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Thai leader under rising pressure

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Foreign tourists ducked for cover in Bangkok this weekend, as bullets flew in the Thai capital’s old quarter. The violence in the streets was the worst in Bangkok in nearly 20 years. The protesters want the prime minister to resign. And they won a political victory today. Thailand’s election commission recommended that charges of financial irregularities be brought against the prime minister’s party. That could lead to the dissolution of the ruling party. Still, Simon Montlake reports that the streets of Bangkok remain turbulent. (flickr image by motoyen)

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MARCO WERMAN:  Foreign tourists duck for cover in Bangkok this weekend as bullets flew in the Thai capital’s old quarter.  The violence in the streets was the worst in Bangkok in nearly 20 years.  The protestors want the Prime Minister to resign and they won a political victory today.  Thailand’s election commission recommended that charges of financial irregularities be brought against the Prime Minister’s party.  That could lead to the dissolution of the ruling party.  Still, Simon Montlake reports that the streets of Bangkok remain turbulent.

SIMON MONTLAKE:  Opposition supporters known as red shirts shout slogans and waive red banners.  They carry empty coffins with framed pictures of their slain colleagues.  Bangkok remains under a state of emergency.  So this parade and other demonstrations by the red shirted protestors are illegal, but that hasn’t stopped the red shirts.  And on Saturday, their anger met with deadly retaliation.  A street battle raged between thousands of red shirts and security forces.  Twenty-one people were killed.  The Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva blames people he calls terrorists for inciting the violence.  But red shirt supported and university professor Toom says the Thai leader isn’t fooling anyone.

FEMALE VOICE 1:  I think more people will come and join the red shirts because they can see what’s going on.  They want Abhisit to dissolve the Parliament.  That’s all they want.  They want a new election.  They want true democracy.  That’s what they want.

MONTLAKE: The red shirts same Abhisit came to power illegally with the help of the military.  The protestors say he doesn’t speak for Thailand’s poor.  Red shirts have camped out in the capital for weeks.  They sleep in the shadows of luxury malls and hotels.  Abhisit met with red shirt leaders last month and hear their political demands.  But no deal was reached on when to hold elections.  So the red shirts began to crank up their campaign of civil disobedience until Abhisit declared an emergency and sent in the soldiers.  Abhisit spokesman Panitan Wattanyagom, says the soldiers fought back only after they came under fire, though it’s not clear who shot first.  Nor is it clear when there might be talks to resolve the crisis.

MALE VOICE 1:  Prime Minister is open for negotiation.  Situation should return back to the beginning where there is no law breaking, there is not attempting to block certain intersections.  If they’re still breaking laws on the streets then it’s difficult for him to sit down and talk.

MONTLAKE: Abhisit is popular with Bangkok professionals and has the backing of Thailand’s military, at least for now.  Abhisit insists his government will continue in office.  But some red shirts want to see the return of the former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.  Thaksin sold himself as a man of the people, the populist leader.  Four years ago he lost power in a military coup.  He now lives in Dubai and is wanted at home for corruption.  In February a Court seized nearly two billion dollars of hi assets.  But activist Toom says the red shirts are not fighting for Thaksin.

FEMALE VOICE 1:  They government tried to make everyone believe that everything we do is for Thaksin, but it’s not.  It’s for true democracy.

MONTLAKE: Thailand’s democracy is still a work in progress.  Rural votes are bought and sold.  The rich and powerful are usually above the law, but there is a mood of change in the air.  That’s according to former cabinet minister Chaturon Chaisaeng who’s now a red shirt.

CHATURON CHAISAENG:  It is ideological fight and it’s about power.  It’s about power of people, which was deprived of by the military and by the system, by the elite of this country.  People want to fight for their power back.

MONTLAKE: The Army has been called back for now.  But the fight to decide Thailand’s future continues and Saturday’s bloodletting may not be the last.  For The World, this is Simon Montlake in Bangkok.

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