People's Alliance for Democracy - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....

, the former Prime Minister of Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. Its leaders include media-mogul Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....

and Major General Chamlong Srimuang

Chamlong Srimuang

Major General Chamlong Srimuang is a controversial Thai activist and former politician. A former general, he was a leader of the "Young Turks" military clique, founded and led the Phalang Dharma party, served for six years as governor of Bangkok, led the anti-military uprising of May 1992, and...

. The PAD was a chief player in the Thailand political crisis of 2005 to 2006

Thailand political crisis 2005-2006

In 2005 and 2006, a series of events occurred in Thailand as a result of an unrest with Thaksin Shinawatra that was supported by Sondhi Limthongkul and his coalitions...

, the 2008 crisis

2008 Thai political crisis

Since 2008, there has been an ongoing political crisis in Thailand in form of a conflict between the People's Alliance for Democracy and the People's Power Party governments of Prime Ministers Somchai Wongsawat and Samak Sundaravej, respectively, and later between the Democrat Party government of...

, and the Cambodian–Thai border stand-off. The PAD consists of mainly of royalist upper and middle-class Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

ians and Southerners, supported by the conservative factions of the Thai Army, some leaders of Democrat Party

Democrat Party (Thailand)

The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...

, and members of state-enterprise labor unions.

The PAD was formed to lead demonstrations against the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Two days after a military junta's 2006 military coup overthrew Thaksin's government, the PAD voluntarily dissolved after announcing that its goals had been accomplished. The PAD re-established itself after Thaksin-affiliated parties, led by Samak Sundaravej

Samak Sundaravej

Samak Sundaravej was a Thai Chinese politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.-Early life and family:...

's People's Power Party

People's Power Party (Thailand)

The People's Power Party was a Thai political party founded on November 9, 1998 by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng...

(PPP), won a plurality in the 2007 general election

Thai general election, 2007

The 2007 Thai general elections were held on 23 December. This was the first legislative election after the Council for National Security, a military junta, had overthrown Thailand's elected government and abrogated the constitution on September 19, 2006. The junta had canceled general elections...

. In May 2008, PAD began street protests, and in August it seized Government House to pressure Samak's coalition government to resign. PAD supporters also seized airports by force in Phuket

Phuket Province

Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...

, Krabi

Krabi

Krabi is a town on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River where it empties in Phangnga Bay. As of 2005 the town has a population of 24,986. The town is the capital of Krabi Province and Krabi district...

, and Hat Yai

Hat Yai

Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. Located at , it has a population of 157,359 in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest...

and blocked major roads and highways. State-enterprise labour unions coordinated by stopping train operations across the Kingdom, and threatening to shut off electricity and water services to non-PAD supporters. Armed PAD forces "Srivichai

Srivijaya

Srivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...

Warriors" seized a government television broadcaster as well as several government ministries. Violence between PAD supporters and anti-PAD protesters left dozens injured and one PAD protester dead. Wealthy PAD supporters threatened a bank run

Bank run

A bank run occurs when a large number of bank customers withdraw their deposits because they believe the bank is, or might become, insolvent...

that could destabilize the Thai financial system if the Samak government did not resign.

PAD's protests escalated after the Constitutional Court found Samak guilty of violating a law which prohibts government ministers from receiving salary from another job. PAD forces surrounded Parliament and used razor wire

Razor wire

Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products...

barricades to prevent the legislature from meeting to hear Samak's replacement, Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat, formally announce his policies. Police dispersed the protesters, resulting in hundreds of injuries and the death of a young woman, all caused by the explosions of Chinese-made tear gas grenades, which the poorly trained police fired directly at the protestors. As a result, the PAD formally renounced non-violence and vowed bloody revenge. In November, the PAD blockaded Parliament prior to a crucial legislative session, used hijacked public buses to take control of the government's provisional offices at Don Muang Airport, and seized control of Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Yellow Shirts in Chiang Mai pulled a 60-year-old man from his car and shot and killed him. The PAD also threatened to lay siege to the seaports of the Eastern Seaboard. The PAD's sieges and protests ended after the Constitutional Court dissolved the PPP, banned its leaders from politics, and Army Commander Anuphong Phaochinda pressured many PPP MPs to defect to the Democrat Party

Democrat Party (Thailand)

and elect Abhisit Vejjajiva

Abhisit Vejjajiva

Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a Thai politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party...

as Premier. PAD co-leader Kasit Piromya

Kasit Piromya

Kasit Piromya is a Thai diplomat, "Yellow Shirts" activist, and Democrat Party politician. He was Foreign Minister of Thailand under Abhisit Vejjajiva from 2008 to 2011....

was appointed Foreign Minister in the new government.

The PAD called for the resignation of the governments of Thaksin Shinawatra, Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat, whom the PAD accused of being proxies for Thaksin. Sondhi originally proposed Somchai as an acceptable alternative to Samak. However, when Somchai replaced Samak, the PAD refused to stop its protests, noting that Somchai is Thaksin's brother-in-law. At the height of the sieges, the PAD openly stated that the only person they would accept as Premier was Abhisit. PAD leader Khamnoon Sitthisamarn called Abhisit's premiership a "genuine PAD victory" and a "Anuphong-style coup d'etat."

Citing the claimed failure of popular

Popular democracy

Popular democracy is a notion of direct democracy based on referendums and other devices of empowerment and concretization of popular will. The concept evolved out of the political philosophy of Populism, as a fully democratic version of this popular empowerment ideology, but since it has become...

democracy

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

in Thailand, the PAD has suggested constitutional amendment

Constitutional amendment

A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...

s that would make Parliament a largely royally-appointed body. It was strongly opposed to Thaksin's populist economic policies

Populism

Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...

and attempts to decentralize political power

Decentralization

__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...

. The Asian Human Rights Commission

Asian Human Rights Commission

The Asian Human Rights Commission is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region, and to mobilise Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations...

has noted of the PAD and their agenda that, "although they may not describe themselves as fascist, have fascist qualities." The PAD is largely composed of royalists

Monarchism

Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...

, has regularly invoked king Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

in its protests, and has claimed that its enemies are disloyal to the monarchy. It has openly called for the military and Thailand's traditional elite to take a greater role in politics. The PAD is fiercely anti-Cambodian, with PAD leader and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya calling Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen

Hun Sen

Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...

a "gangster", "crazy", a "tramp", a "slave", and saying that he would "use Hun Sen‘s blood to wash my feet."

Origins and leadership

The People's Alliance for Democracy had its source in weekly public tapings of Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....

's weekly political talk show 'Muang Thai Rai Sapda' (Thailand Weekly). Attendance grew after the talkshow was dropped by MCOT

MCOT

MCOT Public Company Limited )) is a Thai media conglomerate. Its origins date back to the creation in 1955 of Thailand's first television broadcaster, The Thai Television Company Limited. In 1977, this company was reconstituted as a state enterprise, the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand...

Channel 9 and Sondhi started webcasting the show on his website. As the tone grew more controversial, the tapings gradually turned into protests against the government. The PAD was formally established on February 8, 2006, after Thaksin's family sold shares in Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings

Temasek Holdings

Temasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...

. The PAD saw the transactions as a proof of a conflict of interest.

The central committee of the PAD consists of:

Media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul
Sondhi Limthongkul
Sondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....
Major General Chamlong Srimuang
Chamlong Srimuang
Major General Chamlong Srimuang is a controversial Thai activist and former politician. A former general, he was a leader of the "Young Turks" military clique, founded and led the Phalang Dharma party, served for six years as governor of Bangkok, led the anti-military uprising of May 1992, and...
Activist Phiphob Thongchai
State enterprise labor union leader Somsak Kosaisuuk
Somsak Kosaisuuk
Somsak Kosaisuuk , is a Thai union official and politician.He was the Secretary-General of the State Enterprise Labour Relations Confederation , a union of government owned enterprises' employees, and in this position very active in organizing a campaign against the privatization of the Electricity...
University lecturer and social activist Somkeit Pongpaibul
Somkeit Pongpaibul
Somkeit Pongpaibul was a Professor at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Now, He became a member of the Thai House of Representatives in 2007 from Democrat Party and a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, and the co-founder of the Mass Party...

.

Besides the five leaders, ten others form the PAD management committee: Pitaya Wongkul, Rewadee Prasertcharoensuuk, Rosana Tositrakul

Rosana Tositrakul

Rosana Tositrakul is Thailand's Bangkok Senator. She was first elected in 2006 only to find the polls scrapped by a military coup. She was voted into power for a second time in 2008 with over 740,000 votes.-Activist Work:...

, Chaiwat Sindhuwong, Preeda Tiasuwan, Sirichai Maingam, Suwit Watnuu, Kochawan Chaiyabut, Weerapol Sopa, Ouychai Wata.

Other leaders include Khamnoon Sitthisaman and Campaign for Popular Democracy leader Suriyasai Katasila. Several current and former employees of Sondhi played a role, including Panthep Puapongbhant, Samran Rodpetch, Kumnuun Sidhisamann, Sarocha Pornudomsak

Sarocha Pornudomsak

Sarocha Pornudomsak , born 11 November 1976 in Bangkok, is a Thai journalist for Manager Media Group.She is best known as co-host of the show Muangthai Raisabdah with Sondhi Limthongkul from 2003-2006...

, Anchalee Paireerak, Yuthayong Limlertwatee, and Torpong Sewatarm.

Supporters

PAD protesters initially consisted primarily of middle and upper-class residents of Bangkok. These included prominent socialites (dubbed the "Blue Blood Jet Set" by the Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....

) and some minor members of the Thai royal family. The PAD's support base has expanded to include civil servants, state enterprise labor unions, the urban middle-class, conservative Buddhist groups, Southerners and elite. Except for the South, it has mainly urban support in contrast to Thaksin, whose base has been essentially rural.

Buddhist groups supporting the PAD include the Santi Asoke

Santi Asoke

The Santi Asoke literally Peaceful Asoke) sect of Theravada Buddhism was established by a former television entertainer and songwriter Phra Bodhirak after he "declared independence from the Ecclesiastical Council in 1975"...

sect and their "Dharma Army" (led by Thaksin's former mentor Chamlong Srimuang

Chamlong Srimuang

).

General Pathompong Kesornsuk, a close aid of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda

Prem Tinsulanonda

General Prem Tinsulanonda is a retired Thai military officer who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from March 3, 1980 to August 4, 1988. He now serves as the Head of the Privy Council of the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej....

, appeared in full uniform at PAD protests and urged his fellow soldiers to follow suit. The Army openly ignored government orders to evict the PAD from Government House, Don Muang Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Former Army Commander Anupong
Paochinda publicly called for the government to resign several times, although he also called for the PAD to leave the airports.

The PAD dress in yellow, the royal color, and claim that they are defending King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

and the monarchy against the alleged disloyalty of Thaksin. Bhumibol has made no public statements about the crisis and the PAD. Queen Sirikit

Sirikit

Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...

attended the cremation of a young woman PAD protester killed during the conflicts (PAD cited that she was killed by the police) and described her as a "good girl" and a "protector of the monarchy and the country". However, Princess Sirindhorn, when asked at a US press conference whether the PAD was acting on behalf of the monarchy replied, "I don't think so," adding further, "They do things for themselves."

In the past, many PAD members have received huge financial support from their leader, Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....

Political Proposals

The PAD state they stand for uncorrupt politics, promoting justice and the rule of law, while fighting against corruption among politicians and civil servants. They also claim to be upholding the constitutional monarchy and oppose those they view as wanting to alter the monarchy's status. However, it should be noted that two days after the 2006 Thailand coup, the PAD voluntarily dissolved itself after announcing its goals had been accomplished.

"Representative democracy

Representative democracy

Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...

is not suitable for Thailand," commented Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....

, claiming electoral systems have repeatedly elected corrupt, populist governments. To correct this, the PAD proposed what it called "New Politics" and on June 2, 2009 founded the New Politics Party

New Politics Party

The New Politics Party or NPP is a political party in Thailand which was founded on June 2, 2009. It is the political party of the People's Alliance for Democracy , with which it shares the same principles and ideas...

. Although most of its leaders supported, and in some cases helped draft the post-coup 2007 Constitution

2007 Constitution of Thailand

A Permanent Constitution for the Kingdom of Thailand was drafted by a committee established by the military junta that abrogated the previous 1997 Constitution. On August 19, 2007, a referendum was held in which 59.3% of the voters voted in favor of the constitution...

, the PAD has proposed constitutional amendments that would make 70% of MPs appointed, based on professional groups, with elections choosing only 30% of MPs. On 21 September, the PAD changed its formula to 100% elections, but with 50% of Parliament voted for by geographic area and the rest voted for by occupational representatives.

Nationalism

The PAD has been described as "nationalist

Nationalism

Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...

" and is strongly opposed to what it claims to be infringements upon national sovereignty

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

of Thailand.
It was opposed to the Samak government's decision to support the Cambodian government's unilateral application for the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site, since land next to the temple is indispute. PAD has charged the PPP-leading cabinet helping Thaksin Shinawatra for making profit with Cambodia by using this agreement as an exchange. It also called for Thai investors to withdraw from Cambodia, the closure of all 40 Thai-Cambodian border checkpoints, a ban on all flights from Thailand to Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...

and Siam Reap, the construction of a naval base at Koh Kut near the border, and the abolishment of the committee which oversees demarcation of overlapping sea areas and the unilateral declaration of a Thai marine map.

Government System Proposals

In contrast to Thaksin, who allegedly aimed to elevate Thailand to the ranks of the developed world, Sondhi advocates an anti-materialistic, "reasonable society" with as little as possible consumer debt and little concern with "how many cars or washing machines" people own. The PAD favors limits on foreign investment, opposes privatization of state enterprises, and is generally skeptical of foreign investment. "Don't impose a free trade, consumer-oriented society on Thailand," noted Sondhi in an interview.

While Thaksin and Samak championed voters in rural areas and voters working in the agricultural sector with their "dual-track" economic policies that combined populist perks like universal healthcare with greater participation in the global economy, the PAD in contrast are hardline monetarists. They propose interest rate hikes to reduce public debt, cutting down spending on populist welfare projects and "mega-projects".

Demand for royal intervention

Amid rising political tensions, Thaksin dissolved Parliament on 24 February 2006, just one year after being re-elected. He called for new House elections on 2 April. In March, the PAD requested the King intervene and remove Thaksin Shinawatra from power. The PAD claimed that the demand for royal intervention was the only possible peaceful answer to the political crisis. The King dismissed the idea in a speech on April 26, saying "Asking for a Royally appointed prime minister is undemocratic. It is, pardon me, a mess. It is irrational."

2008 Re-establishment

The People's Alliance for Democracy was re-established in Thailand on March 28, 2008 at Thammasat University auditorium. Several issues were raised by the PAD, including the Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej

Samak Sundaravej

's ties to Thaksin Shinawatra, ties between some People's Power Party

People's Power Party (Thailand)

members and the banned-Thai Rak Thai

Thai Rak Thai

The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...

party, alleged interference in the justice system, and attempts to amend the 2007 Constitution

2007 Constitution of Thailand

.

Among the changes proposed as constitutional amendments were the removal of Article 237, which necessitated the dissolution of a political party if one of the executives was involved in vote buying. Yongyuth Tiyapairat, People's Power Party

People's Power Party (Thailand)

executive who was also the Parliamentary president after the election, was being tried for vote buying. Yongyuth was later found guilty by the Supreme Court on July 8, 2008.

Several key persons involved in cases against Thaksin and the Peolple's Power Party were removed from their posts for interfering with the justice system. This includes Sunai Manomai-udom, then Department of Special Investigation (DSI) director-general working in the case about Thaksin's asset concealment charges, Seripisut Temiyavet

Seripisut Temiyavet

Police General Seripisut Temiyavet was Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police between February 2007 and April 2008. Appointed Police Commissioner of Thailand by a military junta, replacing Kowit Wattana, the Police Commissioner under deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...

, then National Police chief who was installed by the coup but is well known for taking on mafias including those in the police, and Chaiwat Changkaokam, then the head of Tambon

Tambon

Tambon is a local government unit in Thailand. Below district and province , they form the third administrative subdivision level. As of the 2009 there are 7255 tambon, not including the 169 khwaeng of Bangkok, which are set at the same administrative level, thus every district contains 8-10 tambon...

Chanchawa who was the key witness to Yongyuth Tiyapairat's alleged vote buying.

Demonstrations and street protests by PAD restarted on May 25, 2008 at Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Road. The PAD supporters amassed to protest against the proposed constitutional amendments. The rally attracted ten thousand supporters. However pro-government supporters gathering nearby started attacking PAD protesters. The clash was the first between the two groups, and many were wounded on both sides. The plan was to march the supporters from Democracy Monument to the front of Government House.
However, the crowd was stopped by a large police barrier at Makkawan Rangsan Bridge.
PAD settled at Makkawan Rangsan Bridge and staged continuous rally there.

As the rally went on, the PAD announced their effort to collect signatures to request the removal of members of the House of Representatives and Senators who supported the amendment on May 30, 2008.
The next day Samak expressed on government-run NBT television channel his intention to dissolve the rally by force. In reaction to Samak's speech, the PAD issued announcements against the government's move.

Preah Vihear issue

PAD opposed Noppadon Pattama

Noppadon Pattama

Noppadon Pattama , Thai politician, became Foreign Minister of Thailand on 6 February 2008, in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. He is a member of Samak's People's Power Party...

's move to allow Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

to singly apply Preah Vihear Temple as World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

.
As it lies near the Thai-Cambodia border with land surrounding the temple still under dispute, many scholars feared Thailand would lose sovereignty over the land surrounding the site and preferred the site to be listed jointly between Cambodia and Thailand. It is also claimed that the hidden motive behind the was to exchange for oil and gas concessions to Chevron.
Noppadon proceeded to sign the Thai-Cambodia Joint Communique on June 18, 2008. Thailand Administrative court issue injunction against the action on June 28
and them found the agreement to be unconstitutional on July 8, 2008.
However, UNESCO awarded World Heritage Site to Cambodia later on the same day.

Moving the PAD stage

On June 20, 2008 PAD and supporters made through police blockades and successfully gathered in front of Government House, an effort to pressure the government to resign.
Both police and PAD declared victory as violence was avoided. However, the Prime Minister was not pleased.

The new PAD stage blocked Phitsanulok and Rama V roads, causing inconvenience to schools in the area. Other problems include loud speaker noise. Teachers and parents of Ratchawinit Secondary School filed lawsuit against PAD, which PAD appealed and lost. PAD moved its stage back to Makkawan Bride on July 8.

Siege of Government House

Sundaravej said "I will never resign in response to these threats. I will not dissolve the House. I will meet the king today to report what's going on." He met with King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej

Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

at Hua Hin

Hua Hin

Hua Hin is a famous beach resort town in Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911 km², and is one of eight districts of the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the...

palace. For the 5th day, 3,000 protesters, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, occupied Sundaravej's Government House compound in central Bangkok

Bangkok

, forcing him and his advisers to work out of a military command post. Thai riot police entered the occupied compound and delivered a court order for the eviction of protesters, but was instead abused. Chamlong Srimuang

Chamlong Srimuang

ordered 45 PAD guards to break into the main government building on Saturday. 3 regional airports remain closed and 35 trains between Bangkok and the provinces were canceled. Protesters raided the Phuket International Airport

Phuket International Airport

Phuket International Airport is an airport serving the Phuket Province of Thailand. It is located in the north of Phuket Island, 32 kilometres from the centre of Phuket City. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket Island is a popular resort destination...

tarmac

Tarmac

Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...

on the resort island of Phuket Province

Phuket Province

Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...

resulting to 118 flights canceled or diverted, affecting 15,000 passengers.

Widespread protests

Protesters also blocked the entrance of the airports in Krabi

Krabi

and Hat Yai

Hat Yai

. Police issued arrest warrants for Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....

and 8 other protest leaders on charges of insurrection, conspiracy

Conspiracy (crime)

In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...

, unlawful assembly

Unlawful assembly

Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group are about to start the act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then termed a riot.- Section 144 :Section 144 is a...

and refusing orders to disperse. Meanwhile, Gen. Anupong Paochinda stated: "The army will not stage a coup. The political crisis should be resolved by political means." Samak and the Thai Party ruling coalition called urgent parliamentary debate and session for August 31.

Clash between PAD and Anti-PAD

On 31 August, Metropolitan Police chief Pol Lt Gen Asawin Kwanmuang was transferred to an inactive position. He had been in charge of handling the PAD and favored a soft approach to avoid bloodshed. The protests were then assigned to deputy police chief Pol Gen Jongrak Juthanont. PAD spokesmen expressed fear that this would lead to violence by the police against PAD.

Just two days later, violence did occur, but not by the police. On the night of September 2, anti-PAD protesters and a pro-government group wearing red shirts and calling themselves the Defenders of Democracy Against Dictatorship (now known as the "UDD

National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship

The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship , whose supporters are commonly called "Red Shirts", is a political pressure group opposed to the People's Alliance for Democracy , the 2006 Thai military coup, and supporters of the coup. Notable UDD leaders include Jatuporn Prompan, Nattawut...

") attacked the PAD protest camp. Many on both sides were injured, some seriously. While most involved were unarmed, both sides included men who used iron pipes or wooden clubs wrapped in barb wired.

Government House as a protest site

Government House and the area around it became an open air market during the months-long protest and seizure. Stalls selling clothing, condoms, food, Buddhist amulets, a variety of second hand goods opened as city officials could not collect the usual stall-site rental fees. The PAD put up posters with photos of a woman their security forces claimed was a prostitute because they found condoms in her purse. Mounds of garbage piled up in Government House, bras and underwear were left to dry on the lawn, and the lack of sanitary facilities caused a stench to envelop the compound. A Matichon journalist claimed glass pipes used for smoking methamphetamine

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...

(commonly known as "ICE") being sold near PAD-leader Chamlong Srimuang's tent. The journalist noted that the pipes were a popular product and that many people tried them outs before making their purchase.

Arrest

On October 5 and 4, 2008, respectively, Chamlong Srimuang

Chamlong Srimuang

and rally organiser, Chaiwat Sinsuwongse were detained by the Thai police led by Col. Sarathon Pradit, by virtue of August 27 arrest warrant

Arrest warrant

An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....

for insurrection, conspiracy, illegal assembly and refusing orders to disperse (treason

Treason

In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...

) against him and 8 other protest leaders. At the Government House, Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul

Sondhi Limthongkul is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy . He was elected for leader of the New Politics Party ....

, however, stated demonstrations would continue: "I am warning you, the government and police, that you are putting fuel on the fire. Once you arrest me, thousands of people will tear you apart." Srimuang's wife, Ying Siriluck, visited him at the Border Patrol Police Region 1, Pathum Thani

Pathum Thani

Pathum Thani is a town in central Thailand, directly north of Bangkok. It is the capital of the Pathum Thani Province, Thailand as well as the Mueang Pathum Thani district. As of 2005, it has a population of 18,320, covering the complete subdistrict Bang Parok....

. Other PAD members still wanted by police include Sondhi, activist MP Somkiat Pongpaibul and PAD leaders Somsak Kosaisuk and Pibhop Dhongchai.

Closing off Parliament

In early October, PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang left the protest site to vote in the Bangkok governor elections. He was arrested by police after he left the voting booth and did not request bail. Fellow PAD leader Pallop Pinmanee noted that Chamlong intended to be arrested in order to increase attendance at the PAD's protests.

Thousands of PAD forces soon surrounded Parliament to prevent the Somchai government from announcing its policies to the legislature within 15 days of swearing in, as mandated by the Constitution. A police loudspeaker lorry ordered protesters to disperse and warned that teargas would be fired. At 6.00 am, 7 October 2008, police at Ratchawithi Road and Pichai Road shot a barrage of teargas grenades. Police clashed with protestors. Many were injured on both sides. Police made no effort to negotiate with the anti-government protesters. Eventually the doors to Parliament could be opened for the attending legislators. PAD forces later regrouped around Parliament and again blocked the gates. After the government had made its policy statement to the legislature, police again clashed with PAD forces so that the legislators could leave the building. Clashes continued into the night.

Several protesters lost hands and legs, although it was not clear whether these injuries were caused by tear gas rounds or the 'ping-pong' bombs. Director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science Pornthip Rojanasunand used the GT200

GT200

The GT200 is a fraudulent "remote substance detector" that is claimed by its manufacturer, UK-based Global Technical Ltd, to be able to detect from a distance various substances including explosives and drugs...

explosive detection device to try to identify explosive residue on the protesters; not finding any, she concluded that faulty tear gas grenades caused the injuries. A PAD protestor, Angkhana Radappanyawut, was killed. Dr.Pornthip Rojanasunand

Pornthip Rojanasunand

Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand, also spelled Porntip Rojanasunan, M.D. is a Thai forensic pathologist, author, human rights activist, and cancer survivor....

suggested unequivocally that the death was caused by the explosion of a tear gas canister directly hitting the victim's body. She also stated that there was no need to conduct further investigations into the death and injuries of protesters because it became clear that they were caused by weapons of the police.

Afterwards, doctors from many major hospitals issued a statement, calling the counterattack actions of the Prime Minister and police "brutality", and refusing to provide medical care to police. The doctors claimed many field rescue workers, including doctors and nurses, were also attacked, and some were wounded. Doctor Suthep Kolcharnwit of the Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...

Faculty of Medicine, along with several doctors from Chulalongkorn Hospital, also refused to provide medical care to police injured in the clash, and urged doctors of other hospitals to boycott the police as well, although his actions were later disowned by the hospital and a case against him was filed with the Medical Council's ethics committee.

PAD vowed to file charges against the government and police.

On 8 October, Queen Sirikit attended the cremation of one of the killed PAD protesters.

Seizing the airport

On the evening of Tuesday 25 November 2008, the PAD executed what they called "Operation Hiroshima

Hiroshima

is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...

." A convoy of hundreds of PAD members dressed in yellow blocked the two ends of the road in front of the terminal building of Suvarnabhumi International Airport and blockaded the main road to the airport. The airport is Bangkok's main airport and an important regional hub. PAD forces quickly overpowered hundreds of policemen armed with riot gear. PAD leaders mounted a mobile stage and proceeded to criticize the government. All Suvarnabhumi flights were soon canceled, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in the airport.

The government called on the Royal Thai Army to restore order at the airport. The Army did not follow the orders. In a press conference on 26 November, Army Commander General Anupong Paochinda

Anupong Paochinda

General Anupong Paochinda is a former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army. He held the position from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010....

proposed that the PAD withdraw from the airport and that the government resign. He also proposed that if the PAD did not comply, that they be subject to "social sanctions", whereas if the government did not comply, that the bureaucracy stop implementing government orders. A written copy of the proposal was sent to the government. Neither the PAD or the government complied with the proposal.

At 4:30 AM on the morning of 26 November, three explosions were heard on the fourth floor of Suvarnbumi on the outside of the passenger terminal. Another explosion was reported at 6 AM. Several people were injured. It was not clear who set off the explosions. The PAD did not allow the police or forensics experts to investigate the explosions.

The PAD became the de-facto authority over the airport and the airplanes within it. Airports of Thailand

Airports of Thailand

Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited is a large Thai public company, which handles several national airports. Its headquarters are in Don Mueang District, Bangkok....

, which planned to use U-Tapao

U-Tapao International Airport

-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...

military airbase outside of Bangkok as a replacement for Suvarnabhumi, pleaded with PAD leadership to release nearly a hundred empty aircraft from Suvarnabhumi.

Attempts to evict the PAD

Also on 26 November, the Civil Court issued an injunction ordering the PAD to leave the Suvarnabhumi International Airport immediately. Notices of the injunction were placed on the front doors of the houses of the 13 PAD leaders. The PAD did not comply with the injunction.

On the evening of 27 November, the government declared a state of emergency around the two occupied airports and ordered police to clear out PAD forces. The state of emergency allowed the military to ban public gatherings of more than five people. The Navy was assigned to aid police at Suvarnabhumi, while the Air Force was assigned to aid police at Don Muang. The Army's spokesman noted, "The army disagrees with using troops to resolve the problem. The army does not want to do that, and it is not appropriate to do that."

The PAD was defiant. PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila announced that the PAD would fight off police. "If the government wants to clear the protesters, let it try. The PAD will protect all locations because we are using our rights to demonstrate peacefully without causing damages to state properties or rioting," Suriyasai said. Suriyasai also threatened to use human shields if police attempted to disperse the PAD. Human shields of 300-400 women were assigned to physically surround each per PAD leader. Foreign journalists reported that the PAD was paying people to join them at the airport, with extra payment being given to parents bringing babies and children.

On the morning of 28 November, PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang announced to PAD forces that he had received a call from an unspecified "senior person" (ผู้ใหญ่ท่านหนึ่ง) telling him to end the rallies. But he refused to do what the senior person told him. "For the past 108 days, the Alliance has protested together under hardship, while another group of people has remained in comfort. They can't just suddenly ask us to stop protesting," he told the assembled forces. Addressing supporters on ASTV, Sondhi said, "If we have to die today, I am willing to die. This is a fight for dignity."

Police manned checkpoints on roads leading to the airport. At one checkpoint, police found 15 home-made guns, an axe and other weapons in a Dharma Army six-wheel truck taking 20 protesters to Suvarnabhumi airport. Another checkpoint found an Uzi submachine gun, homemade guns, ammunition, sling shots, bullet-proof vests and metal rods. The vehicle had the universally recognised Red Cross signs on its exterior to give the impression it was being used for medical emergencies. At another checkpoint, about 2 kilometers from the airport, was attacked by armed PAD forces in vehicles, causing the police to withdraw. Police Senior Sgt Maj Sompop Nathee, an officer from the Border Patrol Police Region 1, later returned to the scene of the clash and was detained by PAD forces. He was interrogated by Samran Rodphet, a PAD leader, and then detained inside the airport. Reporters and photographers tried to follow Sompop to his interrogation, but PAD forces did not allow them. PAD supporters were moved from Government House to the airport.

The airport remained closed due to the PAD seizure as of 2 December. With the exception of one airplane leaving for the Hajj

Hajj

The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...

, no flights were allowed. The PAD has been apologetic to inconvenienced foreigners in the airports and offered them food.

End of the siege

Shortly after the Constitutional Court dissolved the three parties of the government coalition on 2 December 2008, the PAD held a press conference where they announced that they were ending all of their protests as of 10 AM on 3 December 2008. "We have won a victory and achieved our aims," said Sondhi Limthongkul.

Views on the siege

Democrat Party

Democrat Party (Thailand)

MP for Sukhothai, Samphan Benchaphon, said of the airport seizure that the PAD "have the right to do it." Democrat Party MP for Bangkok, Thawil Praison, said that the PAD "could seize the airport and doing so is not excessive. The entire world understands that this is a normal matter in the struggle of democratic countries."

The governments of China, France, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Britain, the United States, Australia and Japan warned their citizens to avoid Thailand and steer clear of protesters at the airport.

The European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

urged the protesters to peacefully leave the airports. EU ambassadors to Thailand write in a joint statement that the demonstrators are hurting Thailand's image and economy, continuing "While respecting the right of protesting and without interfering in any way with the internal political debate in Thailand, the EU considers that these actions are totally inappropriate".

US State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said that occupying the airports was "not an appropriate means of protest" and that the PAD should "walk away from the airports peacefully."

Closure of Bangkok Don Muang Airport

On the night of 26 November 2008, the services at the Don Mueang Airport were stopped after the People's Alliance for Democracy seized control of the domestic passenger terminal.

A bomb exploded near a bunker made of tyres near the main entrance to the passenger terminal at Don Muang Airport at 3:55 AM on 30 November. Before the explosion occurred, about 7 gunshots were heard from the direction of a warehouse deeper inside the airport compound. No one was injured in the explosion. It was not clear who or what set the bomb off.

A plainclothes policewoman at the airport was identified and captured by PAD security forces and forced onto the main PAD stage inside the airport. Angry PAD protesters threw water at her and many tried to hit her. She was eventually allowed to leave the airport.

Flights from Don Mueang Airport are expected to begin again on 5 December.

Pattaya

In March 2009, Thaksin Shinawatra claimed via video broadcast that Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda

Prem Tinsulanonda

masterminded the 2006 military coup, and that Prem and fellow Privy Councilor members Surayud Chulanont

Surayud Chulanont

General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...

and Chanchai Likhitjittha conspired with the military and PAD to ensure that Abhisit became Premier. Although Abhisit denied the accusations, thousands protested in Bangkok early April demanding that Abhisit resign from the Premiership and that Prem, Surayud, and Chanchai resign from the Privy Council.

The protests, led by the red-shirted National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship

National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship

(UDD) expanded to Pattaya, causing the Fourth East Asia Summit to be canceled and a state of emergency to be declared in the region. The PAD issued a statement demanding that Abhisit dismiss Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security Suthep Thaugsuban

Suthep Thaugsuban

Suthep Thaugsuban is a Thai politician, and Member of Parliament for Surat Thani province...

, Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, and Thailand’s army, navy and police chiefs immediately for failed to contain the UDD protesters. PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang told a press conference that if the government could not help the country, the PAD would “come out.”

Bangkok

As the week-long Songkran (Thai New Year) holiday began, protests escalated in Bangkok. Fighting erupted between anti-government protesters, PAD members, and the general population. At a demonstration in front of Prem's residence, a PAD supporter plunged her car into a crowd of UDD protesters before driving away. Abhisit declared a state of emergency for Bangkok and surrounding areas and denounced the anti-government protesters as "national enemies".

In a pre-dawn raid on Monday April 13, Thai soldiers in full combat kit used tear gas and fired live rounds and training rounds from automatic weapons to clear protesters from the Din Daeng

Din Daeng

Din Daeng is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbor, clockwise from north, are Chatuchak, Huai Khwang, Ratchathewi and Phaya Thai.-History:...

intersection near the Victory Monument in central Bangkok, injuring at least 70 people.
Violent clashes at numerous locations in Bangkok continued while arrest warrants were issued for Thaksin and 13 protest leaders. Many protest leaders voluntarily gave themselves in to police on 14 April 2009, ending the violence.

Shooting of Sondhi Limthongkul

Days after the Bangkok unrest was quelled by military forces, gunmen ambushed Sondhi's car at a petrol station, shot out the tires, and fired over 100 M-16 and AK-47 assault rifle rounds at the car. Sondhi suffered one wound to the head and was conscious, standing, and lucid before being sent to the hospital for surgery. Sondhi survived the surgery and was visited by relatives afterwards. It was not clear who ordered the shooting, although the PAD's spokesman speculated that a faction of the military or police could have been behind it.

2005-2006

The PAD is supported by the Sondhi Limthongkul-owned Manager Media Group, including Manager Daily

Manager Daily

Manager Daily is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet, and emphasizes political and business news. Founded by media-mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, it was an outgrowth of Manager Monthly magazine and Manager Weekly newspaper...

newspaper and the ASTV

ASTV

ASTV is an Afrikaans South African television channel, which is privately owned. The station is based at Rustenburg in South Africa and was launched on the TopTV satellite service in October 2010, to serve as a local and community Afrikaans TV channel with Christian values.-Programs:Some of the...

satellite television channel. Sondhi had originally co-hosted a political talk show called Muangthai Raisabdah

Muangthai Raisabdah

Muangthai Raisabdah is a Thai political talkshow hosted by Sondhi Limthongkul and Sarocha Pornudomsak. The show is Sondhi's personal mouthpiece, and up to 2004 it praised Premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Later, when relations between the two soured, it became one of the Premier's most vocal critics...

on MCOT

MCOT

's Channel 9. Sondhi's pro-Thaksin views (in a 23 September 2003 broadcast, he noted that Thaksin was "the best prime minister our country has ever had.") started changing in 2004 after the government fired Sondhi's banker, Viroj Nualkhair, from Krung Thai Bank

Krung Thai Bank

Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited is the state-owned bank under the license issued by the Ministry of Finance.- History :The bank was incorporated on March 14, 1966 through the merger of Agriculture Bank Limited and Mondhon Bank Limited, which the government was their major shareholder...

for incurring too many bad debts. In September 2005, Sondhi allegedly made repeated disrespectful on-air references to King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Among these references was a claim that the government's 2004 appointment of Somdet Phra Buddhacharya as acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand

Supreme Patriarch of Thailand

The Supreme Patriarch or Sangharaja is the head of the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand. The position is formally appointed by the King of Thailand, although the actual selection is made by senior clergymen...

in place of the critically ill Somdet Phra Yanasangworn contravened the prerogative

Prerogative

In law, a prerogative is an exclusive right given from a government or state and invested in an individual or group, the content of which is separate from the body of rights enjoyed under the general law of the normative state...

of the King. After discussions with King's principal private secretary, Arsa Sarasin, MCOT executives cancelled the program. Sondhi took his increasingly anti-Thaksin talkshow on the road, broadcasting via satellite (through his NEWS1 ASTV channel based out of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

) and webcasting via the website of his Manager Daily newspaper. Talkshow sites, including Sanam Luang

Sanam Luang

Sanam Luang is an open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is located in the Phra Nakhon district, the historic center of Bangkok....

and the King Rama V equestrian statue, became magnets for the PAD crowds.

After the 2006 military coup, the military junta ordered broadcaster MCOT to cover weekly tapings of Muangthai Raisabdah. Sondhi was also given a slot on the junta-run National Broadcasting Service of Thailand's Channel 11 where he hosted Yam Fao Paendin, a pro-junta, anti-Thaksin talkshow which made accusations of excessive government spending at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...

2008

During the 2008 political crisis, armed masked PAD forces broke into the government-owned National Broadcasting Service of Thailand and seized control of the television station. The television broadcast of the morning news program briefly showed pictures of PAD forces breaking into the gates of the station before blacking out for several hours. NBT employees were threatened with violence and forced out of the station. Police eventually regained control of the building and arrested 80 of the raiders, seizing guns, knives, golf clubs, and drugs. The raiders were charged with causing damage to public property and illegal possession of weapons and drugs. Later in the same day, hundreds of hundreds of PAD members, led by Amorn Amornrattananon, again seized the NBST station. Police eventually regained control of the station. The Southeast Asian Press Alliance and the Thai Journalists Association condemned what it called the "mob attack" on the station, and noted that the unjustifiable and went against the principles of democracy, free flow of information, and fair play that the PAD themselves have claimed to justify their illegal act.

Journalists at PAD-controlled Government House reported that they were intimidated, pelted with water bottles, and attacked with a metal pipe. The Nation

The Nation (Thailand)

The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...

a journalist reported that PAD leaders incited hostility towards outsiders, particularly journalists. Channel 9 news crew were attacked after the PAD claimed their news reporting was biased toward government. The PAD limited media access to Government House claiming that the media might be undercover policemen or anti-PAD groups in disguise.

A photographer from the Thai-language newspaper Thai Rath

Thai Rath

Thai Rath is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best known for its sensationalist coverage of crime and accidents, it also...

was attacked by PAD security forces after he took photos of them beating a man at Don Muang airport. PAD security forces also stopped reporters and photographers from covering the detention capture of Sompop Nathee, a captured policeman, at Suvarnabhumi airport.

A TNN television truck was repeatedly shot at by PAD security forces while lost in PAD-controlled Don Muang airport. Phanumart Jaihork, a TNN relay controller, said his truck came under heavy gunfire even though it carried the logos of the company and TV station on its sides and a microwave transmitter in its bed.

New Politics Party

On June the second 2009, the PAD formed a political party called New Politics Party

New Politics Party

or NPP

New Politics Party

External links

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2008/11/27/thailande-interrogations-sur-le-role-de-l-armee_1123615_3216.html

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Origins and leadership

Supporters

Political Proposals

Nationalism

Government System Proposals

Demand for royal intervention

2008 Re-establishment

Preah Vihear issue

Moving the PAD stage

Siege of Government House

Widespread protests

Clash between PAD and Anti-PAD

Government House as a protest site

Arrest

Closing off Parliament

Seizing the airport

Attempts to evict the PAD

End of the siege

Views on the siege

Closure of Bangkok Don Muang Airport

Pattaya

Bangkok

Shooting of Sondhi Limthongkul

2005-2006

2008

New Politics Party

See also

External links

External links