Swelling of support to keep Thaksin in office

PM confirms he'll address the court

Post Reporters

Support for the prime minister, who has finally decided to deliver the closing statement at the hidden assets trial himself, is building-with police, military and farmers' groups now also declaring themselves his friends.

The campaign led by Sem Pringpuangkaew seems set to gather the signatures of about 220,000 people who want Thaksin Shinawatra to remain prime minister.

More are on the way.

Pol Lt-Gen Suwan Suwannawecho, secretary-general to the Police Association, sent letters to police stations nationwide asking them to sign up in support of Mr Thaksin.

Maj-Gen Apichai Songsilp, assistant army comptroller-general, said classmates of Mr Thaksin at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School were also discussing how they could help.

However any involvement in a campaign by army, navy or air force staff was personal, and had nothing to do with the armed forces.

Khemthid Winthachai, chairman of the Roi Et-based Thai Farmer Group, threatened to bring 500,000 farmers to Bangkok if Mr Thaksin lost his job.

Mr Thaksin has 20 minutes on Monday to convince the Constitutional Court he did not intend to conceal the fact he has shares worth billions of baht held in other people's names.

"I will speak from my heart. I'll use my heart alone and nothing else," the prime minister said yesterday.

Mr Thaksin earlier had dithered about appearing in court. He eventually decided to turn up to show he was willing to co-operate fully.

He will appear in the court about 1.30 pm, and fly to Phnom Penh after the hearing ends.

As more than 110,000 support forms from different groups representing farmers, businessmen and Indian-Thais were delivered to him yesterday, Dr Sem, a five-time public health minister, said he hoped the court would listen to the voice of the people.

Dr Sem insisted his campaign was not meant to pressure the court to give a ruling favourable to the prime minister. He could accept whatever the court decided and did not think Thailand would plunge into crisis if Mr Thaksin was barred from political office.

Parliament President Uthai Pimchaichon said the legislative branch lacked a legal base to take action on the signatures from the Sem campaign.

Senator Wallop Tangkananurak said he preferred that everyone remain calm and await the court ruling. Policemen should refrain from campaigning for the prime minister.

Reactions from within the police force were mixed.

Pol Gen Sant Sarutanont, a deputy national police chief, said it was inappropriate for police, whose duty was to keep peace and order, to take any action themselves that could lead to trouble.

Police had freedom of expression, but he still wanted them to show discipline and abide by regulations.

Pol Gen Pornsak Durongkhaviboon, the national police chief, said he had no authority to ban the campaign because it was not a police affair.

Pol Lt-Gen Suwan, who organised police support, said he had been moved to the PM's Office, so the Royal Thai Police Office had no right to interfere.

Senator Pratin Santiprapob, a former police chief, said the Police Association had the right to campaign. To his knowledge, the letters were sent to police housewives associations, not directly to the policemen themselves.

Somkiat Pongpaiboon, a northeastern academic, said people had the right to show they cared about the premier.

However, people who strictly adhered to democratic principles might not tolerate it if the support intensified to the point where Mr Thaksin became "untouchable". "Society may crack," he said.

Mr Somkiat said public support for Mr Thaksin was overwhelming because some of his policies were about to deliver results and because the prime minister had shown he would not bow to foreign pressure. "Many people expect him to be the second Mahathir Mohamad of Southeast Asia," he said.

Mr Thaksin said the campaigning to keep him in power was normal within a democratic system. He could not see how the campaign could mount pressure on the court as judges would make a decision based on facts alone.