Protest against govt goes online

Protest against govt goes online

Thai Spring leaders Kaewsun Atibodhi, left, his brother Kwansuang, right, and Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunjorn, centre, use a room at parliament for a press conference announcing the online rallies against the government.
Thai Spring leaders Kaewsun Atibodhi, left, his brother Kwansuang, right, and Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunjorn, centre, use a room at parliament for a press conference announcing the online rallies against the government.

The venue for the announcement of plans for Facebook rallies against the government and Thaksin Shinawatra by the Thai Spring movement drew a harsh response from the Pheu Thai Party on Friday.

Thai Spring leaders Pol-Gen Vasit Dejkunjorn, former senator Kaewsun Atibodhi and his twin Kwansuang on Friday used a room in parliament for a press conference to announce that online rallies will kick off on June 23. As a former senator Mr Kaewsun has access to the facilities.

The Thai Spring group set up the website www.change.org/users/thaispring in protest at the controversial speech Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra delivered in Mongolia on April 29.

They announced that "Thai Spring Forum'' will occur via social media with a series of six online rallies.

They will target the government's populism policies, which they say are leading the country to disaster, so-called "reconciliation" plans, and corruption under the "Thaksin regime", among other topics.

The rallies would be exclusively online and would not spill over into public venues, Mr Kaewsun said.

The group showed no fear that the Information and Communications Ministry would block the online rally.

''We are exercising our right under the constitution,'' former senator Kaewsun said. ''I have no worries that the Information and Communications Ministry will close it down because it has no right to close Facebook,'' he added.

Pol Gen Vasit said the rallies will provide information to the public ahead of parliament's scheduled debate on the amnesty and reconciliation bills next month.

He said Thai Spring leaders were ready to face the consequences of their attacks on the government.

Change.org is a San Francisco-based website, founded in 2007, which allows free access and space to anyone with a cause. It has thousands of sub-sites, including hundreds in Thai, such as groups wanting more bicycle lanes, replanting of trees on the approach to Khao Yai National Park and getting elephants out of cities.

One of the most popular, with more than 22,000 fans recruited, champions small schools. Another, with even more supporters, seeks to force the State Railway of Thailand to keep the Makkasan area free of development.

Pheu Thai Party members were angered by the use of a room in parliament by Thai Spring to announce their plans.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit criticised the three leaders and termed their press conference "shameful", because they had used the legislative building to attack the government.

''I condemn them for their lack of respect for the premises,'' he said.

Parliament should be for legislative affairs and debates, not used as a political tool for any particular group, he said. The right place for a press conference was a hotel.

''Everybody knows that Mr Kaewsun is a yellow [supporter]. What would happen if the red-shirts want to use parliament,'' he said.

Mr Prompong also criticised parliament officials for allowing Thai Spring to hold a press conference in the parliament building and urged officials take action against those who authorised the meeting.

Wattana Sengpairoh, spokesman for the house speaker, was also critical, but less emotional. He said that as a former senator Mr Kaewsun had the right to use the facilities at the parliament, but it would be better if he used this access in a constructive manner instead of attacking the government.

Thai Spring launched its website on May 16, rejecting as totally biased Ms Yingluck's speech to the Democracy forum in Mongolia, and voicing opposition to her and her government. It has already drawn more than 26,000 supporters.

Ms Yingluck's speech on democracy in Thailand centred on criticising the 2006 coup and "unfair treatment" of her brother Thaksin. Opponents argue that the prime minister told only half the truth, intentionally omitting the fact Thaksin was ousted because of his abuse of power and widespread corruption, giving world leaders a false impression.

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