Thailand’s protests could lead to civil conflict

Anti-government protesters at Rajamangala stadium, Bangkok. Photo by Nick Nostitz for New Mandala.
11 December 2013
Anti-government protesters at Rajamangala stadium, Bangkok. Photo by Nick Nostitz for New Mandala.


Civil conflict in Thailand is a real possibility ahead of national elections set for 2 February, an ANU Southeast Asia expert warns.

Anti-government protesters stormed the streets of Bangkok for a couple of weeks up until Tuesday’s public holiday, clashing with police while demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who on Monday dissolved parliament and called for a snap election.

The protesters say they are sick of losing elections, because they believe they are rigged.

They want an unelected ‘people’s council’ to replace Yingluck.

ANU College of Asia and the Pacific Professor Andrew Walker says civil conflict is now a possibility.

“This has been building for a number of weeks, but it’s become very clear and quite explicit in the last day that the opposition simply won’t accept an election,” he told ABC radio’s The World Today program.

“So far this has proceeded pretty peacefully and I think it's to the credit of the government, but there's real danger signs.

“Remember, the opposition forces have put very big crowds on the street of Bangkok, no doubt about that. The pro-government forces, the pro-Thaksin red shirts could equally mobilise very large numbers and if we start to see competing mobilisations in Thailand, we have a very dangerous situation indeed.”

Calls by the opposition movement’s leader Suthep Thaugsuban for a people’s council was “a crazy proposal,” according to Walker.

“This is for an unelected body to rule Thailand. Perhaps it would be the judiciary,” he said.

“But the fact is that the large majority of people in Thailand who support the current government and who voted it into power just two years ago, simply won’t accept this proposal.

“It’s a proposal that’s a recipe for civil conflict.”

Yingluck’s brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, lives in self-imposed exile to avoid jail time for a corruption conviction, but still wields immense influence in Thailand.

Walker attributed the protestors' claims that elections are rigged to “sour grapes”.

“I don’t think there’s any credible commentator on the political scene in Thailand who’d say that the elections that have brought Thaksin and his allies to power don’t reflect the will of the people,” Walker said.

Listen to Professor Andrew Walker’s full interview here.
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2013/s3908541.htm

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