This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/world/asia/protests-snarl-bangkok-for-2nd-day.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Thai Leader Vows to Keep Job Amid Protests Thai Leader Vows to Keep Job Amid Protests
(about 5 hours later)
BANGKOK — As protesters opposing elections continued their occupation of key parts of Bangkok’s main commercial and business districts, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday said she was “protecting democracy” and would not resign. BANGKOK — As antigovernment protesters continued their occupation of key parts of Bangkok’s main commercial and business districts, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday said she was “protecting democracy” and would not resign.
“Democracy belongs to the entire Thai people,” she said in a Twitter message, a day after the leaders of the anti-government protests began what they called a shutdown of Bangkok. “Democracy belongs to the entire Thai people,” she said in a Twitter message, a day after the leaders of the protests began what they called a shutdown of Bangkok. Although Ms. Yingluck’s party is despised by many southerners and members of the Thai elite, it remains very popular in the northern half of the country and is widely expected to win scheduled elections.
The leader of the protests, Suthep Thaugsuban, who has been charged by the authorities with rebellion, threatened on Tuesday to “close all government offices” if Ms. Yingluck did not step down in the coming days.The leader of the protests, Suthep Thaugsuban, who has been charged by the authorities with rebellion, threatened on Tuesday to “close all government offices” if Ms. Yingluck did not step down in the coming days.
“And if she remains stubborn, we will take custody of the prime minister and all ministers,” he said to a cheering crowd at a major Bangkok intersection blocked by protesters. “And if she remains stubborn, we will take custody of the prime minister and all ministers,” he said to a cheering crowd at a major Bangkok intersection blocked by protesters. Mr. Suthep advised government ministers to “send their wives and children to somewhere so that they can escape when the emergency takes place.”
Mr. Suthep advised government ministers to “send their wives and children to somewhere so that they can escape when the emergency takes place.” Protesters are demanding the “eradication” from politics of Ms. Yingluck and her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a business tycoon and former prime minister. Ms. Yingluck called elections, scheduled for Feb. 2, as an early response to the protests. But the demonstrators are opposed, arguing that the vote would provide the Shinawatra clan greater domination of the political system. They would like, instead, to institute an alternative form of government involving an unelected “people’s council” that would replace Parliament.
Protesters are demanding the “eradication” from politics of Ms. Yingluck and her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon and former prime minister. They oppose the election scheduled for Feb. 2 on the grounds that it would provide the Shinawatra clan greater domination of the political system. The demonstrators say they hope to show the impotence of the government by paralyzing parts of the capital — and they appear to have partially achieved this goal. But it remains to be seen how long they can sustain their protests, especially if businesses and residents inconvenienced by street blockades turn against them.
In a crisis that is bewildering to many people outside Thailand, political observers say there are no angels among the leading personalities involved in the standoff. Mr. Thaksin has been accused several times of using the powers of the state – and the weight of his political party – to further his personal interests. When he was in power from 2001 to 2006 Mr. Thaksin intimidated the media and sought to control many government institutions that are meant to be independent. Political observers say there are no angels among the leading personalities involved in the standoff.
Mr. Suthep, a career politician and former deputy prime minister, says he is fighting to banish corruption and the Shinawatra clan. But he has been embroiled in a number of scandals himself. In addition, when he was in power in 2010 he led a crackdown against protesters that left more 90 people dead. He faces murder charges but has not appeared in court because he says he is too busy leading the protests. Mr. Thaksin has been accused several times of using the powers of the state – and the weight of his political party – to further his personal interests. When he was in power from 2001 to 2006, Mr. Thaksin intimidated the media and sought to control many government institutions that are meant to be independent.
In a part of the world that has seen numerous “people power” movements calling for elections as a way of toppling authoritarian governments, the Thai standoff is radically different: Mr. Suthep and his allies in the opposition Democrat Party are fighting to stop elections that they would probably lose because of the widespread support the government has in northern Thailand. Mr. Suthep, a career politician and former deputy prime minister, says he is fighting to banish corruption and the Shinawatra clan. But he has been embroiled in a number of corruption scandals himself. In addition, when he was in power in 2010 a crackdown against protesters supporting Mr. Thaksin left more than 90 people dead, and Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation has said he was among those “ordering the military to use live ammunition against protesters.”
The country’s polarization was highlighted in a survey of residents of northeastern Thailand that was reported in Thai media Tuesday. More than 70 percent of respondents said they planned to vote in the election and more than three quarters said they were against the shutdown of Bangkok, according to the poll, which was carried out by the Esaan Centre for Business and Economic Research at Khon Kaen University in the northeast. He faces murder charges but has said he is innocent. He has not appeared in court, he says, because he is too busy leading the protests.
On Monday night, after tens of thousands of people converged on Bangkok for the protest, large crowds in several cities north of Bangkok gathered for candlelight vigils in support of elections. A spokeswoman for the United States State Department, Marie Harf, on Monday repeated a call for a strengthening of “democratic principles” in the country. She also applauded the “restraint” showed by the government toward the protesters.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, Marie Harf, repeated a call Monday for a strengthening of “democratic principles” in the country. She also applauded the “restraint” showed by the government toward the protesters. Protest leaders and the Democrat Party, which is boycotting the election, have rejected Ms. Yingluck’s offer to discuss possibly delaying the election. Until this week the government had been firm that there are no provisions in the law to postpone elections.
Protest leaders and the Democrat Party, which is boycotting the election, have rejected Ms. Yingluck’s offer to discuss possibly delaying the election. Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, an election commissioner who has been vocal in his skepticism that elections can take place on time, said the country risked destruction. “Don’t claim the limitations of the law and allow the country to be destroyed,” he said.
Until this week the government had been firm that there are no provisions in the law to postpone elections. Yet the Election Commission said it would not attend the government’s proposed forum on the issue, saying a large meeting would be unwieldy. Ms. Yingluck’s governing party on Tuesday accused the commission of dragging its feet, “playing politics” and “opposing” the elections.
Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, an election commissioner who has been the most vocal in his skepticism that elections can take place on time, said the country risked destruction. “Don’t claim the limitations of the law and allow the country to be destroyed,” he said. Mr. Somchai last month appeared to make his case for a delay. “We used to think that elections were the way to solve problems in society, like starting over,” he said, adding that he feared violence. “It’s as if it’s not worth it to have elections.”
Yet the Election Commission said it would not attend the government’s proposed forum on the issue, saying a large meeting would be unwieldy. Ms. Yingluck’s governing party on Tuesday accused the election commission of dragging its feet, “playing politics” and “opposing” the elections.
In a city as vast as Bangkok, many areas were unaffected by the protests, which are concentrated in the central business district.In a city as vast as Bangkok, many areas were unaffected by the protests, which are concentrated in the central business district.
Protesters retreated from at least two major intersections and in some areas the crowds were thinner than on Monday, the first day of the shutdown. But the number of protesters on the streets continued to be in the thousands. Bangkok’s largest shopping malls, which are located in the heart of the protest area, said they would close earlier than normal. The Bank of Thailand reported that 135 bank branches were either closed or had shortened their operating hours. Protesters retreated from at least two major intersections and in some areas the crowds were thinner than on Monday, the first day of the shutdown. Still, thousands of protesters remained on the streets. Bangkok’s largest shopping malls, which are located in the heart of the protest area, said they would close earlier than normal. And the Bank of Thailand reported that 135 bank branches were either closed or had shortened their operating hours.
Despite the government announcing last week that thousands of soldiers had been called up to protect the capital, the presence of security forces remained very light, with protesters directing traffic in the city’s central business district. Despite an announcement by the government last week that thousands of soldiers had been called up to protect the capital, the presence of security forces remained very light, with protesters directing traffic in the city’s central business district. Groups of protesters marched to government offices and gathered in front of the Police Headquarters, where they shouted that the police were “slaves” to Mr. Thaksin.
Groups of protesters marched to government offices and gathered in front of the police headquarters where they shouted that the police were “slaves” to Mr. Thaksin.