The increasing tension in Thailand

Happy Birthday to Jiamin and Linda Wong
Blessed Easter Sunday to everyone
Rest in peace, Richard Stanley (DBS CEO)

Having attended Easter service earlier today, I learnt that it is certainly not right for me to get too bitter over that incident that transpired a few days ago, lest the anger within overwhelms my mind and turns me into something entirely different. Moreover, the "difficult time" I am going through right now pales in comparison to the political turmoil occurring in Thailand. This is certainly not a good time to re-visit my family or fellow Christians in Thailand I feel.

Thailand's embattled premier vowed legal action against anti-government protesters who reduced a showcase Asian summit to a shambles and exposed the nation to international embarrassment.
Abhisit Vejjajiva made the pledge in an address on national television, a day after supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stormed the meeting in the beach resort of Pattaya. Security forces stood aside as thousands of demonstrators swarmed into the venue, forcing authorities to evacuate foreign leaders by helicopter.
The summit was being held to discuss the global financial crisis and North Korea's rocket launch, and Abhisit had hoped it would demonstrate Thailand's recovery from years of often violent political turmoil. Instead, the fiasco took Thailand's problems onto the international stage for the first time since protesters occupied Bangkok's two airports late last year, stranding hundreds of thousands of airline passengers.
"I promise that in the next three to four days there will be legal action taken" against the protesters, Abhisit said on television. He said he had met military officials to discuss the security failure, when troops and riot police let the protesters storm the luxury summit venue.
Thailand has been riven by turmoil since the military led a bloodless coup in September 2006 that toppled Thaksin. He retains deep support among the poor but is loathed by the elite in the palace, military and bureaucracy.
Thaksin remains in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption, but has rallied supporters -- and incensed the government -- with almost nightly video and telephone speeches from an unidentified foreign hideout.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Thai_political_crisis