Thai anti-government protesters mass outside Interior Ministry

**harrybarracuda** · 28-11-2013, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by Necron99

^ What if every political, economic and opposition commentator said that putting up the wage was going to lead to runaway inflation and a deathknell to the economy? Not everyone votes for the bird in the hand. You vote in self interest to a degree, but that is a far cry from accepting cash in hand or blatant pork barreling.. If you accept the latter two as the norm then you don't live in a democracy.

A large swathe of voters do vote that way because they don't see the big picture, or they don't see that they have much of an impact on it. Or in the US they vote for the party that can afford the most TV adverts.

That's why democracy as it stands frankly sucks in most countries.

**Zooheekock** · 28-11-2013, 07:19 PM

It doesn't say anything particularly new, but there's an unusually accurate report of recent goings on at Thailand’s Democrat Party Is Hilariously Misnamed | TIME.com

...It’s just that when it comes to Thai democracy, the ironically named Democrat Party is among the worst practitioners. Tens of thousands of Yellow Shirts are marching across the country, but demanding the establishment of royalist councils is hardly a people’s revolution. If anyone has been exercising people power, it’s the 15 million voters who elected Yingluck and her Pheu Thai party in July 2011. Thaksin-backed political parties have won the previous five elections with significant majorities, and Thaksin’s own populist policies helped bring millions of rural poor out of poverty. He remains the kingdom’s most popular Prime Minister since the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932.

There are, of course, plenty of reasons to oppose the billionaire telecom mogul: the catalog of nest-feathering business deals from his time in office left few in any doubt of his lack of scruples, while his 2003 “war on drugs” involved some 2,800 extrajudicial killings. The image of him directing demonstrations from his lavish Dubai haven, while his Red Shirt supporters risk arrest, violence and occasionally their lives, is hardly a heroic one. But the opposition’s failure to exploit these weaknesses is astonishing.

“We always talk about Thaksin because he’s corrupt, he’s abusive, but he keeps wining the election,” says Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. “We have to start asking about his opponents.”

The Democrat Party last won a majority in 1992. Its power base is the Bangkok bourgeoisie, described as “timid, selfish, uncultured, consumerist and without any decent vision of the future of the country” by Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson. As such, the party finds no support among the rural poor of the nation’s northeast — which is Red Shirt territory — and flounders at the ballot box. But instead of developing manifestos and platforms that could compete for rural votes, the party alienates the heartland electorate further by petulantly calling upon powerful allies — such as the military or judiciary — to undermine its rival....

**DrB0b** · 28-11-2013, 07:22 PM

http://www.dailynews.co.th/Content.do?contentId=198238

http://www.ryt9.com/s/iq02/1787490

Protesters cut off electricity supply to hospital.

**Butterfly** · 28-11-2013, 07:26 PM

this protest has no legs, completely pointless

Y has been a good sister and a passable PM, Thaksin got the message, so the Dems are not going to win this

**Zooheekock** · 28-11-2013, 07:33 PM

Looks like the uneducate people have employed the same proof-reader as last time.

Rural Surin: Anything to do with you, by any chance?

**Thormaturge** · 28-11-2013, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Turns out the hospital cut was not cut off; only the police HQ.

**harrybarracuda** · 28-11-2013, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by Zooheekock

Looks like the uneducate people have employed the same proof-reader as last time.

Rural Surin: Anything to do with you, by any chance?

Bing Translate mate. Have you tried translating Thai on Facebook?

**DrB0b** · 28-11-2013, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Turns out the hospital cut was not cut off; only the police HQ.

They share the same electricity supply. It's the police hospital and it's part of the police HQ.

**Gerbil** · 28-11-2013, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

That's why democracy as it stands frankly sucks in most countries.

I find blind faith in democracy as the best political system invented, disturbing. It's like horse buggy manufacturers clinging to belief that the internal combustion system was a passing fad.

With modern communications, a more informed populace (in some countries) with an active interest in determining the outcome of their own lives (rather than being restricted to placing an 'X' on a piece of paper once every 4 or 5 years), it's entirely possible that a more participatory system will evolve.

**Zooheekock** · 28-11-2013, 08:22 PM

^ That would be participatory democracy rather than representative democracy, then. But given the way that democracy is sliding away from people in many countries, that seems somewhat unlikely. Corporate fascism seems rather more probable than does all power going to the soviets.

**Gerbil** · 28-11-2013, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Zooheekock

That would be participatory democracy rather than representative democracy

True, but until recently (and probably the technology still isnt sufficient yet), participatory democracy could only work at a small scale level (town hall meetings, etc), not at a country level.

**Bettyboo** · 28-11-2013, 08:28 PM

There's lots written about the internet as a news, information sharing source, and one comment is that it hasn't turned out to be as liberating as expected because many government agencies (Israel, US, Thailand, etc) have put massive $$$ into manipulating and controlling information sources, many of which are just reused, retweeted, etc. Also , they find it easier to track individuals and groups. Lastly, when so many individuals rely on their phone/tablet/pc as their major information/news resource then cutting or manipulating that resource at specific moments offers massive power...

I'm not against Gerbil's idea as a part of a developing democratic ideal and practice, but there is a downside.

**sabang** · 28-11-2013, 08:44 PM

Electorally, the woefully misnamed Democrat party shoots itself in the foot again.

**pompeysbroke** · 28-11-2013, 08:54 PM

[quote=Zooheekock;2624051]Looks like the uneducate people have employed the same proof-reader as last time.

Remember that poster from the last time.... light skinned chinese yellow shirted dem pawns telling the dark skinned issarn red shirted takstwat pawns to "go home un-educate ones'...I mean wtf,,, the irony....it's only one letter amiss, but it means so much!

What is it with these people and proof reading? Print off a million t-shirts in a foreign language, just a simple one-liner that wouldn't be funny or meaningful anyway, even if spelt right. It isn't too much trouble to get a native to confirm the fucking spelling's correct, surely.

This mystery is akin to women plucking the fook out of their eybrows, only to pencil in an imaginary hairline afterwards, as if no-one has eyes to see the shortfall

**lom** · 29-11-2013, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by DrB0b

They share the same electricity supply. It's the police hospital and it's part of the police HQ.

I hoped for an interesting opinion of the situation in Bkk when I saw your nick but instead you chose to play the hospital card. Oh, horror!
Ok, I am in and I raise you with the diesel generator card.

**Notnow** · 29-11-2013, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by Zooheekock

Looks like the uneducate people have employed the same proof-reader as last time.

Rural Surin: Anything to do with you, by any chance?

Bing Translate mate. Have you tried translating Thai on Facebook?

You've given me an idea. I think Asia is ready for this. We have seen the results of 'that which they fear more than death' here, leaving devastated souls bereft of pride. These unfortunates can be reabilitated. I shall found LostFacebook for them, so they have a place to heal.

**Mid** · 04-05-2014, 11:17 AM

Protesters abandon Interior Ministry
Apinya Wipatayotin and Cheewin Sattha
3/05/2014

Anti-government demonstrators have decided to end their occupation of the Interior Ministry amid concern about a possible confrontation with local officials.

A PDRC guard repairs barbed wire at the Interior Ministry.
(Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban said that all those occupying the ministry would relocate to the main base at Lumpini Park on Saturday night so that authorities could retake the complex.

The decision came as representatives of 80,000 kamnan and village chiefs from across the country announced plans for a rally at the ministry in Bangkok on Sunday to demand an end to the seizure.

Mr Suthep himself began his political career as a kamnan and has attempted to rally local administrators to his side throughout his six-month protest.

He said on Saturday that the withdrawal was a tactical change and dismissed claims that it was prompted by the planned rally.

Authorities led by Pol Lt Gen Adul Narongsak, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau and senior ministry officials held talks with Thaworn Sienneam of the PDRC at the Defence Ministry to persuade the demonstrators to return the Interior Ministry to the caretaker government.

The PDRC set a condition that it would hand over the ministry only to national police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew and Gen Apirat Kongsompong, commander of the 1st Division, Kings Guard, before allowing soldiers to go inside to assess the damage done by their weeks-long occupation.

The PDRC decided to vacate the site to prevent a possible conflict, police deputy spokesman Pol Maj Gen Anucha Romayanond said after the meeting.

The hardline Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand first occupied the compound on Nov 25. It subsequently turned the complex over to the Labour Solidarity Committee and State Enterprise Workers Relations Confederation, led by Somsak Kosaisuk, a PDRC key member.

Kamoldit Rojthanawipat, chief of kamnan and village heads in Chiang Mai, said that about 80,000 people, including about 1,100 people from his group, were travelling to Bangkok.

Mr Kamoldit said the local officials would carry out their activity within one day and would go home after their mission was completed.

The blockade had disrupted ministerial officials from working and the public has been adversely affected, he said.

The seizure is unlawful and local chiefs needed to retake the area, Mr Kamoldit said, adding that they would wear their uniforms during the rally.

The plan was devised after a meeting of about 80 kamnan and village heads at the Institute of Administration Development in Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani on Thursday.

Caretaker Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan and his deputies Pracha Prasopdee and Wisarn Techathirawat also participated in the meeting.

The local officials will meet at Saran Rom Palace near the Defence Ministry on Sunday before moving to the Interior Ministry about noon with village defence volunteers playing a key role in retaking the ministry.

snip

bangkokpost.com

**Mid** · 04-05-2014, 11:24 AM

Village headmen, kamnans rally
4/05/2014

A group of village headmen and sub-district chiefs (kamnans) nationwide showed up in front of the Ministry of Interior on Sunday morning to retake the complex occupied by anti-government protesters, reports said.

The village headmen and kamnans from different provinces, such as Phetchabun, Ang Thong, Lampang and Chon Buri, started gathering at about 7.30am. The minstry, situated on Atsadang Road, was occupied by members of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) and the State Enterprises Workers' Relations Confederation (SERC).

However, the protesters abandoned the compound on Saturday night after PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban told them to gather at the main rally site in Lumpini Park.

Police were deployed to oversee security at the Interior Ministry and told the village headmen and kamnans to gather outside the office building.

Post Today photos

bangkokpost.com

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