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Thai King avoids talk of unrest in address

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Uploaded by on Apr 27, 2010

http://www.timesofearth.com/Worldnews/?NT=0&nid=21271 BANGKOK — Thailand's king has made his first public comments since the current wave of anti-government protests began, but avoided direct mention of the ongoing political crisis.

Speaking from hospital where he has been receiving treatment for the past seven months, King Bhumibol Adulyadej addressed a group of newly appointed judges on Monday, telling them they should faithfully carry out their duties and help keep the country stable.

"In the country, there might be people who neglect their duties, but you can set an example that there are those who perform their duties strictly and honestly," the 82-year-old monarch said.

"Working honestly will boost the country's progress and serve as an example for citizens, for civil servants and other people. It will help the country to live in peace and contentment."

His comments are being seen by some as a veiled reference to suggestions that the Thai authorities have failed to keep order when faced with the anti-government "red shirt" protesters who have taken over parts of central Bangkok.
The king's lack of clear statement, however, apparently also signalled he was not prepared to take an active role in resolving the crisis, as he did in 1973 when he stopped violence during a student uprising and again in 1992 during anti-military street protests.

Bhumibol is the world's longest reigning monarch, and has been hospitalised since September 2009, when he was admitted with fatigue and loss of appetite.

The red shirts have previously asked for an audience with the king in an effort to find a peaceful end the political stalemate which is now into its seventh week.

At least 26 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 wounded since the red shirts began occupying parts of the capital in a campaign to topple the current government.

Thai government officials have said they remain hopeful the dispute can be resolved without resorting to force, but they say they will not allow the protests to go on indefinitely.

In response, the red shirts have said they would launch unspecified nationwide action to prevent security forces from travelling to the capital to join what they believe is a looming crackdown.

Over the past week there have been mounting incidents of open defiance against the military and police by the red shirts, who fear the authorities are poised to clear their vast protest camp in central Bangkok.

Nattawut Saikuar, one of the leaders of the movement, said they would escalate their activities.

"We have made a resolution to take active measures against this government. Reds everywhere will stop police and army from coming to Bangkok," he told the AFP news agency.

"We will step up our peaceful measures to stop the reinforcement. Our people will ask the police and army to return to their barracks."

On Monday, about 60 red shirts blocked the entrance of a border patrol police camp in the central province of Phitsanulok to prevent a company from leaving for Bangkok.

Police eventually broke through the protest lines and scuffled with protesters.

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Copyright 2010 THE TIMES OF EARTH All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • คุณควรที่จะศึกษาประวัติศาสตร์ไ­ทยให้มากกว่านี้นะ และควรที่จะศึกษาระบอบการปกครอง­ของไทยให้ดีกว่านี้ด้วยนะ เพราะว่าประเทศไทยมีการปกครองใน­ระบอบประชาธิปไตยอันมีพระมหากษั­ตริย์ทรงเป็นประมุข การที่คุณมากว่าหากษัตริย์ไทยอย­่างไม่มีหลักฐาน เป็นการกล่าวหาแบบเลือนลอยอย่าง­นี้เป็นการไม่สมควรอย่างยิ่ง กษัตริย์ไทยทรงเป็นที่รักและที่­เทิดทูลของคนไทยทั้งประเทศ ผู้ใดที่ไม่จงรักภักดีต่อพระองค­์ก็ขอให้ออกไปอยู่ในประเทศที่พว­กคุณชื่นชอบและอยากให้เป็นซิ อย่ามาอยู่ในเมืองไทยเลย เพราะยิ่งอยู่ก็ยิ่งสร้างความแต­กแยกให้เกิดขึ้น

  • Thai king and his family want only money, power, for themselves -------not for the people. They are very ANTI DEMOCRATIC-----BRAINWASHED THE WHOLE WORLD . No one can speak the truth in Thailand otherwise will go to jail, kidnapped to kill by his people ....

    Thailand must END ----lese majeste law,,,,,,,,and,...........abso­lute monarchy system NOW. WAKE UP THAI PEOPLE.

  • Thai king and hi

  • King Phumipon killed his brother to steal his crown. That makes the Thai king a street dog who eats shit an deserves to die a painful death. This son of a chakri bitch should be burnt alive along with all Thai royalists.

    55555555555555+

  • ไอพวก khmer เสือกไรวะเกรัยนจัง พวกมึงรู้ไรมั่งปะ ไปเเตกล้าบบ้านพ่อมึงไป

  • @USAdude30 what will you americans know? u never had a king...ur only eating mcdonalds and burger kings. so scram and do me a favor....go fuck yourself

  • @USAdude30 well whats ur problem with my life? im also wondering about ur life too....

  • @StopLM so you also admit that you're a little piece of cunt who can't prove anything but can only say? so ur just a pathetic scumbag who has a whore parent which IT have been raped by a cambodian soldiers and born a piece of shitbag like you? your parent was working in a poseidon whorehouse as a low class prostitute who was uneducated like you, i feel sorry for you dickbrain :)

  • @bangbang387 Aha! So you admit you are a dark skinned uneducated pig farmer with stray dogs as parents. I knew it. Only an unducated brown-skinned peasant believes that Bhumibol isn't an animal. Have you had sex with the Thai Queen? Of course you have. Everyone has fucked the Blue Whale. Even your whore mom, she works in Soi Cowboy, right? That's where she was raped by a rabid dog 9 months before you were born.

  • @StopLM ohhhhh so now i should believe you, what country are you exactly from? i think i know, ur just a stray dog who doesn't have an origin just like ur slutty parents who's both are a low life whore, ur just from a slum who doesn't have a chance to be educated, lucky for u ive found a home in laos, made for a lowlife scum like you

    no need to thank me

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