POLITICS
Warrants out for nine leading PAD members
ANUCHA CHAROENPO
Crunch time
People's Alliance for Democracy guards, left, struggle to push back riot police trying to enter the grounds of Government House occupied by PAD protesters. About 1,000 riot police were deployed as part of the rotation of police guards inside Government House. |
The five core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), now facing arrest, are pinning their hopes on three successors carrying on their efforts to bring down the government.
The three new leaders are Sirichai Mai-ngam, Sawit Kaewwan and Samran Rodpetch.
All have taken to the stage to attack Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet since PAD renewed its demonstration on May 25.
Mr Sirichai is chairman of the labour union of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Mr Sawit is secretary-general of the powerful State Enterprise Labour Union, and Mr Samran, a former journalist, is now PAD spokesman.
Chamlong Srimuang, one of the five core PAD leaders, announced the appointment of the three while police were obtaining arrest warrants in the Criminal Court for him and eight other key members.
The court approved the warrants. The charges include treason, which carries the maximum penalty of death.
One of the nine is Democrat MP Somkiat Pongpaiboon. He cannot be arrested while parliament is in session.
The three will immediately take over the leadership once the arrests are made.
The core members told supporters at Government House that they will not resist police attempts to arrest them, but added that police will have to get them from among the crowd.
"We will not resist [the arrest warrants] and we will not seek bail," Maj-Gen Chamlong said.
He told supporters to wait for directions from the three leaders after he and the others are arrested.
Another PAD leader, Pibhop Dhongchai, said that despite the appointment of new leaders, the goal of the rally remained unchanged.
The new leaders will encourage supporters to overthrow the government by peaceful means.
"We will definitely win. We will get a new society, new politics," he said.
Gothom Arya, director of the Research Centre for Peace Building at Mahidol University, said the new leaders' qualifications will be tested when they have to guide thousands of supporters in the same direction.
But Maj-Gen Chamlong was confident they would be able to lead the ongoing protest to victory because of their experience.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Next
