Tension In Thailand
The recent rash of anti-government sentiment in Thailand can be traced back to discontent that sparked the 2006 coup, which ousted prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Here are some key dates in the long-running political crisis:
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Thaksin Shinawatra is elected prime minister.
|
|
|
|
Thaksin imposes martial law as Islamic insurgency flares in south.
|
|
|
|
Thaksin is re-elected in a landslide victory.
|
|
|
|
Weekly anti-Thaksin rallies begin, drawing thousands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Military stages bloodless coup to oust Thaksin following months of anti-government protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
Thaksin's party is banned; he and 110 party
executives are barred from politics for five years for election law violations. Thaksin stays abroad, effectively in exile.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
Hundreds of Thaksin supporters join the little-known
People's Power Party, which becomes a proxy for his disbanded party.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
The People's Power Party wins elections and goes on to lead a six-party coalition that chooses Samak Sundaravej as prime minister.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
|
|
The alliance, a loose group of monarchists, union
activists and business leaders, launches protests against Samak. It accuses his government of corruption and being a proxy for Thaksin.
It demands Samak resign.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
Thaksin flees to England after attending the Beijing Olympics. Facing several corruption cases, Thaksin complains he couldn't get a fair trial.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
The alliance raids a government-controlled television station and launches protests outside several government ministries. Tens of thousands of protesters take over the prime minister's compound.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Police issue arrest warrants for nine of the
group's leaders on charges of insurrection, conspiracy, illegal assembly and refusing orders to disperse. A court order is also issued demanding the crowd that has ranged from 2,000 to 30,000 disperse.
|
|
|
|
Thai police fire tear gas at thousands of
anti-government protesters besieging their headquarters, while demonstrators outside the capital shut down three airports and halt rail service.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
Samak refuses to resign during a heated parliamentary session called to deal with the political crisis.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Government supporters clash with the alliance followers in early morning, leaving one dead and dozens injured. Samak responds by imposing a state of emergency. The decree suspends certain civil liberties and bans all public gatherings of more than five people among other measures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thai Army Commander Gen. Anupong Paochinda tells reporters the military's goal was to avoid violence. He also rules out a coup, saying "we will try to use democratic means to solve the problems."
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
Anti-government protesters demanding the Thai prime minister's resignation refuse to lift their week-long siege of his office, defying an emergency decree that has intensified the country's political deadlock.
|
|
|
|
The Constitutional Court removes Samak from office, saying his appearance on a TV cooking show while in office constitutes a conflict of interest.
|
|
|
|
Samak says he will not seek reinstatement as prime minister; he later resigns as leader of the People's Power Party.
|
|
|
|
The state of emergency is lifted.
|
|
|
|
Parliament elects Somchai Wongsawat prime minister. Protesters say Somchai is also Thaksin's puppet, and they say they will stay at Government House until a prime minister they approve of is chosen.
|
|
|
|
Protesters surround Parliament in hopes of preventing lawmakers from entering the building for a speech by Somchai the next day.
|
|
|
|
Protesters demanding the government resign set fire to cars and threw bottles and metal barricades at police, who used tear gas to break through their blockade around Parliament. At least one person was killed and more 350 people were injured in the most violent and widespread unrest in Thailand's six-week political crisis as protesters try to force out supporters of Shinawatra, the premier ousted in 2006 amid allegations of corruption.
STORY: Fast Facts: Thailand
|
|
|
|
Credits:
Associated Press
|
|
|
