A Politically Divided Thailand
Bankok, Thailand – Thailand struggles to keep itself from entering a civil war as former Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra’s rural supporters, the Red Shirts rallied in Bangkok to protest against the ousting of the PM.
Yingluck was removed from her mistrial status by the country’s top constitutional court under the name of power abuse. Her supporters;, however, see this as an “unlawful” judicial coup. The protests have its roots in the 2006 coup that removed Yingluck’s brother and former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Civil War Risk
Opposition parties of the Shinawatra government see Yingluck’s administration as having been corrupted by the influence of Thaksin. Thaksin won huge support from the poor but was disliked by the ruling elite. The current interim government is a strong supporter of the Shinawatra administration, which is much expected to win in the upcoming elections. Anti-government protesters wish to force out the government and postpone the elections.
Military Coup
Opposition parties, consisting mainly of the elite ruling class, have long disfavored popular democracy. For years, the opposition parties have sought to diminish the Shinawatra administration, and after failing to electorally win against the Shinawatra administration, they had been pleading with the military to step in. They found victory when the military seized control on May 22nd this year. The military has also gone after several pro government, “red shirt”, politicians. This is the second military coup in a decade for Thailand, and there are signs that this takeover could cause much harm to Thailand’s politics and economy.
Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha vowed to restore order and accordingly, the military has banned political gatherings, suspended TV broadcasting, and has placed a 7-hour curfew operating from 22:00 to 05:00.
General Prayuth Chan-ocha also claimed that the military needed to step in to restore order and reestablish the constitution before the elections. He stated that a temporary constitution would be drafted and an interim government installed in about three months. Although the General implied a promise of a transfer of power after order has been restored, the civilians remain doubtful.
A silent resistance to the coup, a three-fingered salute derived from the popular movie,The Hunger Games, recently developed in Thailand. Some protesters describe the symbol to stand for liberty, equality, and fraternity, while others claim it to represent freedom, election, and democracy. The military is closely monitoring this resistance and has declared to take action if there is a political gathering of more than 5 people.
The Curfew
After numerous complaints from the tourist industry, General Prayuth abolished curfews in several popular resort areas on June 13th after weeks of martial law. The curfew has been harming the tourist industry, and in turn adversely affecting Thailand’s economy.
The curfewstill remains in effect in politically unstable regions of the country, especially Bangkok, where at least 28 people have died amidst political turmoil.