Thai Anti-government Rally Continues as Crowd Shrinks
- 14 years ago
And anti-government rallies are showing signs of fizzling out in Bangkok today. Protesters have been rallying at the Thai capital for ten days now calling for political change.
A mass anti-government rally in Thailand appeared to be fizzling on Tuesday as tens of thousands returned to their homes in the countryside.
Red-shirted supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra (Tak-sin Shin-a-wat) have been camping out near the Government House for more than a week, calling for snap elections.
They held a religious ceremony with around 80 monks saying prayers for luck.
Thaksin's supporters have won some credibility as a non-violent political movement.
Some expressed frustration about the rally's lack of impact and clear direction as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (ab-hi-sit way-jah-jeh-wa) rejected calls to dissolve the parliament and call fresh elections.
[Jintana Kampan, Protester]: (Thai, gender female)
"I want other people to know that this government cannot run the country at all. Our grassroots population will just get poorer and their living standards will never be uplifted. I want the government to dissolve the house and to resign."
Police said the crowd, which had peaked to over 150,000 on Sunday the 14th, had dropped to tens of thousands.
Red-shirted demonstrators vow to continue their protests at least for another two weeks to unseat the government and force snap elections, ahead of polls scheduled for 2011.
Thaksin's allies are likely to win elections in 2011, just as they have in every poll held since 2001.
A mass anti-government rally in Thailand appeared to be fizzling on Tuesday as tens of thousands returned to their homes in the countryside.
Red-shirted supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra (Tak-sin Shin-a-wat) have been camping out near the Government House for more than a week, calling for snap elections.
They held a religious ceremony with around 80 monks saying prayers for luck.
Thaksin's supporters have won some credibility as a non-violent political movement.
Some expressed frustration about the rally's lack of impact and clear direction as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (ab-hi-sit way-jah-jeh-wa) rejected calls to dissolve the parliament and call fresh elections.
[Jintana Kampan, Protester]: (Thai, gender female)
"I want other people to know that this government cannot run the country at all. Our grassroots population will just get poorer and their living standards will never be uplifted. I want the government to dissolve the house and to resign."
Police said the crowd, which had peaked to over 150,000 on Sunday the 14th, had dropped to tens of thousands.
Red-shirted demonstrators vow to continue their protests at least for another two weeks to unseat the government and force snap elections, ahead of polls scheduled for 2011.
Thaksin's allies are likely to win elections in 2011, just as they have in every poll held since 2001.