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Thai Govt mulls imposing curfew after death toll from clashes touches 24 | The Thai Government is now mulling the imposition
of a curfew after heightened tensions between security forces and Red Shirt protestors, who showed no signs of backing down. The clashes between the two have already
claimed 24 lives and left 198 injured, 14 of whom are in critical condition. Over
50 people have been killed and over 1600 wounded ever since protests began 2 months
ago. "The best way for preventing losses is ending the rally as the protest is
a condition that leads to violence, particularly when protesters equipped with
war weapons," the Bangkok Post quoted Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as saying.
Vejajjiva has also deferred the re-opening of schools, originally scheduled for
Monday to May 24th for safety reasons. He has firmly maintained that there will
be no recall on the issue of live-fire, and that though he regretted the loss
of lives in the process, containment measures will continue. "It's crucial that
we don't turn back and allow those who violate the law, and establish armed militants,
to intimidate the government," he said. The Red Shirts have been putting up fierce
resistance, lobbing fireworks at security forces. They believe that the Vejajjiva
administration is undemocratic and elitist and want their hero, former Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra to be reinstated. Most of the protestors hail form poorer parts
of Thailand , mainly north and north-east Thailand . Their fury and disillusionment
reflects the abyss between the urban elite and the rural poor. The climate of
the popular tourist destination is extremely charged, with Red-Shirt protesters
comparing their agitation to a civil war, and are uncertain as to how the deadlock
would end. "The current situation is almost full civil war," said one of the protest
leaders, Jatuporn Prompan. "I'm not sure how this conflict will end." The clashes
have paralysed the normal lives of Bangkok residents with all commuter train services
being suspended, and schools being shut. The hospitality industry of the once
thriving tourist destination has also taken a severe beating. |
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