A Gathering Storm

Thailand braces for mass protests

Thailand has mobilised about 40,000 security personnel ahead of mass rallies by "red shirt" opposition protesters over the coming days.

The demonstrators plan to meet around the country before converging on the capital, Bangkok, on Sunday.

They are mainly supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

They say they plan to rally until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva calls new elections.

The government has promised a tough reaction if the protests set to begin on Friday turn violent.

“ If there is a siege, we would immediately take steps to disperse the crowds ”
Suthep Thaugsuban Deputy Prime Minister

The Internal Security Act has been invoked, giving the military the power to impose curfews and restrict numbers at gatherings.

Checkpoints have been set up on the roads into Bangkok.

The red shirt movement, led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), has promised a huge but peaceful demonstration.

Smaller rallies, meetings and "political schools" have been planned for various provinces before convoys of vehicles carry protesters to the capital.

The red shirts' last major protests, in April last year, turned violent, with two deaths and dozens of people injured.

"If there is a siege, we would no longer consider it a peaceful protest and immediately take steps to disperse the crowds," Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said.

The protest leaders say the government is playing up the threat of violence to justify a possible crackdown.

The red shirts oppose the 2006 military coup that toppled Thaksin Shinawatra.

They say Prime Minister Abhisit came to power illegitimately with the backing of the military and the Bangkok-based elites.

Mr Thaksin's power base was in the rural north. He is now living in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid a jail term on a corruption conviction.

Last month the Supreme Court ruled that just over half of the assets ($1.4bn; £910m) belonging to Mr Thaksin or his family which were frozen since the coup, should be seized.

'Cause It's Friday...

100 degree forecast, political unrest all just in time for summer vacation. Not exactly June, July and August but certainly a perk of the teaching job. Heading to Indonesia and Vietnam, see you all in a few.

The Destroyer

I'm not a massive Manny Pacquiao fan, in fact I think his refusal to take a blood test and fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was selfish, granted it was certainly as big a part of Mayweather's mental game as it was to ensure no doping had taken place. I posted this article because it tells the story of a great athlete who has helped to revive sport that many saw as far past it's prime, a dinosaur unable to adapt to a new generation of fan's desires. Pacquiao is not just famous in the Philippines, he is an icon across Southeast Asia, a true point of pride for the entire region.

From a writing standpoint it is articles like these that reaffirm my personal belief as to why GQ Magazine continues to be a standard bearer in print journalism. Seven well crafted pages from a writer covering sports. Not some quickly thrown together cliche riddled blurb by another unoriginal sportswriter. Great sports pieces come from true writers covering sports, not sportswriters. If the distinction isn't clear read David Foster Wallace's Roger Federer as a Religious Experience or Hunter S. Thompson 's The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Deprived in comparison to the regurgitated mindless ramblings turned out weekly by Rick Reilly or Bill Simmons.

Click Here to Check It Out

IT's Always Sunny in Phitsanulok

Just keeping the face warm

Trouble in Paradise

Politics in Thailand posses a particular muddled and challenging affair. Red shirts and yellow shirts, coups and constitution rewrites all with a copious helping of ever present monarchy to make things especially interesting. This weekend a million person protest held by the UDD is scheduled to take place in Bangkok with smaller protest happening across the country. Below is an article from BBC article describing what is happening and why. The BBC is possibly the best source of information regarding the current political state of the country. The issues are disappointingly of little importance to US news organizations and publications in country often suffer from less than subtle influence from the government.

Thailand invokes emergency laws

The Thai government has announced that it will invoke the Internal Security Act from 11-23 March, in Bangkok and seven surrounding provinces.

The move comes ahead of a planned march by "red shirt" opposition protesters.

They are mainly supporters of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

They say they plan to rally until the current coalition government calls new elections.

The ISA puts the military in charge, with powers to impose curfews, restrict numbers at gatherings and man check points if they deem such measures necessary.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has cancelled a planned trip to Australia.

Fears and loathing

The last time the act was invoked was during the meeting of the regional grouping Asean held in Thailand last October - after an earlier attempt to host Asean in April was derailed by red shirt protests.

The police had failed to act against them as they took over the conference centre and the army asserted control to keep Mr Abhisit's government in power.

This time, the red shirt movement, led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), has promised a huge but peaceful demonstration.

Smaller rallies, meetings and "political schools" are being held in various provinces before convoys of vehicles are expected to carry protesters to the capital by the weekend.

Thailand's Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij has said the government would be "as patient as all governments need be".

"There is a very small minority who is trying to cause instability through, frankly speaking, potentially violent acts," he said.

The government also fully intended to "use all means within its powers, within the laws of the country, to make sure that the property and safety of its citizens are protected".

He admitted that political reconciliation in the country remained a distant dream.

"In fact, the situation in the next few years might indicate that in fact political differences have actually widened over the past year," Mr Korn said.

Last month the Supreme Court ruled that just over half of the assets belonging to Mr Thaksin or his family which were frozen since the coup, should be seized.

In Unrelated News

Letting the best salesmen in entertainment handle this one. A review of Good Luck Studio by Friday Mile is up over at URB, click here to check it out.

Wayne's World

Locking up the martian memorial post. Buddhist holiday and a mixed up class schedule have me a bit behind, hopefully catching up this week. In the meantime, check this story about one of music's most creative minds.