On Jan 28, the anti-coup groups Pollamueng Piwattana and Women for Democracy lodged a complaint at the Administrative Court against the government's executive decree that raises the salaries of privy councillors and statesmen.

Pollamueng Piwattana coordinator Phumiwat Nukij said that the decree that was issued by the Cabinet was unlawful as after the issuance of the Dec 23 election decree the junta-installed Surayud government could not make any decision that would impose long-term burden on the people, adding that this decree was noticeably made in a hurry.

"The decree is for the benefit of privy councillors only, contradicting the PM's declared sufficiency economy policy.  We, as affected people and taxpayers, exercise our legal rights in asking the Supreme Administrative Court to revoke the decree, and put the Cabinet on trial for malfeasance," Phumiwat said.  

Surayud was previously a privy councillor before taking the premiership, and is expected to resume the job once stepping down, so the decision was made for the benefits of his cronies and himself.  The decree was published in the Royal Gazette, effective on Jan 25, 2008, while the elected House of Representatives was already in place on Jan 22, according to the Pollamueng Piwattana statement.

The Court's official received the complaint, and in 30 days the court will call both sides to make clarifications.

Gen Prem Tinsulanonda is Chair of the 18-member Privy Council whose members are handpicked by the King.  And Prem is also a Senior Statesman appointed by the King, the only statesman in the reign of King Rama IX.  He has been a major target of attack by anti-coup activists for his alleged masterminding of the popular movement to topple the Thaksin government and the Sept 19 coup in 2006.