What Thailand’s PAD protesters are really about | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent

What Thailand’s PAD protesters are really about | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent
Andrew Spooner Jun 03, 2012 

The political agenda of Thailand’s PAD (People’s Alliance for Democracy) yellow shirt movement has always been explicit – fascism. In fact, they’ve publicly screamed their profoundly anti-democratic agenda so many times it would need a willful and deliberate act to ignore the explicit neo-fascism of the PAD. From wanting to “destroy democracy” through to “shutting down the country” to “cleansing Thailand of our enemies,” the PAD’s agenda is very clear and has been since at least 2008.

PAD thugs want dictatorship to replace democracy

So what kind of person or group would refuse to accurately describe the PAD as what they are?

First of all, it wasn’t the Hong Kong-based, entirely independent and highly respected Asian Human Rights Commission. This is what they said about the PAD when they shut down Bangkok’s airports a few years ago -

They spring from a far-right ideology that has for decades driven successive military-bureaucratic administrations in Thailand, which dramatic changes to political and social life of the last two decades [aka democracy] have increasingly threatened.

Some commentators and opponents of the alliance [PAD] have described its agenda as fascist. This is not an exaggeration.

Nor was it Mithran Somasundrum in The Guardian who wrote a piece entitled “Shuffling towards fascism”. In this article Mithran examines comments by Thanong Khantong, the Nation’s editor, who supported the PAD’s 2008 protests and which Mithran feels exemplify the PAD’s political programme.

Thanong writes – “I don’t see Thailand backtracking against the democratic process … It is a joke to believe that the rural voters love or have a better understanding of democracy than the Bangkok middle class … The foreign media and foreign experts must stop distorting Thai politics with their convenient definition of democracy,” From earlier in the article: “A country can survive without democracy but it can’t survive without law” … “The politicians are the main problem and a liability in our democracy.”

The last two quotes are what I mean by fascism, since I don’t know what else you’d call it.

It is not possible to have contempt for democracy without first having contempt for people, since democracy is, after all, meant to deliver the people’s will. Likewise, contempt for people, or at least for a significant section of a country’s population, will eventually lead to a corroding of democracy. That corrosion is occurring now, and, here, at this moment in time, is what contempt gets you.

So there we have it – one of the region’s leading human rights groups calling the PAD fascist and one of the planet’s leading English-language newspapers joining in. Furthermore, we should never forget the very words that spill so readily from the PAD’s own lips.

Yet, strangely, in the last few days, as the PAD attempt to storm the Thai Parliament, once again threatening extreme violence in their avowed agenda to destroy Thailand’s struggling democracy, some people have chosen to completely ignore the evidence and stick to turning a blind eye to fascism.

Enter, of course, the usual suspects – the Bangkok-based international media.

Reuters, AP and, of course, journalists using twitter, such as Al Jazeera’s Bangkok correspondent (who, rather strangely, has retweeted the PAD supporting Thanong Khantong’s comments), routinely refer to the PAD using benign terms such as “anti-government” protesters and “yellow shirts”. These reports and tweets whilst not even naming the PAD’s political agenda as fascistic fail to even utter the PAD’s own words and commitment to “destroy democracy” and “cleanse Thailand”.

When asked directly about their refusal to accurately portray the PAD’s politics Bangkok’s international media corps hide behind their usual supine excuses of “impartiality” or “its too complex.”

Forget the truth, forget the facts and forget accuracy.

Instead, in their place, we have a collusion to misrepresent the situation and a willingness to allow an openly fascistic and violent political group to impose their anti-democratic extremism on an entire nation without even mentioning what they’re actually up to.

For me, such willful misrepresentation is as good as lying.

Alliances challenged as US, China compete in Asia

Alliances challenged as US, China compete in Asia
Agence France-Presse, June 3rd, 2012 

SINGAPORE—Washington’s planned strategic shift to Asia will challenge existing alliances as nations try to balance strong economic ties to China with defense links to Washington, a conference heard Sunday.

Many Asian countries have major business relations with China but are also defense allies of the United States.

“The political, economic and cultural ramifications of a newly empowered Asia are bound to impact existing security and economic relationships,” Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a conference on security issues.

He cited the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Australia, Japan and South Korea – which all have China as their biggest trading partner but consider the US as the “dominant resident security power” in the region.

“This divergence of economic partnerships and defense relations will challenge existing alignments among nations,” Ng told the conference, which ended Sunday. “No nation wants to be in a position to choose sides.”

Addressing the conference Saturday, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Washington will gradually shift its naval fleet so that by 2020 it will have 60 percent of its ships in the Pacific, up from the current 50 percent.

The decision to deploy more ships to the Pacific Ocean, along with expanding military partnerships in the region, was part of a “steady, deliberate” effort to bolster the US role in an area deemed vital to its future, Panetta said.

The move reflects US concern over China’s rising economic and military might but Panetta insisted the strategy was not a challenge to Beijing.

Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith on Sunday welcomed the US plan and said it should not impact Canberra’s relationship with China.

Smith, speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation shortly after his return from Singapore, said the US presence in the Asia-Pacific region had been “a force for peace and stability and prosperity since the end of World War II.”

Australia will see 2,500 US Marines deployed to its north as part of the Asia strategy, a move that has rankled Beijing, but Smith said he would make clear in a visit to China this week that Canberra wanted to continue to deepen its relationship with the Asian giant.

“The point I’ll make to Chinese friends is that Australia has had a growing relationship with China since we were one of the countries to recognize China very early back in 1972; we’ve had a growing relationship for 40 years,” he said.

New Zealand Defense Minister Jonathan Coleman also welcomed the US shift.

“We do welcome the US rebalancing down to our region. We see it as providing significant opportunities for training with a like-minded partner,” he said at the Singapore conference.
Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia will continue work with both China and the US.

“If the purpose is to stabilize the region… we would welcome the effort taken by the US,” he told AFP in Singapore.

Thai red shirts told to fight 'attempts to unseat govt' | The Nation/Thailand

Thai red shirts told to fight 'attempts to unseat govt' | The Nation/Thailand
The Nation/Thailand, June 3, 2012

Thousands of red-shirt supporters, who helped install Yingluck Shinwatra as Thai prime minister in the July 2011 election, were told during yesterday's gathering at Muang Thong Thani to oppose attempts to unseat the government.

Ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra also addressed the red shirts through video link alleging that the process to undemocratically oust the Yingluck administration has begun.

"Today, people know what is what. The process of robbing people has begun again," said Thaksin, wearing a red shirt. Thaksin stressed that power must belong to the people.

He apologised to those red shirts who were upset with his previous speech, viewed as self-obsessed by some, and vowed to work for the benefit of all red shirts, including those still in jail.

"I must apologise. I had no intention to trample on the hearts of red shirts," he said. "We must not be disunited [amongst] ourselves."

Thaksin also attacked the Democrat Party by saying: "In Parliament, there is no uglier party [than the Democrat]," he said, referring to the two days of disturbances in the House earlier this week. Thaksin again denied he was corrupt while in power.

The red-shirt leadership urged supporters to fight what they claimed is the attempt to unseat the Yingluck administration through a coup d'etat or a Constitution Court ruling.

"All of you, come to Bangkok. Fight the decisive battle," said red-shirt co-leader Jatuporn Promphan, who was recently disqualified as a Pheu Thai MP.

"We don't need reconciliation with bad people. If we don't fight, PM Yingluck will face the same fate as Thaksin."
The special jam-packed "Truth Today" talk, at Muang Thong Thani's Thunder Dome, to celebrate its fifth anniversary saw some 5,000 red shirts in attendance.

Red-shirt co-leader and Deputy Agriculture Minister Natthawut Saikua warned that there are signs that the "power outside [democratic] system" may soon act.

Veerakarn Musigapong, former chairman of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, said the Democrat Party has "completely revealed itself" over the past few days through the actions against the House Speaker inside Parliament and support for street protests outside Parliament.

He recalled that the red shirts had fought for liberty in the past.

He urged the red shirts not to divide Thailand into regions and work towards the unity of the country.

One red shirt, who participated in the event, said he believes there exists an attempt to unseat the government through public disturbances by the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy and an eventual coup d'etat.
Next to the venue, a makeshift stand was set up by the Bang-Na red-shirt group where people could throw used shoes at the painting of opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban.

Shoal row tops agenda of Philippine president's UK, US trips | Philippine Daily Inquirer

Shoal row tops agenda of Philippine president's UK, US trips | Philippine Daily Inquirer
Norman Bordadora and Tina G. Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 2, 2012
 
The country’s  standoff with China over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal would be one of the main points in the bilateral talks between Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and world leaders British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama when he visits London on June 4, and  the United States from June 6 to 8.

"We’d talk about the conditions in the West Philippine Sea,” Aquino said when asked about his London visit.
On his visit to the United States next week, Aquino will be welcomed at the Oval Office by US President Obama, according to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.

"[The two leaders] will discuss a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues that reflect the multifaceted nature of the two countries’ strategic partnership,” Del Rosario said in a statement.

"I assume that…Prime Minister David Cameron will also inquire as to the status (of the standoff). (The West Philippine Sea) is a body of water where quite a substantial amount of world trade has to pass through,” the president said in an interview.

"So it’s a matter of concern for everybody if things change that will restrict the free flow of goods and services (in this) particular body of water,” he added.

President Aquino recently appointed career diplomat Sonia Brady to a posting in Beijing.

Old hand

"She’s been there. She knows who to talk to, she knows the system, she knows our concerns,” Aquino said of his expectations from the country’s new ambassador to China who has since been confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.

4th meeting

It will be the fourth meeting between the two presidents in a span of two years.  The two leaders were also at the September 2010 Association of Southeast Asian Nations-United States (Asean-US) Leaders Meeting in New York, the September 2011 launch of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) also in New York, and the Nov 18, 2011, Asean-US Leaders’ Meeting in Bali.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will host a luncheon in honor of the President and his delegation at the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room of the State Department in Washington, DC, Del Rosario said.

The president will also meet with leaders of the US Senate at a reception organised by Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel K. Inouye at the US.Capitol, and with members of the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles on his way back to Manila.

The Inquirer has learned that “American Idol” runner-up Jessica Sanchez will sing at the Fil-Am reception for the president.

'Heightened engagement'

The DFA statement said Aquino’s US visit reflected the “heightened engagement” between the Philippines and the US, as evidenced by the "upward trajectory of high-level exchanges," including the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, the visits of US Congressional delegations to the Philippines, and the recent 2+2 Meetings in Washington, DC.

Del Rosario added that President Aquino will be the guest of honor at the launch of the US-Philippines Society, a private sector initiative designed to encourage economic ties, promote trade and investment, support common strategic and political goals, and strengthen cultural, technological, educational, and people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

The Society is cochaired by Ambassador John D. Negroponte for the US side and Manuel V. Pangilinan for the Philippines, and Washington Z. Sycip and Maurice “Hank” Greenberg as honourary chairs.  Eminent business leaders from both countries comprise the Society’s Board.
 

Analysis: Burma, international development aid and FDI | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent

Analysis: Burma, international development aid and FDI | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent
Zin Linn, Jun 01, 2012 

President Thein Sein of Burma (Myanmar) delivered a speech on 11 May 2012 concerning his plan for national development in Burma, at a work coordination meeting in Naypyitaw. He claimed that the first stage of reform to fulfill nation-wide development was already established. At this stage, a visible change of foreign exchange rate unification was being made with assistance from international financial institutions the IMF, the World Bank and the ADB.

 

Burma began reforming its monetary system on 1 April 2012. Burma created a managed floating rate for its national currency, the Kyat, in order to unify the multiple exchange rates in time for the Southeast Asian games which it will host in 2013.

A new foreign investment law was passed that offers a straight five-year tax exemption, with an extension of three years if certain measures are met. The law also specifies terms of using land, legal structures and incentives for foreign companies. This law was enacted in order to gain foreign direct investment (FDI) which had been limited due to previous international economic sanctions.

International governments, crediting Burma for successfully holding by-elections on 1 April, have suspended most sanctions. Without appropriate laws the Thein Sein-led government has made floating the currency and a new foreign investment law priority for attracting more investment.

These two steps begin to address the difficulties of conducting business in Burma. But major problems still exist, including: no electronic banking system, no up-to-date Internet connectivity, no 24-hour electricity supply and no intellectual property rights.

It is crucial that both domestic and foreign companies are treated fairly under clearly defined rules to protect intellectual property rights. Without intellectual property rights the prospects of the country’s high-tech industry may disappear. The Government needs to create a level playing field for both domestic and foreign companies in all areas of the economy, including manufacturing and services.

Currently all economic transactions are controlled by the military, their cronies and drug-lords. The Burmese military set up two military-managed economic enterprises, the Union of Myanmar Economic Holding Limited (UMEHL) in 1990 and the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) in 1993. Both privileged enterprises are still exploiting the country’s key economic sectors with no benefits flowing to the citizens of Burma.

In brief, the country’s important natural resources and heavy industries including import, export and service sectors are monopolized by the UMEHL, MEC and their cronies.  There is no level playing field in the economy and business in Burma. It is an open secret that military-managed business firms and crony enterprises are corrupted in various ways including tax evasions. The nation’s precious natural resources have been exploited by such corrupt authorities and the vast majority of citizens have been living in dire poverty for decades.

Despite much talk about needed economic reforms, President Thein Sein has never spoken of the corruption and unprofessional conduct of UMEHL and MEC. The most important point that President Thein Sein has ignored is this existence of officially embedded corruption and how to take action on this corruption and tax evasions committed by the respective authorities.

The second stage of reform strategy, including general guidelines, is useful to perform as economic reform principles.  President Thein Sein seeks financial aid and support from the international community and direct foreign investments as national development tasks require more finances, capital, technology and human resources than the State funds has.

The Central Committee, the work committee, state, and regional governments will be responsible for successfully using the international financial aid and support in poverty reduction and broad development tasks as determined by the regions and the states for region-wise and sector-wise development.

In this second stage of the national development plan, Thein Sein calls for private sector involvement. Associations, companies, public companies, cooperative societies and foundations are the main forces engaged in the development of socioeconomic status of the people. As many nations and corporations have offered to provide assistance and investment in Burma, the ministries and region/state governments should draw strategies and tactics based on national and regional development project priorities for ministry-wise and job-wise reforms covering such sectors as agriculture, industry, education, and health.

President Thein Sein claimed a planning commission was needed in order to effectively manage a region-wise plan, sector-wise plan, project-wise plan, township-wise plan, and village-wise plan. Accordingly, the purpose of the President’s “work coordination meeting” is to make way for foreign grants and aids so as to bring about the national and regional development tasks.

Thein Sein’s speech and plan are clearly a “Foreign Aid Effective Management Meeting” to seek foreign grants and aids. The benefits of this development project will be delivered to the majority of citizens are not clear.

The unification of the official with the managed exchange rate is a fundamental change. But a large part of the population remains desperately poor, without a social safety net to help them survive further policy-induce economic shocks.

The government is going to establish a “Central Executive Committee for Foreign Aids Management” and sub-management committees correspondingly under it to manage foreign grants and aids directly. To supervise financial assistance from the private donors to various civil societies, the government is going to form a “Socioeconomic Consultant Committee”.

All foreign aids and grants have to go through those state-controlled management committees under the mechanism of memorandum of understanding (MoU) and similar agreements. Community-based organizations (CBOs) and civil societies known as non-government organizations (NGOs) have to register in order to be under government management.

To obtain relevant foreign aids and grants, the respective state and region chief ministers have to take the leading role in making the process of related proposals by the end of this May. It is impossible to draft effective large development projects within a 3-week period.

The urgency of immediate project proposal-making seems to be driven the donors’ meeting that will be held end of May 2012 in which the government is going to take the “Driver’s Seat”.

The government’s intention is that the budgets for ‘Rural Development’, ‘Poverty Alleviation’, ‘Public Education’, ‘Public Health’, ‘Socio-economic Wellbeing and Natural Disaster Prevention’ will be disbursed by means of foreign grants and  aids while most of national incomes will keep going into the defense budget.

The government plans to create national development through international financial assistance with no planning of national development via its export-incomes. Crucially the public sector (health, education, sanitation, clean water, electricity etc) has never benefited from the country’s natural gas export earnings, a whooping US$2.947 billion in the first 11 months of the fiscal year 2011-12, up about US$424.77 from US$2.522 billion in 2010-11.

Natural gas export earning stood at US$2.926 billion in 2009-10, up from US$2.384 in 2008-09, reported the Flower News Journal. It is vital that these natural gas export net earnings are transferred to the budget and used for social and infrastructure development, especially in ethnic minority regions.

The Thein Sein government also plans to spend foreign loans to implement some development programs which do not attract foreign development aid.

The Asian Development Bank is ready to offer Burma assistance, but financial aid can only resume when $490 million loan is repaid. The government ignores repayment of these old loans, instead it seeks new loans. This illustrates the difficulty of investing in Burma. There is no accountability or commitment to transparent commercial transactions.  It is not only morally wrong to evade debts from international financial institutions, but commercially risky for investors.

According to the current budget the government will provide 7% and the private sector 93% of the GDP in the national development financial plan. The government’s share is miniscule. The per capita income is less than US$1,000. With such a small government contribution of GDP, per capita income will reach US$1,500 in the next 5 years. This makes only 1 ½ times ratio. President Thein Sein wants 3 times ratio to raise the per capita income. To acquire 3 times of ratio in per capita income, the government needs to receive 3 ½ times FDI, 20 times foreign grants, aids, and loans.

According to these figures, the President’s 11-May speech delivered at a work coordination meeting in Naypyitaw shows a definite target of gaining international financial assistance immediately.

Foreign aid given to Burma in comparison with regional countries was included in the appendix of his speech.  Laos and Cambodia receive US$4 to 5 hundred millions and Vietnam enjoys US$2.4 to 3 billion financial assistance. Burma receives US$ 6 million in loans and US$18,000 for humanitarian assistance. In such a situation, it will be difficult to gain US$3,000 per capita income, possibly less than US$2,000.

If and when this government obtains foreign loans and economic assistance, will citizens receive US$3,000 per capita income if the defense budget remains well above 25 per cent of the national income.

International development aid and foreign investment in Burma will not address the severe poverty of citizens in Burma especially in the ethnic minority states and divisions who are barely surviving after decades of civil war. There are no land rights for farmers who continue to be arbitrarily removed from their land as government, local and international businesses increase their commercial ventures.

The vast profits from extraction of natural gas and oil have gone directly into the pockets of a few generals and their families. This national resource wealth does not even appear in the budget. The military still receives the major per cent of the national budget, much larger than for health, education, and welfare.

Burma tied with Afghanistan as the most corrupt nation in the world according to Transparency International’s latest report. With no official recognition of the well embedded official corrupt practices and networks in Burma, there can be no means to address the issue. The citizens of Burma are very poor, not because the country has no resources, but because the country’s leaders, including the new semi-elected government refuse to acknowledge the extent of corruption and wealth amassed by the military leaders and their cronies formed business associates.

The president speaks of improving the health and welfare of the citizens of Burma. His plan is to create a series of committees in order to manage the foreign wealth entering Burma. Projects for each state and division are to be submitted by the end of May. This makes a mockery of a true development process by the citizens and for the benefit of the citizens. It is most likely that as international development aid and foreign investment flows into Burma, the same military affiliated businesses and crony associates will be the biggest benefactors, not the citizens who are barely visible to the government.

EU says Chiranuch prison sentence could stifle free speech | Bangkok Post

EU says Chiranuch prison sentence could stifle free speech | Bangkok Post

The European Union has expressed "deep concern" over a suspended prison sentence handed down to the Prachatai webmaster for comments posted on her website by other people which were deemed to be insulting to the monarchy.

The EU said it was encouraged that Chiranuch Premchaiporn would not serve prison time for failing to speedily delete a post on her Prachatai news site, but said the guilty verdict would have "damaging effects".

An eight-month suspended jail sentence was handed down to Ms Chiranuch, 44, by a Bangkok court on Wednesday.

"The EU expresses its deep concern about the damaging effects of a guilty verdict, and the ensuing conviction, on freedom of expression in Thailand by criminalising intermediaries for content posted by other internet users on websites," the EU delegation in Bangkok said yesterday.

The case comes amid heated debate about a surge of prosecutions under laws criminalising criticism of the monarchy, commonly referred to as the lese majeste laws.

Web giant Google said the sentence set a legal precedent that would compromise companies hosting internet platforms, and pose a danger to web users.

The "guilty verdict for something somebody else wrote on her website is a serious threat to the future of the internet in Thailand", a Google spokesman said following the court's ruling.

Danny O'Brien, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, served as an expert witness during the trial. He said Ms Chiranuch's conviction shows internet bystanders can still be caught up in expensive and uncertain criminal prosecutions for postings on their site which they did not write, edit or support.

Critics say politically motivated charges under tough royal defamation laws are increasingly common.

The country has been rocked by periods of civil unrest instigated by rival factions since a 2006 coup by royalist generals ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Ms Chiranuch's time in court is not over. She faces a second trial under the kingdom's lese majeste laws that could result in a maximum sentence of 15 years on each charge.

Debate on 'unity bills' rescheduled for next week | Bangkok Post

Debate on 'unity bills' rescheduled for next week | Bangkok Post 
Bangkok Post, June 1, 2012

House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont on Friday adjourned deliberation of the reconciliation bills, scheduling the resumed debate for June 6 and 7, House of Representatives secretary-general Pithoon Phumhiran said.

The meeting on June 6 was scheduled to start at 1.30pm and at 10am on June 7, Mr Pithoon said late Friday afternoon.

Asked if this week's protests in and outside parliament and subsquent adjournment of the debate were likely to be repeated next week, Mr Pithoon said that was a matter of the future. He insisted that the meeting venue would still be the parliament.

Earlier this afternoon, second Deputy House Speaker Wisut Chainarun ordered the indefinite postponement of the deliberation of the reconciliation bills, after the House meeting was unable to convene. Mr Somsak later  rescheduled the  debate.

The order followed a meeting between Mr Wisut and government chief whip Udomdej Rattanasathian.

The postponement, following a meeting of Pheu Thai MPs at the House No 111 Foundation  office,  was intended to prevent the situation from escalating to political violence, said Mr Wisut.

Multi-colour group protesters led by Tul Sitthisomwong on Friday morning closed the Karn Ruan intersection on Ratchawithee road, blocking the route to the parliament’s Prasartthevarit gate, the only gate open for entry and exit.

The other gates were closed by police after the  yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)  moved their protest from Royal Plaza to the parliament  complex on Wednesday.

On Friday, the new blockade resulted in Pheu Thai Party MPs not being able to enter the House of Representatives to attend the scheduled session to deliberate the four proposed reconciliation bills, which had been moved to the top of the agenda by government majority on Thursday.

Reports said that only Democrat and other opposition MPs were allowed access to the parliament.

Red-shirt co-leader Jatuporn Prompan on Friday afternoon accused the PAD of trying to incite violence to pave the way for another military coup,

At a press conference to explain the stance of the red-shirt United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) held at Imperial Lat Phrao shopping centre, Mr Jatuporn claimed that the yellow-shirts planned to create conditions for a coup, as happened on Sep 19, 2006.

UDD chairwoman Tida Tawornseth and other UDD co-leaders were also at the news conference.

The yellow-shirts had obstructed Pheu Thai MPs from entering parliament to prevent them from attending a meeting to deliberate the four reconciliation bills, even though the process of creating national unity was in line with the democratic system, Mr Jatuporn said.
Mtr Jatuporn called on the red-shirts to stay cool, stay put and closely follow the political situation.

In the event of a coup, red-shirts in all provinces must travel to Bangkok and join forces at the Democracy Monument, which would be the centre for the fight against the coup, said Mr Jatuporn.

He told the red-shirts to wait for a signal from Mrs Tida, Nattawut Saikuar or himself before moving on the capital. Without an order from one of these three leaders, the red-shirts must stay put in their respective provinces.

Mr Jatuporn sought to reassure all soldiers that the red-shirts have no thought of toppling the high institution, as alleged, and that they would fight against only those trying to destroy democracy.

Mr Nattawut, the agriculture and cooperatives deputy minister, took the same tone.
He said the disruption of the parliamentary sitting over the past two days by the Democrats seemed like a signal for a power outside parliament to topple the government.

The Democrats and the "outside power" planned to topple the government by using the reconciliation bills as a justification.

He called on Abhisit Vejjajiva to resign as leader of the Democrat Party, saying he had failed to show responsibility for the House brawling caused by his party members.

Mr Abhisit had not tried to stop the Democrats from inciting chaos in the House of Representatives, he said.