SARABURI — A Redshirt supporter was hospitalised after anti-government protest guards beat him up for shouting insults at demonstrators yesterday, police in Saraburi province say.

According to police, the incident took place during a demonstration by supporters of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) on Phahonyothin Road, led by monk and core PCAD leader Buddha Issara.

As the protesters were marching past Phra Phutthabat hospital, a motorist rolled down his window to shout insults at the protesters for blocking traffic. He also held up a T-Shirt with the image of ex-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, police say.

Enraged by the gesture, a group of PCAD guards reportedly dragged the man out of his car and beat him repeatedly. The guards also smashed the windows of the man's vehicle, police say.

Another incident occurred when a woman stopped her car and also loudly criticised the PCAD's disruption of traffic. The woman managed to speed away before guards were able to detain her, but two gunshots were reportedly fired in her direction.

One of the bullets hit the back of a pick-up truck that belongs to a man who parked his car to watch the confrontation. The man has filed complaint with the police, an officer at Phra Phuttabat Police Station said.

The man who was allegedly beaten up by the PCAD guards was identified as 50-year-old Kollayuth. He is said to have received medical treatments at Phra Phuttabat Hospital for injuries to the face. 

The police say they are interrogating witnesses in the area. 
  

For comments, or corrections to this article please contact: [email protected]

You can also find Khaosod English on Twitter and Facebook
http://twitter.com/KhaosodEnglish
http://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish

BANGKOK — Senate Speaker Surachai Liangboonlertchai has insisted that solutions to the ongoing political crisis not be restricted by legal boundaries.

"Legal experts should not try to use the laws to reject solutions offered by any side," Mr. Surachai said after a meeting with university rectors to discuss ways out of Thailand's protracted political conflict.

"It will turn laws into shackles for this country," Mr. Surachai said.

In the past week, the Senate Speaker has held a series of meetings with different agencies and organisations, seeking input on how to reconcile the political conflict that pits the embattled government of acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn against anti-government protesters and their backers in the establishment. 

Reporters were not allowed to observe today’s meeting with university rectors at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), but according to Mr. Surachai, the discussion was  "highly beneficial" to the Senate’s effort to resolve the country's turmoil.

Mahidol University Rector Ratchata Ratchatanawin told reporters that he and other rectors told Mr. Surachai that Thailand needs a new government that can exercise its power fully, because the current caretaker government's limited power has caused the nation to "almost grind to a halt," further escalating the violence. 

However, Mr. Ratchata stressed that the "new government" has to be formed in a constitutional manner.

"The discussion today did not bring up any method that is above the constitution," Mr. Ratchata said. 

Rectors from 21 universities across Thailand attended the forum with Mr. Surachai today, while five universities refused to send any delegates.

After the meeting, Mr. Surachai asked the media not to "mislead" the public by claiming that he has already lent his support to anti-government protesters' demand for a "neutral" PM to be appointed by the Senate and approved by His Majesty the King.

"The public should know that we do not work with any bias or sympathy for any political side. Although the people have different opinions, they are still the people of Thailand all the same," Mr. Surachai said. "Therefore, the Senate has to take care of all sides, in order to bring our country back to a happy peace."

Governmental officials and pro-government supporters have dismissed the proposal to appoint a new, unelected PM under Artilce 7 as unlawful.

Mr. Surachai added that he still hopes the government and the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) will take part in the Senate's discussions. 

The UDD has boycotted the Senate's  'discussion tour,’ denouncing it as a masked attempt to legitimise anti-government protesters' demands for an unelected PM. Acting PM Niwatthamrong has said he will only meet with Mr. Surachai in a separate, informal meeting.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party has also released a statement criticising the effort by Mr. Surachai to present himself as a mediator to the current conflict, noting that Mr. Surachai has no legal power to convene a Senate meeting to vote on any matter. 

The statement denounces any attempt by the Senate to pave the way for an appointment of an unelected Prime Minister as unconstitutional, and repeats Pheu Thai's calls for the next election to be arranged as soon as possible.

For comments, or corrections to this article please contact: [email protected]

You can also find Khaosod English on Twitter and Facebook
http://twitter.com/KhaosodEnglish
http://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish

BANGKOK — The Royal Thai Army has warned that the military is willing to step in to bring about "order" if Thailand’s political unrest continues to escalate.

The warning was broadcast live on the army-owned TV Channel 5 this afternoon, hours after unidentified militants fired grenades and automatic rifles at an anti-government rally in Bangkok, killing at least three people and injuring over 20. 

The statement, which was issued on behalf of army commander-in-chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, strongly condemned the attack:

"The public should condemn all sides who employ violence and use military-grade weapons on innocent citizens, and the public should send information or clues [concerning the perpetrators] to the Army."

The statement praised all efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the political crisis, but also noted: "however, legal channels and dialogues might not achieve much in this period of time, because there are many debates and disputes. [The efforts] may be too slow to respond to the situation, which indicates a rise in violence."

The army went on to issue its strongest warning of a military intervention since anti-government protesters first took to the streets last November:

"We would like to warn all groups, especially those who employ violence with military-grade weapons on innocent citizens, to cease these actions immediately. If the situation continues to be marked with violence, it will be necessary for the military to launch a full-scale effort to end the violence, in order to maintain order [and safety] in lives and properties of the people."

"If the situation escalates to the point that unrest breaks out, for the sake of public order, the army may be required to deploy the armed force to resolve the situation. In that stage, if any individual or any group of individuals or any armed group responds to the army [with violence] or continues to harm the innocent people, those individuals will be subject to extreme measures of suppression under the laws by the security forces, in which the wrongdoers will not be able to seek any compensation."

Although the army's statement did not clarify under what legal provisions the military would launch these "extreme measures of suppression," some observers believe the statement refers to a possible invocation of Martial Law. Under Thai law, commanders of the armed forces are authorized to unilaterally impose Martial Law in the event of unrest or foreign invasion.

The statement also warned against any defamation of the army, which will be taken as "a slandering of dignity and pride of the army. All soldiers will not accept such gesture."

The statement added that the army "belongs to the Nation, the Religion, the Monarchy, and all Thai citizens. It does not belong to any certain side. However, the army will defend dignity, pride, and uphold the public order of the nation and the people in the fullest capacity when the need arises." 

The army made no mention of the current caretaker government, suggesting that they may be willing to deploy troops without the consent of acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn. 

The statement is bound to raise the ire of many pro-government supporters, who have long viewed Gen. Prayuth and the army as sympathetic to the anti-government cause. 

Since the current crisis erupted last November, Gen. Prayuth has refused to rule out the possibility of military coup, raising fears that the army is contemplating yet another coup against the elected government.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to whom the current administration is allied, was ousted by the army in 2006.

Thailand has experienced eleven successful military coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. 

For comments, or corrections to this article please contact: [email protected]

You can also find Khaosod English on Twitter and Facebook
http://twitter.com/KhaosodEnglish
http://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish

By Somchai Kwankijswet and Peter Janssen (DPA)

BANGKOK — Anti-government protesters Thursday disrupted efforts to schedule a new general election for Thailand, which has been without a parliament for the past six months, reports said.

Thousands of protesters broke into the Royal Thai Air Force Academy in northern Bangkok, despite riot police guarding the compound, Blue Sky TV reported.

The forced entry prompted the swift departure of Election Commission officials and caretaker Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, who had been scheduled to discuss the date for a fresh election.

"I was coming here to talk with them about the political situation, but when they heard we were coming they ran away," said Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protest movement.

After disrupting the talks, protest leaders met commission executives at their headquarters argue against holding an election soon.

The PDRC wants the Senate to appoint a prime minister who would set up an interim government to push through political reforms aimed at ridding Thailand's political system of corruption and vote-buying.

"I can accept an election if the Election Commission can guarantee that it will not be contested by political parties owned by capitalists instead of by the people," Suthep told the commission.

Election Commission Chairman Suphachai Somcharoen suggested that the election be postponed by three months, giving the commission time to amend some electoral regulations.

But the commission refused to condone Suthep's proposal to legislate political reforms before the polls without an elected parliament in place.

"Now there is no parliament, and making laws is the duty of parliament," Suphachai said.

Niwattumrong, who became caretaker prime minister on May 7 after the Constitutional Court sacked his predecessor Yingluck Shinawatra, and members of his ruling Pheu Thai Party had wanted a fresh general election to be held on July 20.

Yingluck dissolved parliament on December 9, in the face of mounting protests against her government.

A snap election was held on February 2, but its outcome was annulled by a court ruling after widespread disruption by anti-government protesters.

Although the protests have been generally peaceful, they have been marred by occasional acts of violence.

Early Thursday, unidentified assailants in a pickup truck opened fire with M16 rifles on protesters camped near Democracy Monument in western Bangkok about 3:00 am (2000 GMT Wednesday), killing two guards and a male demonstrator, the Erawan Emergency Centre said.

Another 18 people were injured, the centre said.

In a second attack, an M79 grenade was thrown at the protesters' street camp, injuring two more people, the centre said.

"They are attacking our people with war weapons … yet the authorities don't care and have done nothing," said PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan.

At least 25 people have died in protest-related violence since the end of November.