Anti-coup protests lose steam

Police and soldiers in the North yesterday blocked attempts by former Thai Rak Thai members to gather signatures in support of their petition to His Majesty the King over the dissolution of their party and the five-year political ban imposed on the party's 111 executive members.

About 50 police and soldiers in Chiang Mai arrested eight former Thai Rak Thai members of the northern provinces and dismantled tents, loudspeakers and tables set up around the Three Kings Monument, a landmark in downtown Chiang Mai.

They were accused of illegally blocking a public area.

They include Surapong Towjijakchaikul, a leader of the Network of People Power for Thailand and Julaphan Amornwiwat, former Thai Rak Thai MP for Chiang Mai. They were released later.

Chiang Rai provincial army also warned residents not to sign any petitions that might lead to unrest.

Chaturon Chaisaeng, who was acting leader of Thai Rak Thai party before it was dissolved, distanced himself from the signature campaign, saying it was not carried out on behalf of the Thai Rak Thai group.

''The Thai Rak Thai group is not thinking of lodging any petitions. I have to admit that without a party, I cannot expect other members to act in concert,'' he said.

Key figures of anti-coup demonstrations agreed that they would remain at Sanam Luang and would not proceed to army headquarters as earlier threatened, given the fact that the number of protesters was unlikely to increase any time soon after the anti-coup rally was rained off and dispersed on Saturday. Authorities also managed to block their supporters from joining them in the city. Yesterday, core members of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) called on the CNS to negotiate with the group in an open and straightforward manner. DAAD representatives, led by Veera Musikapong and Weng Tojirakarn, yesterday travelled to army headquarters to present a letter demanding the ouster of members of the CNS.

Maj-Gen Veeran Chantasartkosol, the army secretary, accepted the letter on behalf of CNS chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin.

Pichai Rattanadilok na Phuket, a lecturer of the National Institute of Development Administration, said the anti-coup protesters appeared to have reached a dead end in their battle with the coup makers.

Although some demonstrators would stay put at Sanam Luang, they can hardly make any significant political impact now. Their reasons for staging rallies carried little weight, since it was obvious that the gatherings were engineered to pander to only one person - deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Pichai said.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said Thaksin's video address to his supporters on Friday night was a ploy in a bid to strike a political bargain.

He warned against any political collusion as he believed the old power clique was in regular communication with the government and the coup makers.

Suriyasai disagreed with a proposal to grant an amnesty to banned executives of Thai Rak Thai and other smaller parties. He said the amnesty, proposed by Thammasat University's Surapol Nittikraipoj, should be granted after the general election.

Akrapol Sornsuchart, an NLA member, also agreed that this was not the right time for the amnesty.

He said some of the 111 executives also face the prospect of criminal charges for their involvement in electoral fraud, which was the basis of the party dissolution verdict by the Constitution Tribunal.

Exonerating executives who may have committed criminal wrong was unacceptable.

Kuthep Saikrachang, former spokesman of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party, said its members would tomorrow call on the National Legislative Assembly to speed up passage of the amendment to the coup makers' announcement No. 15 to clear the way for registration of new political parties as soon as possible.

lose steam to lose energy or strength thwarted prevented from doing something petition a written document signed by a large number of people that asks someone in authority to do or change something imposed arrested detaining in legal custody i.e. by police, under the authority of law dismantled taken apart landmark a building or place that is very important because of its history released set free residents people who live in an area unrest a political situation in which people are angry and likely to protest or fight on behalf of as a representative of; for lodging submitting; formally presenting to an authority

act in concert to work together and do the same thing dispersed caused to move apart and go away in different directions core central and most important negotiate to try to reach an agreement by formal discussion straightforward - honest and open ouster forcing someone to leave a position of power impact a powerful effect engineered (often negative) arranged for something to happened, especially secretly in order to give yourself an advantage pander to do something to try to please someone, especially when this is not acceptable or reasonable deposed forced to leave a position of power; ousted

ploy words or actions that are carefully planned to get an advantage over someone else collusion a secret agreement, especially in order to do something dishonest or to trick people clique (usually negative) a small group of people who do not allow others to join them grant to agree to give someone what they ask for, especially formal or legal permission to do something charges formal accusations against someone made in a court of law fraud the crime of cheating tribunal a type of court with the authority to deal with a particular problem or disagreement exonerating officially stating that someone is not responsible for what they have been blamed for amendment a change or improvement that is made to a law or document