Word: thailand
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...opposition gathered support over the weekend, as business leaders joined the chorus calling for Thailand's democratically elected ruling party to step down from power. "The situation has gone from bad to worse," the Thai Chamber of Commerce said in statement on Saturday, "signaling that [the government] is incompetent at ensuring peace and order ... coalition parties should have the political courage to withdraw from the government and allow a new government to be installed." The chamber also urged antigovernment protesters to end their occupation of the two airports. Some members told the Bangkok Post they would stop paying taxes...
...That spokesman's claim was quickly denied by a Thailand-based representative of Human Rights Watch, who said the government must act responsibly in dealing with the demonstrators...
...Thailand appeared to be bracing for a crackdown on anti-government protesters occupying Bangkok's two main airports on Friday evening, as riot police gathered near the airfields and a government spokesman claimed the administration had international support to use force against the demonstrators...
...Government spokesman Natthawut Saikua said Friday that Thaksin, who fled Thailand in August rather than serve a two-year prison sentence for a conflict of interest conviction, was ready to make publicly broadcast phone calls to supporters around the clock to urge them to fight a coup. "If a coup is staged, Thaksin will fight against it along side with Thais. He can make phone calls to us 24 hours a day," Natthawut said. Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006, but later returned to Thailand earlier this year after elections were held...
...Meanwhile, the government removed National Police Chief General Gen Phatcharawat Wongsuwan on Friday without giving a reason. "Nobody wants to have blood on their hands," said Sunai Phasuk, the HRW representative in Thailand. He said that the police chief, like the army chief, was reluctant to move quickly against the protesters for fear of a bloodbath. Police officials had said on Thursday they would begin by trying to talk the protesters out of the airports...