Thailand's government yesterday shut down dozens of Web sites and a television channel loyal to “Red Shirt” protesters who have occupied Bangkok's commercial hub, defying a state of emergency.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is under increasing pressure to end the mass anti-government rallies, which have disrupted traffic and caused major shopping centers to close.
Thai stocks slumped more than 3 percent yesterday on fears of a protracted bout of political turmoil.
Abhisit canceled his attendance at an ASEAN summit in Hanoi, where fellow officials expressed concern about Thailand’s deep political rift, which pits Bangkok's ruling elite against the mainly poor and rural Red Shirts.
Leaders of the tens of thousands of supporters of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a 2006 military coup, have refused to halt their protests, but the authorities have avoided using force to break up the rallies.
Instead, they targeted media loyal to the red-clad movement, shutting down its satellite TV channel showing rolling coverage of the demonstrations, along with 36 Web sites, and vowing to clamp down on pro-Red radio stations.
The government accused the Reds' TV of distorting information and inciting unrest, warning that the next step would be a ban on the use of loudspeakers at the protest site, where there was an angry response.
“The government wrongly thinks that cutting the signal will stop Reds from gathering,” protest leader Nattawut Saikuar said. “We give final word to the government to connect our signal within today, otherwise people will fight for their rights.”
Thaksin's fans hail his policies for the masses such as cheap healthcare, but Bangkok's powerful elite sees him as corrupt, authoritarian and a threat to the monarchy.
However, with their main tool for mobilizing the rank-and-file down, the Reds face a test today, when they have promised another major rally.
The army said the number of demonstrators in the commercial district had dwindled after the TV channel was yanked from the air.
“With a small number of protesters, it will be more acceptable for the public in the case of the government enforcing hasher measures,” military spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said.
The Reds say the government is illegitimate because it came to power with army backing through a parliamentary vote in December 2008 after a court decision ousted Thaksin’s allies from power.
Abhisit’s government has banned public gatherings of more than five people and given broad powers to police and military under emergency rule announced on Wednesday in the capital and surrounding areas.
SECRET OUT: Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung yesterday accidentally revealed that the infections occurred at the ministry’s Taoyuan General Hospital The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported the fifth COVID-19 case in a cluster infection at a Taoyuan hospital, where four other medical workers were confirmed to have been infected over the past week. The latest case is a nurse who had tested negative on Tuesday last week, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, told a news conference. However, on Thursday, she developed symptoms, such as nasal congestion and a cough, and a second test yesterday found that she was infected, Chen said. She is the head nurse of a ward where two
VIGILANCE: While two of the cases are family members of a nurse, there is no sign of community spread and the source of infection is identifiable, the CECC said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four new domestic COVID-19 cases associated with a cluster infection at a Taoyuan hospital. Since the first case was identified on Tuesday last week, five healthcare workers — two doctors and three nurses — at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Taoyuan General Hospital have tested positive for the virus. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that two of the four new cases are the husband and daughter of a nurse (case No. 863) who had earlier been confirmed to have COVID-19. The husband (case No. 864)
PILLARS OF DEMOCRACY: US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft posted online after the virtual meeting that Taiwan should be able to share its successes in global venues President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft yesterday held a virtual meeting, during which Tsai described Taiwan as a “force for good” that deserves a place on the world stage, while Craft reaffirmed Washington’s support for Taiwan’s international participation. The virtual talk was held at about 11am, after Craft’s trip to Taiwan was abruptly canceled. She had been scheduled to meet with Tsai in person at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday morning as part of a three-day visit to Taiwan. On Tuesday, the US Department of State canceled all of its planned trips, citing a need
‘CONTAINED’: The CECC is not considering locking down the hospital where the infections were detected, as their source has been found, Chen Shih-chung said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one new domestic COVID-19 case, a doctor at a hospital in northern Taiwan where three other medical workers were confirmed to have the disease over the past week. The new case — No. 856 — is a doctor who had treated a COVID-19 patient together with case No. 838, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. Case No. 838, confirmed as a locally infected COVID-19 case on Tuesday, was the first case in the hospital cluster, and later infected his partner, who is a nurse at the same
RSS