<p>Violence again has struck a PDRC protest site, though it appears that for the first time in many months of protest, no external attack was involved. </p>

<p><em>The conservative establishment’s nigh decade-long putsch to turn back the progress of Thai democracy and the empowering advances it has made since late in the last century has backfired on them with epic irony. Their illiberal acts have been designed to demolish popular electoral democracy and return the nation to a state of corrupt and ineffective government open to easy exploitation by the traditional elite.</em></p>

<p>It’s been a deadly winter for British comedians.&nbsp; John Fortune died on New Year’s Eve, alas, and this week comes news of the death of Roger Lloyd-Pack.&nbsp; So nostalgia has us flipping through some of the best clips and lo and behold, there’s the clue to Thailand’s political problems.</p>

<p>It is not the first time Thailand has seen anti-Thaksin demonstrations at least twice before: once in 2006 and again in 2008 &nbsp;Still, it is an open secret that Thaksin administers the country from overseas. The leader protest himself admitted on the stage that the Thaksin regime would return despite a fresh election. The question for the demonstrators is obvious: What do they hope for from their rally? How can they literally eliminate the Thaksin regime? Is coup d'etat an option? Prachatai talked with four people who have joined the whistle-blowing demonstrations to explore their thoughts and desires.</p> <p> </p>