I was going to Bangkok this weekend. But after talking with my director, being reminded that the forced elections for our Prime Minister are being held on Sunday, and with a major project to finish on Monday, I will not be going. I will have to reschedule important meetings with Doris and the team that is starting a small church in my home, Jessica who will be returning to the USA indefinitely, and Joy my sister who has been helping assist in my previous ministry team. Please be praying for these incredible people and our distraught nation of Thailand this weekend. What is happening, you ask? Although, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was elected July 2011 democratically, this last year, her party introduced an amnesty bill to the legislature. The policy, which her opponents feared would allow Thaksin, her brother and former Prime Minister convicted of embezzlement, but has fled to avoid being tried, back into Thailand assuming power. The opposing party began protesting. They are commended for wanting justice. They will not tolerate unrighteousness. However, after a season, beginning in November, of not-so-peaceful protesting they vowed to shut down Bangkok on January 13th by blocking key intersections. Some 20,000 police, along with troops, were to be deployed across the city to secure government buildings and prevent bloodshed. The demonstrators said they would occupy the capital until they overthrew the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Protest leaders want to replace Yinglucks administration with an unelected peoples council, which would push through electoral and political changes. They say they want to rid Thailand of the influence of her older brother, the divisive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is living in self-imposed exile. Amid the bursts of violence, Thai authorities declared a state of emergency last week, giving extra powers to security forces and drawing criticism from human rights advocates. But the government says it has no plans to use force against protesters, who plan to hold marches in central Bangkok on Friday and Saturday. The main protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister for the opposition Democrat Party, says he is encouraging Thai people not to vote in the election. In response, Yingluck said the election would go ahead as planned. The protest leaders say they want as many of their supporters as possible to join them Sunday in the streets of Bangkok for what they describe as a picnic that they hope will shut down the city on the day of the election. Please pray for peace and righteousness to prevail, for no violence and for the nations to unite and pray, especially us that are in country.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 02:26:16 +0000