Thailand Politics

Pardon fight gains pace

Pardon fight gains pace (Bangkok Post)
Opposition to the royal pardon for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is heating up ahead of the red shirts’ campaign to submit a petition to His Majesty the King. The People’s Alliance for Democracy, the Privy Council and the Bhumjaithai Party have made clear they oppose the petition and are pressing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to prevent it going ahead. The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and other supporters of Thaksin plan to wrap up the signature campaign tomorrow before submitting it to the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary, probably on Aug 7. Core leaders of the PAD yesterday held an urgent meeting to discuss a number of issues including the royal pardon petition for which the red shirts were hoping to get a million signatures. Pibhop Dhongchai, a PAD leader, said the petition was a political move that would affect the monarchy and the judicial process as well as national security. The petition would put national security at risk by worsening the rifts between members of the public, he said. The government is obliged to protect the monarchy and the country’s judicial system, Mr Pibhop said.

Pardon fight gains pace.

Opposition to the royal pardon for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is heating up ahead of the red shirts’ campaign to submit a petition to His Majesty the King. The People’s Alliance for Democracy, the Privy Council and the Bhumjaithai Party have made clear they oppose the petition and are pressing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to prevent it going ahead.

The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and other supporters of Thaksin plan to wrap up the signature campaign tomorrow before submitting it to the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary, probably on Aug 7. Core leaders of the PAD yesterday held an urgent meeting to discuss a number of issues including the royal pardon petition for which the red shirts were hoping to get a million signatures.

Pibhop Dhongchai, a PAD leader, said the petition was a political move that would affect the monarchy and the judicial process as well as national security. The petition would put national security at risk by worsening the rifts between members of the public, he said. The government is obliged to protect the monarchy and the country’s judicial system, Mr Pibhop said.

Joe Miller
the authorJoe Miller
I have been living in Thailand for over 20 years and witnessed the many changes the country has undergone since the Asian Financial Crisis. I have spent time in Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai, but I gravitate back to Bangkok when all is said and done. It is here that I spent years running a software development company and teaching at universities. These days I live on the Internet with Bangkok as my base. I never stopped believing in the enormous potential of Thailand's kingdom, which is why I joined the ThaiVest Team.