New Zealand Conservative Govt. Indifferent to Citizens in Thailand

[autorank]

Thailand is in chaos, with the airport under control of protesters. The situation may turn violent.

Here's how a Conservative and a Liberal government handle the situation.

Australia - The government of Labour (liberal) Prime Minister has made sure that the national
airlines, Quantas, has extra flights running to get their citizens out as soon as possible.

But NEW ZEALAND'S newly elected conservative Prime Minster, John Key of the National Party is eating cake
while 200 NZ citizens languish in Bangkok, Thailand.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00035.htm

"While the Australians are laying on special Qantas flights out of Thailand in order to rescue their citizens from a situation that could turn violent at short notice, our government is crossing its fingers that it can get the circa 200 New Zealanders out, before things turn ugly.

"This is quite some gamble with peoples’ lives. Currently, as John Key told a press conference yesterday , “ the first option” for any passengers wishing to exit Thailand is via the small military base at Utapao,

Snip

"Clearly, with landing slots now at a premium at Utapao, New Zealand may have missed its opportunity to get a rescue flight up and running, even if we wanted to. The more nimble Australians have arranged two Qantas flights now, operating out of Phuket to Singapore. To some extent, the cost of New Zealand putting on a rescue flight has been allowed to outweigh the risks and inconvenience to the travelers caught up in the crisis. As Key told his press conference, there had been "a cost element” involved in the decision not to emulate what the Australians had done. “But obviously, if that was the only alternative we would pursue it".

"The equally obvious problem with that approach is that if – as the government expects – the situation in Thailand does deteriorate, it will then be virtually impossible to mount a rescue mission."

[bleever]

1. Oy.

Even in the antipodes?

It's government for the people versus government for the people who run it.

[Withywindle]

2. Is there any reason to think the situation there is hostile to foreigners?

From what I've been reading, it seems like the standoff in Thailand has a lot to do with government corruption and an uprising against that; it's all about internal politics. And it's been going on for a while and hasn't gotten violent yet. It's not a situation remotely like what just happened in India where foreign nationals would be targeted--far from it.

[LisaL]

3. Shouldn't US try to do something to evacuate the US citizens that

are there now?