Earlier this month, a royal decreed set February 2 as the date for new elections after the Thai government dissolved in response to protests. There has been some recent developments, that I thought I would share and document for the benefit of future Peace Corps volunteers in Thailand should political turmoil happen again in the future (which if history is any indication, is likely).
Protests Continue
The anti-government protests vowed to “shut down Bangkok” starting on January 13th. Various large intersections were taken over by large crowds and protestors erected professionally made signs to divert traffic. Crowds went to government offices, which did close in response to the protests. Schools throughout the city closed and many people avoided going out, causing, as many news agencies noted, the usually congested streets of Bangkok to be rather empty of vehicles.
Explosions and Violence
An explosive was set off at the home of former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, causing part of the roof to collapse, but he was not home. Additionally a grenade was thrown into a protest crowd in the vicinity of Suthep Thaugsuban, former Deputy Prime Minister and protest leader, he was unharmed, but other people were injured and one person died.
Two weekends ago, two more grenades were thrown into crowds, again injuring protestors. A leader of the “red shirts,” or people who support Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her party was shot in the arm in Ubon Ratchathani, a province in the northeast of Thailand on the border of Laos. Certainly the violence has escalated in the recent weeks. These incidents are the exceptions. Overwhelmingly the protests maintain a convivial and cheerful atmosphere, with Thai pop music blasting, whistles trilling and smiles creeping on people’s faces.
Peace Corps’ Response
Peace Corps has put us on “standfast,” meaning that we are supposed to stay in our communities, where, for the vast majority of volunteers, the situation has not reached. Non-essential medical appointments in Bangkok have been postponed. The staff in the country is keeping our safety and security as a top priority and are maintaining contact with all of us.
Political Maneuvering
Other than the protests there has been some interesting news in the way of how the political situation is progressing. The Constitutional Court handed down indictments for corruption regarding the rice subsidy scheme, of which Yingluck was the head of the cabinet in charge of the scheme. Additionally, the court ruled that the bill she attempted to pass that would have made the Senate an elected body was unconstitutional. Most recently, the court has also ruled that a delay of the February 2 elections would be constitutional, a ruling which Thai scholars are shocked by.
The stated main goal of the protestors is to have reforms before an election. They want to rid the government of Yingluck’s brother’s, Thaksin Shinawatra, influence. Their plan for achieving this is to install a “people’s council” that would enact reforms before having an election. They have vowed to block the election from happening and the latest court ruling appears to be politically motivated in the protestors favor. In a number of provinces, registration for the election was already blocked and there is a question as to whether there would be enough people elected to have a quorum in parliament, even if the elections were to take place.
Overall, I, and the other Peace Corps volunteers and trainees that are here are safe and well taken care of and looked after. We are out of harm’s way for the most part and the situation is under constant monitoring. In the past, in 2010 and in 2006, the last major protest and a coup respectively, the volunteers were also put on standfast, but no higher emergency action was made. The most that I see regarding this is seeing posters and banners with the local candidates and a picture of Yingluck on them.