protests - yawn, page-4

Yes, except that the Thai army is actually a well-trained and highly professional outfit. They do use lethal force against civilians, but only when they are specifically ordered to do so by their superiors. This was the 'hard method' previously foreshadowed by Abhisit when he declared a state of emergency, an essential precursor to which was the re-taking of the pro-redshirt TV station, to minimise the fallout. However, what was envisaged as an authoritarian but effective end to the protests, has turned into a complete debacle, which has simply made matters worse.

The government's options have now narrowed significantly. Do they do as the non-democratic authorities would in neighbouring Myanmar or China, and brutally supress all further dissent regardless of casualties? Or do they concede their questionable legitimacy and announce immediate elections?

There also appear to be some divided sympathies within the military and police, which further complicate matters, whilst the protesters' appeals to the King to intervene and stop the 'killing of his children' highlight yet another aspect of the underlying political situation.