Word: thailand
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After two days of being pushed around and humiliated by anti-government protesters, Thailand's security forces began pushing back on Saturday. It was a day that saw the first bloodshed since the protests began in Bangkok on March 12. But by mid-evening both sides had called on their forces to retreat. It was unclear who held the upper hand in what is becoming a battle for survival by the current Thai government...
...army is like a racehorse, and governments are merely jockeys who come and go," said Privy Councilor Prem Tinsulanonda, a former army chief and Prime Minister, during a speech to cadets in July 2006. "The [military's] owners are the nation and the King." Under Thailand's constitution, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a constitutional monarch, is commander in chief, although he does not appear to involve himself directly in military affairs. Two months after Prem's speech, the army ousted elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup. Over the past several weeks, the protesters on the streets of Bangkok...
...Will the military cooperate with the Prime Minister? Just as rapidly as the state of emergency was imposed, rumors began circulating concerning the loyalties of the commanders - because in Thailand, unlike in most developed democracies, the military doesn't always answer to the government...
...scenes. In May 1992, Bangkok's middle class rose up against a general who usurped power following an election in which he was not a candidate. Soldiers responded with deadly force. King Bhumibol intervened to end the bloodshed and restore democracy, and many believed the days of coups in Thailand had passed, as the army appeared to gradually retreat from any overt political role...
...Thai army sees itself as an honest and selfless force for developing the nation and a moral counterpoint to corrupt politicians, according to Chris Baker, co-author of A History of Thailand. This conveniently ignores a long history of corruption within the military and abuses of citizens' rights. But unlike Western democracies, in which power is divided among executive, legislative and judicial branches, Thailand has long relied on a balance of power among several institutions, including the legislature, the bureaucracy, the monarchy and the military. While Thailand's governments have promoted modern democracy and most Thai citizens have come...