Thai king marks birthday with call for peace and solidarity amid protest truce
Bangkok ( AsiaNews) - In a speech to the nation on the occasion of his 86th birthday today, the Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej urged his people to collaborate and show mutual support, for the good of the country. In a period characterized by opposition protests against the Shinawatra government, with tens of thousands of people marching through the center of Bangkok, the elderly monarch spoke of the principle of unity . Just yesterday the "Yellow Shirts " ( the anti-government demonstrators , ed) announced a truce to pay homage to the king , a figure beloved and revered by the people like a god , they have, however, added that the protests will continue once the festivities are over.
In a speech delivered from the
palace in the coastal town of Hua Hin , the monarch pointed out that Thailand
has long been a country at peace because of the "unity " of his
people. An
implicit reference to the recent clashes, which caused four deaths and dozens
of injuries . The
objective of the uprising is 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 who fled
into exile to escape a two year prison sentence.
In
reality , the current government was democratically elected in 2011 and on 28
November last easily passed a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition in
Parliament (297 votes against 134).
Thousands of people headed towards
the royal palace today, hoping to see and greet King Bhumibol Adulyadej . Authorities
put on special trains and buses from major cities and , in particular, from
Bangkok. It
is well-established tradition that the king give a speech to the nation on his
birthday, this year the monarch drew attention to peoples duty to help each
other, for the good of the country.
"All Thais should realise this point
a lot and behave and perform our duties accordingly - said the king, before the authorities including the same Prime Minister
Shinawatra and the highest offices of government. "Our duty for the sake of the public, for
stability, security for our nation of Thailand " . The
monarchy has no official political role , but it carries a strong moral
authority and enjoys the loyalty and blind obedience of the army and the
military, the true eminence grise of the country.
AsiaNews sources in
Bangkok, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that "most likely"
the King's appeal "will not lead to any great results." The
demonstrations of respect and love for the monarch is a facade, "everyone
says they love the king" but, in many cases, exploit and abuse his figure"
and it has always been so"." However,
there appears to be "a window of opportunity" for a peaceful
resolution of the conflict: "The government - confirms the source - is
doing everything possible to enter into dialogue, although there is nothing
concrete. Meanwhile, intellectuals and Buddhist religious leaders are
also pushing for talks and the army do not intend to intervene in a violent way
. , there are still hopes to put an end to tensions in a peaceful manner".
The
anti -government protests - a mix of 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 events that ended with a bloodbath
and the deaths of 90 civilians . The
latest unrest was triggered by a government amnesty bill , which would (among
other things) have granted 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 would
have pardoned those responsible for the massacres of 2010.
.png)
