Protests In Thailand

[Shiranu]

I want to start by apologizing for not posting this quite awhile ago, I thought it is something that news networks would cover a bit more. These protests have been going on for awhile now but, like most small countries we don't care about, you hear nothing about it.

I also will say this; I am not even close to an expert on the situation. The best I understand of it is that many Thai people, mostly from the cities, are against their current PM Yingluck Shinawatra, who is the sister of the exiled leader Thaksin Shinawatra (2001-2006). The protester's claim that she is just a puppet for her brother and that she is keeping an exiled politician in power by doing what he tells her to. However the rural Thai tend to disagree, and have elected Yingluck's party, the Pheu Thai Party and their allies, into power for awhile now (as far as I know, fairly and democratically).

I will bring up the Shinawatra's policies in a bit, but here is BBC's explanation of how this situation is...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25149484

What started the protests?
Demonstrations kicked off in November after Thailand's lower house passed a controversial amnesty bill which critics said could allow former leader Thaksin Shinawatra to return without serving time in jail.

Mr Thaksin, one of the most polarising characters in Thai politics, was ousted in a military coup in 2006. He now lives in self-imposed exile overseas after being convicted of corruption, but remains popular with many rural voters.

The amnesty bill, which was proposed by his sister Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party, was eventually rejected by the Senate. However, anti-government protests continued and new demands emerged.

Who are the protesters?
The demonstrations are being led by Suthep Thaugsuban, a former Thai deputy prime minister who resigned from the opposition Democrat Party to lead the rallies.

The protesters - who tend to be urban and middle-class voters - are united by their opposition to Mr Thaksin, and their belief that he is still controlling the current Pheu Thai government.

Thaksin-allied parties have won the last five elections, because of their rural support base.

Mr Suthep and his supporters say they want to wipe out the "political machine of Thaksin" and install an unelected "people's council" to reform the political system.

The protesters say the government has been buying votes with irresponsible spending pledges aimed at its support base - thereby creating a flawed democracy and harming the Thai economy.

From what I can gather out of that... Yingluck seems to be in the right. Even if the government is corrupt, I am not sure installing unellected officials is the way to go. Thailand has unfortunately been stuck for decade after decade of dictatorships and military coups, and that seems like a step back in that direction.

Here are outed PM Thaksin's economic policies...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksinomics

For the most part they seem like good policies, though one criticism I could see being quite valid is the increased indebtedness to the banks (even if it is a very low interest rate). The emphasis being on small to medium business seems like a good model though.

Not being there, nor having the greatest access to information, makes it very hard to know just what the state of affairs in Thailand are or who is the "right" side. The protests have remained mostly civil thought a few outbreaks of violence have occurred as well as one of the rural-parties leaders being targeted in a drive by shooting.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I tried for awhile to keep up with this,  but it's such a mess it's difficult to keep up with at best. My sister in law is from rural Thailand, but she came to the US in the early 70s. We don't keep in touch. She became a bitter old woman living with my brother all those years.  He died about 10 yrs ago or so.