Wednesday, January 20, 2010

UDD may protest at Suvarnabhumi


The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship is considering organising a protest at Suvarnabhumi airport to press for a progress report on the investigation into the airport's seizure by yellow-shirt supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in 2008, UDD core leader Nathawut Saikua said on Tuesday.


Mr Nathawut said the leaders would meet this week to discuss the matter.

He stressed that the rally would be peaceful and last no more than one hour.

"There would be no seizure of the airport. No intrusion. No blocking of entrances and buildings. No threatening of passengers or officials," he said.

Mr Nathawut did not give a date for the demonstration.

Leaders of the PAD led their supporters to occupy Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports late in 2008 in protest against the Somchai Wongsawat administration.

UDD leaders have accused the Abhisit government of a double standard because no legal action has been taken against the PAD leaders.

News reports about the possible rally at the airport saw the price of of Thailand (AoT) shares to drop to a three-month low in afternoon trading.

AoT shares slid 5.7 percent to 41.25 baht as of 3.51 pm.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index plunged about 10 points on Tuesday's afternoon session, partly on news of the planned protest, BFIT Securities analyst Aphisit Limsupanark said.

"Although the red-shirts are not intending to disrupt the airport's operation, many investors began selling their shares because they are still worried about the situation," he said. "The domestic political uncertainty added to external factors led to a negative market sentiment."

Earlier in the day, about 100 red-shirts rallied in front of the office of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and called for Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga to speed up the examination of the petition for a royal pardon for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The petition was submitted in August last year to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary, and then referred to the Justice Ministry.

The protesters, led by Veera Musikhapong, Jatuporn Promphan and Nathawut Saikua, submitted a letter to DSI secretary-general Tarit Pengdit, asking for action against Mr Abhisit and Mr Pirapan for allegedly trying to delay the process of examining the petition.

Mr Tarit accepted the letter and promised to set up a team to look into the matter.

The red-shirts also used a small stage to attack the country's judicial system, saying it had applied double standards.

About 150 police were deployed at the DSI office to ensure law and order.

Mr Pirapan last week said officials of the Corrections Department were still in the process of storing the more than three million names of those who signed the petition on a computer database. The signatories would later be verified by the Interior Ministry.

Meanwhile, Thepthai Senpong, spokesman for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, said there are 10 locations that could be targeted by protesters during the period before the Supreme Court hands down its verdict on Thaksin's 76.6 billion baht assets seizure case on Feb 26.

Mr Thepthai said the movements of the pro-Thaksin UDD should be closely monitored from Feb 16 to 26, the period which he called "10 dangerous days".

The 10 locations he thought were likely to be targeted:

1. Government House

2. Parliament

3. Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, where the verdict will be handed down

4. Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary

5. Offices of the Privy Council

6. Si Sao Thewes

7. Office of the Election Commission (EC) and houses of election commissioners

8. Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and houses of commissioners

9. Royal Forestry Department

10.Department of Corrections, Department of Special Investigation

"The first three locations represent our sovereignty," Mr Thepthai said. "The following three involve the royal institution. The airport should also be closely monitored as they could do what the PAD has previously done."

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