Thailand protests

[AliceHare]

The thai protests have been all over the news. However I am becoming more and more confused on what is happening. How did it start? What is happening and why are they protesting?

[filibuster]

Hi AliceHare, I can't give you any details but , basically, the protestors want the Prime Minister presently in power to be removed from office, and the previous Prime Minister to be returned to power.

[Octavius]

Supporters (the Red Shirts) of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, want the current PM - Abhisit Vejjajiva - to resign and the holding of new elections, which they would be well placed to win.

Thaksin's supporters say Abhisit only became premier last December because of parliamentary defections that the army engineered. Their action echoes the tactics of the anti-Thaksin (the Yellow Shirts) protestors, who occupied Government House for several months last year, preventing the incumbent PM from �going to work�.

[olddutch]

The USA - with the help of the UK of course - should send in a military task force to sort out the whole undemocratic mess - Could Print the necessary Billions of Dollars and Pounds to finance the venture under Quantative Easing !

[Trotbot]

As an 11 year resident, it is all a mess. Bottom line, it is about power and money, short and long term. Thaksin had a lot of assests frozen he wants back, but with the (rightly) highly revered King becoming increasingly frail, there are concerns about the long term stability given his influence and place in Thai society.

When it started is a matter of opinion. Ever since Thaksin got to power, he was been building a power base (relatives promoted in the Police and Army. The 2006 coup was supposed to be the last chance to stop him before the Army was his, but that may just be talk.

Right now, on face value the issue is between the poor (who Thaksin kept poor, but less poor than before) and the middle / upper classes who don't trust him and want to keep the old systems in place.

The main problem is that neither side can see the other has a point. They both do, probably more towards the yellows, but unless there is understanding there cannot be resolution.