Thailand's Messy Street Protests

Political tensions are nothing new in Thailand, a state that has been riddled with 18 military coups since the end of it absolute monarchy in 1932. But in recent days, the simmering violence has threatened to unleash another wave of upheaval on the Buddhist country. On Monday, Thai officials cancelled a planned legislative session in response to violent protests in Bangkok.

The backstory can be traced to the most recent coup in September 2006. Then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was deposed when the military junta overthrew the elected government and dissolved Parliament and the Constitutional Court. The armed forces claimed they were responding to the corrupt and socially divisive policies of the ruling government. As Mr Thaksin was in New York meeting with the UN General Assembly, tanks flooded the streets of Bangkok to assert military control.

Mr Thaksin is a charismatic telecommunications billionaire whose political stronghold is in the country-side and among the urban poor. As leader of the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party, he helped craft economic policies that rehabilitated Thailand in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. In May 2007, however, the Constitutional Tribunal banned Mr Thaksin and some 100 of his associates from participating in politics for 5 years and disbanded the TRT. The verdict followed allegations that Mr Thaksin paid a small party to run in 2006 elections to circumvent rules for single-party elections.

Out of office, Mr Thaksin is certainly not out of the loop. While his opponents were determined to purge the country of his political influence, he maintains connections with officials in Bangkok. The former Premier lives in exile, but the vestiges of his TRT party were transformed into the current People's Power Party (PPP). With the return of civilian government in December 2007, the PPP won the most seats in the Thai House of Representatives and is now the ruling party.

Not surprisingly, given its political heritage, the PPP wants to pass alterations to the constitution that would clear the way for Thaksin to rejoin the Thai government. The specific amendments would change sections of the Thai constitution relating to election fraud and fallout from the 2006 military coup. The proposal has caused much resentment among the opposition People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), primarily composed of royalists with bitter feelings towards Mr Thaksin.

The recent PAD protests have brought alarming violence onto the streets of Bangkok. Opposition demonstrators have clashed with pro-government mobs, trading grenades, Malotov cocktails, and small bombs. In an effort to cripple the country's infrastructure, the protests have been directed around the Government House, parliament, police stations, and an old airport north of Bangkok. Ever since August, the violence has forced current PM Somchai Wongsawat (Mr Thaksin's brother-in-law) to operate out of a disused terminal of the city's Don Mueang airport.

The PAD hopes to incite violence that will force the military to step in and stabilize the country. Such a move would effectively mark the next iteration of Thai military rule and reshape the political landscape in favor of opposition parties. On Monday, protesters physically blocked Thai officials from appearing at an important legislative session. The government had been set to ratify certain trade documents relate to the December economic summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bangkok. Responding to rumors that the aforementioned constitutional amendments would also be put to vote, PAD protestors sealed off the parliament building.

Previous demonstrations had been poorly handled by the PPP government. Tear gas and other repressive police measures were used to break up a crowd, which ultimately received sympathy from the Thai public. Sensing the PR battle in this political standoff, the PPP has attempted more peaceful resolutions to the current crisis. Still, postponing legislative action is inefficient and unlikely to solve deep-rooted problems between the parties.

On Tuesday, army chief General Anupong Paojinda said that the military had no intention of launching a coup to put a lid on political tensions. While he pledged to use military resources to ensure security, Gen Anupong would like to keep his forces out of the fray. The civilian elections of 2007 were a start to the messy democratic transition for Thailand. Mr Somchai must be careful not to take the bait from protestors, as a rise in violence could yet lead to another military putsch.

One thing is for sure, Thailand's street clashes are part of a very serious political crisis.