Anupong meets Prem as PAD vows legal methods
WASSANA NANUAM and AEKARACH SATTABURUTH and SURASAK GLAHAN
Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda is under pressure from his associates and subordinates to play a greater role in ending the conflict between the government and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which turned deadly on Tuesday.
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| Amemberof the People’s Alliance for Democracy helpscleanupthe debris left in front of the Metropolitan Police Bureau headquarters on Sri Ayutthayaroad in the wake of clashes between riot police and anti-government demonstratorson Tuesday. SURAPOLPROMSAKANASAKOLNAKHORN |
His colleagues have called on Gen Anupong to do more, army sources said yesterday.
His subordinates have expressed their readiness to support any move by Gen Anupong to step up his role in resolving the conflict after witnessing the violent crackdown, the sources added.
The unrest also worried Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda. Gen Anupong was summoned to meet him for two hours at his residence yesterday.
Another army source said Gen Prem was concerned about the incident and any possible attempt by a third party to exacerbate the crisis, the source added.
Gen Anupong reiterated the neutrality of the army when he chaired a meeting to assess the situation with academics and police yesterday.
"I don't care who administers the country. If this new government is gone, a new one will come. The army has to be neutral," he said.
But Gen Anupong added that the army also had a duty to "save the country from seeing Thais killing each other."
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| Ahand-clapper,a symbolic part of the protest gear, is attached to a riot shield placed behindbarricades of barbed wire and old tyres outside the city police headquarters. PHONGTHAIWATTANAVANITVUT |
People Power party (PPP) members are supporting Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's decision to stay in power and not to dissolve the House.
The premier already called a senior military officer to explain the situation, Somchai Phesprasert, a PPP lawmaker from Nakhon Ratchasima said, adding the army understood the situation and promised to remain inside the barracks.
The PAD issued a statement last night accusing Gen Anupong of siding with the government. The army leader had "betrayed" the people, it said.
The PAD will not resort to its Tuesday tactic again to pressure the government, but will pin its hope on legal cases, according to Pibhop Dhongchai, one of its core leaders.
Mr Pibhob admitted that the PAD did not want to see its supporters clash with police again.
"We have no plans to lead protesters to besiege other government offices elsewhere, as we did on Tuesday [at parliament]," he said.
At least for the following week, the PAD supporters will limit its protests to Government House and the streets nearby, he said.
The group believed the government will be eventually forced to step down through legal channels as there are several pending court cases against it.
These include the party dissolution cases against the ruling PPP and its Chart Thai and Matchimathipataya partners.
The PAD will also form a committee to collect evidence and file a complaint with the United Nations against the prime minister and the police for human rights violations, he said.
"We must not allow the wrongdoers to go unpunished, otherwise it could open the doors for others to resort to such violence in future," he added.
Although the group has been unable to force the current administration to quit, Mr Pibhob said it is important the PAD continues its demonstration at Government House.
"The feeling of the people here [at Government House] is high. They will never want to quit," he said.
He insisted the PAD core leaders would carry on, but even if they didn't, the momentum of the movement was such that members and supporters would appoint new leaders anyway.
Another key PAD leader, Sondhi Limthongkul, told supporters yesterday that he would use his own finances to file a criminal case against Mr Somchai, deputy police chief Pol Gen Jongrak Juthanont and Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt-Gen Suchart Muenkaew for ordering police to use force against the protesters.
"This government is criminal and we will not negotiate with them," said Somsak Kosaisuk, another core PAD leader,.
Meanwhile, a No 23 bus was seized by a group of people to block the back entrance to Government House. The hijackers ordered some 20 passengers to get out of the bus at Nang Lerng market at 7pm. But PAD leaders denied any involvement.
As the situation near Government House remained uncertain, chief of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority Pinetr Puapatanakul cancelled all night bus services from 11pm last night to 4am for safety reasons.
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