Penunjuk perasaan anti-kerajaan menyertai orang lain
menyekat jalan raya di salah sebuah persimpangan utama di pusat bandar Bangkok
13 Jan 2014 (An anti-government protester joins others blocking the road at one
of major intersections in central Bangkok January 13, 2014 (Reuters, Athit
Perawongmetha – think IN pictures @1WORLD Community)
JohnnyAdam – Beribu-ribu
pada hari Isnin menyekat jalan-raya menuju ke tengah-tengah ibu kota, Bangkok
Thailand, dalam usaha untuk memaksa Perdana Menteri Yingluck Shinawatra keluar dan
menggantikan beliau dengan sebuah kerajaan yang tidak dipilih, memanggil
operasi “Bangkok Shutdown.”
Beribu-ribu
keluar ke jalan-raya, berjalan lalui penghadang, mengibarkan bendera dan
memakai t-shirt dengan slogan di atas, menduduki semua persimpangan strategik,
termasuk pusat membeli-belah - yang sama yang telah dibakar semasa pergolakan
politik tahun 2011.
Protes
dipimpin oleh ahli politik pembangkang bekas, Suthep Thaugsuban. Penunjuk
perasaan sedang mencari untuk menyebabkan huru-hara di bandar 12 juta orang dengan
menyekat persimpangan utama. Lewat semalam, katanya kepada orang ramai bahawa
kumpulan itu merancang untuk "berjuang tanpa mengira sama ada [mereka]
menang atau kalah.”
“Kita
tidak akan bertolak ansur atau menerima perundingan,” katanya.
Thai protesters 'shut down' Bangkok in bid to
oust PM
Thousands
on Monday blocked roads leading to the heart of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, in
a bid to force out Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and replace her with an
unelected government, calling the operation “Bangkok Shutdown.”
Thousands
came out onto the streets, walking past barricades, waving flags and wearing
t-shirts with the above slogan, occupying all the strategic intersections,
which included a shopping mall – the same one that was set on fire during the
political turmoil of 2011.
Protests
are led by the former opposition politician, Suthep Thaugsuban. Demonstrators
are seeking to cause chaos in the city of 12 million people by blocking major
intersections. Late on Sunday, he told the crowds that the group intends to “fight
regardless of whether [they] win or lose.”
“We will
not compromise or accept negotiation," he added.
Penunjuk perasaan anti-kerajaan menghalang jalan
raya di salah sebuah persimpangan utama di pusat bandar Bangkok 13 Januari 2014
(Anti-government protesters block the road at one of major intersections in
central Bangkok January 13, 2014 (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha – think IN
pictures @1WORLD Community)
Sehingga
pagi Isnin, terdapat lalu lintas di jalan-raya utama di ibu negara Thai,
mungkin kerana ramai penduduk dan pekerja tinggal di rumah, Bangkok Post
melaporkan. Penunjuk perasaan berkata, kerajaan boleh bergantung kepada mereka
cuba mengganggu berulang-alik kerja rakyat. Ini berkenaan pekerja-pekerja
kerajaan terutamanya, seperti ramai yang dijanjikan untuk memotong kuasa kepada
mereka institusi.
Ini
adalah sesuatu yang memberi amaran kepada kerajaan boleh membawa kepada
pertumpahan darah.
Tunjuk
perasaan baru-baru ini yang melanda negara tenggara Asia hanya kesungguhan
terbaru konflik lapan tahun antara kelas menengah dan penubuhan pendukung raja
dan kebanyakannya miskin, penyokong luar bandar Perdana Menteri dan saudara
sendiri dibuang beliau, bekas Perdana Menteri, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Protes
berterusan datang di tengah-tengah panggilan Isnin oleh PM untuk mengumpul
penunjuk perasaan anti-kerajaan dan parti-parti politik di bawah satu bumbung
untuk membincangkan cadangan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya untuk menangguhkan lagi
pilihan raya, pada mulanya dicadangkan untuk 2 Februari, menurut seorang
pembantu kanan kerajaan.
Pembangkang
dan menteri-menteri sebelum ini tidak bersetuju dengan rancangan itu. Seorang
ahli EC kini mencadangkan sebagai tarikh 4 Mei.
“Perdana
Menteri berpendapat bahawa masih terdapat beberapa perkara tidak jelas dalam
cadangan SPR. Cara terbaik adalah untuk bertemu dan berbincang,” Setiausaha
Agung kepada PM, Suranand Vejjajiva, memberitahu akhbar itu, berkata Reuters.
Pada
tahun 2006 Thaksin digulingkan sebagai Perdana Menteri dalam rampasan kuasa dan
kini dalam buangan diri yang dikenakan di Dubai, mengelakkan penjara mungkin di
Thailand atas tuduhan rasuah.
As of
Monday morning, there has been little traffic on the main roads of the Thai
capital, probably because many residents and workers stayed home, the Bangkok
Post reports. The protesters said the government can count on them trying to
disrupt people’s work commutes. This concerns government workers especially, as
the crowd promised to cut off power to those institutions.
This is
something that the government warns could lead to more bloodshed.
The
recent demonstrations that swept the south-east Asian nation are just the
latest intensification of an eight-year conflict between the middle class and
royalist establishment and the mostly poorer, rural supporters of the prime
minister and her self-exiled brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
The
continuing protest comes amid Monday calls by the PM to gather anti-government
protesters and political parties under one roof to discuss an Election Commission
proposal for further postponing the election, initially proposed for February
2, according to a senior government aide.
The
opposition and the ministers had previously disagreed with the plan. One EC
member now suggests May 4 as the date.
"The
prime minister thinks that there are still some unclear points in the EC's
proposal. The best way is to meet and discuss it," secretary-general to
the PM, Suranand Vejjajiva, told the press, Reuters said.
In 2006
Thaksin was ousted as prime minister in a coup and currently is in a
self-imposed exile in Dubai, evading a possible prison term in Thailand on
corruption charges.
Penunjuk perasaan anti-kerajaan menduduki
persimpangan di pusat bandar Bangkok 13 Jan, 2014. (Anti-government protesters
occupy an intersection in central Bangkok January 13, 2014. (Reuters / Nir
Elias – think IN pictures @1WORLD Community)
Peningkatan
keganasan dalam beberapa minggu kebelakangan ini telah dilihat 8 orang terbunuh,
termasuk 2 pegawai polis, dan lain-lain lagi cedera.
Memandangkan
protes, 140 sekolah ditutup pada hari Isnin bersama-sama dengan universiti di
sekitar kawasan demonstrasi.
Terdapat
juga 10,000 pegawai polis dan 8,000 anggota tentera untuk menjaga keselamatan
pegawai-pegawai kerajaan.
The
escalation of violence in recent weeks has seen eight people killed, including
two police officers, and many others wounded.
In light
of the protests, 140 schools are to be closed on Monday along with universities
around the areas of the demonstration.
There
will also be 10,000 police officers and 8,000 soldiers to guard the government
officers.
Penunjuk perasaan anti-kerajaan berarak di pusat
bandar Bangkok 13 Jan 2014. (Anti-government protesters march in central Bangkok
January 13, 2014. (Reuters/Nir Elias – think IN pictures @1WORLD Community)
Sesetengah
merasakan bahawa tindakan yang diambil oleh penunjuk perasaan boleh
mengurangkan sokongan untuk pembangkang di kalangan penduduk di ibu negara. “Sudah
tentu ia memberi kesan kepada saya - Saya amat tertekan,” pemilik salun rambut
Tong, 69, kepada AFP, sambil menambah bahawa “tidak ada pelanggan yang datang
sekarang kerana pelanggan tetap saya tidak boleh memandu di sini.”
Penyokong
Thaksin juga diadakan perhimpunan pada hari Ahad di beberapa kawasan Thailand,
tetapi menjauhkan diri dari Bangkok.
Some
feel that the action taken by the protesters could reduce support for the
opposition among the capital’s residents. "Of course it affects me -- I'm
very stressed," hair salon owner Tong, 69, told AFP, adding that "no
customers are coming now as my regular customers cannot drive here."
Thaksin
supporters also staged a rally on Sunday in several regions of Thailand, but
stayed away from Bangkok.
Penunjuk perasaan anti-kerajaan berarak di pusat
bandar Bangkok 13 Jan 2014. (Anti-government protestors march in central Bangkok
January 13, 2014. (Reuters/Nir Elias – think IN pictures @1WORLD Community)
Dia
memberi amaran bahawa dia akan berhenti kerana merasakan jika keadaan sampai
perang saudara. “Jika ia menjadi perang saudara , saya akan melepaskan.
Kehidupan Rakyat adalah amat berharga bagi saya,” akhbar Nation Ahad memetik
beliau sebagai berkata.
Matlamat
utama pembangkang adalah untuk mengurangkan dan menghapuskan kekuasaan keluarga
Shinawatra atas politik Thai.
“Suthep
hanya seorang proksi untuk kepentingan musuh pendukung raja. Peranan beliau
sentiasa menjadi untuk membawa keluar orang ramai untuk mewujudkan kesahihan
popular yang mungkin memudahkan apa-apa campur tangan kehakiman atau tentera,”
Reuters memetik Pengarah Penyelidikan di Institut Hal Ehwal Asia Tenggara di
Chiang Mai, Paul Chambers, sebagai berkata.
Bantahan
mendapat kekuatan pada bulan November apabila kerajaan cuba untuk lulus
pengampunan politik yang akan membolehkan Thaksin pulang mengelakkan hukuman
penjara. Rang undang-undang kemudiannya ditolak.
He did
warn that he will stop his attempts if the situation reaches civil war.
"If it becomes a civil war, I will give up. People's life is precious for
me," the Sunday Nation newspaper quoted him as saying.
The
opposition’s main goal is to minimize and eliminate the Shinawatra family sway
over Thai politics.
"Suthep
is only a proxy for arch-royalist interests. His role has always been to bring
out crowds to create popular legitimacy which might facilitate any judicial or
military intervention," Reuters quoted Director of Research at the
Institute of South East Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai, Paul Chambers, as saying.
The
protests gained strength in November when the government tries to pass a
political amnesty that would allow Thaksin to return avoiding the jail
sentence. The bill was later withdrawn.
READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/c6u5zm