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Yingluck has said authorities will "absolutely not use
violence" to disperse the demonstrators. But the situation is delicate
after Thai police issued an arrest warrant against protest leader Suthep
Thaugsuban. The current protests have reanimated the tensions along Thailand 's
political fault lines -- Thaksin Shinawatra's mostly rural support base on one
side, the Bangkok-based elite and middle classes on the other. The same
division left the country wracked with turbulence for four years after the 2006
coup, culminating in a 2010 army crackdown on Thaksin supporters that left more
than 90 dead. The current protests are in response to a government-backed
amnesty bill that could have extended a pardon to Thaksin Shinawatra and opened
the door for his return to Thailand .
Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister has
dominated the country's political scene for more than a decade despite going
into exile after his ouster in a 2006 coup. Thaksin, is a deeply polarizing
figure -- a billionaire telecommunications mogul who built his political power
on policies popular with Thailand 's
rural villagers. He founded Advanced Info Service, Thailand 's most successful mobile
phone operator. His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is under pressure after
widespread anger over its recent failed attempt to pass a bill that could have
granted amnesty to Thaksin and others.
The demonstrations are bringing instability once again to Thailand , a key
regional economy and popular tourist destination. Suthep Thaugsuban, a former
deputy prime minister under the previous Democrat-led government, has said the
demonstrations "will not stop until Thaksin's regime is wiped out. Opposition
to Thaksin and Yingluck is strongest among the urban elites and middle class.
That means the capital; while Thaksin's traditional support comes from the
populous rural areas of north and northeast of Thailand .
Today there is news that Thailand ’s embattled prime minister
easily survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament today[28.11.13]. Lawmakers in Bangkok voted 297 to 134
against unseating Yingluck Shinawatra. The motion never had a chance of
succeeding, though, because her party and its allies hold a comfortable
majority in the House of Representatives. The present protests represent the
biggest threat yet to Yingluck’s administration, and they have raised fears of
fresh political violence in the divided Southeast Asian nation.
So far they have been peaceful. Yingluck has repeatedly
said she wants to avert violence and offered to negotiate an end to the crisis.
Security forces have not even fired tear gas to prevent protesters from forcing
the closure of multiple government offices ~ but things are not well for Thailand and
for Yingluck Shinawatra
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
28th Nov. 2013.
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