Vol. 73/No. 18      May 11, 2009

A series of anti-government mobilizations shook Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, in the first three weeks of April. Thousands marched and rallied to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his unelected Democrat Party government.

One hundred thousand people mobilized in Bangkok on April 8 scorning Abhisit as the beneficiary of the 2006 military coup and more recent “legal” maneuvers to overturn other election results. Many wore red shirts to symbolize their support for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a multimillionaire businessman who was overthrown and exiled by the 2006 coup.

According to London's Telegraph newspaper, protest organizers built the action by chanting over loudspeakers, “Abhisit, get out! Prem, get out!” Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda is the retired head of the Thai army and the central adviser to King Bumibol Adulyadej. The monarchy plays a key role in Thai politics, in association with the military. Thaksin has accused Prem and others close to the king of organizing the 2006 coup.

The invasion of the ASEAN venue came two days later. In addition to ASEAN members in the region, the summit was planned to include representatives from China and South Korea and the imperialist governments of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. With thousands of police and soldiers unable to secure the venue, several heads of states had to be evacuated by helicopter.

Over the following days clashes in Bangkok streets intensified as protesters defended themselves against troops, police, and right-wing government supporters. With the toll standing at two dead and more than 100 people injured, protest leaders on April 15 called off the mobilizations. A number have been arrested.

Thailand’s ongoing political crisis, which is undermining ruling-class institutions like the monarchy, military, and courts, was sparked by the 2006 coup that overthrew Thaksin's Peoples Power Party government. First elected in 2001, the businessman built a broad base with his populist rhetoric and some reforms. His government instituted a system of widely available cheap credit, and also moved to expand access to health care.

In spite of the military coup, Thaksin’s party won new elections in December 2007, held after 15 months of military rule. This new government was targeted by rightist forces in the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Dressed in the king's color of yellow, PAD supporters shut down the capital’s airport for several weeks last November, facing little military backlash.

The wealthy, middle-class forces that dominate the PAD say that only 30 percent of parliament should be elected, in order to curb the influence of “ignorant” peasants. In lifting the state of emergency the prime minister rejected demands from Thaksin's supporters to hold new elections, saying that he would set up a commission of all parties to discuss reforming the constitution imposed by the military in 2007 after Thaksin was ousted.

Thailand is feeling the impact of the global contraction in production and trade. According to the March 29 Wall Street Journal, Thai officials are “forecasting the economy could shrink by up to 3 percent this year, compared with 2.6 percent growth in 2008 and 4.9 percent growth in 2007.” The Journal’s Web site states that 8 million people—out of a population of 62 million—have lost their jobs since September 2008.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home