Court may not be able to end Thailand crisis

[Coventina]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Bangkok, Thailand -- With a deepening political crisis draining millions of dollars from the economy by the hour, government opponents hope a court can break a deadlock that politicians, police and the military have failed to resolve.

But the court ruling they seek may be cause only for more turmoil.

The Constitutional Court is expected to rule as early as Tuesday whether three parties in Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's coalition, including his own People Power Party, should be dissolved for alleged electoral fraud.

A ruling against the government and its allies, which would be welcomed by demonstrators who have seized two major airports to press for Somchai's ouster, is likely to provoke counter-protests from his supporters.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-standoff1-2008dec01,0,3432210.story

[Coventina]

1. Government Backers Rally in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Nov. 30 -- Thousands of supporters of Thailand's beleaguered government rallied in the capital Sunday afternoon, bringing a new and combustible element to a political stalemate that is edging closer to open violence.

The demonstration was held the same day that 50 government opponents were injured when a grenade was fired into one of their protest sites in central Bangkok.

Four people were seriously injured in the early-morning explosion in the prime minister's compound, which has been occupied for months by anti-government forces.

The government supporters, calling themselves the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship, rallied in Bangkok and vowed to remain until anti-government demonstrators vacate the country's main airports, which they seized last week.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112900629.html?hpid=sec-world

Just as predicted....