or more people from gathering in the capital. It also prohibits public members from inciting or provoking people to violence, and they cannot publicise information that instigates fear and affect national security and peace.

 

 

A Post editoral also slams Samak:

 

If Prime Minister Samak cannot shut his mouth, he might as well shut down the House of Representatives.

 

The PM has had many chances to prove his mettle, to show that he could rise above the limits and demands of his banal "self" to serve other people or fulfil a noble cause. He has failed consistently. He has failed to listen, as evident during the special joint session he himself convened for the specific purpose of giving him advice. He has failed to look beyond his ego to see the reality of what other people are feeling _ what conflicts are on their minds. He has failed to hold his tongue even though he knew that in raising his voice to try to protect his perceived stature, he ended up crowding out ideas and thoughts which he should have heard.

 

The more PM Samak speaks, the deeper the crisis seems to plunge. In parliament, he spoke of the need for him to stay put so that he can be seen as preserving the democratic system against mob rule. It sounded noble, but I couldn't help thinking whether it was too pompous for the premier to equate himself with the whole regime. Does he truly believe that he is so indispensable that were he to step down the whole democratic system would go down with him?

 

 

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