Violent protests have continued mainly in Bangkok in Thailand’s worst political turmoil since the 2010 rallies that ended with bloodshed.
On Sunday, a day which protesters termed ‘People’s Coup’, police fired tear gas and water cannons to repel protesters seeking to storm the Government House.
Since more than a week ago, more than four people have died and dozens others injured in protests in the city streets.
The protesters are calling for Yingluck Shinawatra to step down, and the Prime Minister reportedly had to hide at an undisclosed location for fear of safety.
For some, the future of the country remains uncertain.
For one local reporter who has been at ground zero the past week, the deepening political crisis in Thailand can only be solved in two ways— violence or peace.
Speaking to Astro AWANI, Nation channel reporter Noppatjak Attanon said the recent protests, with the largest number of protesters in the past 15 years, can end when constructive talks ensue.
He said for that to happen, neutral parties could, hold talks between the both camps - the government and protesters.
Otherwise, said Noppatjak, more violence would be the only other option.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: Aside from the controversial legislation that is said to enable Thaksin to return, what are the other reasons for this protest? Or is it like some say, all just about Thaksin?
Noppatjak: Absolutely not. There are many factors that contribute to this current political complication. I am not sure if you erase Thaksin now off the picture, there might be some (more) problems out there... there might even be a new guy who can perfectly replace Thaksin. Yes, he is a big problem, but it is not about him only.
Q: In your opinion, what is the reason the protesters are feeling this way?
Noppatjak: I cannot answer this accurately enough. I have been in the field in 10 days, dealing with people in the streets. But I have not analysed this enough, why...
Q: What is the feeling on the ground? Are the people tired of all this by now?
Noppatjak: They are not tired. They are still very angry with the government; they are still very much in it. No matter what kind of announcement or reaction, they are still very much with Suthep Thaugsuban, the leader of the protest.
Q:How split are the people on the ground? Is the red and yellow this time very clear?
Noppatjak: On the street, most of the people here are against the government. They are here to join the protest. A lot of red shirts(government supporters) came together last week. But today, they already stopped the protests. A lot of people who support the government voice their opinions on social media and the internet. There are also those who support the government who just stay at home.
Q: What will happen next? Will this resolve itself? Will there be an election or what other options are there?
It depends. Basically.... violence maybe from more government crackdown or there may be some third party who will start more violence. The second option is talk. Maybe those middle people can reconcile the situation and talk between Yingluck and Shutep.
Q: So you are saying there are basically two roads, one is violence and one is of peace?
Yes, that's the bottom line, there are only two ways that this situation can stop, right?
On Sunday, a day which protesters termed ‘People’s Coup’, police fired tear gas and water cannons to repel protesters seeking to storm the Government House.
Since more than a week ago, more than four people have died and dozens others injured in protests in the city streets.
The protesters are calling for Yingluck Shinawatra to step down, and the Prime Minister reportedly had to hide at an undisclosed location for fear of safety.
For some, the future of the country remains uncertain.
For one local reporter who has been at ground zero the past week, the deepening political crisis in Thailand can only be solved in two ways— violence or peace.
Speaking to Astro AWANI, Nation channel reporter Noppatjak Attanon said the recent protests, with the largest number of protesters in the past 15 years, can end when constructive talks ensue.
He said for that to happen, neutral parties could, hold talks between the both camps - the government and protesters.
Otherwise, said Noppatjak, more violence would be the only other option.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: Aside from the controversial legislation that is said to enable Thaksin to return, what are the other reasons for this protest? Or is it like some say, all just about Thaksin?
Noppatjak: Absolutely not. There are many factors that contribute to this current political complication. I am not sure if you erase Thaksin now off the picture, there might be some (more) problems out there... there might even be a new guy who can perfectly replace Thaksin. Yes, he is a big problem, but it is not about him only.
Q: In your opinion, what is the reason the protesters are feeling this way?
Noppatjak: I cannot answer this accurately enough. I have been in the field in 10 days, dealing with people in the streets. But I have not analysed this enough, why...
Q: What is the feeling on the ground? Are the people tired of all this by now?
Noppatjak: They are not tired. They are still very angry with the government; they are still very much in it. No matter what kind of announcement or reaction, they are still very much with Suthep Thaugsuban, the leader of the protest.
Q:How split are the people on the ground? Is the red and yellow this time very clear?
Noppatjak: On the street, most of the people here are against the government. They are here to join the protest. A lot of red shirts(government supporters) came together last week. But today, they already stopped the protests. A lot of people who support the government voice their opinions on social media and the internet. There are also those who support the government who just stay at home.
Q: What will happen next? Will this resolve itself? Will there be an election or what other options are there?
It depends. Basically.... violence maybe from more government crackdown or there may be some third party who will start more violence. The second option is talk. Maybe those middle people can reconcile the situation and talk between Yingluck and Shutep.
Q: So you are saying there are basically two roads, one is violence and one is of peace?
Yes, that's the bottom line, there are only two ways that this situation can stop, right?
