Bangkok, anti-government protesters besiege army headquarters
Bangkok ( AsiaNews / Agencies) - On
the sixth consecutive day of protests, about one thousand anti-government
protesters today stormed the army headquarters in Bangkok, demanding the
support of the military in the fight for the resignation of the Thai government.
Waving
flags and banners, the opponents massed on the lawn inside the compound, located
in the historic district of the capital, sheltering from the sun with colorful
umbrellas . "We
want to know - said Amorn Amornrattananont , one of the protest leaders - if
the army will stand with the people or with the dictators ." So
far the military has taken no official position, even if on several occasions the
same Prime Minister has used force to disperse the protesters .
The
protesters want the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra , accused of being a "puppet" in the hands of her
brother Thaksin , a billionaire and former prime minister in exile to escape a
sentence of two years in prison. In
reality, the current government was democratically elected in 2011 and enjoys
consensus in large parts of Thailand and yesterday easily survived a
no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition in Parliament (297 votes against
134).
The
protests of the anti -government protesters - a mix of members of the middle
class, royalists and inhabitants of the areas to the south of the country - are
the most impressive since 2010, when the kingdom was shaken by a series of demonstrations
that ended with a bloodbath and the
deaths of 90 civilians . The
protesters, tens of thousands so far, are calling for the end of the "
Thaksin regime " to be replaced - without an election - with a so-called "council of the people ."
Along
with the military , hundreds of opponents gathered outside the headquarters of
the Shinawatra government Puea Thai Party, in an "open challenge" to
the executive and to its leader, who continues to advocate dialogue for a
peaceful solution to the dispute. Yesterday
protesters cut power to the police headquarters in Bangkok, in a clear act of provocation
towards one of the symbols of authority in the country. Ministries,
government offices and local governments in several southern provinces had
previously been targeted.
The
tension is expected to heighten even more over the weekend, when the protest leaders
- including former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban - will hold large-scale
demonstrations , in a last ditch attempt, before the traditional time for
"calm and respect" that accompanies
the birthday celebrations ( December 5) of King Bhumibol Adulyadej .
With
the fall of the Thaksin's administration in 2006, Thailand saw a wave of
protests that led to social and political instability. The latest chapter was
triggered by the government's amnesty bill, which would (among other things)
allow Thaksin Shinawatra to return from exile. The proposal, which was recently
rejected by the Senate, has also angered government supporters because it would
have pardoned those responsible for the massacres of 2010. For Prime Minister
Yingluck's government, which has a big majority in parliament and is not likely
to lose a vote in the House, this is the most critical time since she came to
power in 2011.
.png)
29/10/2020 09:55
