Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bangkok (Fides Service) - Out-going premier Thaksin Shinawatra wins the elections but the opposition continues to call for his resignation. In a divided country on the edge of social, economic and political crisis religious leaders have called for unity to avoid chaos. The situation is fluid in Thailand after a vote brought forward to 2 April in which the outgoing prime minister won 57%.
Shinawatra, accused of corruption and abuse of power proposed that a commission of elders should manage the crisis and the country’s future and that he was ready to step down. But the Opposition - which for months has organised protests and a successful campaign for abstention in the vote (non vote party won 40%) - said no and rejected the idea of “national reconciliation”.
According to local sources the situation is still uncertain as they prepare for supplementary elections because about 40 districts in the south abstention prevented the Premier’s party Thai Rak Thai from reaching 20% of the votes necessary to sit in Parliament.
In this difficult time for the nation religious leaders have taken a common line calling for national unity to avoid civil chaos. “All Thais want the country to develop in every field but the people are concerned about the political crisis”, said Cardinal Michai Kitbunchu at a recent inter-religious meeting attended by Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh leaders who underlined the importance of the values taught by religions for solving social problems and condemned all forms of violence, hatred and social discrimination. “All religions - they said - teach people to love one another to build bonds of solidarity and mutual support. Unity is a tool of love which can heal divisions among individuals and in society”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 4/4/2006 righe 27 parole 271)
