POLITICS
Yields to public anger, will remove barricades
POST REPORTERS
After facing severe public criticism, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has finally yielded and will open Ratchadamnoen Nok avenue during the royal cremation ceremonies for Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana.
The PAD decision came after a move by the Royal Household Bureau. Metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol Maj-Gen Panu Kerdlarbpol, responsible for traffic affairs, said the bureau had informed police that the royal travel route during the cremation had been changed to other six nearby roads, instead of Ratchadamnoen Nok avenue.
Ratchadamnoen Nok avenue is the traditional main route that His Majesty the King and royal family members use to travel to Sanam Luang where the royal cremation ceremony for Princess Galyani will be held from Nov 14-19.
The PAD has blocked traffic on the road as part of its protest rally in the compound of Government House against the current administration.
Earlier, the PAD said it would not open all lanes of the avenue as requested by police, citing the security of its supporters and the difficulty of removing the large amounts of tyres, a number of buses and the barbed wire it used to set up its barricades.
This led to an outpouring of harsh criticism of the PAD by the public.
Core PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang read a PAD statement issued last night to supporters at Government House saying that the group would open all 10 lanes of the avenue to facilitate traffic from Nov 14 until Dec 5, the King's birthday. They would immediately start to remove their barricades.
Meanwhile, army chief-of-staff Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said legal action was necessary against anyone, both in pro- and anti-government groups, who appear to insult His Majesty the King.
Yesterday, Gen Prayuth, who is also secretary-general of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), led more than 1,000 people in Bangkok and six provinces to launch a campaign to "make the King happy".
References are often made to the King when political conflicts turn nasty with both sides accusing the other of disloyalty.
The PAD alleges that convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and certain politicians have insulted the King, but these claims have been rejected by Mr Thaksin's supporters, including the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
The yellow T-shirt clad PAD supporters have shown no signs of compromising with the UDD, which differentiates itself by wearing red shirts.
"Please stop quarreling and build unity. All parties must have the same goal to make the King happy. The King has been weary for a very long time," said Gen Prayuth.
"Everyone must abide by the law otherwise the problems cannot be solved," he said.
He defended the army saying it has not been passive in helping solve the problem as some have accused. Military officers are taking certain actions but he said "some cannot be unveiled".
Meanwhile, Picha Wijitsil, a lawyer at the Niti Akarat office, which has worked to defend Mr Thaksin in his legal battles, yesterday filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division against Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, who is accused of letting the PAD occupy Government House and closing the roads in its vicinity.
This apparently breaks the city's order and control rules, but the governor had done nothing so far, Mr Picha said.
The PAD's actions, including a recent report that its members placed used sanitary pads at the statue of King Rama V located at Royal Plaza to counter the black magic of Khmer shamans said to have blocked the statue's power to back the PAD, has infuriated many people, including Gen Panlop Pinmanee, former deputy chief of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc).
"The PAD now goes wild and resorts to magic," said Gen Panlop, a classmate of key PAD leader Maj-Gen Chamlong at military school.
He once promised to help Maj-Gen Chamlong if he was caught, but said "when the PAD doesn't want me, I don't need to help it".
Gen Panlop admitted he met Mr Thaksin on Nov 7 to directly ask him whether he is disloyal to the monarchy as accused by the PAD. Mr Thaksin denied the allegation.
"With his facial and eye expressions, I believed him," said Gen Panlop.
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