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UN Chief Appeals for Dialogue in Thailand

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 27 2014 (IPS) - “The Secretary General believes strongly that there should be no place for violence by any side in resolving political differences and disputes,” UN  Spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters Wednesday, referring to the escalating political crisis in Thailand.

“He strongly urges the parties to engage as soon as possible in meaningful and inclusive dialogue toward ending the crisis and advancing genuine reform.”

Ban Ki-moon also expressed his “readiness to assist the parties and the Thai people in any way possible,” following a telephone conversation with the Thai foreign minister, Surapong Tovichakchaikul.

The possibility for UN involvement in the solution “depends on the opposition, and the government requesting assistance and then it would need to be looked at very carefully what form that assistance could take,”  Nesirky, told IPS.

As of February 24, 2014, the day after a bomb blast near an anti-government rally killed one woman and two children and injured over twenty people, BBC reported that at least twenty people have died in the protests since November. Both sides have accused the other of responsibility for the blast.

Since November 24, 2013, protests have swept across Thailand, sparked by the Thai lower house’s passing of a bill that would grant amnesty to former leader and brother of current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin has been living in exile since the 2006 military coup when he was ousted over corruption charges.

While the Thai Senate eventually rejected the amnesty bill, the protests continued, now calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck and the implementation of anti-corruption reforms.

As with the series of political crises since 2006, Thailand has been divided between the anti-government urban middle-class, and the pro-government rural population, often referred to as Red Shirts.

On the same day as the UNSG’s statement, Yingluck also publically endorsed the Thai army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha’s statement, which said, “No dialogue between the conflicting sides would lead to a civil war.”

“Love, unity and peacefulness of the country were and have been the Government’s intent since taking the office,” stated a report on the Royal Thai Government website. “[Yingluck] reaffirmed that the Government did not agree with violence and forcefulness.”

The Thai government report also indicated that Yingluck has publically acknowledged her summons by the Thai Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) regarding the Thai rice-pledging scheme.

Additionally, the US State Department has similarly condemned the violent confrontations in Thailand and called for restraint by both parties.

 
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