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Prime ministers

Anti-Government Protests Disrupt Asian Summit in Thailand

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Thousands of anti-government protesters, calling for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's resignation, disrupted an Asian summit in Pattaya, Thailand, where leaders from 16 nations were gathering to tackle the global financial crisis and boost trade within the region. Despite an all-day standoff with soldiers in riot gear, the protesters retreated on Friday, vowing to return the next day unless their demands were met. The summit threatened to be disrupted, with leaders seeking ways to avoid the protesters who had erected roadblocks on the routes up to the hilltop convention center.

Key Takeaways:

  • The protests, which began with a gathering of 100,000 protesters in Bangkok, have swelled to 2,000 in Pattaya, where they have erected roadblocks and demanded Abhisit's resignation.
  • The protesters are supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed by a 2006 military coup and has fled into exile.
  • The Thai government has deployed 8,000 policemen, including riot police, to maintain order in Pattaya, while an estimated 2,000 soldiers have been deployed.
  • The protests have threatened to disrupt the Asian summit, which is focused on coping with the global slowdown and addressing the North Korean rocket launch.
  • Protest leader Arisman Pongreungrong stated that the protesters would return the next day if their demands were not met, vowing to continue the protests until Abhisit resigns.
  • The Thai government has been trying to move beyond a protracted political crisis, following the shutdown of Bangkok's two airports in November by anti-Thaksin protesters.

Statistics:

  • 2,000 protesters have gathered in Pattaya, demanding Abhisit's resignation.
  • 8,000 policemen, including riot police, have been deployed to maintain order in Pattaya.
  • $2,000 is an estimated cost of damage from the shutdown of the two airports in November.
  • 100,000 protesters gathered in Bangkok in recent days, calling for Abhisit's resignation.
  • The protests have drawn attention from the international community, with foreign ministers from 16 nations arriving safely at the summit venue.

Sources:

  • Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press, "Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva's Resignation Requested by Pro-Thaksin Protesters Ahead of Asian Summit" (exact date of the article not specified)
  • Prapas Thepchatree, director of ASEAN studies at Bangkok's Thammasat University, cited in the article as saying the protests would be "damaging to the government's status in the eye of the international community" (exact date of the article not specified)
  • "Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva Refuses to Step Down Amid Protests Ahead of Asian Summit" (exact date of the article not specified)
  • Associated Press, "Thai Protesters Block Bangkok Intersection, Call for PM's Resignation" (exact date of the article not specified)
  • "Thai Protesters Disrupt Asian Summit in Pattaya, Demand PM's Resignation" (exact date of the article not specified)

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