Emergency in Thailand

The state of emergency has been imposed in Thailand. This is the third time in eight months that authorities have imposed a state of emergency in Bangkok. The move bans public gatherings of more than five people and empowers the police and military to detain suspects for up to thirty days without any charge. However, the police said the rally outside Abhisit’s offices swelled to 15000 after the declaration with its leaders sounding defiant tone. “ I don’t care for this state of emergency , it’s just paper dirtied with ink. Protest organizer Nattawut Sikuar told the crowd. The demonstrators’ political hero Thaksin later addressed them by telephone from exile. “ I will closely monitor the situation and if there is any violence , I will return to Thailand immediately . I will not allow them to use force.”

Pro-Thaksin protesters took to the street two weeks ago demanding Abhisit’s quit. They say he came to power illegitimately in December. The chaos in Bangkok is a virtual replay of crises last year that ended up forcing out two premiers loyal to Thaksin who was toppled in a military coup in 2006 and remains in exile. Police said they earlier arrested the former pop singer turned protest leader Arisman Pongreungrong at his Bangkok home, on the charge of inciting protesters to kidnap the prime minister and cause unrest in the country. Thaksin remains in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption but has rallied supporters and incensed the government –with almost rightly video and telephone speeches from an unidentified foreign hideout. He has made a series of speeches by telephone and video in recent weeks to incite anti-government street rallies loyal to him and his allies in the previous administration. Speaking to CNN from an undisclosed location, the fugitive tycoon Thaksin said that soldiers who were seen earlier firing rounds into the air to disperse his rioting supporters in Bangkok had killed many. They trapped the people. Many people died. They even take the dead bodes up on the truck and take them away. They are trying to confuse everything. Thaksin says. “You try to lie to the whole world. You try to lie to the people but it’s impossible.”

Thailand’s deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban appealed directly to soldiers and police to act to enforce state of emergency. Suthep, the minister assigned to implement emergency measures announced hours earlier, urged the security forces to get tough as they appeared reluctant to deal with anti-government protesters. “Police and military, you must carry out your duty to your best ability and restore normalcy as soon as possible’ he said in an address broadcast live to the nation. “ I will take all responsibility for all your actions “he added. “These are not constitutional demonstrators. They have injured senior officials.” The army has generally shied away from confronting protesters since action against riots in 1992 left dozens dead, and police moves against anti-Thaksin demonstrators last October left two dead.

Red-clad protesters loyal to Thaksin were earlier seen standing atop a pair of armoured cars driven by soldiers down a Banglai highway. Armed soldiers and tanks have been deployed across the capital and surrounding areas to crack down on protesters demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s resignation and fresh elections. Protesers armed with sticks and paving slabs earlier smashed a car they instantly thought was carrying the prime minister.

The bizarre scene unfolded after a state of emergency was declared to quell the demonstrators, sending tanks and armoured vehicles fanning into the streets of the capital backed by scores of troops. But it was not clear whether the soldiers deployed to enforce the security measure were sympathetic to the demonstrators cause or just giving them a friendly lift. But things became clear that the army has repeatedly been reluctant to use force during months of political turmoil despite the orders of their political masters. The protesters who want prime minister Vejjajiva to quit, have capitalized on this apparent ambivalence to wreck an Asian summit in the beach resort of Pattaya , and then caused chaos in the capital over the weekend.


However, the supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra at last withdrew their movement on April 14 and vacated the street after the army had started operation. Two protesters have been killed and more than hundred were injured by army action. Arrest order has been issued against Thaksin and his thirteen senior leaders though Thaksin in exile. A summit of ASEAN leaders was aborted in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya on April 11 when hundreds of supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra descended on the venue to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Obviously it was an embarrassing sight in full view of the world and it drew a shame to Thailand’s embattled government. Of course it was not quite unexpected. Thaksin’s elected government was overthrown and given the questionable way in which his two immediate successors, both his loyalists, were hounded out of office. One was removed by the judiciary on the dubious ground of having engaged in a conflict of interest by taking part in a television show. The other, a brother –in-law of Thaksin, had to quit when followers of the opposition then led by Abhisit Vejjajiva stormed the prime ministerial home and kept it occupied for months. The final act was a siege of Bangkok’s two airports. The chief of the army staff then made it publicly known that the wanted the prime minister to quit. Yes, the prime minister left power and Abhisit Vejjajiva, the preset prime minister , did not win an election but was sworn in as the new prime minister which obviously goes democratic norms and practice and the present crisis originated from this issue. The developing countries share this same practice that in any political turmoil they use armed forces. Armed forces are the sacred and neutral institution in any country. They must not be made to face any political crisis to make them debatable. Yes, only in any serious national crisis which touches all groups of people and only national interest is concerned, then the armed forces should be invited and used. The situation of Thailand seems to be totally political but the banning of ASEAN summit touches the national prestige which compelled the government to use armed forces. In any mature democracy, the use of police and para-military should be used to respond to any political turmoil of the country. Army should be the last resort and it should be only in the extreme national interest.

We want to see quite normalcy prevails in Thailand. We also want to see a free and fair election through which people will give their verdict who will be their next prime minister. Democracy means the reflection of people’s will and its real implementation.

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Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager: BRAC Education Programme, PACE
( The writer regularly writes on various national and international issues)
Phone: 9355253 (res), 01714-091431 (cell)
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com