Thailand To Negotiate In Airport Protest

Anti-Government Protesters Occupy Two Bangkok Airports; Thousands Of Tourists Stranded

(CBS/AP)  Thailand's government backed off Friday from its threat to forcibly remove protesters occupying Bangkok's two airports in their campaign to oust the prime minister, saying police would avoid violence and attempt to negotiate.

Thousands of tourists have been left stranded since anti-government protesters occupied the main international Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday and the smaller Don Muang airport on Wednesday. Both airports are now shut down and the capital completely cut off to air traffic.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat declared a state of emergency at the airports, authorizing police to take back the terminals. The order appeared to indicate that a crackdown was imminent against the members of the People's Alliance for Democracy.

But eight hours later, Government spokesman Nattawut Sai-Kau told The Associated Press that police have been instructed to get the protesters out of airports "as soon as possible" in a "peaceful manner."

"Firstly, the police should open negotiation with the protester. If they refuse to go, police should do whatever is necessary to open the airports on the basis of nonviolence," he said.

The new soft line, and the government's failure to send in security forces so far, has raised doubts about whether Somchai has the support of security forces and the army, a powerful institution that has traditionally played a key role in the country's politics.

Army commander Gen. Anupong Paochinda has so far been neutral in the political turmoil, and even suggested that Somchai call new elections, triggering speculation that a military coup could take place. The whispers were further fueled by press reports Thursday of tank movements that the military later said were only a training exercise.

In an address to the nation Thursday night to announce the emergency, Somchai said that navy and air force personnel would help the police, but was vague about any participation by the army, saying only the government would also ask the army "to help take care of the people."

The state of emergency also empowers the government to suspend some civil liberties, including restricting the movement of people and prohibiting mass assembly.

Emergency was declared once before in the three months since the protesters seized the prime minister's office, but there was no move to take advantage of its provisions, apparently because the army was reluctant to take on the alliance, which at the time enjoyed greater popularity.

The protesters remained defiant on Friday.

"We are ready to defend ourselves against any government's operations to get us out of those places," Parnthep Wongpuapan, a spokesman of the People's Alliance for Democracy, told the AP.

"We are going to stay at the airports until Somchai resigns," he said.

Protesters at the international airport donned goggles and helmets, and first aid stations handed out surgical masks in anticipation of a police raid. The group's "guards" were patrolling the area with slingshots and metal batons. Many also carry concealed handguns.

Speakers from a makeshift stage repeatedly yelled: "Are you scared?" The crowd roared back: "We're not scared!"

Serirat Prasutanont, chief of the Thailand Airport Authority, said authorities feared protesters who stormed the Don Muang terminal late Wednesday might harm passengers and aircraft.

He said authorities were alerting airports nationwide to be ready to receive diverted flights. Thai Airways said one of its flights from Los Angeles landed Thursday at U-Tapao air force base, 90 miles southeast of Bangkok.

The closure of the two airports left thousands of foreign tourists stranded, including Americans trying to get home for their Thanksgiving holiday Thursday.

Bart Edes, a 45-year-old American banker, had planned to spend Thanksgiving with his wife at a friend's home in Manila, where he lives.

"They're going to put on a traditional feast - roast turkey, sweet potatoes, all the things you crave when you're outside of the United States," he said.

But Edes said he still had a lot to be thankful for. "Look at what happened in Mumbai. This is an inconvenience, but it could be worse."

More than 100 people were killed in the Indian city of Mumbai by a series of overnight militant attacks that reportedly targeted Americans and Britons.

They alliance's protest grew out of its hatred of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a brother-in-law of Somchai. Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless military coup in September 2006 after months of protests by the alliance.

It accused Thaksin and his allies of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin is in exile, a fugitive from a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law. The group says Somchai is merely a Thaksin puppet and should go.

However, Somchai has stood his ground, saying his departure would be a blow to democracy.

In his televised address Thursday from the northern city of Chiang Mai, Somchai accused the alliance of "holding the country hostage and the public hostage." Somchai has been in the pro-government stronghold since he returned from a summit in Peru on Wednesday.

The protests, which gathered pace three months ago when demonstrators overran the prime minister's offices, have paralyzed the government, battered the stock market, spooked foreign investors and dealt a serious blow to the tourism industry.

"If the government uses an emergency decree and decides to crack down on protesters, the army may decide to intervene to prevent that," said Panithan Wattanayagorn, a political science professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

Until now, Somchai has not tried to forcibly oust protesters from his office compound and urged police to exercise restraint during the group's forays outside the walls. Still, at least six people have been killed thus far in political violence.

[Meg003]

Runningralph

Thank you for your kind words. I count myself fortunate to have visited Asia, as I am sure you do.

[runningralph]

Meg001,
It''s nice to hear from a civilized human being. I had a chance to go to Thailand during the Cold War. But the situation changed and my chance was gone. But I have been to many other places in Asia and I have a high opinion of all of them. Thank you for the information.

[Meg003]

Refbatch

I have read there is a *** industry in Thailand, as in many countries. But there are many more reasons for tourists to visit Thailand.

I have been to countries all over the world, and I have never seen a country to match Thailand in sheer beauty. The beaches are beautiful enough to literally take your breath away.

Many Buddhist temples may be visited by tourists, and they contain powerful examples of the architecture and arts or Thailand.

If you get a chance to see a Thai festival, such as Loy Krathong, you may treasure the memory always.

There are too many fabulous sights and activities in Thailand for anyone to list them all.

[Meg003]

Runningralph

I did not make the original post, but I can tell you that a color revolution is a group of organized protesters demanding a change in regime, represented by a symbolic color, in this case the royal yellow.

As to the claim of "wealthy special interest groups" that is usually true of competing political factions. Obviously all these thousands of protesters are not wealthy, but some in the ruling class they support are.

The regime they attempt to replace also has wealthy groups of supporters, and some evidence exists that votes of the poor and uneducated were purchased for 500 baht.

It is primarily government corruption to which the protesters are objecting. They also believe new elections should be held with stricter control over vote buying.

[refbatch]

West tourists look only for prostitutes.
So called civilized world does not admit democracy in it''s brothel.
You eat to good for to have brain.
In general - everything we see through Media is already invalid.

[runningralph]

I am a curious man. Strange things catch my interest. metsobitso is strange. What is a color revolution? Are the protesters in Thailand wealthy special interests? Does Metso manufacture equipment to make bitso? My guess is that you are either insane or you don''t know how to use the English language. Are you from Finland? The Phillipines? Reply please.

[metsobitso]

These color revolutions like in the Ukraine and Georgia are no more than wealthy special interest groups who control the media. They are attempting to circumvent the electorate take control of the country by stealth. It may have worked in the Ukraine and in Georgia for the short term, but the general populist eventually prevails.