Strong economy to help Thailand face protests
Bangkok Post – 2 February 2010
A stronger economy has encouraged Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to believe he can ride out a looming new round of mass protests against his government.
A stronger economy has encouraged Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, seen here at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland at the weekend, to believe he can ride out a looming new round of mass protests against his government.
"The economy has turned round nicely but I think the political challenges are still there," Abhisit told AFP on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos over the weekend.
When Abhisit visited the Swiss resort for the forum last year, just weeks after taking power, thousands of supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra were massed outside the government headquarters in Bangkok.
"This year they are not there for the moment," he said.
But Thaksin's followers are expected to protest again ahead of a February 26 court hearing on whether authorities can hold the exiled tycoon's estimated two billion dollar fortune, seized after he was ousted in a coup in 2006.
"There continues to be divisions and there continues to be a number of people who are pursuing their agenda of unseating the government," said the 45-year-old Western-educated prime minister, leader of the Democrat party.
"But I think the stronger economy helps us. And the fact that we have been able to prove over this last year that we have addressed the concerns of ordinary Thais and that we practice democracy in spirit and not just in form."
While analysts have said the prime minister has failed to end Thailand's divisions, he said the economy "should help gain us the support so that there is greater stability."
Abhisit said the Thai economy surged strongly in the final quarter of 2009. Instead of a projected contraction of three percent for the year, he said it could be restricted to minus 2.8 percent.
"More significant is some of the key numbers that have made us confident about this recovery process. Unemployment is 1.1 percent -- I think that figure would be the envy of a lot of economies around the world."
Exports were back in double digit growth in November and December so the government has now set a target of 14 percent growth for 2010.
The protests last year brought Bangkok airport to a standstill trapping many foreign tourists. But Abhisit said "In December we actually had a record high number of tourists coming to Thailand, 1.6 million."
"We have projected this year's (economic) growth at 3.5 percent but we are now confident we can do better than that," the prime minister said.
"I think the challenges continue to be there. But I think we have come quite some way so I think the majority of Thai people want to see the country move beyond the old conflicts.
"But we have to manage the remaining opposition and we do that by allowing political space in terms of expression within the means allowed by the constitution."
Thailand's cabinet recently granted approval for the military to assist police in dealing with upcoming mass protests by Thaksin's "Red Shirt" supporters.
But the cabinet moved without invoking the harsh Internal Security Act (ISA), as the government has done ahead of previous protests, which allows the army to deploy troops, ban gatherings and impose curfews.
The Red Shirts have held several rallies over the past year in support of Thaksin, who is living in exile to escape a two-year jail term for corruption.
They culminated in April with the disruption of a major Asian summit and deadly riots in Bangkok.
Abhisit has been accused by some analysts of going easy on the "Yellow Shirt" supporters of the government, who have staged rival demonstrations. He has not used the ISA legislation against their actions.
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