Protest camps in the Thai capital Bangkok are under a full scale siege by the army, as the unelected government has declared that the pro-democracy demonstrators must disperse today or face the cutting off of food and water supplies.

As Leftfield has extensively reported, there’s been a standoff on the streets between the forces of the Thai government and the National Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, known as the Red Shirts for the colour they wear, since they established their camps on March 14th. The Red Shirts argue that the current government is illegitimate, having come to power on the back of a military coup. The coup displaced a government which, although far from perfect, had won the support of the poor by measures of wealth redistribution and establishing Thailand’s first ever system of national healthcare.

The aim of the protests was to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (who was in the same year at Eton as Boris Johnson, and the year above David Cameron) to resign. They demand immediate new elections, an end to government censorship of opposition TV stations and websites, and the government officials responsible for the deaths of protesters in violent crackdowns to be brought to justice.

It appeared the situation had been resolved last week when the PM made his first attempt at a compromise: to hold early elections in November. The Red Shirts responded positively to this offer, stating they were happy to enter negotiations with the government. However, wisely they opted not to trust the government completely. They demanded the government stop blocking their sites and allow their TV station to return to the air. Crucially they also demanded that a firm date for the dissolution of parliament was set by the electoral commission, rather than a vague promise by the PM, which he could easily go back on once the protesters had dispersed (a prediction which has proved prescient since). They also demanded that the deputy PM, Suthep Thaugsuban, should give himself up for trial for the deaths of protesters on the streets, something the government could not stomach.

The government’s agenda was clearly about clearing the protesters, who were overwhelmingly the urban and rural poor, off the streets of Bangkok’s shopping district, and getting business back to usual. When they realised that they had not been able to buy off the Thai workers, they went ballistic, proving the government was never serious about its proposed plan for resolving the situation.

Thai PM, and schoolmate of David Cameron and Boris Johnson, Abhisit Vejjajiva

Abhisit has now announced that he has cancelled his offer, and has set a deadline for today for the Red Shirts to disperse. Last week it looked as if he had skillfully managed to defuse the opposition to his rule, and with it the revolutionary potential represented by thousands of poor people permanently occupying the streets. Now it looks like he has thrown that victory away, and the situation is being pushed towards breaking point.

The army has begun to surround the protest camps with troops and razor wire. They have vowed to begin cutting off supplies of food, water and electricity.

“This is a full-scale measure to limit the freedom of protesters and to close down the area 100%, starting at midnight,” said Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

One of the Red Shirt leaders, Weng Tojirakarn, responded: “The prime minister must not threaten us and must not disperse us. If he wants more deaths, so be it. I don’t.”

Leftfield will bring you updates on the situation as we get them.

Update: It’s being reported that the army have put off the plan to cut off food and water. The camps are in the middle of the Thai shopping district, also home to several luxury hotels.  Apparently, the government hadn’t considered that turning off the water to this area would affect some of their own supporters in the bourgeois classes. D’oh!

“On cutting off water supplies and power, we decided that the protesters will be less affected than residents, so we have postponed it for now,” said Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

Update, Thurs 13th: The government is reported to be moving armoured personnel carriers and snipers with live ammunition into position around the protest camp.

Red Shirt spokesman Nattawut Saikua, told reporters that “We have made a decision to hold our ground here to call for justice for our people. We are going to stay here no matter what happens.”

Bonus: This piece by Giles ji Ungpakorn, a Thai socialist living in exile since being charged with criticising the monarchy, outlines what the Red Shirt movement should do next. Although it was written before the compromise position began to unravel, its suggestions are still good ones.

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