Os tumultos estão de volta às ruas de Bangkok, onde milhares de "Camisas vermelhas" - assim se denominam os apoiantes do ex-primeiro ministro Thaksin Shinawatra - saíram à rua exigindo a demissão do Governo de Abhisit Vejjajiva. Cerca de 25 mil manifestantes marcharam de Sanam Luang, um local tradicional para demonstrações anti-governo, até à sede do Governo. As autoridades vigiaram de perto a marcha de dois quilómetros, não se tendo registado incidentes de maior. À espera dos "Camisa vermelhas" estavam 10 mil soldades com instruçõespara prevenir os manifestantes de ocupar o palácio. Abhisit apelou aos manifestantes que cumpram a lei e evitem atitudes violentas. Abhisit, 43 anos, líder do Partido Democrático, foi nomeado primeiro-ministro em Dezembro, após a queda do anterior governo pro-Thaksin. Shinawatra, que enfrenta a hipótese de passar dois anos na prisão por corrupção e abuso de poder, tem-se dirigido aos "Camisas vermelhas" quase diariamente, numa tentativa de galvanizar o movimento de massas anti-governamental.
Estimado Amigo Leocardo, os tumultos não voltaram à Tailândia, somente mais uma mega manisfestação junto à sede do governo, mas sem disturbios, a mesma terá o seu apogeu dia 29, pois milhares e milahres de camponeses vem a caminho de Bangkok, vem porque são pagos para isso.
ResponderEliminarEstes camisas vermelhas dizem qwue não desarmam enquanto o primeiro ministro não se demitir.
Tem muita razão quando diz que isto é uma república das bananas, em termos políticos ninguém se entende, a pretensão é o Poleiro, para poderem sacar o máximo possível, assim é a Tailândia com todos este tachistas.
DEMO cracia.
Eu todas as manhãs tenho que levar a minha filha que trabalha num gabinete junto ao do primeiro ministro, hoje quando lá fui, havia ruas interditas mas tudo estava sobre controle, os manifestantes esses, de camisolas vermelhas, só os seus três líderes falam os outros somente apoiam devido às massas que vão recebendo, e assim, desta forma, nunca se chegará a lado algum.
A políca na Tailândia me faz recordar o filme do Cantiflas - SOBE E DESCE.
UM ABRAÇO AMIGO DE BANGKOK COM AMIZDE
About 20,000 red-shirt demonstrators ringing the Government House compound are threatening to hold their ground until the Democrat-led government steps down.
ResponderEliminarProtesters led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorshipmake their way down Ratchadamnoen Avenue towards Government House. APICHART JINAKUL
Demonstrators taking part in the rally, organised yesterday by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), are hoping to receive a boost today when former premier Thaksin Shinawatra delivers on his threat to expose the "extra-constitutional figure" who unseated him in 2006.
Thaksin was to address the crowd by video link yesterday at 8.10pm but said he had trouble getting through.
He accused the military of jamming incoming signals.
Thaksin, who claimed to be calling from Africa, attacked the armed forces for not treating the red-shirt demonstrators as well as they did their yellow-shirt rivals last year. He pointed to the heavy troop presence inside Government House.
NOTE: Earlier story, photos here.
The army sent about 5,000 troops to assist the 3,300 police guarding the compound.
UDD core member and Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan said the protest would continue until the government resigned but the demonstrators would avoid provocation and violence.
"But if troops crack down on the demonstrators, they will see a people's war and they will lose," warned Mr Jatuporn.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said he hoped the rally would not turn violent and stressed the need for patience by security forces in dealing with the protesters.
Yesterday's rally began at Sanam Luang with no resistance from security forces and the crowd moved on to Government House.
The protesters used cranes to lift containers, positioned by police to block them, to open up a passage so they could surround Mr Abhisit's offices. The containers, filled with sand, were dumped into Prem Prachakon canal.
The targets of the UDD protest were mainly Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, privy councillor Surayud Chulanont and the Democrat party and its 2,000-baht cheque handout which started yesterday.
Some demonstrators decided to give their 2,000 baht to the UDD.
Charoen Panya, a UDD follower from Chiang Mai, lambasted the giveaway as a bribe.
"It is state money and it is unacceptable to spend it for political gain," he said. "It serves them right that we donate the money to oust the government."
The UDD protest was criticised by the business community, who fears it can only hurt the economy.
"The world economy, including Thailand's, is in very poor condition. We can't take any more trouble," said Dusit Nontanakorn, the new chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
"If we really love Thailand, we all have to join together to help make things better."
Adirek Sripatak, the president and chief executive of Charoen Pokphand Foods, said fresh protests and conflict would only further undermine confidence in the economy and hurt investment and tourism.
Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thailand Travel Agents , said the red-shirt rally would surely damage the tourism industry, particularly among international tourists like the Chinese who are very sensitive to this kind of issue.
Notícas publicadas hoje no jornal Bangkok Post.
PRO-THAKSIN RALLY
ResponderEliminarThousands at Government House
By Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation
Published on March 27, 2009
Photo by Korbphuk Phromrekha
An estimated 40,000 Thaksin supporters in red shirts yesterday mounted the largest protest against the government since Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva took power and marched from Sanam Luang to Government House.
More supporters and members of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship were expected to join by the weekend, and some leaders even claimed that hundreds of thousands would arrive from upcountry by tomorrow.
Protesters got furious at finding about a dozen dumpster-sized, sand-filled metal containers blocking Makkawan Bridge on Rajdamnoen Avenue and other spots around Government House.
DAAD leaders ordered a mobile crane to remove the containers. Two were dumped into a canal in front of Gate 1 at Government House.
One was turned into a makeshift lavatory, one was used to block off Government House's western gate from the outside others served as blank canvasses for graffiti to release the protesters' anger at the containers, which were believed to have been put up by the Army.
"The Armed Forces belong to the people and aren't someone's private property," read one message spray-painted on a container.
"They never give us justice and that's why the number of red-shirt people is visible all over the land now," said another.
DAAD co-leader Weng Tojirakarn urged the men to guard the protest site, which surrounds the Government House compound, at night, while women would relieve them during the day.
"Let the enemy not attack us at 4am or 5am," Weng told the crowd in front of Government House in the late afternoon.
Anger was vented at various spots, with lesser-known and unknown members of the DAAD ridiculing or inciting hatred against those they regard as their enemies.
"I don't feel any stress," said a woman, who introduced herself to the crowd from the back of a pickup truck as Mae Daeng from Nakhon Ratchasima.
"This is because when I get up in the morning the first thing I do is I lambaste Thep Thaug [on community radio]," she said.
She was referring to Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who met the Army chief just prior to the formation of this administration, leading to the belief that this is an Army-engineered government.
Daeng went on to verbally abuse the People's Alliance for Democracy and others and whipped up the crowd into jeering.
By then, which was about 5pm, Mae Daeng's picture printed with a smiling Thaksin Shinawatra next to her was placed on a metal traffic fence standing on top of the large container now blocking the back entrance of Government House.
Shortly before 6pm, at Gate 1 on the eastern side of Government House, a group of protesters lashed out at a television reporter and her crew from TV Thai public television, formerly known as Thai PBS.
"Lies! Lies!," they screamed, livid at the live reporting just a stone's throw away near the front lawn inside the Government House compound.
The protesters regard TV Thai as heavily biased against them.
"Liars, liars, aren't you ashamed," a woman yelled.
"Go hang yourself!" shouted another from outside the gate.
Soon one claimed that a male TV crew member gave them a vulgar sign with his hand. It got them roaring back even louder. "Go and take some drug and die!" a fuming male red shirt cried out.
Just a few minutes away, on the southern side of Government House, protesters were asking police if the packaged food being delivered through a gate was for Army officers inside or police.
"Don't give it to the soldiers," one said.
"If Abhisit comes tomorrow let him crawl in like a dog," said another, as loudspeakers and projectors were being set up in anticipation of Thaksin's promised phone-in later in the evening.
Notícas publicadas hoje no Jornal THE NATION - BANGKOK