lonelywombat
March 7th, 2006, 08:22
from the Bangkok Post website tuesday 0200GMT
PAD readies for showdown
Government House cabinet meet on March 14 targeted
POST REPORTERS
In a direct challenge to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) last night called for a massive demonstration and a march to Government House next Tuesday when the caretaker cabinet holds its regular meeting.
Anti-Thaksin demonstrators were told to gather at Sanam Luang on the night of Monday, March 13, to "rehearse" for Tuesday's march.
"We wish to make an appointment with you, people from all walks of life, to assemble for a march from Sanam Luang to Government House on the morning of Tuesday, March 14, 2006, which is the day the cabinet meets. We will move out at 7am, which is daytime, as challenged by Pol Lt-Col Thaksin," PDA core member Pibhop Dhongchai told the cheering crowd of about 30,000 people last night.
During the lead-up to the March 14 protest march, the PAD plans to hold activities at Sanam Luang from 4pm to midnight everyday from today until Friday, and from 4pm to 2am on Saturday and Sunday.
In support of the plan, the State Enterprise Relations Confederation, an umbrella group of over 40 state enterprise labour unions, plans to call an assembly on March 13, which will pave the way for a massive work stoppage.
State enterprise workers are not allowed by law to join a general assembly, thus such a gathering is tantamount to a strike.
Union leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss details of a plan that is expected to disrupt the government's move to privatise water and power utilities. They have already agreed to stop collecting water and power fees for two months.
The Network of Power and Water Supplies Protection said it would ask workers of water and electricity agencies to hold a massive strike next week. The work stoppage would delay collection of utility fees and bill-handling for March and April.
"Although private firms are partly responsible for collecting fees, our staff oversee the handling of data and meter checks. When no information is supplied, no bills can be made. Consumers can then use the money to foot other bills instead," network chairman Pian Yongnoo said.
He assured that consumers would not be slapped with late-payment fees or face utility supply cuts.
He said the network has also issued a demand for Mr Thaksin to resign without any conditions.
The network has also called on state enterprise workers to take leave from work and participate in the anti-Thaksin rally at Sanam Luang.
Labour leader Somsak Kosaisuk said the proposal to stop collecting utility fees was a form of protest against Mr Thaksin for his failure to pay taxes on the sale of Shin Corp shares.
Meanwhile, PAD leaders yesterday decided to stick to the strategy of prolonged resistance after considering a few other possibilities, including marching to Government House late at night or moving to Government House today to pressure the cabinet during its meeting.
Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, one of the PAD leaders, said early yesterday that the demonstrators should stay put at Sanam Luang rather than moving to Government House.
"The rally isn't a tipping point. But it will make the public see the truth. Several groups of well-respected people have stepped out against Mr Thaksin. So this is a test of endurance," he said.
Scores of leading academics and members of the social elite have called on Mr Thaksin to resign so as to end the political impasse. The latest call came from senior scholars from the fields of sociology and anthropology including Chalardchai Ramitanondh, Ekawit na Talang and Charnvit Kasetsiri.
Security was stepped up at Government House for fear that the protesters might besiege it during today's cabinet meeting.
A highly-placed source at the Royal Thai Police Office said that besides Special Branch police officers, some 200 border patrol police from Kanchanaburi province and commandos from the Crime Suppression Division have been deployed at Government House.
Another 200 officers are on stand-by at the Border Patrol Police headquarters in the Saphan Kwai area, while some 200 police commandos have been stationed at Lat Phrao.
Meanwhile, Mr Thaksin said in Khon Kaen yesterday that he did not follow the Sanam Luang rally closely on Sunday night, and went to bed around 10pm.
Mr Thaksin said he had no problem with the rally as long as it stayed within legal limits and protesters did not damage state property or breach individual rights.
"But they are wrong for telling me to resign first so they can stop moving. If I quit, both democratic government and people's power would be meaningless and any future prime ministers would have to resign if forced by protesters under the kia sia (trade-off) system. I am adhering to decent democratic principles," Mr Thaksin said. He said he had taken too many steps back already and would stick to his principles now.
He added that the elite group had every right to petition His Majesty the King to install an interim prime minister.
Army HQ primed for any signs of trouble
The army, whose headquarters is in the middle of the route taken by protesters rallying against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is preparing for self-defence and peace-keeping operations should anything untoward happen.
Army commander-in-chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin has deployed 120 anti-aircraft artillery soldiers and military police as well as trained dogs inside the army headquarters on Ratchadamnoen avenue.
Soldiers stood guard along the fence while all gates were locked as the anti-Thaksin rallygoers were passing by from Sanam Luang to Government House on Sunday night.
Maj-Gen Charay Anuparp, army secretary, explained that the preparations were only defensive and, if anything seemed as if it was going to get out of hand, the army would first negotiate.
According to a source, barbed wire was also prepared to block protesters if they tried to break into the army headquarters.
The army has a live mobile broadcasting unit from its TV Channel 5 inside the headquarters in case of emergency.
Gen Sonthi said yesterday he considered the headquarters to be in a vulnerable position but was relieved and confident of safety as the protesters had proved peaceful on Sunday night.
The protesters were unlikely to get the military involved and the military would not let that happen either, he said.
Another source revealed that Gen Sonthi also ordered his soldiers to be ready for action if a state of emergency was announced. Whenever there was an anti-Thaksin protest, Gen Sonthi and his strategic and intelligence staff monitored the situation at headquarters, the source said.
PAD readies for showdown
Government House cabinet meet on March 14 targeted
POST REPORTERS
In a direct challenge to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) last night called for a massive demonstration and a march to Government House next Tuesday when the caretaker cabinet holds its regular meeting.
Anti-Thaksin demonstrators were told to gather at Sanam Luang on the night of Monday, March 13, to "rehearse" for Tuesday's march.
"We wish to make an appointment with you, people from all walks of life, to assemble for a march from Sanam Luang to Government House on the morning of Tuesday, March 14, 2006, which is the day the cabinet meets. We will move out at 7am, which is daytime, as challenged by Pol Lt-Col Thaksin," PDA core member Pibhop Dhongchai told the cheering crowd of about 30,000 people last night.
During the lead-up to the March 14 protest march, the PAD plans to hold activities at Sanam Luang from 4pm to midnight everyday from today until Friday, and from 4pm to 2am on Saturday and Sunday.
In support of the plan, the State Enterprise Relations Confederation, an umbrella group of over 40 state enterprise labour unions, plans to call an assembly on March 13, which will pave the way for a massive work stoppage.
State enterprise workers are not allowed by law to join a general assembly, thus such a gathering is tantamount to a strike.
Union leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss details of a plan that is expected to disrupt the government's move to privatise water and power utilities. They have already agreed to stop collecting water and power fees for two months.
The Network of Power and Water Supplies Protection said it would ask workers of water and electricity agencies to hold a massive strike next week. The work stoppage would delay collection of utility fees and bill-handling for March and April.
"Although private firms are partly responsible for collecting fees, our staff oversee the handling of data and meter checks. When no information is supplied, no bills can be made. Consumers can then use the money to foot other bills instead," network chairman Pian Yongnoo said.
He assured that consumers would not be slapped with late-payment fees or face utility supply cuts.
He said the network has also issued a demand for Mr Thaksin to resign without any conditions.
The network has also called on state enterprise workers to take leave from work and participate in the anti-Thaksin rally at Sanam Luang.
Labour leader Somsak Kosaisuk said the proposal to stop collecting utility fees was a form of protest against Mr Thaksin for his failure to pay taxes on the sale of Shin Corp shares.
Meanwhile, PAD leaders yesterday decided to stick to the strategy of prolonged resistance after considering a few other possibilities, including marching to Government House late at night or moving to Government House today to pressure the cabinet during its meeting.
Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, one of the PAD leaders, said early yesterday that the demonstrators should stay put at Sanam Luang rather than moving to Government House.
"The rally isn't a tipping point. But it will make the public see the truth. Several groups of well-respected people have stepped out against Mr Thaksin. So this is a test of endurance," he said.
Scores of leading academics and members of the social elite have called on Mr Thaksin to resign so as to end the political impasse. The latest call came from senior scholars from the fields of sociology and anthropology including Chalardchai Ramitanondh, Ekawit na Talang and Charnvit Kasetsiri.
Security was stepped up at Government House for fear that the protesters might besiege it during today's cabinet meeting.
A highly-placed source at the Royal Thai Police Office said that besides Special Branch police officers, some 200 border patrol police from Kanchanaburi province and commandos from the Crime Suppression Division have been deployed at Government House.
Another 200 officers are on stand-by at the Border Patrol Police headquarters in the Saphan Kwai area, while some 200 police commandos have been stationed at Lat Phrao.
Meanwhile, Mr Thaksin said in Khon Kaen yesterday that he did not follow the Sanam Luang rally closely on Sunday night, and went to bed around 10pm.
Mr Thaksin said he had no problem with the rally as long as it stayed within legal limits and protesters did not damage state property or breach individual rights.
"But they are wrong for telling me to resign first so they can stop moving. If I quit, both democratic government and people's power would be meaningless and any future prime ministers would have to resign if forced by protesters under the kia sia (trade-off) system. I am adhering to decent democratic principles," Mr Thaksin said. He said he had taken too many steps back already and would stick to his principles now.
He added that the elite group had every right to petition His Majesty the King to install an interim prime minister.
Army HQ primed for any signs of trouble
The army, whose headquarters is in the middle of the route taken by protesters rallying against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is preparing for self-defence and peace-keeping operations should anything untoward happen.
Army commander-in-chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin has deployed 120 anti-aircraft artillery soldiers and military police as well as trained dogs inside the army headquarters on Ratchadamnoen avenue.
Soldiers stood guard along the fence while all gates were locked as the anti-Thaksin rallygoers were passing by from Sanam Luang to Government House on Sunday night.
Maj-Gen Charay Anuparp, army secretary, explained that the preparations were only defensive and, if anything seemed as if it was going to get out of hand, the army would first negotiate.
According to a source, barbed wire was also prepared to block protesters if they tried to break into the army headquarters.
The army has a live mobile broadcasting unit from its TV Channel 5 inside the headquarters in case of emergency.
Gen Sonthi said yesterday he considered the headquarters to be in a vulnerable position but was relieved and confident of safety as the protesters had proved peaceful on Sunday night.
The protesters were unlikely to get the military involved and the military would not let that happen either, he said.
Another source revealed that Gen Sonthi also ordered his soldiers to be ready for action if a state of emergency was announced. Whenever there was an anti-Thaksin protest, Gen Sonthi and his strategic and intelligence staff monitored the situation at headquarters, the source said.