Anti Govt. rally; Thaksin Govt. near at the end

[MaiLuk]

::

 

Seems that taksin has failed to spread the wealth, so time to step aside and let someone else take a turn at making some dough.

[rickfarang]

Personally, I hope he stays on to finish his term, unless impeached by due process (if there is a process for impeachment).

 

If Thais, in general, want to separate themselves from the shackles of their more corrupt past, the must learn to live by the rule of law, even when it feels unpleasant.

[Mentors]

 

THE NATION Published on February 06, 2006

 

Powerful groups gear up for political fight involving Thais from all walks. Civic groups and academics hope to use the political ?wake-up? call from the marathon rally led by media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul to spur political reform and oust Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister.

 

Campaign for Popular Democracy secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila said yesterday people from various sectors including academics, businessmen, farmers, urban poor, non-government organisations, labours and students would form the ?People?s Alliance for Democracy? to champion reform and try to oust the PM.

 

Thaksin, whose family made more than Bt73 billion from a contentious deal with a Singapore investment fund, had raised too many questions about concealment of assets and lacked the morality to govern. He had created a regime that only benefited his cronies, he said.

 

A meeting of representatives from 40 organisations yesterday agreed to set up the new group to show the government that people from all sectors of society ? not only supporters of Sondhi ? want the prime minister to quit, as well as to achieve political reform, Suriyasai said.

 

Another meeting on Wednesday would pick a 15-member committee to oversee the group and the platform for the movement, he said, adding it would campaign all around the country, not only in Bangkok.

 

Sondhi claimed victory yesterday in his battle against Thaksin after the overnight rally at Royal Plaza drew nearly 100,000 people, the biggest anti-government protest since the bloody May 1992 demonstrations against the Suchinda administration. But the media tycoon vowed to fight until Thaksin goes, calling another rally for this Saturday to continue his crusade.

 

Sondhi told the thousands who stayed at the Royal Plaza until yesterday morning that the protest achieved notable goals. He had managed to lodge three petitions against Thaksin with His Majesty the King, General Prem Tinasulanonda, chairman of the Privy Council, and General Sondhi Boonyaraklin, the Army chief.

 

Suriyasai said the Royal Plaza rally had raised the political temperature. He praised Sondhi?s effort, saying he had created awareness among the middle-class in Bangkok about the dark side of Thaksin?s regime.

 

Sondhi?s one-man style had, however, blocked participation by other groups and weakened the people?s movement, Suriyasai said. Many protesters agreed with Sondhi?s leadership but various groups around the nation were wary about his business background and motivation, he said.

 

The People?s Alliance for Democracy would talk with Sondhi to try to get a role at this Saturday?s rally, he added. Sondhi did not allow speakers from non-government groups to take the stage over the weekend, Suriyasai noted.

 

Labour leader Somsak Kosaisuk, who had previously joined Sondhi?s movement, said his group would continue to support the media mogul as he had the same goal ? to oust Thaksin.

 

Chulalongkorn University political scientist Prapas Pintobtang, who last week joined a group of academics calling for the premier to stand down, said academic groups would also set up a forum to discuss the political crisis under the current government.

 

?Thaksin has some moral problems while our political system is also in a crisis as many mechanisms under the Constitution do not function,? he said, noting that forcing the PM out would not solve all the nation?s troubles.

 

A Chiang Mai University academic said yesterday his group would gather 50,000 signatures to initiate an impeachment action against the prime minister.

 

Atthachak Satayanurak, a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, said he would hold a meeting of academics from the North to discuss a constitutional move to get Thaksin out of office.

 

Last week, lecturers from numerous universities around the country signed letters demanding that Thaksin resign. They accused the PM of abusing his power and business laws to help his family avoid paying a huge sum in tax in the controversial Shin Corp stock deal.

[Mentors]

The Nation: EDITORIAL:

February 06, 2006 -

The Thaksin administration is behaving more and more like the corrupt, military regimes of old. The government?s imposition of a media blackout on the anti-Thaksin rally belies its growing vulnerability. The mass protest against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over the weekend was the biggest that this country has witnessed since the 1992 popular uprising that led to resignation of General Suchinda Kraprayoon following a bloody collision between protesters and security forces.

 

Protest organisers and more than 100,000 people who participated in the 16-hour, anti-Thaksin rally should be commended for their peaceful demonstration, and the police for the professional way with which they discharged their duty to provide security. Worries about the possibility of violent confrontation did not materialise.

 

Protesters, in exercising their constitutionally-sanctioned rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, succeeded in making it abundantly clear why they no longer trust Thaksin to continue to serve as their leader.

 

They asserted, and a growing number of people agree, that Thaksin is widely perceived to be Thailand?s most corrupt democratically elected leader ever. Although the prime minister?s exhaustive list of transgressions since he came to power five years ago has been comprehensively catalogued, most people failed to see Thaksin for who he really is until recently. Last month?s sale of his family?s Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore at Bt73.2 billion helped many people make up their mind about what kind of leader Thaksin actually is. Suddenly all the jigsaw pieces fell into place.

 

Thaksin?s much-touted ?tenacious CEO-style leadership that gets things done? that many people thought was what Thailand needed to get ahead in the era of globalisation, ended up serving the PM?s and his family?s selfish gains at the expense of public interest.

 

It was remarkable that such a large number of people showed up to hear Sondhi Limthongkul, the organiser of the anti-Thaksin rally, and other political activists speak out against Thaksin?s alleged misrule despite the government?s total news blackout imposed on this major political event.

 

State-controlled television and radio networks totally ignored what was happening on Saturday and early Sunday at the Royal Plaza. People throughout the country who tuned in to their televisions and radios as the biggest mass demonstration in over a decade took place were kept in the dark. When they did briefly mention the anti-Thaksin rally, they also engaged in shameless misinformation by grossly underreporting the number of protesters.

 

On the other hand, Thaksin was given all the airtime he required to promote himself, rebut accusations and even insult people who dare to challenge his leadership or simply disagree with him. Thaksin?s weekly radio broadcast was repeatedly aired on state TV and radio stations several times throughout the day.

 

The exception was the handful of community radio stations which bravely provided live terrestrial broadcast to their radio listeners in Bangkok areas covered by their limited transmission power, in addition to internet-based and satellite TV and radio stations.

 

It was obvious that the Thaksin administration was terrified of what looked like the beginning of a sustained mass movement against his leadership. Such tight control of state media for self-serving propaganda purposes is reminiscent of the corrupt military regimes of oldt, which had no respect for civil liberties but had everything to fear from people finding out the truth about their misdeeds.

 

In hindsight, it has become clear that Thaksin is a monster of Thai people?s own making.

They allowed themselves to first fall for the populist policies and handed over an unprecedented parliamentary majority to Thaksin, giving him virtual absolute power.

 

The prime minister, who has unparalleled power of patronage in Thai politics, has gone on to weaken the rules of the law, undermine Constitutionally-appointed watchdog agencies and rule-making bodies, suppress press freedom and about-face civil liberties. Which has in turn led to alleged policy corruption, under which every conceivable rule has been bent to maximise the selfish gain of a handful of people at the expense of the rest of the society.

 

Thaksin?s underhand reaction to the growing public discontent regarding his alleged misrule tells us more about his insecurity than his supposed strength.

[Mentors]

from The Nation, tonight

 

The Metropolitan Police Bureau on Friday rejected the request of an umbrella group to hold the anti-Thaksin rally at the Royal Plaza on Saturday.

 

But the group, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), vowed to go on with holding rally there despite the ban.

 

Pol Col Pinit Maneerat, spokesman of the bureau, said the use of the Royal Plaza for the rally could not be approved and the organiser should use another area for the rally.

 

In a letter send to the PAD, the bureau said the use of the Royal Plaza could not be approved because it would cause chain-reactions of traffic congestion.

 

PAD coordinator said the PAD would nonetheless hold the rally at the Royal Plaza and would be willing to pay a fine.

[Mentors]

from The Nation tonight:

 

The People's Alliance for Democracy schedules another massive rally at Sanam Luang on February 26, a leading member said.

 

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, says the rally will continue until the people can force Thaksin to step down

[Mentors]

Chamlong worries PAD

 

The People?s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) fears that if Chamlong Srimuang joins the rally to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra the situation could turn violent.

 

A PAD leader who refused to be named said he and other leaders felt uncomfortable with Chamlong?s presence at the rally because he had proved during the ?Black May? anti-government protests in 1992 that he preferred to rely on his own judgement instead of consulting others.

 

Campaign for Popular Democracy chairman Pithaya Wongkul admitted some members of the public and PAD leaders were concerned that Chamlong would try to assert his leadership over the demonstration, which would lead to conflict and violence.

 

Pithaya said the PAD would meet today to decide on Chamlong?s role, adding that he had already telephoned Chamlong to express his concerns.

 

Asked if the PAD was worried that Chamlong had earned a negative image during the Black May demonstrations as someone who led people to their deaths, Pithaya said the campaign against Chamlong was politically motivated and should be ignored. The loss of life during May 1992 was caused by the authorities who wanted to disperse the demonstration, he said.

 

Chamlong said he has no intention of leading the demonstration.

Asked to respond to Chamlong?s latest move to oust him, Thaksin quoted the late Phra Buddhadasa. ?That is the way it is,?? he said.

[jitagawn]

Toxin is history. Buh BYE bubbha. Good riddance.

I am moving up my prediction to 60 -90 days. ::

Its changing very fast here...Not sure who will fill the void though. ::

[chilli13]

right candidate propopals already under heavy discussion in bkk post - probably 90 days is too long

[Mentors]

they can nominate me as a farang candidate ::, coming end of March!