Thai protesters enjoy free food,
$3 massage
By JOCELYN GECKER – 12 hours ago
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Once open only to the ruling elite,
Thailand's stately Government House has turned into a cross between
a refugee camp and a village fairground.
Thousands of anti-government protesters occupying the prime
minister's office compound have set up a tent city complete with
free food, outdoor showers, entertainment, massages and lots of
manicured shrubs for hanging laundry to dry.
The siege, in its 11th day Friday, is aimed at forcing Prime
Minister Samak Sundaravej to resign. The demonstrators have not
succeeded in kicking him out of office, but they have kept him out
his office.
To ease the kinks caused by round-the-clock protesting, massage
services are available under the shade of palm trees for $3 an
hour.
In a live radio broadcast Thursday, Samak called the situation a
national embarrassment and refused to step down — drawing boos and
jeers from thousands of protesters fanning themselves on lawn
chairs outside his office.
"I am outside and can't work properly," Samak said, his speech
broadcast from a sound stage set up on the Government House
lawn.
Samak initially based himself at a military headquarters outside
Bangkok, but his aides say he has lately worked from an office at
the Defense Ministry.
"Is it shameful? Yes, it is," Samak said.
Still, authorities have been reluctant to use force against the
crowd for fear they will be denounced for sparking violence with
the protesters, who have armed themselves with makeshift weapons
and vowed to resist any attempt to remove them.
Also, violence, or the perception that it was imminent, could cause
the military to stage a coup with the excuse that it was necessary
to restore order, as it did in September 2006. It was
demonstrations by the People's Alliance for Democracy, which is
leading the current protest, that sparked the instability that led
to the coup.
The new demonstration is built on the alliance's belief that
Western-style democracy does not work for Thailand. It says the
ballot box gives too much weight to the impoverished rural majority
allegedly susceptible to vote buying that breeds corruption. It
wants Parliament to be revamped so most lawmakers would be
appointed rather than elected.
The protest has caused one of the biggest political crises since
Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. It is the first
time in the country's history that civilians have overrun the seat
of government.
Built in the early 20th century and modeled after a Venetian
palace, the Gothic-style Government House is one of Bangkok's most
distinguished buildings.
The alliance's security volunteers sit behind a barbed-wire
barricade at the entrance, which is stacked with motorcycle helmets
for protection and golf clubs, bamboo rods and rudimentary
shields.
"Welcome! Would you like something to eat?" asked Pongping Kumna, a
protester manning the free food stand just past the entrance gate.
Tables were piled high with donated food, many ordered from popular
Bangkok restaurants.
Recent offerings included sauteed chicken with chili and basil,
Thai-style noodles from a famous downtown noodle shop, McDonald's
hamburgers and, for dessert, chocolate doughnuts and shaved ice
with fruit flavoring.
"We have everything we need here. There's no reason to leave," said
Pongping, 44, a clothing shop owner from the southern beach town of
Krabi who had camped at the compound for nine days.
Protesters, mostly royalists, wealthy and middle-class urban
residents and union activists, have tapped into the Government
House's electricity system. Extension cords charge mobile phones
and power televisions.
The anti-government channel ASTV, owned by protest leader Sondhi
Limthongkul, is broadcast round-the-clock on TV sets scattered
around the grounds.
Fiery anti-Samak speakers take the stage, alternating with pop
singers, like one recently crooning James Taylor songs as the crowd
clapped and swayed.
When supplies are needed, protest leaders take the microphone and
call for donations from supporters, who have responded by trucking
in portable toilets and rudimentary outdoor showers with curtains
for privacy.
The stench of urine and garbage is a problem they are trying to
address.
Signs taped to the building's ornate facade note: "The Government
House is the property of the Thai people. So all Thais should keep
it clean."
For medical needs, there are several first-aid stations, which also
hand out free shampoo, soap, mouthwash and razors.
Doctors from hospitals and clinics around Thailand have taken
leaves to join the protest, said Bangkok ophthalmologist Somporn
Reepolmania, pointing out a surgeon, dentist, psychiatrist and
anesthesiologist.
"We are protesting against Samak and against the corrupt politics
of Thailand," he said. "The government has no morals, no ethics,
and the system doesn't work. We have to change it."
Protesters say they are not afraid of conflict. Some have traveled
long distances to take part in the demonstrations.
"I flew from Los Angeles to Bangkok to be with (my) people," said
United Airlines flight attendant Maree Lertphraewphun, who has
lived in the United States for 38 years. She requested vacation to
join the protests.
"If I happen to die, I will die with them," she said.
Are these protesters really representing the King? If true, then
the King should speak and ask Samak to step down. Then, let them
vote in a 'clean' government. I wonder whether they are naive or
stupid. I gather it's the latter.
