Second protest leader arrested in Thailand
Updated
In Thailand, police have arrested a second key leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy protests, that have occupied government house in Bangkok since late August. Chamlong Srimuang is a former Bangkok mayor. Yesterday he was seized by police at a polling station, where elections for governor were underway. He has been charged with insurrection, a charge equivalent to treason, for which he could face the death penalty or life in prison. Another leader, Chaiwat Sinsuwongse, was arrested last Friday on the same charges. Police have held arrest warrants for nine PAD leaders since they occupied Government House in late August, but have appeared unwilling to storm the protest site before now.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: Michael Connors, Thai political analyst, LaTrobe University, Melbourne
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CONNORS: I think you could first of all say that it may not signify anything, except the police acting according to an arrest warrant that is is their hands and that's a fairly innocent reading of it. Some people might read this as an act by the government to move against the PAD, break the stalemate that's currently in place, and to start to see the dismantling of PAD. After all, it's been occupying Government House for over two weeks. Its leaders have defied arrest warrants and as a problem for the government, doesn't seem to be going away.
COCHRANE: Why the timing, why have these arrests been carried out now?
CONNORS: Well, the first arrest several days ago was Chaiwat and after he left the house of a former famous senator and now Democrat member of parliament, Kraisak Choonhavan, now Chamlong after he goes to the election of the Bangkok Governor. Why now? It seems that the claim is that they left the compound, the government compound and I'm pretty certain that many members of the PAD leadership team have been leaving the compound, at least secretly, but they have chosen to act now. You would have to say that some of the key imperatives here is to bring an end to the stalemate and the stalemate is basically this: elements of the PPP want a constitutional amendment, they want to see the court cases, not only against Thaksin, but many members within the People's Power Party and many former executive members of the Thai Rak Thai party thrown out of the court, and the way they can do that is through constitutional amendment. As long as the PAD is there, holdling back this development, then the situation remains very much in loggerheads. So something needed to give and I would suggest that this is one element of that, giving in now. There is a push perhaps to more aggressively deal with PAD.
COCHRANE: So it would seem the negotiations between the deputy prime minister and the PAD would be off?
CONNORS: Well, PAD is certainly claiming that with the arrest of Chaiwat several days ago and now Chamlong, that the negotiations won't be held. I'm not sure if that will actually be the case. PAD can flip flop quite often. Its leadership structure is uncertain and different leaders say different things at different times. You would have to say though that it would be very difficult to pursue negotiations with PAD with Chamlong in jail.
COCHRANE: Tell me a little bit about Chamlong Sri-muang? Who is he and how important a figure is he in the PAD?
CONNORS: He's immensely important, both in PAD and in Thai politics. Chamlong was the key leader who fought the military dictatorship in '91 and '92 and led mass protests on the streets that eventually saw the military dictatorship of General Suchinda (Kraprayoon) collapse. So this is a man who both, he has a military past, he has a Buddhist ascetic following, he has incredible experience and security kind of connections with the military as well. So we're talking about a very powerful personage.
COCHRANE: The PAD have already warned of retaliation against these arrests. What options do they have from their position occupying the government house and from their political position? What options do they have for increasing the volume of their protest?
CONNORS: It's very difficult to know what they can do. They checkmate really was the occupation of government house and seeing the government flee and set up shop at the old airport should have been a massive victory for the PAD. But in fact, the government was very smart to continue to occupy government house and move government operations elsewhere and leave it there as a festering sword of protest and slowly see it dwindle, as the numbers have been dwindling.
This action no doubt will galvanise PAD forces, certainly down the south of Thailand, where we might see a repeat of airport occupations or other forms of civil disobedience. It might also see peripheral PAD elements back onto the streets. By the same token, it's very unclear whether PAD have sufficient resources now to make that kind of mobilisation.
