Prime Minister Wants PAD Held Accountable - Red Shirts Plan Dec. 28 Bangkok Rally

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The following two stories appear in THE NATION:

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PAD Protesters 'must face legal action'

 

By WORANAREE KOSAJAN

THE NATION

Published on December 20, 2008

 

On his first day at Government House as prime minister yesterday, Abhisit Vejjajiva said the protesters who had besieged government offices and blockaded Bangkok's two commercial airports should be held legally accountable for their actions.

 

"With every incident that has happened, we must uphold the rule of law," Abhisit told reporters at Government House.

 

The People's Alliance for Democracy protesters included Democrat MP Somkiat Pongpaiboon, who is one of the PAD leaders.

 

Abhisit said he had told Somkiat not to use his position as an MP to gain immunity.

 

It has been almost four months since a prime minister - Samak Sundaravej - has been able to work at Government House. His successor Somchai Wongsawat was unable to do so at all, due to the PAD's occupation of the compound.

 

In an attempt to oust the People Power Party-led government, the PAD occupied Government House for almost 100 days from late August. It only left the compound early this month.

 

Yesterday was set as "Big Cleaning Day" for the seat of government.

 

The PAD protesters also blockaded Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports for eight days last month, dispersing on December 3.

 

The blockade of the airports is estimated to have caused huge financial damage to Airports of Thailand, airlines and other operators, besides leaving about 350,000 tourists stranded.

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Red Shirts Plan Dec 28 Rally in Sanam Luang

 

By THE NATION

Published on December 20, 2008

 

First Army Commander Warns Participants Against Further Chaos

 

A rally of pro-Thaksin red shirts has been planned for Sanam Luang on December 28, eve of the day the new government is scheduled to declare its policy statement before Parliament.

 

Veera Musigapong, co-host of the "Truth Today" talk show and leader of the red shirts, said yesterday the Cabinet of Abhisit Vejjajiva had no legitimacy to run the country and that many of his likely Cabinet members were unacceptable.

 

"We are calling for a large rally on December 28 at Sanam Luang. It's because we have no trust in this government from the beginning. We will call on this government to dissolve the House of Representatives as soon as it completes announcing its policy statement before Parliament," he said.

 

Veera said it remained undecided whether the protesters would move on to Parliament, where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will read out his policy statement before the House. Also he said protest leaders had not yet decided whether to continue the rally for a long period.

 

Veera said his group found that certain likely members of the new Cabinet were unacceptable. Democrat MP Kasit Piromya, tipped to become foreign minister, was involved with the People's Alliance for Democracy, which illegally occupied Government House for months before seizing Bangkok's two airports, he said.

 

First Army commander Lt-General Kanit Sapithak, yesterday warned against "creating more confusion in the country", saying differences of views were common in a democracy but that they should not develop into chaos.

 

"Our country has experienced confusion and much damage. Now our democracy is going ahead … In addition to making ourselves and our families happy, we must also make sure there is peace in the country," he said.

 

Yesterday 300 red shirts laid siege to the Dusit police station to demand release of Chokchai Kamlue, arrested for damaging vehicles and injuring MPs on the day the House voted to select a new prime minister. The protesters also blocked a road near the police station with taxis.

 

They accused police of unfair treatment for failing to get tough with the yellow-shirts, referring to followers of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy.

 

Station superintendent Police Colonel Chakrapap Sukontharat told the crowd the man was in court detention at the time. The officer showed them a document to convince the protesters, who later dispersed.

 

A group of 200 red shirts also gathered at the state-run NBT channel to demand why "Truth Today" had been replaced by other programmes for a few days.

 

Suriyong Hunthasan, director of NBT, explained that although the "Truth Today" producers' contract had a month to go, station management saw a need to broadcast other programmes in the prime-time slot from time to time.

 

In Chiang Mai, Kanyaphak Maneechak, a local leader of the red shirts, said that some 800 would today protest at the house of Chiang Mai MP Norapol Tantimontri, who recently voted to support Democrat leader Abhisit as new PM.

 

Norapol said he had some business in Bangkok today but that his family would welcome the protesters with food and drink in his absence.

[Guest fountainhall]

On his first day at Government House as prime minister yesterday, Abhisit Vejjajiva said the protesters who had besieged government offices and blockaded Bangkok's two commercial airports should be held legally accountable for their actions.

 

I am no lawyer, but I find it hard to believe any court can find the protesters legally accountable for the airports' closure. Surely it is either the government or the Airports Authority - or both - who completely failed in their duty to provide adequate security so as to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the country's air hubs.

 

I have said on another thread that the government's security apparatus must have known what was happening as hoards of yellow shirts made their way towards the airports. Indeed, they must have known of the possibility well in advance, given the brief closure of Phuket's airport some weeks earlier. I am sure there are some charges that can be levied at the protesters, but ultimate responsibility must lie elsewhere.

[Gaybutton]

I find it hard to believe any court can find the protesters legally accountable

I also find it difficult to believe. What are they going to do, put tens of thousands of protesters on trial and jail them all? Fine them all? How will they enforce collection of such fines? I think the Prime Minister is probably blowing smoke. If it wasn't for these protests and the PAD he wouldn't even be Prime Minister. He would still be someone most of the world never heard of. The way things seem to work in Thailand, I find it hard to believe he would turn on his supporters. The Red Shirts certainly don't support him. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turns out he discussed this with the PAD leaders before ever making his public statement.

 

I have a feeling it's similar to inviting someone to a party only because you know he won't come. I think he's saying this to try to score points with the Red Shirts. Later, when nothing happens, he'll be able to say, "Oh well, at least I tried."

 

Of course, now the Red Shirts are planning some protests of their own. They have already been warned by the military. I wonder what will happen if they try to start taking over buildings, airports, or whatever.

 

As far as I'm concerned, as long as they don't take over Pattayaland or Sunee Plaza, let them do what they want . . .

[PattayaMale]

To only crack down on the Red Shirts who give fuel to the unrest. I think GB is correct that Abhisit has all ready told the PAD that he needed to do this for the country's stability. I think what "accountable" may mean is payment for damage, not jail time for anyone.

 

We will see in a few days for sure

[Bob]

I am no lawyer, but I find it hard to believe any court can find the protesters legally accountable for the airports' closure. Surely it is either the government or the Airports Authority - or both - who completely failed in their duty to provide adequate security so as to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the country's air hubs.

 

Wow, that's a leap of logic. It's the bank security guard's fault that he didn't stop a bank robbery?

 

In most normal countries (okay, Thailand may be an exception there...), it would be extremely easy to find the trespassers and/or disturbers of the peace legally accountable for their acts. I'll grant you it would be practically difficult to prosecute (let alone identify) them all but legally it's no problem at all.

 

My view is that the Thai government - presuming there is anyone within the government with any gonads at all - ought to go after the main leaders of PAD (most are wealthy anyway) and every individual who can be identified as personally doing any damage to Government House or at the airport and seek to recover the damages (at least hundreds of millions of baht) for the illegal acts. And I hope the Airport authority also continues and is successful in its lawsuit against the Pad leaders, especially dear old Sondhi.

 

Doing nothing is no better than telling Sondhi and his cohorts that they can do anything they want with impunity. Not the right message in my book.

[Guest fountainhall]

Wow, that's a leap of logic. It's the bank security guard's fault that he didn't stop a bank robbery?

 

With respect, I don't think it is I who has made the "leap of logic". The protesters did not come to loot, rob, maim or kill. They arrived, sat down and refused to budge. The Airports Authority and/or the government could easily have stopped their march on the airport if they had had the proper security systems and emergency procedures for such a contingency in place.

 

To take your analogy further, the managements of all banks are clearly responsible for their own security. The guards are employees or paid contractors. I guess no bank is 100% robbery proof - but most in my experience are 99.9%. Given the experience of Phuket, Bangkok's two airports were a 'robbery' waiting to happen. Indeed, they were virtually sitting ducks for the PAD. Can you imagine the US or UK airport authorities/governments permitting something like this to happen at JFK or Heathrow, if they had experienced a similar situation at San Francisco or Manchester some weeks earlier? Of course not.

[Bob]

Can you imagine the US or UK airport authorities/governments permitting something like this to happen at JFK or Heathrow, if they had experienced a similar situation at San Francisco or Manchester some weeks earlier? Of course not.

 

You're quite correct, nothing like that would have been allowed in almost any other country in the world....the cops (and military, if need be) would have arrested them within hours. But there is no airport security force in the world that could have stopped a mob of 10,000+ so I hardly blame the airport administration or the fact that they didn't have a huge riot team standing by. And I agree with you that the Thai government and the cops and, perhaps, the military are to blame for not promptly acting to remove the protesters.

 

But saying all of that doesn't at all imply that Sondhi and his cohorts shouldn't be responsible for breaking the law and causing all of the damage that they and their followers did.

[Guest fountainhall]

But saying all of that doesn't at all imply that Sondhi and his cohorts shouldn't be responsible for breaking the law and causing all of the damage that they and their followers did.

 

On this I agree entirely.