7 replies to this topic

[BORG]

"Deputy PM's Secretary-General Panithan Watanayakorn said Thursday that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will refrain from giving interviews to media for several more days for safety reason.Thursday was the fifth day that the prime minister did not meet the media.

Panithan said the prime minister would have to remain in the 11th Infantry Regiment for several more days.He said the prime minister will communicate with the public once in a while and will rush to solve the country's problems."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/PM-to...--30127219.html

Translation: When you don't know what to say or do, better to say nothing.

[DOLLY]

This situation is getting bizarre, with the prime minister hiding at some army base incommunicado, while some young army officer I never heard of is regularly appearing on all TV stations at the same time, talking as if he is running the country. The impression you get is that the army is running things and/or Abhisit is afraid to show himself. How on earth can you run a country that way ?

[Kirkland]

"Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has delayed his address to the nation on Friday after the authorities' attempt to arrest red-shirt leaders was unsuccessful.

Mr Abhisit was scheduled to address national television at 1pm from the 11th Infantry Regiment, where he has been staying for more than a month since the red-shirts staged their anti-government protests. He has not done so as of 6pm.

No reason was given on the delay.He has been absent from the public eye since Monday."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/17...ference-delayed

[Hedda]

Abhisit has just completed a brief statement on TV tonite at 2130. He announced that General Aunpong has been placed in charge of the emergency command center (CRES), replacing deputy PM Suthep. This looks like a victory for the military doves who have been urging a political settlement instead of further military action against the Red Shirts.

[B.I.G.]

The headline in the internet Bankok Post says it all: "The Army is in charge."
Anupong made Abhisit prime minister and Abhisit has now returned the favor by putting Anupong in charge of the country. A coup in all but name.

[Bob]

Abhisit has just completed a brief statement on TV tonite at 2130. He announced that General Aunpong has been placed in charge of the emergency command center (CRES), replacing deputy PM Suthep. This looks like a victory for the military doves who have been urging a political settlement instead of further military action against the Red Shirts.

While I agree that this signals what many of us have thought anyway - that the army truly is in charge and Abhisit to a large degree is simply the Army's patsy - I not so sure about the "doves" part. I could be wrong (and hope I am) but placing Aunpong in charge seems to me to signal that the army is going in and soon. Given the redshirts' occasional wild-assed statements about overthrowing the government, I'm not sure the army has any choice but to clear out the redshirts no matter what it takes to do it.

[Harold]

Given the redshirts' occasional wild-assed statements about overthrowing the government, I'm not sure the army has any choice but to clear out the red shirts no matter what it takes to do it.

I don't agree. The Red shirts leaders have never said they intend to overthrow the government by force. They have stated many times that they want elections and they will go home immediately if Abhisit agrees to dissolve parliament and call elections. That's the same thing that Anupong said two days ago, that dissolution is the only solution if a political deal can't be reached.

[Bob]

They have stated many times that they want elections and they will go home immediately if Abhisit agrees to dissolve parliament and call elections.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to the issues raised by the red shirts and, yes, they've said this many times. But they've also made some other statements following last Saturday's events which, although maybe said in the heat of anger, included using the words "war", demanding Abhisit immediately leave the country, and a few other comments that were rather unwise.

Part of the problem - and perhaps the biggest frailty of Abhisit - is the government hangs on everything said and done by the redshirts. They (the government) has been obsessed with them (and Thaksin, of course) for weeks and I believe have unwisely given the red shirts a lot of practical power by this obsession.

Perhaps other than in the pages of the Nation, the red shirts seemed to have been winning the "media" side of all of this although the government (other than the rantings of Suthep this week) actually has done a fairly good job since the crackdown in moderating its public statements.