Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Thai capital on Monday (November 4) to oppose government plans to pass an amnesty bill, approved by lawmakers last week, that could allow the return of self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, one of Thailands most polarising figures. It follows a previous mass protest on Friday (November 1). The demonstrators accuse the ruling Puea Thai Party and its leader, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, of using the amnesty bill to whitewash the crimes of her billionaire brother, Thaksin, who was overthrown in a military coup in 2006 and has lived abroad since 2008 to escape corruption charges. Around 15,000 Thais, led by opposition Democrat party, marched through the streets of Bangkok and camped at the democracy monument. Democrat party MP, Boonyod Sukthinthai, urged the government to listen to the people. There is pressure from every side of society. The government has to listen to the peoples voice, that this amnesty bill is unacceptable, he said. The protesters have vowed to stay until the government revokes the bill from the parliament debate. Although it could be weeks before the bill becomes law, the protests in Bangkok by Thaksins opponents, including royalist groups and members of the opposition Democrat Party, threaten to disturb months of relative calm in a country scarred by bloody unrest in 2010. Thaksin, who won elections in 2001 and 2005 by landslides, remains a populist hero among the poor, whose votes helped Yingluck and her party sweep elections in 2011. But corruption scandals and alleged abuses of power steadily eroded his popularity among Bangkoks middle classes. That was compounded by royalist accusations that Thaksin was undermining the countrys powerful monarchy, which he denied. Some groups who have backed the government feel betrayed and criticised the bill, saying it would grant amnesty to those responsible for the killing of more than 90 protesters, most of them Thaksins supporters, during two months of anti-government demonstrations in 2010. They fear the amnesty would extend immunity from prosecution to former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who was in power in 2010 and authorised the use of live ammunition to disperse the protesters. Abhisit, who is now opposition leader, and his former deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban, were charged last week with murder in connection with the 2010 crackdown.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 15:07:18 +0000
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