By Alan Raybould
BANGKOK, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Thailand’s capital was under a
state of emergency on Wednesday after the government moved to
tighten security as protesters trying to oust Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra threatened to disrupt an election she has
called for early next month.
Bangkok was calm and early commuters travelled to work as
normal. There were no troops on the streets, as has been the
case throughout the crisis since November, and even the police
presence was light. No overnight curfew was enforced.
Announcing the 60-day emergency late on Tuesday, ministers
said they had no plans to clear the camps that protesters have
set up at seven major road junctions in the city.
Rather, they said they wanted to prevent an escalation of
violence after deaths and injuries caused by grenade attacks on
demonstrators over the weekend.
The protests are the latest episode in an eight-year
political conflict that pits Bangkok’s middle class and royalist
establishment against the mainly poorer supporters of Yingluck
and her brother, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled
by the military in 2006.
The decree, which covers Bangkok and surrounding provinces,
allows security agencies to impose curfews, detain suspects
without charge, censor media, ban political gatherings of more
than five people and declare areas off-limits.
Yingluck has called an election for Feb. 2, which she will
almost certainly win and which the opposition plans to boycott.
The Election Commission said it would seek a ruling from the
Constitutional Court on Wednesday on whether it can delay the
vote. It is worried about violence on polling day and says the
protests have prevented some candidates from registering,
meaning there will not be a quorum to open parliament.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has rejected the election
outright. He accuses Thaksin of corruption and nepotism and
wants to change the electoral system to eradicate the influence
of Thaksin, who lives in exile in Dubai to avoid a jail term
handed down in 2008 for abuse of power.
Nine people have died since November in the worst political
violence in Thailand since 2010.
Suthep, at that time a deputy prime minister, sent in troops
to end mass protests by pro-Thaksin supporters. More than 90
people died in the 2010 unrest.
The crisis has hurt tourism and business confidence. As a
result, the central bank could cut interest rates when it meets
on Wednesday to boost the economy.
Adding to Yingluck’s problems, farmers, who are part of her
core constituency, have threatened to join the protest if they
do not get paid for the rice they have sold to the government
under a controversial intervention scheme.
Her government guaranteed them an above-market price for
their rice but the scheme has run into funding difficulties.
The government has sold a bond and is seeking loans to tide
it over, but the Election Commission, which has to approve such
action by the caretaker government, has declined to give its
support.
