People’s Alliance halts truce with govt as leaders arrested
Written by Writer on Sunday, October 5th, 2008
People’s Alliance halts truce with govt as leaders arrested
BANGKOK, Oct 5 (TNA) - Core leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which has been demonstrating calling for the ouster of the Thai government for over four months said Sunday that the pending negotiations between between the activists and the authorities are unlikely to happen due to the arrests of two PAD chiefs.
PAD core leader Somsak Kosaisuk said the arrests showed the government to be insincere and that the PAD leaders would “not hold talks with irresponsible people”.
His remarks were made after PAD core leader Maj-Gen. Chamlong Srimuang was arrested early Sunday after casting his ballot in the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) election to choose a new governor.
On Friday, police apprehended PAD core leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong, who is now being detained at Bangkok Special Prison.
Police on August 27 issued arrest warrants for nine of the group’s leaders on charges of insurrection, conspiracy, and illegal assembly on the part of more than 10 persons and refusing orders to disperse. The warrants imposed on the nine leaders spelled out serious criminal charges punishable by death or life imprisonment.
The charges were filed after the PAD seized Government House, the seat of the Thai government, as well as several ministries and state agencies on August 26 in a bid to oust the government which it accused of being a proxy of ousted, fugitive prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
PAD members and supporters have occupied Government House since then.
The coalition government assigned Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to negotiate with the Peoples’ Alliance core leaders with the intention of ending Thailand’s political deadlock shortly after the new administration took office late last month.
Asked whether the arrest of Gen. Chamlong was a PAD plan to mobilise more critics of the government to gather, core leader Pipop Kosaisuk said “the government created the conditions, and it is its duty to solve the problem.
“The PAD will continue demonstrating peacefully”, Mr. Pipop asserted.
Meanwhile, about 50 PAD members processed to Region 1 Border Patrol Police headquarters in suburban Pathum Thani where Gen. Chamlong is being detained. The activists were able to meet and give him morale support after police gave the permission to visit.
Two PAD lawyers said that on Monday they will petition the Criminal Court to revoke the arrest warrants issued against the nine coalition core leaders because they held that the charges against them were against the law.
But a spokesman of the Royal Thai Police insisted on Sunday that the police only performed their statutory duty in arresting Gen. Chamlong as warrants for the arrest were issued for the nine PAD core leaders.
The police spokesman said the Appeals Court is scheduled to rule Monday afternoon whether to revoke arrest warrants requested by the nine. If revoked, the case would be contested under a judicial process, he said. (TNA)
