The PAD has support from 'the Lady'. That's why the police and the army can't do anything. The government is weak because of the extraconstitutional interventions perpetrated and delivered through her command. Although 'the Gentleman', devout and benevolent, has done so much for the people throughout his life, 'the Lady' seems to destroy his name and bite away the very foundation of her family. Sadly, Thailand is saying farewell to the 21st century as it is now attained a status of 'backward state' where the old traditional elites will once again roam the land and munch the poor for lunch. The right-wing traditional elites will do whatever they want by claiming their moral superiority over the people whom they consider as 'poor and uneducated'. Indeed, power is not vested in the Thai people. In this country, people sovereignty doesn't exist and majority doesn't rule. I really want to go back to Thailand to help developing my country. Nevertheless, the current political fiasco and the abuse of power by a group of people make me lose faith in Thailand. I'm very sad. I think I should stay away from Thailand at least for a while until stability is resurrected. For now, democracy in Thailand is a big fat lie.
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Small-d democrats, meanwhile, are determined not to abdicate in favor of people they consider "elites." Thaksin, who despite being fabulously wealthy casts himself as an ally of the poor and dispossessed, is beloved by the working classes, especially in the rural north and northeast. Opponents attribute his enduring popularity to corruption, alleging that he won his support by distributing goodies to the masses. Pro-government activists, though, believe the alliance works with big business and the military in an effort to keep power in the hands of those who have held it for generations. Hundreds of such activists gathered outside the Constitutional Court, which they condemned as an organ of the PAD. Even some Thais who once criticized Thaksin's autocratic ways and alleged cronyism bridle at what they see as high-handedness within the PAD.
Thaksin himself shows every sign of adding fuel to the fire. The former prime minister once insisted he was done with politics. But after a series of setbacks, he appears to have abandoned caution. Earlier this year, the British government revoked his visa, forcing him to leave London, where he had been living. A Thai court sentenced him in absentia to two years in jail for corruption. His wife divorced him last month—though many speculate that the split was yet another shrewd business tactic to protect his assets. Seemingly unleashed, the former prime minister is now suggesting Thailand needs him to return to politics. Essentially homeless, the peripatetic tycoon showed up recently in Dubai, where he told a business journal he has "no choice" but to return home because he is "cornered" by his country's travails. "With me at the helm, I can bring confidence quickly back to Thailand," he told Arabian Business.
Airport officials were saying the international airport would resume operations Wednesday, but that is unlikely. "It will take at least a couple of days," Pasan Teparak, the Thai consul-general in Dubai, tells NEWSWEEK. "They will have to recheck everything to make sure the airport runs safely and everything is standardized." Not the least of the tasks now facing Suvarnabhumi is a major sweep to make sure there are no security threats, like flammable material being left behind, says a Thai aviation official. With reports surfacing that authorities had found material outside Government House that could be used to make explosives, it seems a prudent measure.
© 2008
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