STATE OF EMERGENCY

PAD remains defiant as pressure mounts on Samak

By The NationPublished on September 3, 2008

So far, life goes on as usual for PAD, but academics and advocacy groups are calling on Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to either step down or dissolve Parliament.

As more protesters poured into Government House, where music continued to play and defiant speakers continued to address vociferous crowds, the state of emergency declared by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Tuesday morning seemed to have serious effects on only one person _ himself.

As of 2 am Wednesday, it remained business as usual for the People's Alliance for Democracy at Government House. There were concerns, and rumours, that security forces could move in any time to enforce the emergency law following early Tuesday morning's clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters that left one man dead and dozens injured.

Since the declaration of the state of emergency Tuesday morning, the protesters remained free to move about the city and continue with their rally routines at Government House. In addition, the PAD has staged another rally in front of ASTV office on Tha Pra-arthit Road to guard against any effort to shut down its cable TV station.

On Tuesday night, ASTV started airing with the screen divided equally to cover the activities at the main stage inside the Government House and the smaller gathering near the ASTV office.

The Government House crowd at around 1am on Wednesday seemed to surpass the one on Tuesday morning. Apart from the regular protesters clad in yellow and decorated with PAD's accessories, the rally welcomed medical students from the Hua Chiew Chalerm Prakiat University. They took the stage at 1am and expressed their support for the PAD's campaign.

Despite Samak's controversial strategy of shifting responsibility to the Army, its commander Gen Anupong Paojinda remarkably dealt with the added pressure. He won praises from several corners following his no-coup pledge and vow not to resort to violence against the protesters.

Suriyasai Takasila, a key PAD member, told the protesters that the state of emergency meant that the military was in charge of the situation, "which is good because we can't trust the police."

So far, it was seemingly Samak whom the state of emergency has backfired against. Despite the purported restrictions on certain civil liberties, both pro- and anti-government groups yesterday continued their protests inside Government House and other spots in Bangkok and provincial cities.

Criticism against Samak was echoed through many sectors, from student groups to university rectors.

A group of 40 senators, led by Bangkok Senator Rosana Tositrakul, said the premier should quit, while Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, president of the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), said Samak was passing the buck to the military by imposing emergency rule.

He must either resign or dissolve the House of Representatives for the sake of the country, said the NIDA chief.

Teerana Bhongmakapat, dean of Chulalongkorn University's Economics Faculty, said the government should show responsibility and help avoid more violence by resigning from office.

Other advocacy groups said the premier should be held accountable for the deadly clash between pro- and anti-government crowds in the early hours of Tuesday, in which one person was killed and 40 injured.

These groups also called on government coalition parties to step up pressure on Samak by quitting the government, while urging Army chief General Anupong Paochinda, who is in charge of emergency rule, to refrain from using force to crack down on protesters.

The National Human Rights Commission also issued a statement opposing the state of emergency declared over Bangkok.

The state of emergency is a draconian security measure that will further inflame the situation, it said.

Under emergency rule, assemblies of more than five people are banned. However, about 4,000 protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy remained at a rally at the seat of government.

PAD-led crowds also laid siege to Hat Yai Airport, which resulted in the cancellation of all flights between the southern hub and Bangkok.

Thammasat University rector Surapon Nitikraipot and the university's 42 executives suggested the House should be dissolved to defuse tensions.

However, Suchao Meenongwa, a political science lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, said it was the anti-government PAD which had provoked the increasing violence.

In the meantime, a civic group in the Northeast issued a statement after a meeting at Si Sa Ket Rajabhat University condemning the PAD's behaviour.

The group also condemned the plan by state enterprise unions to halt public services.
Other groups opposing the state of emergency include groups of rural doctors and dentists and academics from Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University and Naresuan University.

Students from Khon Kaen University and NIDA are among the groups demanding the premier's resignation.

Finance Ministry spokesman Somchai Sujjapongse said if the political conflict were to be prolonged, it would hit consumption, investment and tourism.

Meanwhile, media associations - including the Thai Journalists Association, the National Press Council of Thailand and the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association - said the 2005 law allowing for emergency decrees was against the intent of the Constitution as it restricts people's right to know.