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Thailand's state of emergency: how we got here
A state of emergency has been declared in the Thai capital Bangkok by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Here are some of the key dates in the political turmoil which has led the country to this point.
September 19, 2006: Protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) help lead to a bloodless coup that ousts Thaksin Shinawatra, ushering in more than a year of military rule and sending him into self-imposed exile.
December 23, 2007: The People Power Party, comprised of Thaksin's allies, wins elections and forms a coalition government in February 2008.
May 25, 2008: The PAD movement relaunches street protests.
August 11: Thaksin and his wife Pojaman - who had returned to Thailand on February 28 - flee again, saying they will not get a fair trial on corruption charges.
August 26: At least 35,000 PAD protesters raid a TV station, surround three ministries and set up camp at the prime minister's Government House offices, demanding the premier resign.
September 17: Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law, is elected as premier after his predecessor Samak Sundaravej is forced out.
October 7: Police fire tear gas and clash with thousands of demonstrators who marched to parliament. Two people are killed and nearly 500 injured. It is Bangkok's worst street violence in 16 years.
October 7: Police fire tear gas and clash with thousands of demonstrators who marched to parliament. Two people are killed and nearly 500 injured. It is Bangkok's worst street violence in 16 years.
October 21: A court sentences Thaksin in absentia to two years in jail for conflict of interest.
November 20: One protester is killed and 29 injured in a grenade attack at the Government House protest site in the worst in a spate of explosions there. Another dies days later.
November 24: Up to 18,000 PAD supporters surround parliament and force the postponement of a key session.
November 25: After surrounding the old Don Mueang airport, being used as a temporary government office base, thousands of PAD supporters storm into the capital's main Suvarnabhumi Airport, forcing it to shut.
December 2: The Constitutional Court dissolves the People Power Party and two of its coalition partners over vote fraud, a ruling which forces Somchai out of office and bans him from politics for five years. In response, the PAD announce they will end their airport blockade.
December 15: British-born Abhisit Vejjajiva wins a parliamentary vote to become the kingdom's third prime minister in four months after horse-trading between opposition MPs and former allies of Thaksin.
December 28: Thaksin's supporters hold their first rally against Abhisit, moving on parliament a day later and forcing him to delay his maiden speech.
January 25: Thaksin makes his first televised address to supporters since his allies were ousted, accusing Abhisit's government of copying his populist policies.
March 26: Thousands of Thaksin supporters in trademark red shirts begin to mass in Bangkok to call for Abhisit and his government to step down and hold fresh elections. They are spurred on by Thaksin, who starts a series of almost nightly addresses to the crowd by telephone and video link.
April 10: Thaksin's supporters, already spread out across Bangkok, launch a separate protest in the beach resort of Pattaya, where 16 Asian leaders are meeting for a major summit.
April 11: Thousands of protesters storm the Asian summit venue, forcing its cancellation. A state of emergency is declared to enable foreign leaders to be evacuated - some by helicopter from their hotel roof.
April 12: A state of emergency is declared in Bangkok and its surrounding areas as new anti-government demonstrations spring up. Protest leader Arisman Pongreungrong is arrested.
I followed the political situation in Thailand quite frequently coz I somehow feel that Malaysia's political situation right now is not that much different from Thailand, and that it may be a matter of time before it became as bad as that. Thailand has now gone through 3 prime ministers in the space of just a few months. Yet each time a PM was elected, there will be street protests. If one party wins, then the supporters of the other party will go to street. And vice versa. In the end, it will be just be a continuous loop coz it is never possible to please everyone.A state of emergency has been declared in the Thai capital Bangkok by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Here are some of the key dates in the political turmoil which has led the country to this point.
September 19, 2006: Protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) help lead to a bloodless coup that ousts Thaksin Shinawatra, ushering in more than a year of military rule and sending him into self-imposed exile.
December 23, 2007: The People Power Party, comprised of Thaksin's allies, wins elections and forms a coalition government in February 2008.
May 25, 2008: The PAD movement relaunches street protests.
August 11: Thaksin and his wife Pojaman - who had returned to Thailand on February 28 - flee again, saying they will not get a fair trial on corruption charges.
August 26: At least 35,000 PAD protesters raid a TV station, surround three ministries and set up camp at the prime minister's Government House offices, demanding the premier resign.
September 17: Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law, is elected as premier after his predecessor Samak Sundaravej is forced out.
October 7: Police fire tear gas and clash with thousands of demonstrators who marched to parliament. Two people are killed and nearly 500 injured. It is Bangkok's worst street violence in 16 years.
October 7: Police fire tear gas and clash with thousands of demonstrators who marched to parliament. Two people are killed and nearly 500 injured. It is Bangkok's worst street violence in 16 years.
October 21: A court sentences Thaksin in absentia to two years in jail for conflict of interest.
November 20: One protester is killed and 29 injured in a grenade attack at the Government House protest site in the worst in a spate of explosions there. Another dies days later.
November 24: Up to 18,000 PAD supporters surround parliament and force the postponement of a key session.
November 25: After surrounding the old Don Mueang airport, being used as a temporary government office base, thousands of PAD supporters storm into the capital's main Suvarnabhumi Airport, forcing it to shut.
December 2: The Constitutional Court dissolves the People Power Party and two of its coalition partners over vote fraud, a ruling which forces Somchai out of office and bans him from politics for five years. In response, the PAD announce they will end their airport blockade.
December 15: British-born Abhisit Vejjajiva wins a parliamentary vote to become the kingdom's third prime minister in four months after horse-trading between opposition MPs and former allies of Thaksin.
December 28: Thaksin's supporters hold their first rally against Abhisit, moving on parliament a day later and forcing him to delay his maiden speech.
January 25: Thaksin makes his first televised address to supporters since his allies were ousted, accusing Abhisit's government of copying his populist policies.
March 26: Thousands of Thaksin supporters in trademark red shirts begin to mass in Bangkok to call for Abhisit and his government to step down and hold fresh elections. They are spurred on by Thaksin, who starts a series of almost nightly addresses to the crowd by telephone and video link.
April 10: Thaksin's supporters, already spread out across Bangkok, launch a separate protest in the beach resort of Pattaya, where 16 Asian leaders are meeting for a major summit.
April 11: Thousands of protesters storm the Asian summit venue, forcing its cancellation. A state of emergency is declared to enable foreign leaders to be evacuated - some by helicopter from their hotel roof.
April 12: A state of emergency is declared in Bangkok and its surrounding areas as new anti-government demonstrations spring up. Protest leader Arisman Pongreungrong is arrested.
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A country can never prosper in this kind of situation. And ironically, when the country's economy goes down, the people will get even more angrier at the Government and do more violent protests. It is a vicious cycle, one I hope that Malaysia will never get into.
We had a new cabinet line-up last week. It looked hopeful and I am really hoping that they will serve the country well. I also hope that the opposition will let the Government do their work peacefully this time. Be a mature and constructive opposition and don't make protest just for the sake of making noise.
May Allah continually bless our country with peace and harmony. Ameen.
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