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The streets of Bangkok have erupted in a sea of protest, with thousands of demonstrators descending on the Prime Minister’s office to demand the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The public fury was ignited by an explosive leaked audio recording that appears to expose a high-level government plan to push through a controversial law.

The rally, one of the largest in recent years, was organized by the opposition Democrat Party. Protesters waved flags, blew whistles, and chanted anti-government slogans near the heavily guarded Government House, making their anger and distrust crystal clear.

At the heart of the scandal is a leaked phone call between a deputy defence minister and Thailand’s top military commander. In the recording, the two officials are allegedly heard discussing how to push a contentious amnesty bill through parliament.

For the opposition and the protesters, this bill is not about national reconciliation, but about one man: Thaksin Shinawatra, the Prime Minister’s brother. The hugely divisive former leader was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail sentence for corruption. Protesters believe the amnesty bill is a thinly veiled attempt to whitewash his conviction and pave the way for his triumphant return to Thailand without facing justice.

The leaked call has been seized upon as proof that the government is manipulating the political process for personal and partisan gain. The opposition claims it reveals a conspiracy to subvert democracy and serves as the final straw in a series of government actions they deem unacceptable.

The government has tried to downplay the leak, but it has clearly struck a nerve, galvanizing public dissent and plunging the administration into a major political crisis. This mass demonstration signals that the deep political divisions that have plagued Thailand for years are far from healed.

Read More: Scandal in Bangkok: Leaked Call Ignites Mass Protests as Thousands Demand PM’s Resignation