11/25/2013, 00.00
THAILAND
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Bangkok : tens of thousands take to streets against government , fears of new violence

The " Yellow Shirts " demand ouster of the executive and the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra . Protest sparked by proposed amnesty for Thaksin . Opponents believe he is the true "leader" of the current government . Repression of the 2010 protests, with 90 deaths, still vivid.

Bangkok ( AsiaNews / Agencies) - Tens of thousands of people took to the streets today in Bangkok, for the third consecutive day , in an escalation of protests aimed at obtaining the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the fall of the government. The protesters are headed toward 13 different sensitive areas of the Thai capital , including the headquarters of the army and police , as well as five TV stations controlled by the military or by the executive. According to the protesters Yingluck 's brother , Thaksin Shinawatra , the billionaire who chose exile to escape a prison sentence for corruption, is the real leader of the current leadership.

The - the anti-government - "Yellow Shirts " protests against the Shinawatra siblings is the most impressive since the crisis of 2010, when the kingdom was shaken by a series of events that ended with a bloodbath and the deaths of 90 civilians . "We are fed up with the Thaksin power system ," said the deputy leader of the opposition Suthep Thaugsuban , addressing the crowd . The protesters responded by singing the song " Thaksin get out , and welcome the army ," an implicit call for military intervention in a nation that has experienced 18 coups or attempted overthrows of power since 1932 , when it became a constitutional monarchy.

Fears remain of a repeat of the street violence of the past between the military and demonstrators , with more victims and serious repercussions on the economy of the country. Moreover, since 2006 , with the fall of the executive led by Thaksin , the country has been plagued by cyclical protests and demonstrations that help fuel the social and political instability .

For the Government of Prime Minister Yingluck it is the most critical time since coming to power in 2011. Also yesterday, 50 thousand "Red Shirts " - the government's supporters - gathered in a soccer field in the capital, to develop strategies to support the executive, its leader and her brother Thaksin .

For weeks the capital of Thailand has been the scene of demonstrations promoted by the opposition, enraged by a government amnesty bill , which would (among others things) grant the opportunity to Thaksin Shinawatra to return from exile . The proposal , which was rejected recently by the Upper House of Parliament (the Senate ) , has also angered the supporters of the executive, because it pardons those responsible for the massacres of 2010.

The current opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva , former head of the government at the time of the violence , and his deputy Suthep are charged with murder, for coordinating the military operation that ended in bloodshed . During the most critical phases, soldiers used live ammunition to disperse the crowd of " Red Shirts " , with the support of armored vehicles and tanks .

Last week , the government suffered another setback with the vote in the Senate : the Constitutional Court in fact rejected a proposal for an elaborate reform of the Senate including the direct election of all representatives of the Upper House . At this time the Democratic Party is considering proposed a motion of no confidence in the government and the prime minister Yingluck , the goal is to vote tomorrow at the latest, even if the ruling party dominates the House of Representatives by a wide margin and it is very unlikely that the motion will be successful .

 

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