BANGKOK: Thai riot police cleared thousands of protesters from outside the prime minister's office early on Thursday (Oct 15) as an emergency decree by the government banned large gatherings and the publication of news "that could create fear".
A series of demonstrations over the last three months have brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets of Bangkok to demand the departure of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former military government leader, and a new constitution.
They have also broken a longstanding taboo by calling for reforms to the powerful monarchy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn - and in an act cited by the government as one reason for its emergency measures, they obstructed a royal motorcade.
Police with riot shields form a barricade in Bangkok, Thailand during a protest on Oct 15, 2020. (Photo: AP Photo/Rapeephat Sitichailapa)
Shortly after the emergency decree took affect at 4am local time, riot police advanced behind shields on protesters who had camped outside Government House. Many of the thousands who had protested there late on Wednesday had already left.
Some protesters tried to resist with makeshift barricades of garbage cans, but they were swiftly pushed back. By dawn, hundreds of police occupied the nearby streets and city workers began cleaning up.
Police arrest a protester in Bangkok, Thailand during a demonstration on Oct 15, 2020. (Photo: AP Photo/Rapeephat Sitichailapa)
At least three of the protest leaders were arrested, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said. Police made no immediate comment.
The government said it acted in the face of increasing disorder and after the obstruction of the motorcade.
"It is extremely necessary to introduce an urgent measure to end this situation effectively and promptly to maintain peace and order," state television announced.
GATHERINGS OF FIVE OR MORE BANNED
The emergency decree bans big gatherings of five or more people and allows authorities to stop people from entering any area they designate.
It also prohibits "publication of news, other media, and electronic information that contains messages that could create fear or intentionally distort information, creating misunderstanding that will affect national security or peace and order".
Police with riot shields clash with protesters in Bangkok, Thailand during a demonstration on Oct 15, 2020. (Photo: AP Photo/Rapeephat Sitichailapa)
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said that three protest leaders were arrested. It named them as Parit Chirawat, human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa and Panupong Jadnok.
It said Arnon was arrested on charges relating to a speech he gave in the northern city of Chiang Mai. It said it did not know the grounds for the other arrests.
Prior to his arrest, protest leader Arnon told demonstrators to leave the protest site outside Government House and said they would regroup at 4pm on Thursday in Bangkok's business district of Ratchaprasong, near Central World shopping mall.
Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Bangkok on Wednesday. The protest movement aims to remove Prayut, who took power in 2014.
Demonstrators march during a Thai anti-government mass protest in Bangkok on Oct 14, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Jorge Silva)
Those marching on the streets also want a new constitution and have called for a reduction in the powers of the king.
Thailand's Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti react inside a royal motorcade as it drives past a rally in Bangkok on Oct 14, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Teera Noisakran)
Protesters shouted at the king's motorcade in Bangkok on Tuesday after the arrest of 21 protesters. On Wednesday, some protesters slowed a convoy carrying Queen Suthida, giving the three-finger salute and chanted "get out" at police protecting the vehicle.
HOBART: In the past 24 hours, the political climate in Malaysia has changed completely.
Anwar Ibrahim, often dubbed Malaysia’s perennial Prime Minister-in-waiting, met with the Malaysian King on Tuesday (Oct 13) and told him he had the numbers to form a new government.
At a press conference later in the afternoon, he claimed to have more than 120 MPs backing him.
You only need 112 MPs for a simple majority in the country’s 222-seat parliament. If Anwar’s claims are true, his government would be a strong and stable one and the palace should seriously look into the issue. It is widely assumed that Muhyiddin currently has 114 MPs supporting his rule.
Anwar’s meeting with the King was highly anticipated, since the former made these public claims three weeks ago.
The Malaysian police have also said earlier this week they were seeking clarifications from Anwar after undisclosed complaints were made.
MUHYIDDIN RESPONDS
An hour after Anwar’s press conference, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin held a separate press conference. His aides positioned it as a regular media briefing.
But everyone knew it was to demonstrate Muhyiddin was in control. Such press conferences by Muhyiddin since he took over as PM have been very rare.
Reporters who attended the event were screened, and apart from questions on Malaysia’s reimposed Movement Control Order, there was only one question allowed on what had transpired in the palace.
Muhyiddin brushed the question aside suavely, highlighting he was busy all day looking after state affairs and was not keeping tabs on Anwar’s meeting with the Agong.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin addressing the nation while under home quarantine on Oct 6, 2020. (File photo: Bernama)
In a reply to show he was still in charge, he said he did not know what Anwar was up to but was confident in the King’s judgment and that any eventual decision would take guidance from the Constitution.
In other words, Muhyiddin was calling Anwar’s bluff.
Muhyiddin’s curt attitude towards Anwar’s attempt to depose him is in line with most of what the Malaysian political class is thinking: That Anwar simply does not have the numbers.
Yet why is there so much scepticism towards Anwar? And why is Anwar doing so much to be Prime Minister?
To answer these questions, you must understand Anwar’s political history. Anwar was a political high flyer who ascended Malaysia’s political ladder rapidly.
During his younger days at Universiti Malaya, as a charismatic firebrand, he energised the student movement. He was so good at it, he was actively courted by many political parties.
In a deft move, he refused to join any, choosing instead to establish his own progressive Malay-Islamic non-government organisation, the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) in 1974, so he could lead on his terms. ABIM expanded quickly and became a major political player within the Malay political class.
To the surprise of even his closest friends, Anwar suddenly joined Mahathir Mohamad and UMNO in 1982. After his first election foray, he was immediately catapulted into the role of deputy minister in Mahathir’s government.
Then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad chats with then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a function in Kuala Lumpur, May 9, 1997. (File photo: REUTERS/David Loh)
From then on, it was clear Anwar was on his way to the top. It was not a matter of if but when.
A SPLIT, A NEW THINKING
All this came crashing down in 1998 when Mahathir sacked Anwar after accusations of sodomy, homosexuality, womanising, corruption and posing a threat to national security.
Anwar was swiftly removed from UMNO. He also lost his deputy prime ministership.
With the hindsight of history, experts have now concluded Mahathir had removed Anwar fearing a threat to his position.
Their public clashes over Malaysia’s response to the Asian financial crisis regarding the imposition of capital controls undermined the government and fuelled suspicions Anwar was taking advantage of the economic turmoil to displace Mahathir and take over the country.
Since then Anwar has spent more than 10 years in prison for sodomy and corruption, yet was widely seen as a political prisoner by international human rights groups.
Anwar’s time in prison fundamentally changed him.
Although he still believed in Malaysia being led by a Malay Muslim, he started to embrace the view that non-Malays and non-Muslims must have a place under the Malaysian sun. This was in stark contrast to UMNO and other right-wing Malay groups who consistently upheld the ideology of Ketuanan Melayu, or absolute Malay supremacy in Malaysia.
In a remarkable comeback, Anwar and Mahathir reconciled in 2017 to form an alliance to defeat their common political enemy, UMNO and Najib Razak.
Mahathir Mohamad (R) and Anwar Ibrahim have put their differences aside to keep the party of disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak from returning to power AFP/Mohd RASFAN
Everybody thought Anwar’s moment had finally come when Pakatan Harapan (PH), the new political alliance, won the 2018 general elections. After all, Mahathir publicly promised to step down as PM in 2020 to give way to Anwar.
But the problem was, like all political deals, this two-year transition deal could not be enforced. In retrospect, Mahathir may have had no intention of handing power over to Anwar, preferring to focus on cultivating support for his son Mukhriz.
In late February this year, PH imploded. Muhyiddin Yassin ended up as PM in March with a new coalition government, Perikatan Nasional.
Everybody though Anwar’s political career was over - until he announced he had the numbers to form a new government.
WHAT ARE HIS CHANCES?
But this isn’t Anwar’s first waltz in bidding for the top role. Just think of his many other attempts since 2008.
Anwar’s efforts to assume the prime ministership, even if he does have the numbers in theory, will continue to face huge obstacles from three major political blocks.
First, the Malay establishment and Malay capitalists, who are worried Anwar’s association with the Democratic Action Party and other non-Malay groups mean he will fundamentally change Malaysia’s preferential policies in the long term, which threatens their survival.
Anwar has said publicly just last year that the “obsolete” race-based New Economic Policy (NEP) must be dismantled.
FILE PHOTO: Malaysia's politician Anwar Ibrahim reacts during an interview with Reuters in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng/File Photo
This group has been used to doing business and winning government and other contracts based on affirmative action for Malays and Bumiputera. Many of them genuinely believe they will not survive without the NEP. Billions are at stake if Anwar becomes PM.
Major infrastructure works must allocate a proportion of projects for Malay interests. Similarly, companies must reserve a percentage of shares for Malay interests.
Second, Mahathir and conservative Malay groups. This group thinks Anwar will turn out to be a weak leader who cannot handle non-Malay groups.
They argue Anwar’s record in leading a multi-racial Pakatan Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will lead him to become overly accommodative towards non-Malay demands, often at the expense of Malay interests.
This group thinks the only way to “control” the non-Malays, especially the Chinese, is to show and exercise strong Malay leadership. Mahathir is the best example of such leadership. When Mahathir says no to Chinese demands, chances are the Chinese groups will not ask again, or try again, the thinking goes.
Third, right-wing Islamic groups. This group has opposed Anwar for years purely on religious terms.
They view Anwar as being too liberal and his appointment as PM as a threat to their goal of establishing a more pious and religious Islamic state.
These ultra conservatives also believe Anwar’s sodomy sentences and various infamous videos, whose authenticity have not been confirmed, showed he has led an abhorrent homosexual lifestyle, a capital sin in Malaysian Muslim society that unequivocally rules him out for any leadership role, much less the top job in the land.
Over the next few days, the picture will become clearer as to whether Anwar will indeed get the prize he has been chasing after all his life or if he will have to live to fight another day.
Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim met King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Oct 13, 2020. (Photo: Bernama)
The next steps are out of his hands. The palace will have to verify the intentions of those who say they will defect to Anwar’s coalition.
On top of this, the King may also consult the other eight Sultans under Malaysia’s unique rotation king system, where weighty national matters such as the appointment of the Prime Minister may require the agreement of the Conference of Rulers, the formal body representing the Malay rulers.
You can be sure the three major blocs who have concerns and grievances against Anwar have already started lobbying behind the scenes to shape the outcome.
The unlikely scenario that Anwar does somehow manage to become Malaysia’s ninth PM will be the most remarkable political comeback since Mahathir’s.
But for now, Anwar will remain Malaysia’s Prime Minister-in-waiting.
Professor James Chin is Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania and Senior Fellow at the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia.
BANGKOK: Thousands of Thai anti-government protesters and royalist supporters of King Maha Vajiralongkorn staged rival shows of force on Wednesday (Oct 14) with political tension growing after three months of demonstrations.
Anti-government demonstrators set off from the Democracy Monument for the government's official compound, known as Government House, to demand the departure of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, a former military leader, and a new constitution. They have also called for reform of the monarchy.
Just metres away, were a mixture of security forces, state employees and royalists who had all dressed in the royal yellow colour before a royal motorcade was due to pass along the road.
Despite some brief scuffles, the two sides largely kept apart, but the standoff revived fears of trouble in a country that suffered a decade of street violence between supporters and opponents of the establishment before a 2014 coup.
"Have faith in democracy. We cannot fall back," protest leader Parit “Penguin” Chirawat, told protesters.
While thousands of yellow-clad people lined the streets as the protesters passed, it was not clear how many were there from conviction. One gave the three-fingered salute of the anti-government protesters, who rushed to shake his hand.
Royalist leader Buddha Issara said the protesters could demand democracy, but must not call for reforms of the monarchy, as some have done.
"They must not touch on the institution," he told reporters.
Protesters made a rare direct challenge to the king on Tuesday, chanting at his passing convoy after 21 activists were arrested during scuffles with police. Police said detainees would be charged with public order offences on Wednesday.
The protests have become the greatest challenge in years to a ruling establishment dominated by the army and the palace.
Police officers walk past as royalists hold pictures of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida near the Royal Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand, October 14, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said police had been told to avoid needless confrontation. Police said nearly 15,000 officers had been deployed to keep order.
Police did not intervene as protesters removed potted plants they said authorities had put at Democracy Monument to stop them from reaching what has become a focus of the protests. The plants were all placed neatly on the road.
The royal palace has not responded to any requests for comment on the protests or the protesters' demands.
Pro-royalist demonstrations have been small, compared with the tens of thousands who joined the biggest anti-government demonstration in September, but Wednesday's gathering of royalists was much bigger.
"The establishment in Thailand plays a very dangerous game, mobilising state security forces and ultra-royalist groups to confront with the pro-democracy demonstrators," said Prajak Kongkirati, a professor at Thammasat University.
People give thumbs up and flash the three-fingers salute as a royalists' bus passes near them during a Thai anti-government mass protest, on the 47th anniversary of the 1973 student uprising, near the Democracy monument, in Bangkok, Thailand October 14, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
Among the anti-government protesters' demands are for curbs on the constitutional powers of the king and for him to transfer back the personal control he took of some army units and a palace fortune valued in the tens of billions of dollars.
They say Prayut, who took power in a 2014 coup, manipulated elections last year to ensure the army's continued grip. He says the elections were fair.
"Things shouldn’t be like this," said one 17-year-old student at the protest who gave her name only as Foil. “We have to take back our future."
HONG KONG: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the 12 Hong Kong residents who were detained by China while allegedly trying to flee to Taiwan by boat in August, saying that they had “committed no crime”.
“They simply believe that they are worthy of freedom and the unalienable rights due to every person,” Pompeo said in virtual remarks delivered at the John S. McCain Freedom Award Ceremony on Wednesday (Oct 14). “They aren’t alone in that belief. America stands with them.”
The 12, some of whom are linked to anti-government protests and were facing charges in Hong Kong prior to their arrest, are being held in the southern city of Shenzhen where they await prosecution.
Two of them are suspected of organising an illegal border crossing, while the other 10 are suspected of entering mainland waters illegally.
The group was believed to have been headed for self-governed Taiwan when they were arrested, following China’s imposition of a sweeping national security law targeting political expression in semi-autonomous Hong Kong. Taiwan is a popular choice among Hong Kong residents looking to leave the city.
Relatives say that they are being held incommunicado and have not been granted access to family-appointed lawyers.
Pompeo’s remarks come as Hong Kong police last week arrested nine others who are suspected of assisting the 12 to leave the city. The group of nine is believed to have provided accommodation and transport.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has repeatedly said that the 12 people detained must face the law in mainland China, as they were arrested for offences there. Though Hong Kong is part of China, it has a separate judicial and immigration system from the mainland, with separate border controls.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's national palace has postponed audiences with the king for allies of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, senior opposition leaders said on Wednesday (Oct 14), amid a fresh tussle for the country's premiership.
Anwar had on Tuesday met with King Al-Sultan Abdullah to prove that he has a "convincing" parliamentary majority to form a new government, sparking a fresh bout of political wrangling just months after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin rose to the post.
In a statement, the top leaders of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Amanah said they had initially been summoned for separate audiences with the king.
"However, last night His Majesty's senior private secretary informed us that both sessions with His Majesty have been postponed," read the statement, signed off by DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng and Amanah President Mohamad Sabu.
A senior palace official said all of the king's appointments have been postponed due to a two-week partial lockdown in the capital Kuala Lumpur and the state of Selangor, which took effect on Wednesday.
New dates will be decided after the curbs are lifted, palace comptroller Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin added.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Anwar said he had presented documents to the king to prove he had the support of over 120 lawmakers in the 222-seat parliament.
But the palace later said in a statement that Anwar had submitted the number of lawmakers that he said supported him, but not the identities of his supporters.
The king plays a largely ceremonial role but he can appoint a prime minister who in his view is likely to command a majority. New governments are usually elected in Malaysia but the king plays a role in certain instances.
Earlier this year, at the height of political wrangling that saw to the collapse of the administration of Mahathir Mohamad, the king appointed Muhyiddin as premier after meeting every member of parliament to learn who they support.
Critics say Muhyiddin, who has survived on a two-seat parliamentary majority, had stolen power by shifting alliances instead of earning it at the ballot box.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's national palace has postponed audiences with the king for allies of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, senior opposition leaders said on Wednesday (Oct 14), amid a fresh tussle for the country's premiership.
Anwar had on Tuesday met with King Al-Sultan Abdullah to prove that he has a "convincing" parliamentary majority to form a new government, sparking a fresh bout of political wrangling just months after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin rose to the post.
In a statement, the top leaders of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Amanah said they had initially been summoned for separate audiences with the king.
"However, last night His Majesty's senior private secretary informed us that both sessions with His Majesty have been postponed," read the statement, signed off by DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng and Amanah President Mohamad Sabu.
They did not say if new dates had been set.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Anwar said he had presented documents to the king to prove he had the support of over 120 lawmakers in the 222-seat parliament.
But the palace later said in a statement that Anwar had submitted the number of lawmakers that he said supported him, but not the identities of his supporters.
The king plays a largely ceremonial role but he can appoint a prime minister who in his view is likely to command a majority. New governments are usually elected in Malaysia but the king plays a role in certain instances.
Earlier this year, at the height of political wrangling that saw to the collapse of the administration of Mahathir Mohamad, the king appointed Muhyiddin as premier after meeting every member of parliament to learn who they support.
Critics say Muhyiddin, who has survived on a two-seat parliamentary majority, had stolen power by shifting alliances instead of earning it at the ballot box.
