lonelywombat
March 13th, 2006, 12:25
Black May footage re-aired
POST REPORTERS
Old footage of His Majesty the King acting as mediator between former Palang Dharma party leader Chamlong Srimuang and former prime minister Suchinda Kraprayoon in the aftermath of Black May 1992 was re-run on state television last night, sending mixed messages.
The footage which came on air without prior announcement caught viewers by surprise amid heightened political tension in a lead-up to the mass rally tomorrow. The broadcast was obviously timed to coincide with the stalemate as a dialogue between caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his opponents is nowhere in sight.
Earlier, a source in Channel 9 said a TV Pool of Thailand committee made up of directors of state-run television channels met before agreeing to re-broadcast the footage around 8pm, shortly before the royal news.
In the 15-minute footage, His Majesty is seen talking to Maj-Gen Chamlong and Gen Suchinda about non-violence. The two men were granted an audience with the King after the military suppression of pro-democracy protesters in May 1992, which culminated in the bloody Black May event.
Maj-Gen Chamlong was the core leader who campaigned for Gen Suchinda's ouster, branding him a dictator. After the audience with the King, Gen Suchinda stepped down as prime minister.
The source said deputy justice permanent secretary Thongthong Chandrangsu had prepared a script for news anchormen to read before airing the footage. The preceding message was that the escalating political pressure had raised concerns of a possible confrontation among people. There was a compelling need to forge unity.
A source at Channel 5 said a senior figure had ordered the footage played. After the broadcast, a party claiming to be from the Royal Household Bureau called Channel 5 demanding to know who authorised use of the footage.
A Channel 7 source said the airing of recorded motion or still images and speeches of Royal Family members required prior permission from the bureau.
Sulayasai Katasila, spokesman of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy, said the alliance would adopt the non-violence principle prescribed by the King in its major rally tomorrow outside Government House.
He said Mr Thaksin should also refrain from recruiting supporters to clash with the PAD rally-goers.
PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul said the underlying message of the broadcast was for Mr Thaksin to resign the same way Gen Suchinda did when the country was bitterly divided.
He allayed fears of violence breaking out at the rally, saying the PAD protesters would sit down if provoked by pro-Thaksin supporters.
Gen Suchinda said politics has reached a dead end. He suggested an arbitration commission be appointed to sort out the conflict.
Prem will be asked to mediate
Nesac urged to get ball rolling on talks
ANJIRA ASSAVANONDA
The National Economic and Social Advisory Council (Nesac) has been urged to invite Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda to mediate in talks between caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his opponents to ease the political turmoil.
The proposal was made by a group of peace advocates and former Nesac members during a forum, chaired by Nesac chairman Gothom Arya, on the role of the academic and civic sectors in the current political situation.
Paiboon Wattanasiritham, a civic leader, said the political situation was not caused by use of weapons against rival parties but a war of words. To find a way out of the impasse, he said, talks must be held between the conflicting groups, adding a neutral person should be invited to mediate the talks between Mr Thaksin and his opponents.
There were many suggestions that could break the deadlock, said Mr Paiboon. Among the suggestions were that the April 2 election be held as scheduled with the Election Commission monitoring the poll to ensure transparency. All sides, including supporters of the caretaker prime minister and opposition parties which boycotted the election, would be allowed to launch their campaigns.
Mr Thaksin would temporarily step down, or contest the election but confine himself to working in the legislative branch as House speaker with political reforms to be undertaken after the election.
The forum proposed that Nesac send a letter inviting Gen Prem to mediate in the talks as the Privy Council chairman was a respected figure. They also wanted the agency to submit their suggestions to Mr Thaksin.
Mr Gothom said he agreed that the talks must be held between parties involved, pledging to send on the recommendations. Meanwhile, scholars and pro-democracy activists yesterday voiced their objection to the idea of having a royally bestowed prime minister, saying it was a drawback for democracy and could endanger the constitution.
Among them were Pibhop Dhongchai, adviser to the Campaign for Popular Democracy, and Kotchawan Chaiyabutr, secretary-general of the Student Federation of Thailand, who are key figures in the anti-Thaksin rally at Sanam Luang.
They voiced their opinions at a seminar on the constitution's article 7, organised by Chulalongkorn University's faculty of political science.
Earlier, nearly 100 prominent citizens, celebrities and members of the social elite petitioned His Majesty the King for an interim caretaker to ensure a fair election and supervise the charter amendment. The group was led by M.R. Yongyuppalak Kasemsant, Millennium Institute director Wuthipong Priabjariyawat, former deputy prime minister Sanoh Unakul, Auditor-General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka and former anti-graft commission chief Klanarong Chanthik.
The move happened to be in accord with a petition submitted to the King by media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul at the start of the anti-Thaksin movement.
However, Mr Pibhop said a royally bestowed government would be a dead end for the civic movement. He said although article 7 enables the King to intervene when the constitutional mechanism reaches an impasse, such intervention must be based on the charter's will and the principle that sovereignty belongs to the people.
He saw that the constitutional mechanism could still function even after Mr Thaksin stepped down. Although the House was dissolved, the Senate could be in charge of electing the premier and interim government. "So the idea of royally bestowed prime minister seems impossible unless we tear apart the constitution.
"The solution for me is not article 7, but the people's continuing movement that will eventually drive out Mr Thaksin," he said.
After Royal reminder, PAD vows peaceful march
(TNA) тАУ Core members of the PeopleтАЩs Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have pledged to strictly abide by a royal instruction by His Majesty the King, which ended the military-led bloody crackdown on the popular uprising on May 20, 1992 in a movement for tomorrow's planned mass rally to Government House.
The TV Pool Sunday night repeatedly broadcast the royal instruction made by the much-revered and beloved monarch to end the then violent confrontation and restore national reconciliation. (See Bangkok Post story, left)
Panthep Puapongpant said PAD would adopt the royal instruction for its movement for a march of anti-Thaksin demonstrators to the Government House on March 14 to prevent possible violence.
It would lead the demonstrators peacefully and with restraints, he promised.
Suriyasai Katasila said he wants caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to comply with the instruction reciprocally.
тАЬDonтАЩt take groups of people to cheering himself and let them confront with other groups with difference opinions. Should the premier want to show loyalty and willingness to comply with the instruction, he should declare the resignation to mounting conflicts,тАЭ he said.
He added PAD would meet to outline the planned supervision of the demonstration on March 14 concretely and carefully.
Other movements that want to join the rally will be registered.
тАЬPAD will not lead demonstrators to confront if any other groups of people obstruct or challenge it.тАЭ
He believed the number of people, who join the mass rally on March 14, would be more than that on March 5.
POST REPORTERS
Old footage of His Majesty the King acting as mediator between former Palang Dharma party leader Chamlong Srimuang and former prime minister Suchinda Kraprayoon in the aftermath of Black May 1992 was re-run on state television last night, sending mixed messages.
The footage which came on air without prior announcement caught viewers by surprise amid heightened political tension in a lead-up to the mass rally tomorrow. The broadcast was obviously timed to coincide with the stalemate as a dialogue between caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his opponents is nowhere in sight.
Earlier, a source in Channel 9 said a TV Pool of Thailand committee made up of directors of state-run television channels met before agreeing to re-broadcast the footage around 8pm, shortly before the royal news.
In the 15-minute footage, His Majesty is seen talking to Maj-Gen Chamlong and Gen Suchinda about non-violence. The two men were granted an audience with the King after the military suppression of pro-democracy protesters in May 1992, which culminated in the bloody Black May event.
Maj-Gen Chamlong was the core leader who campaigned for Gen Suchinda's ouster, branding him a dictator. After the audience with the King, Gen Suchinda stepped down as prime minister.
The source said deputy justice permanent secretary Thongthong Chandrangsu had prepared a script for news anchormen to read before airing the footage. The preceding message was that the escalating political pressure had raised concerns of a possible confrontation among people. There was a compelling need to forge unity.
A source at Channel 5 said a senior figure had ordered the footage played. After the broadcast, a party claiming to be from the Royal Household Bureau called Channel 5 demanding to know who authorised use of the footage.
A Channel 7 source said the airing of recorded motion or still images and speeches of Royal Family members required prior permission from the bureau.
Sulayasai Katasila, spokesman of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy, said the alliance would adopt the non-violence principle prescribed by the King in its major rally tomorrow outside Government House.
He said Mr Thaksin should also refrain from recruiting supporters to clash with the PAD rally-goers.
PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul said the underlying message of the broadcast was for Mr Thaksin to resign the same way Gen Suchinda did when the country was bitterly divided.
He allayed fears of violence breaking out at the rally, saying the PAD protesters would sit down if provoked by pro-Thaksin supporters.
Gen Suchinda said politics has reached a dead end. He suggested an arbitration commission be appointed to sort out the conflict.
Prem will be asked to mediate
Nesac urged to get ball rolling on talks
ANJIRA ASSAVANONDA
The National Economic and Social Advisory Council (Nesac) has been urged to invite Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda to mediate in talks between caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his opponents to ease the political turmoil.
The proposal was made by a group of peace advocates and former Nesac members during a forum, chaired by Nesac chairman Gothom Arya, on the role of the academic and civic sectors in the current political situation.
Paiboon Wattanasiritham, a civic leader, said the political situation was not caused by use of weapons against rival parties but a war of words. To find a way out of the impasse, he said, talks must be held between the conflicting groups, adding a neutral person should be invited to mediate the talks between Mr Thaksin and his opponents.
There were many suggestions that could break the deadlock, said Mr Paiboon. Among the suggestions were that the April 2 election be held as scheduled with the Election Commission monitoring the poll to ensure transparency. All sides, including supporters of the caretaker prime minister and opposition parties which boycotted the election, would be allowed to launch their campaigns.
Mr Thaksin would temporarily step down, or contest the election but confine himself to working in the legislative branch as House speaker with political reforms to be undertaken after the election.
The forum proposed that Nesac send a letter inviting Gen Prem to mediate in the talks as the Privy Council chairman was a respected figure. They also wanted the agency to submit their suggestions to Mr Thaksin.
Mr Gothom said he agreed that the talks must be held between parties involved, pledging to send on the recommendations. Meanwhile, scholars and pro-democracy activists yesterday voiced their objection to the idea of having a royally bestowed prime minister, saying it was a drawback for democracy and could endanger the constitution.
Among them were Pibhop Dhongchai, adviser to the Campaign for Popular Democracy, and Kotchawan Chaiyabutr, secretary-general of the Student Federation of Thailand, who are key figures in the anti-Thaksin rally at Sanam Luang.
They voiced their opinions at a seminar on the constitution's article 7, organised by Chulalongkorn University's faculty of political science.
Earlier, nearly 100 prominent citizens, celebrities and members of the social elite petitioned His Majesty the King for an interim caretaker to ensure a fair election and supervise the charter amendment. The group was led by M.R. Yongyuppalak Kasemsant, Millennium Institute director Wuthipong Priabjariyawat, former deputy prime minister Sanoh Unakul, Auditor-General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka and former anti-graft commission chief Klanarong Chanthik.
The move happened to be in accord with a petition submitted to the King by media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul at the start of the anti-Thaksin movement.
However, Mr Pibhop said a royally bestowed government would be a dead end for the civic movement. He said although article 7 enables the King to intervene when the constitutional mechanism reaches an impasse, such intervention must be based on the charter's will and the principle that sovereignty belongs to the people.
He saw that the constitutional mechanism could still function even after Mr Thaksin stepped down. Although the House was dissolved, the Senate could be in charge of electing the premier and interim government. "So the idea of royally bestowed prime minister seems impossible unless we tear apart the constitution.
"The solution for me is not article 7, but the people's continuing movement that will eventually drive out Mr Thaksin," he said.
After Royal reminder, PAD vows peaceful march
(TNA) тАУ Core members of the PeopleтАЩs Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have pledged to strictly abide by a royal instruction by His Majesty the King, which ended the military-led bloody crackdown on the popular uprising on May 20, 1992 in a movement for tomorrow's planned mass rally to Government House.
The TV Pool Sunday night repeatedly broadcast the royal instruction made by the much-revered and beloved monarch to end the then violent confrontation and restore national reconciliation. (See Bangkok Post story, left)
Panthep Puapongpant said PAD would adopt the royal instruction for its movement for a march of anti-Thaksin demonstrators to the Government House on March 14 to prevent possible violence.
It would lead the demonstrators peacefully and with restraints, he promised.
Suriyasai Katasila said he wants caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to comply with the instruction reciprocally.
тАЬDonтАЩt take groups of people to cheering himself and let them confront with other groups with difference opinions. Should the premier want to show loyalty and willingness to comply with the instruction, he should declare the resignation to mounting conflicts,тАЭ he said.
He added PAD would meet to outline the planned supervision of the demonstration on March 14 concretely and carefully.
Other movements that want to join the rally will be registered.
тАЬPAD will not lead demonstrators to confront if any other groups of people obstruct or challenge it.тАЭ
He believed the number of people, who join the mass rally on March 14, would be more than that on March 5.