INTRODUCTION
⇒ People in Thailand are not happy with their current government & are trying to overthrow the current government.
⇒ Thailand, a country in South-East Asia, is a famous tourist spot.
⇒ People coming here can see a lot of modernity, but the politics here is very medieval.
⇒ Behind the scenes, Thailand is ruled by Royal Palace & its courtiers and the army, which is very loyal to the Palace.
WHAT IS THE ISSUE ?
⇒ The issue is related to the 2001 election of millionare businessman Thaksin Shinawatra as Prime Minister of Thailand.
⇒ The issue is related to the 2001 election of millionare businessman Thaksin Shinawatra as Prime Minister of Thailand.
⇒ He represents the elite group of the people who using popularism with the help of poor have constructed a strong vote bank in the north & northeast of the country. So, even if fresh elections are taken, the current government can easily win elections.
⇒ Thaksin has been able to keep his power with the help of government of his own & of his brother-in-law & now with the help of his sister. So, almost a decade he has been able to keep the power with him.
WHAT OPPONENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAKSIN
⇒ He bought poor with his cheap credit, health care and wasteful subsidies.
⇒ He bought poor with his cheap credit, health care and wasteful subsidies.
⇒ Though he resides in Dubai now, he still has enormous control over the current government of Thailand being run by his sister.
⇒ It is even said that his sister is just a puppet & he is the real master behind all the Thailand’s politics.
⇒ The current protest started because of the proposed amnesty law which would allow Thaksin to return to Thailand. People are against this law.
⇒ It was defeated in the wake of the protest. But the protest became more energetic & is now demanding the current government of Thaksin’s Sister be removed.
VIEWS OF THAILAND’S OLD ELITE
⇒ The current leader of the protest is Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban who has backing of the Thailand’s old royalist elite.
⇒ The current leader of the protest is Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban who has backing of the Thailand’s old royalist elite.
⇒ It can be easily seen that Mr. Thaugsuban is just a figure head while the actual control of the protest is with the old royalist elite.
⇒ Old royalist elite are of the view that Thaksin has done a crime of challenging the Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej through his populism.
⇒ The current kind turned 86 this year. The question about what will happen in Thailand after he dies is not freely discussed because of the majeste laws which do not allow people to talk on the subject.
VIEWS OF THE FARMERS
⇒ They are thankful to Mr. Thakshin who implemented many welfare programs for them while he was the Prime Minister.
⇒ They are thankful to Mr. Thakshin who implemented many welfare programs for them while he was the Prime Minister.
⇒ So they are in favour of Mr. Thaksin.
VIEWS OF THE PROTESTERS
⇒ Mr. Thaksin is very corroupt & he is running from country to country to evade the two year bail in relation to
⇒ Mr. Thaksin is very corroupt & he is running from country to country to evade the two year bail in relation to
corruption.
⇒ The current government of his sister is trying to white wash all the crimes he has made by the proposed amnesty bill. So, even the current government is very corroupt & should be overthrown.
⇒ Mr. Thaksin is very disrespectful to the King of Thailand.
⇒ Protesters are aiming at less democracy than more democracy.
⇒ They are backed by royal elite & are loyal to them and want monarchy to have more power in the government & not the people like Thaksin.
⇒ The protesters want to install a new political system where there are fewer directly elected MPs and more appointed by the country's political elite.
⇒ They are claiming it as Civil Movement for Democracy called “People’s Assembly” which would stop vote buying & corruption.
⇒ They also may want to lure the army out of the barracks so that it could install an administration favourable to them. Despite staging 18 coups or attempted coups since the 1930s, military commanders appear reluctant to move this time around.
WHAT ABOUT THE CURRENT PRIME MINISTER MS. YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA
⇒ Ms Yingluck has called for an end to "mob rule" but has pledged that force will not be used against the people.
⇒ Ms Yingluck has called for an end to "mob rule" but has pledged that force will not be used against the people.
⇒ She would probably win fresh elections although her popularity has taken a hit by the amnesty fiasco, corruption scandals and a disastrous scheme to benefit rice farmers that is costing the -nation billions of dollars.
What are Red Shirts
⇒ Red shirts represent the group of people who are pro-Thaksin i.e supporters of Thaksin.
⇒ Red shirts represent the group of people who are pro-Thaksin i.e supporters of Thaksin.
⇒ They mostly consist of farmers & labourers from the north & northeast.
WHAT SHOULD BE A RADICAL VIEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE
⇒ Mr. Thaksin has used politics for good purpose. During his tenure, poverty drastically reduced in Thailand as many facilities were provided to the poor of the Thailand. (But in a way we can say that the popular schemes which he implemented were not very productive but it is very true that these schemes bridged the gap between the poor & the rich to a great extent).
⇒ Mr. Thaksin has used politics for good purpose. During his tenure, poverty drastically reduced in Thailand as many facilities were provided to the poor of the Thailand. (But in a way we can say that the popular schemes which he implemented were not very productive but it is very true that these schemes bridged the gap between the poor & the rich to a great extent).
⇒ Elite of the Thailand are in no position to win any election as majority of people in Thailand are from the lower section & they are pro-Thaksin. They even support the current government because it is run by Thaksin’s sister.
⇒ So, this situation can be seen as the way by which elite people in Thailand are trying to take the political power with them.
WHAT EXPERTS HAVE TO SAY
⇒ This is an unusual situation where minority wants to rule the majority.
⇒ This is an unusual situation where minority wants to rule the majority.
⇒ more confrontation and the intensifying political stand-off are certain to heighten the risk of violent clashes and external intervention
⇒ Even the solution being given is that Ms. Yingluck should call fresh elections & should give a timetable to return the mandate to the people.
WHY PROTESTERS ARE AGAINST THE FRESH ELECTIONS
⇒ Fresh election are going to be held in February 2014.
⇒ Fresh election are going to be held in February 2014.
⇒ Protesters are against this. They know it very well that any political standing opposite to Thaksin will not win because of his popularity.
⇒ In the last twenty years no other party has been able to win in the election.
⇒ Though, the current government does not belong to Thaksin it still is controlled by him & will it will again will elections if fresh elections are held in Thailand.
CONCLUSION
⇒ The tensions between Thailand’s lower class and traditional elite will not die down with the end of these protests, no matter the outcome.
⇒ The tensions between Thailand’s lower class and traditional elite will not die down with the end of these protests, no matter the outcome.
⇒ But it seems that there is room for hope. Alongside these violent protests, we’ve seen progress in public prosecution, an electorate that values justice, and a government capable of ultimately respecting the will of the people over the impunity of the power brokers.
⇒ That might be the strongest sign this decade that democracy is taking hold in Thailand.
⇒ If Yingluck can maintain control and admit her mistake, here’s to hoping that Thaksin will keep his distance to allow for compromise and reconciliation.
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