Security tightens at Government House to block anti-govt protestors

Thousands of police officers have barricaded roads around Government House to block anti-government protestors from moving in to besiege the government seat Friday afternoon, aimed at pressureing the elected government to resign.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who also serves as defence minister, earlier pledged to refrain from using force against the protesters.

Friday morning the premier was attending a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in preparation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.

Meanwhile, Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Suebwonglee reportedly shifted the venue of a meeting from Government House to the Ministry of Finance in an apparent bid to avoid confrontation with the demonstrators.

Other cabinet members are nowhere to be seen, and some government civil servants have opted to stay at home in fear of possible violence.

Security around Government House has been tightened with uniformed police manning the barricades along all routes to the government seat.

The anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and its supporters have been demonstrating since May 25 in a bid to pressure the four-month-old coalition government to resign, claiming that Mr. Samak and his People Power Party are proxies of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Army Chief Anupong Paochinda said earlier that the army would not get involved or use force against the crowds.

“It’s the police who will take charge,” said the Army chief. “I’m sure they have proper measures to handle the situation.”

Police Chief Pol.Gen. Patcharawat Wongsuwan said the police would use only non-violent measures and exercise the utmost patience.

Concerns that the PAD-led protests could turn violent spooked investors who unloaded their stocks over the past three weeks.

Thai stock index opened lower Friday at 737.83, down 4.63 points.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand’s president Patareeya Benjapolchai on Thursday conceded the SET composite index went into a free fall upon investor concerns over the persistent gathering of anti-government demonstrators.

She said rising inflation and upward interest trend also made investors jittery and slow their investment in the stock market, opting instead to sell off shares to reduce risks while they monitor the situation.

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Ads for “Thaksin, Fight” energy drink pulled

Promoters of a new Thai energy drink called “Thaksin, Fight” have had to scale back their advertising for fear of inciting violence between supporters and opponents of the ousted prime minister.

With small but daily street rallies against Thaksin Shinawatra clogging up Bangkok’s streets, drink-maker Natchapol Supatana said on Tuesday he had decided to cancel television and radio slots for the bitter-sweet beverage.

“We are using his name to ride on his popularity among many Thais but we don’t want to be accused of being a catalyst for worsening social division,” Natchapol told Reuters. “We are now opting for direct sales to shops and superstores.”

The drink, similar to Thailand’s popular “Red Bull” energy drink, has been a hit in taste tests with northern Thais, who handed the telecoms billionaire thumping election victories in 2001 and 2005 before protests triggered his removal in a 2006 coup.

With an avowedly pro-Thaksin administration back in charge after a December election, the anti-government demonstrations have started again — as have the fears of social discord and even talk another coup.

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43 state enterprises join anti-PM rally; threaten electricity, water cuts

Reiterating that they would continue to provide moral support to the ongoing marathon rally against the coalition government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej in central Bangkok, leaders of 43 state-owned and operated enterprises on Tuesday pledged to adopt latest tactics by cutting
off electricity, water and allowing the public to travel at no cost on trains and buses.

In a move seen as greatly increasing political ‘temperature’ and pressure by directly challenging the four-month-old government, leaders of the 43 state enterprises said they would continue to cooperate with the anti-government rally organised by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and that they were prepared to adopt the PAD’s “civil disobedience” strategy.

The PAD has been demonstrating near the gates of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the UN’s regional headquarters, since May 25, demanding that Mr. Samak to leave his post.

Sathit Kaew-wan, secretary-general of the Confederation of State Enterprises Labour Union, said his organisation has decided to join the PAD rally, ready to implement its “civil disobedience” programme and that its members are awaiting an instruction of PAD core leaders.

The strategy, said Mr. Sathit, involves allowing people to travel on state-run trains and buses operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority at no cost and cutting off electricity supply to government agencies.

A deputy labour union chairman of the government-run Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) said the civil disobedience would start at the Interior Ministry because it has not paid electricity bills for several months. At present the ministry owes more than Bt13 million to the MEA.

The electricity authority wrote to the ministry on June 11, asking that it settle the bills quickly but there is no response so far.

Mr. Sathit said the union members would stop their work immediately if the government uses force in breaking up the PAD rally.

The government has failed to achieve its task of administering the country, especially in regard to solving the current rising cost of living, he said.

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Opposition to file no-confidence motion against PM, cabinet members

The opposition Democrat Party has resolved to lodge a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and several other members of his cabinet within the current extraordinary parliamentary session, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva announced Sunday.

The Opposition party planned to submit the censure motion to House Speaker Chai Chidchob so that it could possibly be put in the floor debate within the current extraordinary session, scheduled to last until the end of this month.

Mr. Abhisit charged that the People Power Party-led coalition government had deliberately slowed down the 2009 Budget Bill until the last week of this month only to avert the censure debate.

The Opposition leader said the planned censure debate, which is to be followed by votes of confidence either for or against the Samak Administration, will be lodged on grounds that the premier and several of his cabinet members had had failures which he said should be considered detrimental to the country and the people’s interests.

Among the alleged failures held accountable by the Samak government was the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority’s plans to procure 6,000 NGV-fueled, air-conditioned buses and decommissioning of non-air-conditioned buses, according to the Democrat party leader.

All Democrat MPs were obliged to sign the no-confidence motion at parliament Tuesday (June 17), he said.

The Democrats’ latest move against the Samak government emerged after the premier had earlier rejected the desperate call for him to endorse an earlier-sought general debate which might have been scheduled under the constitution’s article 179.

Mr. Samak earlier explained that floor debate on the budget bill would likely be such a time-consuming session that there would be no time left for subsequent debate.

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BANGKOK, THAILAND: Tens of thousands of heavy trucks are threatening to cause havoc in the Thai capital while fishermen have begun burning their boats in nationwide protests against soaring prices of fuel and other essentials, protesters said Thursday (12 June).

The government has until next Tuesday (17 June) to subsidize fuel for truckers or face at least 100,000 vehicles rumbling into already traffic-clogged Bangkok, said Thongyoo Khongkhan, secretary-general of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand.

Also protesting or planning to stage demonstrations in this still heavily agricultural nation were garlic, cabbage and rice farmers, along with fishermen.

A government spokesman said money has been allocated to subsidize some costs of the farmers, fishermen and transport workers.

“The government is trying its best to reduce the immediate problem of the various groups of protesters,” said Natawut Saikau.

“The ongoing protests are not affecting the stability of the government but merely affecting the feelings of the people,” he said.

Prices for some commodities, such as rice, have risen because of greater worldwide demand, but farmers complain that these have been offset by skyrocketing inflation spurred by soaring fuel prices.

Thongyoo said a half-day strike Wednesday (11 June) by truckers who parked their vehicles on highways across the country was only a prelude to next week’s possible push into Bangkok.

“Yesterday we merely showed our power by parking the trucks on the roads, but if the government fails to meet our demand, the federation has decided to make 17 June D-day when we will bring at least 100,000 trucks into Bangkok,” Thongyoo told The Associated Press.

The federation demands that the government sell diesel to them for 3 baht (9 U.S. cents) less than the market price per liter and allocate funds to the federation to convert truck engines from diesel to cheaper natural gas.

The president of the Fishing Federation of Thailand Mana Sripitak said that more than half of the 50,000 fishing boats under its wing are being kept ashore because of the high cost of diesel.

Some fishermen have burned their boats in protest, he said, as the federation negotiated with the government for subsidies.

Farmers have in recent days staged protests in Bangkok asking the government to relieve their debts while rice and garlic farmers in northern Thailand have demonstrated against the high cost of living and the low prices for their crops.

Adding to the government’s woes is a threat by major labor unions to join up with pro-democracy demonstrations that have been occurring daily in Bangkok in recent weeks.

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