Anti-Government protesters demanding the resignation of Premier Yingluck Shinawatra and security forces in Thailand on Wednesday observed an uneasy truce on the eve of the revered monarch’s 86th birthday.
Hundreds of protesters descended on the national police headquarters here after they were allowed by authorities to cut barbed wire and remove sections of a barrier. The protesters left the venue after a peaceful rally. The political confrontation was put on pause as a mark of respect for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose birthday will be celebrated on Thursday. However, tensions are running high as protesters have vowed to continue their fight after the celebrations end.
The protesters accuse Yingluck of being a proxy for her elder brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006 by the military and is in self-exile in Dubai. The rallies were triggered by an amnesty bill, since abandoned by Yingluck’s party, which the opposition claimed would have allowed Thaksin to return.
Shinawatra, meanwhile, returned to her office today after five days. She held meetings with her Cabinet colleagues and other senior Government officials, Thai media reported. After days of violence, protesters were allowed to stage a demonstration inside Government headquarters yesterday but the main Opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban said the campaign would continue. He said there would be a pause in protests tomorrow out of respect for King.