October 30,
2008: The stand-off between the elected government, and urban elitists
continues. The urban coalition, which
includes the commanders of the armed forces, monarchists, academics and
business leaders, hasn't got the votes to get elected to run the country, and
resents the populist politicians who have. The urbanite mobs continue to hold
large demonstrations in the capital, but the military is reluctant to stage
another coup. The military is, however, asking the current prime minister to
resign, and to allow the military a say in who the next prime minister (chosen
from the majority party) will be.
In the
Moslem south, a policeman and two Islamic terrorists were killed after police
surrounded a terrorist hideout. Peace negotiations with Moslem leaders
continue, but the Islamic terrorists have their own agenda, which includes an
Islamic state in the Moslem southern part of the country (about three percent
of the population).
October 29,
2008: Violence between the minority
elitist political parties (mainly the PAD, or People's Alliance for Democracy),
and the majority parties is escalating. Today a bomb was tossed into the camp
of elitist activists, injuring ten. A grenade was thrown at the home of a
judge, and a man was found shot dead near the site of frequent elitist
demonstrations.
October 27,
2008: The government is spending $15 million on software to block access to
websites that insult the Thai monarchy. The king and his family is very (but
not universally) popular within Thailand.
October 21,
2008: In the Moslem south, five people were
killed, either by gangsters or Islamic terrorists.
October 18,
2008: In the Moslem south, three people
were shot and killed, including an Islamic cleric.
October 17,
2008: Noting its clear military
inferiority to neighboring Thailand, Cambodia is doubling its annual military
budget to $500 million. Thailand spends more than six times that, and has done
so for decades. Thailand has 300,000 troops, Cambodia only 100,000. The recent
military confrontations on the border made it clear to the Cambodians that they
would likely lose any war with Thailand. Doubling the defense budget won't
change that, and peace talks to settle the matter continue.
