By Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation |
<p>Both Thai and Cambodian leaders may say it was the other party that started the military intrusion into their territory, which led to death and injuries over the past few days. But the casualties were truly needless. This is not a time for Thais to unquestioningly unite behind their leaders but a time for calm, inquiry, scepticism and firm denunciation of war, no matter which side actually started it.</p>
<p>Yellow-shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul has urged the Thai military to seize Cambodian territory, including Angkor Wat, to barter for Preah Vihear Temple.</p>
<p>The Appeals Court in Chiang Rai has sentenced Sondhi Limthongkul to one year in jail for defaming a forestry official. Sondhi has appealed to the Supreme Court and has been released on bail. </p>
<p>The People’s Alliance for Democracy held rallies at Bangkok’s airports to pressure a corrupt government, but did not close them, Sondhi Limthongkul insisted to the court.</p>
<p><em>by Chairit Yonpiam and Cholthicha Lermthong, </em><a href="http://www.posttoday.com/%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B9%8C/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1/62113/%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B6%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B0%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%88-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%98%E0%B8%A1-%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%87"><em>Post Today</em></a></p>
<p>Numbers were not the point of the latest yellow-shirt rally, because the rally was aimed at exposing the Abhisit government’s hidden agenda in amending the constitution, to show the public that this government could not be trusted, said Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), in an interview with Post Today about the low turnout of PAD supporters in front of Parliament on 23-25 Nov. </p>
<p>On 24 Nov, at about 9.50 pm, Chamlong Srimuang vowed to the yellow shirts in front of Parliament that they would have a long big fight on 11 Dec, saying these three days are considered a dress rehearsal, <a href="http://www.manager.co.th/Politics/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9530000166441">ASTV-Manager</a> reports.</p>
<p>Army Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said that the PAD had the legal right to hold rallies during Parliament’s consideration of charter amendments as long as they did not use violence. The Emergency Decree has to be kept in force until the situation returns to normal. He insisted that there were never double standards regarding enforcement of the decree, and all groups had been treated equally, according to an <a href="http://www.manager.co.th/Home/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9530000166028">ASTV-Manager report</a> on 24 Nov.</p>
<p>Hundreds of supporters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy came out to protest against charter amendments in front of Parliament. Sondhi Limthongkul demanded a referendum prior to any amendments, while Praphan Koonmee said outright that he wished for a coup today, and without a coup Abhisit would never have become Prime Minister. </p>
<p>Sondhi Limthongkul has hit out hard at Abhisit Vejjajiva ahead of the People’s Alliance for Democracy’s move against Parliament’s approval of documents related to the Thai-Cambodian border dispute on 2 Nov.</p>
By Andrew Spooner, Siam Voices |
<p>Earlier this month I made contact with a Thai national who has been granted refugee status in the UK. She lives in a simple house, on a typical street, in a very typical, provincial English town. “Tan” (her identity, for her protection, remains anonymous) endured so many threats to her person from people she asserts were connected to the extremist right-wing yellow-shirted PAD, that she felt forced to flee Thailand and seek refuge in a different country.</p>
<p>On the same day that PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul was indicted for lèse majesté, the court postponed a case involving 85 yellow shirts who stormed the studios of state television channel NBT in August 2008.</p>
<p>A student in Had Yai received a surprise phone call from Abhisit Vejjajiva after he had sent an SMS to the PM condemning his road map proposal. He claimed to have been told that Thaksin was paying coalition politicians 100 million baht per head to switch sides. Abhisit admitted making the call, but denied that he had said this about Thaksin.</p>