Thai police fired tear gas Tuesday to try to disperse anti-government protesters blocking parliament, injuring 190 people as months of political turmoil boiled over. Two Thai policemen were shot and injured during Tuesday’s protest. (UPDATED)

Twenty-one people suffered serious injuries, as police tried to disperse several thousand protesters surrounding parliament who tried to stop the first speech by new Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Early morning, anti-government demonstrators sleep in front of Parliament in Bangkok on Oct. 7, 2008. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

Thai protesters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) stand in front of a banner calling for the arrest of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (portrait L) and his wife Pojaman (R) during a protest, in Bangkok on Oct. 7, 2008.  AFP PHOTO/Pornchai KITTIWONGSAKUL

Thai protesters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) use a public bus to force their way into parliament grounds secured by riot police during a protest, in Bangkok on Oct. 7, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Pornchai KITTIWONGSAKUL

A riot police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters in front of parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday, Oct.  7, 2008. AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn

Anti-government protesters duck for cover as tear gas is fired outside parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday, Oct.  7, 2008. AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Anti-government demonstrators take cover after riot police fire tear gas at protesters blocking parliament in Bangkok Oct.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Back online and back from Bangkok, Japan and Hong Kong

Hiya! Sorry for the long delay in posting, but after a successful trip to Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan from February 22nd through March 29th, I am posting some photos. Starting off in Bangkok, Thailand where the weather was warm and pleasent, the food most excellent (more later and where to go for chow and great local music) and the people with their warm smiles and gracious hospitality. I was sent to Bangkok by Getty Images to cover two days of the anti Thaksin Shinawatra demonstrations. Thaksin, the embattled Prime Minister of Thailand has been accused of corruption and abuse of power while in office and hundreds of thousands of people in Thailand have been marching for weeks demanding him to step down. He has called a “snap” election for April 2 when voters in Thailand will go to the polls for what the Prime Minister insists will be a referendum on his leadership. The election however is unlikely to end calls from critics that he resign after weeks of political turmoil. The main opposition parties are boycotting the ballot in protest at what they’ve described as Mr Thaksin’s authoritarian rule. His unpopularity resides mostly in the big cities but in the Thai countryside it’s a different story – with the prime minister enjoying great popularity among rural voters. Here are a few photos from those two days.A man waves the Thai flag during one of the many night protests in Bangkok.A young girl looks on during a protest near the Royal Palace in Bangkok.Two men stand and yell during a protest near the Royal Palace in Bangkok.
A woman carries a portrait of the King as she joins thousands of people marching in the streets of Bangkok.
A young girl watches the events during a protest near the Royal Palace in Bangkok.A man wears a bandana with the word “peaceful” written on it as he takes part in a silent protest in front of Government House in Bangkok, Thailand.
A man with the Thai flag looks on as he takes part in a protest in front of Government House in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sondhi Limthongkul one of the main anti Thaksin leaders greats the crowd during a protest in front of Government House in Bangkok,

7, 2008. REUTERS/Kerek Wongsa

BBC NEWS / IN PICTURES
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In pictures: Bangkok protest

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Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, to demand the resignation of the government.

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The demonstrators say that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s government is a proxy for Thaksin Shinawatra, who the military overthrew in 2006.

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There were some scuffles with police as the mass of protesters came up against barricades in central Bangkok.

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A column of protesters appeared to take the security cordon around Government House by surprise as they came up behind them.

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The demonstrators were led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) – mostly made up of middle-class Bangkok residents who have been protesting against the government since May.

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Government moves to amend the military-backed constitution have angered PAD supporters who say the ruling People Power Party will benefit.

Tuesday, 15 February, 2000, 12:36 GMT

ILO warns against ‘casino economy’

By Andrew Walker in Bangkok

The head of the International Labour Organisation, Juan Somavia, has warned that the gains from globalisation are not reaching enough people. He said that world trade policies had not benefited the developing world.

Speaking at the UN conference on trade and development in Bangkok, Mr Somavia said globalisation had created a “casino economy”, in which capital moved around rapidly, causing instability in labour markets.

He said that one of the forces driving the increasing integration of the world economy was what he called the information and communications revolution – a reference to the increasing use of computers and the internet.

But he said the economic and social policies that had also played a part were made by people – and could be changed by people.

He said the situation in which globalisation had created so much uncertainty for so many people was frightening, despite the progress that had been made in some areas.

Social dimension

“We ended the century with a notion that open societies were better than closed societies. I think that’s an historical civilizational advance, ” he said.

“And we have ended the century believing open economies are better than closed economies.

But we did not end the century with the idea that you have to put a social component to these two things. And it’s the lack of that consensus that can bring the whole damn house down,” he added.
There has been a great deal of talk in Bangkok about the need for a social dimension in the international economic system.

The debate was given a new impetus by the failed meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Seattle last year.

It broke down amid massive protests on the street and disagreement among the WTO’s member governments.

Mr Somavia, as head of the International Labour Organisation, had an opportunity here to address one of the most contentious issues at Seattle: the relationship between trade and basic labour rights.

But he declined to do so. He’s an international civil servant, and perhaps felt he could not risk intervening directly in a matter of such intense political controversy.