Thai “Yellow” protesters blocked parliament on Friday, forcing a debate on disputed reconciliation plans to be shelved amid signs of rising tensions in the bitterly divided nation.
Proposals aimed at healing the rifts that have seen Thailand shaken repeatedly by bloody civil unrest since a coup in 2006, have provoked fury among opposition MPs who fear they will open the door for the return of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Lawmakers were twice unable to enter the building, with around two thousand ultra-royalist, anti-Thaksin “Yellow Shirts” and their affiliates massing outside for a third day running.
The debate was postponed until next Wednesday at the earliest, according to a spokesman for the ruling Puea Thai party. “The parliament meeting will be probably either on June 6 or 7. We will have to wait for the House speaker to inform us,” said Pormpong Nopparit.
The Yellows had warned they would try to enter parliament in an effort to disrupt any vote on the bill — a threat that carries weight from a group that have helped topple three governments of Thaksin and his allies.
Protest organisers called on their supporters to go home late Friday after three days of rallying.
