Opp. seeks to censure Thai PM
Opposition leaders moved to censure Thailand’s Prime Minister on Monday for his handling of rioting and violence in Bangkok that left at least 85 people dead in clashes between demonstrators and troops over the past two months.
The shell-shocked capital took steps back toward normalcy on Monday, with schools and many offices open for the first time after a week of government-ordered holidays and following efforts to clean up parts of the capital barricaded by the Red Shirt protesters or burned in riots.
The motion to censure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was introduced by the Opposition Pheu Thai Party — allies of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, whom the Red Shirt protesters generally support. It also sought to censure several of his top Cabinet members, including the finance, foreign and transport ministers.
The motion was largely symbolic. It would require a vote in Parliament and was expected to be easily defeated because Mr Vejjajiva and his supporters have more votes.
Details on the specific reasons for the censure had not been released to the media. The motion underscores a growing political and social rift that has opened up since the so-called Red Shirt protesters swept into Bangkok in March to begin two months of protests demanding Mr Vejjajiva resign and call early elections.
The protesters moved into Bangkok’s central business district, building bamboo-and-tire barricades and controlling checkpoints that crippled one of the city’s most important shopping and tourism areas.
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