10,000 march on Prems house

[gene1944]

[color:red]Protest has been going since 2pm when 10,000 marched to Prems house. Now the crowd is at 2,000 and there has been a lot of debris thrown at the cops/soldiers by the crowd. TITV has good live coverage now.[/color]

Protest at Prem's house

 

BangkokPost.com, dpa

 

Thousands of anti-coup protesters on Sunday marched on the home of statesman Prem Tinsulanonda and demanded his resignation as president of the Privy Council.

 

About 10,000 members of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) marched from Sanam Luang to Gen Prem's residence.

 

Minor violence erupted when police tried to block the marchers at the Makkhawan Bridge. Demonstrators threw assorted objects at some 2,000 police and security personnel and managed to remove some steel barricades before dumping them into a nearby canal.

 

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt-Gen. Adisorn Nonsee said arrest warrants will be sought on Monday for eight core leaders of DAAD, based on existing photos and TV footage.

 

The protesters were met by pro-Prem supporters who had lined up outside his house. Both sides were sporting yellow shirts as supporters of His Majesty the King. There was no violence.

 

Gen Prem, a former army commander-in-chief who was prime minister between 1979 to 1988, has been accused by the DAAD as being the mastermind of the Sept 19 military coup that ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

 

The DAAD, a loose coalition of anti-coup groups, charged that Gen Prem abused his position at the Privy Council to interfere with Thai politics.

 

Speaking through loudspeakers on the back of a truck, DAAD core leader Veera Musikapong claimed that the protests will continue until Gen Prem resigns from his post. Realistically, that is unlikely to happen in the current political atmosphere.

 

Popular opinion continues to be divided on whether Mr Thaksin, who was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, was a benefit or a bane to Thailand's 75-year-old search for democracy, which has been derailed by numerous military coups.

 

The tension between the pro-Thaksin and anti-Thaksin camps is likely to intensify over coming months as Thailand gears up for a referendum on Aug 19 to decide the fate of the country's 18th constitution. A general election is expected to be held in either November or December, but that could depend on the constitutional referendum.

 

Besides staging anti-junta protests, the DAAD has also launched a campaign urging people to vote against the draft constitution written by a junta-appointed committee, arguing that it would weaken the political party system and grant amnesty to the coup makers.

 

"If we can get people to vote no that will mean there will be no more coups," said Sant Hatthirat, a pro-democracy activist and advisor to the DAAD.

 

The DAAD hopes Thailand will revert to the 1997 constitution, which was revoked by the junta when it staged the Sept 19 coup.

 

bangkok post story

 

[Flashermac]

Mr T's people are playing with fire once again. When Prem speaks, everyone knows whose thoughts he is echoing. This sort of nonsense can really cause the Army to crack down - and perhaps that is what Mr T is trying to force.

 

p.s. This does NOT look good.

[foreigner]

> gathered outside the Bangkok residence of Prem, to demand his immediate resignation as chairman of the privy council .. alleged involvement .. coup ..

Prem, who was not home at the time <

 

I don't know .. but it seems like the demonstration would be a more effective demonstration if he was at home.

 

made me chuckle.

 

Prem heads the council that acts as an advisory board to Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej..

So, Prem is closely aligned with the King?

.. Prem abused his position at the privy council to interfere with Thai politics ???

 

..a campaign to get the people to vote against the draft constitution written by a junta-appointed committee .. UDD hopes Thailand will revert to the 1997 constitution

 

this could be a major problem ..

 

I do hope all is well for you guys

[Flashermac]

BANGKOK POST

24 July 2007

 

 

A long Thaksin arm?

(TNA)

 

 

A connection between outsted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and last Sunday's violent anti-coup protests is highly possible, Thailand's junta leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin thinks.

 

"Based on an analysis of their preparation process, we are fairly sure that there is a connection between Mr. Thaksin and the violent protests," the Council for National Security (CNS) chairman said on Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Modernine's morning news programme.

 

However, during the TV Channel 9 broadcast he did not confirm wide speculation that Mr Thaksin was the main financial supporter for the protest.

 

"There have been many news reports suggesting that the former PM provided them with financial assistance," Gen Sonthi said, "but there has not been any confirmation."

 

Violence erupted last Sunday when anti-coup protesters clashed with police in front of the Bangkok residence of Privy Councilor president and Senior Statesman Prem Tinsulanonda.

 

The demonstrators demanded Prem's resignation from his post, because they believed he had supported last September coup that overthrew Mr. Thaksin's administration.

 

The demonstration was led by the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD), whose leaders were key figures of the now-defunct former ruling Thai Rak Thai party.

 

Gen. Sonthi -- who also serves as army chief -- added that the CNS would hold a special meeting with the cabinet, at which he will report on security issues.

 

"The situation is now under police control," the CNS chief said. "It is therefore unnecessary for the army to take part in (Bangkok) security operations."

 

"The army now serves only as a backup for the police," he said. "We will take action if the protest goes out of control and an Emergency Decree is declared. Public sentiment is the most important factor that leads to an emergency declaration," Gen. Sonthi said.

 

From now on, strict enforcement of the laws will be imposed against the demonstrators, said Gen. Sonthi.