Government Doomed?

[Old Hippie]

RAID AT THAICOM

Govt hangs by a thread

By The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- PM blasts top brass over failure to enforce emergency law; troops back at Thaicom as govt again pulls plug on PTV

 

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday lashed out at the military top brass for failing to enforce the emergency law passed on Thursday, on a day when his leadership was tested to the limit.

 

Adding salt to his wounds, the red-shirt leaders managed to go back on air on their mouthpiece People Channel television station in the evening.

 

At a meeting of security agencies with the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation, Abhisit told them that people were disappointed with the officials for their failure to enforce the law.

 

"I don't ask you to take any political side but I ask you to protect the rule of law and enforce the law. I ask you to perform your duty, but you don't," he told the top brass at the meeting, as they remained silent. "No government can stay in power unless law enforcement is effective", he said.

 

Shortly after the meeting late last night, Abhisit said in a televised statement that officials and the government were not discouraged and would not give up. "I shall not give up. It is the single mission to achieve," he said.

 

"Military, police and all security forces have no right to be discouraged, no right to fail," Abhisit said.

 

Another humiliating blow for the government was the failure of the authorities to nab any of the 17 red-shirt leaders for whom arrest warrants have been issued.

 

Protesters at Rajprasong intersection and Phan Fa bridge at Rajdamnoen Avenue cheered as they saw their protests back on air on People Channel.

 

The leaders claimed victory for their struggle in front of the huge crowd in the evening as they returned from the Thaicom satellite's earth station.

 

Hours earlier, thousands of protesters had moved to the Thaicom earth station in Pathum Thani's Lat Lum Kaeo district, some 50 kilometres north of Bangkok, to force the station to reconnect their satellite-linked channel after the government had unplugged it on Thursday.

 

15 injured

 

A brief clash with the soldiers guarding the area left 15 people, including five officials, slightly injured as they tried to get into the station compound.

 

However, the red victory lasted only a few hours.

 

A few minutes after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra phoned in to the rally, People Channel was off the air again. The government deployed troops at the earth station in Pathum Thani again last night.

 

The government had enforced the emergency law to ban the red-shirt media and some other independent websites on the grounds that they misinformed the public against the government and incited unrest.

 

As the drama at Thaicom ended, the situation at Rajprasong intersection became tense when the protesters blocked anti-riot police, who were preparing to move out from the Royal Thai Police headquarters to the protesting stage. A confrontation took place for five minutes.

 

The protesters brought Buddhist monks to the front, to counter which the police regrouped by bringing female riot police to the front of their lines. The protesters retreated as Buddhist monks in the Theravada sect cannot have physical contact with females.

 

Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai later promised the protesters that police would not use force against them but wanted to reinforce protection for them, as intelligence information suggested that third parties might engage in sabotage acts.

 

The confrontation at the police headquarters was an attempt to remove the protesters from Rajprasong intersection, a government source said.

 

Speculation loomed large yesterday that the coalition parties in the government, which had called a meeting on Thursday night, wanted the authorities to use force to end the lengthy protest.

 

If the crackdown got out of control and caused bloodshed, Abhisit would take responsibility by stepping down from the position and a new leader from the ruling Democrat Party would take over, a source said.

 

Dissolution of Parliament as demanded by the protesters is not seen as an option, as none of the parties in the coalition government is ready for a new election and the top brass want the government to complete the annual reshuffle of the military first, the source added.

 

 

-- The Nation 2010-04-10

 

 

 

I like how the police used female riot police to back the monks off...I wonder what Thai female riot police look like? anyone have photos?

[Bangkoktraveler]

I think what Thaksin wants is to rename Taksin Bridge to Thaksin Bridge.

 

The rest will be elementary.

[Flashermac]

I'm not sure if the government is doomed, but I am quite sure that democracy is doomed.

 

It is quite clear that neither side really wants democracy. It is just an easy slogan.

 

p.s. Post says at least 9 dead reported.

 

 

[Wallenda]

The protesters brought Buddhist monks to the front, to counter which the police regrouped by bringing female riot police to the front of their lines. The protesters retreated as Buddhist monks in the Theravada sect cannot have physical contact with females.

 

It's like some bizarre game of human poker.

 

[WorldFun]

yes seems like a game - 19 deads & almost a thouand injured - just in yesterdays clash alone doesn't seem to mean much to any of the sides

[Old Hippie]

Well both sides are supposedly fighting for what they believe in.

[cavanami]

I would say that the army is just following orders and not so much what they might believe in...IMO.