Thailand peaceful for king's birthday

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/05/thailand-peaceful-kings-birthday

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Thailand has put politics and protest aside to celebrate the 86th birthday of the country's king, who used his annual birthday speech to call for stability but made no direct reference to the crisis that has deeply divided the nation.

Violence and street battles between anti-government demonstrators and police were put on hold as both sides observed a truce to mark the 86th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Vast crowds dressed in yellow, the royal colour, lined the roads in the seaside town of Hua Hin to catch a glimpse of the frail and ageing monarch. Many shouted "Long live the king" as his motorcade drove slowly to the palace of Klai Kangwon, which literally means "far from worries".

Onlookers wept as the king began to speak, taking great effort and pausing for long stretches between words.

"Our country has long experienced happiness because we have been united in performing our duties and working together for the good of the whole country," the king said, dressed in a ceremonial golden robe and seated on a throne before an audience that included the prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and her cabinet ministers, as well as Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and the leaders of the armed forces.

"All Thais should consider this very much and focus on doing their duties … which are the security and stability of the country."

Many people were hopeful the king would step in as he has done before to ease the current standoff, which results from years of enmity between supporters and opponents of former Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister and brother of Yingluck who was deposed by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and disrespect for the king.

The king has no official political role but no other figure commands the same moral authority or the same loyalty from the armed forces in the coup-prone country.

The king is a less vigorous figure than he used to be. In July he ended a nearly four-year hospital stay initially for treatment of a lung infection to live in a palace in the seaside town of Hua Hin.

Political street fighting that had wracked pockets of Bangkok since the weekend ended on Tuesday ahead of the birthday celebrations. The protesters have demanded an end to the government of Yingluck and its replacement with an unelected "people's council" to administer the country.

Before the break for the king's birthday, violence killed five people and wounded at least 277 since the weekend.

The protests' leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, has vowed to keep up the struggle, declaring that "our battle" would resume on Friday.

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