Word: samak
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...their voices grew hoarse. But beneath the revelry lay a measure of menace. These were not simple partygoers but protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who on Aug. 26 besieged Government House, Thailand's seat of power, vowing to occupy the manicured grounds until Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej resigned. At first, the demonstrators - many middle-class professionals who took to hanging their washing lines over Government House's hedge topiaries - clapped as their leaders called for the government's downfall. But after a week, the celebratory mood began to fade. On Sept. 2, after a deadly street...
...Even at the best of times, politics in Thailand hardly hews to the script of a mature democracy. But the current stalemate is rapidly reaching that of political farce, with a distinct possibility of degenerating into tragedy. The PAD demands Samak's ouster but it isn't entirely sure who should lead the country should he resign. The feisty PM has refused to step down, even if he can no longer work at his own office. The impasse has brought parts of the country to a halt. PAD mobs forced three airports in key tourist areas to shutter, and strikes...
...streets pulled the country back to the bad old days when putsches, not polls, were the mechanism for changing governments. Thaksin's party was banned, and the deposed PM was charged with corruption and abuse of power. The generals did keep a promise to hold elections, which Samak's People Power Party (PPP) won handily last December. But Samak initially campaigned as a proxy for Thaksin, the very man whom the coup was supposed to remove from the political scene. (Last month, Thaksin fled to England, claiming he will not receive a fair trial back home.) "If democracy brings Samak...
...Unlike Thaksin, Samak has deep connections with the palace; his family served as royal courtiers for generations. And though the former Bangkok governor defined his earlier career as a blustery hard-liner, Samak has so far used restraint against the people occupying his offices. The riot police charged with breaking up the Sept. 2 confrontation, for instance, did not carry guns. While Samak is hardly a touchy-feely politician, he, like his predecessor Thaksin, displays a deft common touch that is often lacking within Thailand's political class. If a snap election were held tomorrow, Samak's PPP would most...
...quite certain what will happen when he is no longer there to provide moral guidance for the nation. Complicating matters further is the military, which has shown a historical disregard for attempts to nurture Thai democracy. Now, with the army empowered to control security in Bangkok because of Samak's state-of-emergency order, tanks could again roll through the capital. But army chief Anupong Paochinda vows he won't sign off on a coup. "The door to use force," he says, "is closed...