Quote:POST REPORTERS


The anti-coup campaign by former Thai Rak Thai members appears to be losing steam with their attempts to challenge the government and the Council for National Security failing to go to plan. Police and soldiers in the North yesterday blocked attempts by former Thai Rak Thai members to gather signatures in support of their petition to His Majesty the King over the dissolution of their party and the five-year political ban imposed on the party's 111 executive members.


About 50 police and soldiers in Chiang Mai arrested eight former Thai Rak Thai members of the northern provinces and dismantled tents, loudspeakers and tables set up around the Three Kings Monument, a landmark in downtown Chiang Mai.

They were accused of illegally blocking a public area.

They include Surapong Towjijakchaikul, a leader of the Network of People Power for Thailand and Julaphan Amornwiwat, former Thai Rak Thai MP for Chiang Mai. They were released later.

Chiang Rai provincial army also warned residents not to sign any petitions that might lead to unrest.

Chaturon Chaisaeng, who was acting leader of Thai Rak Thai party before it was dissolved, distanced himself from the signature campaign, saying it was not carried out on behalf of the Thai Rak Thai group.

''The Thai Rak Thai group is not thinking of lodging any petitions. I have to admit that without a party, I cannot expect other members to act in concert,'' he said.

Key figures of anti-coup demonstrations agreed that they would remain at Sanam Luang and would not proceed to army headquarters as earlier threatened, given the fact that the number of protesters was unlikely to increase any time soon after the anti-coup rally was rained off and dispersed on Saturday.

Authorities also managed to block their supporters from joining them in the city.

Yesterday, core members of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) called on the CNS to negotiate with the group in an open and straightforward manner. DAAD representatives, led by Veera Musikapong and Weng Tojirakarn, yesterday travelled to army headquarters to present a letter demanding the ouster of members of the CNS.

Maj-Gen Veeran Chantasartkosol, the army secretary, accepted the letter on behalf of CNS chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin.

Pichai Rattanadilok na Phuket, a lecturer of the National Institute of Development Administration, said the anti-coup protesters appeared to have reached a dead end in their battle with the coup makers.

Although some demonstrators would stay put at Sanam Luang, they could hardly make any significant political impact now.

Their reasons for staging rallies carried little weight, since it was obvious that the gatherings were engineered to pander to only one person _ deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Mr Pichai said.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said Mr Thaksin's video address to his supporters on Friday night was a ploy in a bid to strike a political bargain.

He warned against any political collusion as he believed the old power clique was in regular communication with the government and the coup makers.

Mr Suriyasai disagreed with a proposal to grant an amnesty to banned executives of Thai Rak Thai and other smaller parties. He said the amnesty, proposed by Thammasat University's Surapol Nittikraipoj, should be granted after the general election.

Akrapol Sornsuchart, an NLA member, also agreed that this was not the right time for the amnesty.

He said said some of the 111 executives also face the prospect of criminal charges for their involvement in electoral fraud, which was the basis of the party dissolution verdict by the Constitution Tribunal.

Exonerating executives who may have committed criminal wrong was unacceptable.

Kuthep Saikrachang, former spokesman of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party, said its members would tomorrow call on the National Legislative Assembly to speed up passage of the amendment to the coup makers' announcement No. 15 to clear the way for registration of new political parties as soon as possible.

You have to love Democracy Thai style. Warned by the military not to sign petitions, that's democratic. Blocking protests, that's democratic. Giving yourself Amnesty for for the criminal act of overthrowing the Government but blindly pushing charges much less harmful to the country on others who were elected while 1/2 the country is either fighting the government or is under martial law, well that's Thai Democracy Dictatorship style...LOL

Quote:PTV leaders confront generals

Compiled by BangkokPost.com from new reports
Protesters linked to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Sunday delivered a letter to the Council for National Security, demanding that the CNS leaders resign and immediately hold elections.

Members of the so-called Democracy Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) submitted the letter to Maj Gen Veeran Chantasatkosol, secretary general of the Thai army, amid tight security in front of Army headquarters on Sunday morning.

"We come here today to ask for the junta to resign, bring back the 1997 constitution and hold elections as soon as possible," said Veera Musikapong, one of the leaders of the nightly PTV rallies against coup leaders.

The group, set up by former senior members of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party, have vowed to hold demonstrations every day until next Sunday - the anniversary of the end of absolute monarchy and the transition to a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

The demands came a day after several thousand protesters gathered at Sanam Luang Plaza at the centre of Bangkok, in another of the daily rallies by Thaksin supporters.

"We want the Council for National Security (the coup leaders' official name) members to resign and hold an election immediately," said Weng Tojirakan, one of the nine rally leaders who submitted the demand letter.

There was no official response from the CNS or the government it appointed. CNS chief and Army commander Sonthi Boonyaratkalin has said he will not resign "because I have done nothing wrong."

The demands are the latest effort by pro-Thaksin forces to increase pressure on coup leaders - putting Bangkok on edge as the capital swirls with rumors of more military crackdowns and coup attempts.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on Saturday said he was ready to talk with Thaksin.

In his message to a Friday night rally at Sanam Luang, Thaksin decried restrictions on politics and civil liberties imposed since the coup and called for the restoration of democracy.

Someone in the know should explain to General S that a Coup is wrong no matter what his reasoning is. He's done wrong alright, he's harmed Thailand's image worldwide & he's driven Democracy into the dark ages.