Academics write to Bush: stop interfering in Thai politics

BANGKOK, Oct 10 (TNA) - A group of pro-democracy academics and students on Tuesday submitted an open letter to the United States embassy in Bangkok, urging US President George W. Bush to stop interfering with Thailand's internal affairs and to leave the country's political problems to its own people to solve.

About a dozen academics and students from leading Thai universities--including Chulalongkorn and the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA)--gathered in front of the US embassy to show their discontent towards the US sanctions imposed upon Thailand after the September 19 military coup ousting the then government of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

In the letter, they said the US president should stop criticising Thailand and respect the country's right to handle its own internal affairs.

The US government earlier expressed concern towards the appointment of Gen. Surayud Chulanont, a retired army commander, as the country's interim prime minister and criticised the interim constitution as some provisions appear to give the military an influential role in decision-making.

It also demanded the removal of the martial law put in place on the night of the coup d'etat as the law has restricted civil liberties.

A TNA reporter said the group presented their letter addressed to Mr. Bush to a senior embassy official.

Lecturer Sompoj Kananuch from NIDA's School of Social Development and Environment said his group wanted foreign countries to understand that the Thai people are happy with the current political changes.

''We want to communicate to foreign countries that these changes benefit our nation as a whole and we want them to try to understand our political situation and avoid making shallow comments,'' said the university academic.

TNA