BANGKOK — Anti-government protest guards engaged in a brief gun battle with unidentified assailants near a Redshirt rally on Chaeng Wattana Road in a Bangkok suburb today.

The clash erupted after approximately 150 members of the pro-government People's Radio for Democracy (PRD) marched from their headquarters in Nonthaburi province to the Constitutional Court's office on Chaeng Wattana Road to protest the court's alleged bias against the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Scores of anti-government protesters led by the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) were also staging their own rally in front of the Government Complex near the Constitutional Court. 

Police officers quickly formed lines to separate the two groups. The Redshirts later announced an end to their rally and began heading back to Nonthaburi province.

However, as the Redshirts were marching out of the area, gunshots rang out near the office of TOT Public Company, sending PRD activists and soldiers stationed in the vicinity to scramble for shelter. Several shots were later fired in reply by unidentified individuals.

Police officers said they found one bullet hole penetrating the window of a coffee shop opposite the TOT office. No injury has been reported, and no arrest has been made.  

Pol.Col. Pipob Sukkam, a deputy commander of Thoong Song Hong Police Station, said the first shots were fired from the direction of PCAD guards who were watching the Redshirts.

Pol.Col. Pipob believes the guards may have felt threatened by the presence of rival Redshirt activists and a group of undercover police officers who were gathering intelligence reports in the area. The PCAD guards may have fired their weapons in order to drive the groups away, Pol.Col. Pipob said. 

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BANGKOK — Hundreds of anti-government protesters are demonstrating outside the hotel where representatives of various political parties are meeting for a talk on Thailand's future election.

The meeting was organised by the Election Commission (EC) to discuss details of the country’s next election, following the Constitutional Court's invalidation of the previous general election on 2 February. 

More than 60 political parties were invited to the forum, held at Miracle Grand Hotel in Laksi district, including the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the previous election. 

Democrat Party chairman Abhisit Vejjajiva declined to attend the meeting at the last minute, citing security concerns. 

Despite orders from the Centre for Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO), the EC did not  broadcast the meeting live on state-owned television channels 9, 11, and Thai PBS.

Secretary-general of the EC Mr. Puchong Nutrawong explained that the EC has never allowed the media to broadcast  EC-held public meeting that concern elections.

Mr. Puchong said a live broadcast of the event may inflame the already delicate situation, as the meeting will certainly involve heated exchanges between party representatives.

"I think it will be more negative than positive," the EC sec-gen told reporters, adding that the EC has already eased its regulation by allowing journalists to be present at the meeting.

When asked whether the decision not to broadcast the meeting can be seen as a "slap" to CAPO, Mr. Puchong replied that all EC activities must be decided solely by the EC, and denied that the gesture is hostile towards the government in any way.

Mr. Puchong also asked the party representatives not to bring any firearms into the forum.

"Pen and notebook are enough," Mr. Puchong said.

Shortly after the meeting began, a large motorised convoy of protesters led by the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) arrived at the hotel and proceeded to block some sections of Kampaengpetch Road to voice their opposition to the plan for another election.

PCAD has insisted that an unelected "People's Council" be established to implement series of reforms before any election is held. 

The PCAD protesters were led by the Buddhist activist monk, Buddha Issara.

At the hotel, Mr. Puchong allowed PCAD activists to enter the meeting hall and hang banners bearing anti-election slogans. 

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BANGKOK — A Redshirt group based in Nonthaburi province has vowed to "symbolically" petition His Majesty the King to air their grievance against the Constitutional Court.

According to Sornsak Malaithong, spokesman of the People's Radio for Democracy (PRD), the group will present a petition to a portrait of His Majesty the King in front of the Constitutional Court office today. Mr. Sornsak said the gesture is meant to humbly ask the king to ensure that the judges perform their duties with impartiality and fairness. 

"We want to express our demands in a symbolic way," Mr. Sornsak explained.

The Constitutional Court is scheduled to rule in the coming weeks on whether Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra illegally removed the former head of the National Security Council; a guilty verdict will strip Ms. Yingluck of her position as a caretaker PM.

Pro-government activists have accused the Constitutional Court of collaborating with anti-government protesters in a bid to oust Ms. Yingluck, and they have threatened to hold mass rallies if the judges hand down a guilty verdict. 

When asked whether the group's rally in front of the Constitutional Court office will lead to violent clashes with anti-government protesters who are also rallying near the court office, Mr. Sornsak said the risk of a clash is low because the rival protest groups have no "dispute" against each other.

"We have not prepared anything, and we have already contacted the police," Mr. Sornsak said, "It's the duty of the police to protect us."

Pol.Col. Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of Thoong Song Hong Police Station, said police officers have been deployed to contain the protests, and expressed his confidence that no violence will occur.

The police also asked motorists to avoid Laksi intersection due to the ongoing protests, and to use Soi Chaeng Wattana 5 instead. 

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BANGKOK — A group of activists has founded a new political party to pursue a variety of progressive reforms they say have been neglected by the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

The platform of the "Commoner Party of Thailand" (CPT) includes promises to reform Thailand's draconian lese majeste (insult of monarchy) laws, decentralize the government through local elections of regional officials, amend the 2007 Constitution, and advance labour rights through the expansion of employees' collective bargaining power.

The CPT also advocates passing an amnesty bill that will dissolve legal cases against Redshirt demonstrators (excluding their leaders) in connection with the political unrest in 2010.

Party chairman Thanapon Siyakool announced the formation of the CPT in a press conference on Sunday at The Emerald Hotel in Bangkok. 

"The motto of our party is Equality Across Thailand," Mr. Thanapon said. 

He was joined at the press conference by a number of prominent academics who praised the CPT although they have yet to officially become party members.

Nidhi Eoseewong, a prominent former history professor from Chiang Mai University, told the audience he fully supports the CPT’s vision for decentralisation, particularly the idea of replacing officials appointed by Bangkok bureaucrats with ones elected by local residents.

Although the disparity between urban and rural development decreased after the victory of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's populist Thai Rak Thai Party, the problem nevertheless persists, said Mr. Nidhi, and successive governments allied to Mr. Thaksin have failed to genuinely solve the issue.

"No political party has ever succeeded. But today's society has changed a lot. Who knows, the Commoner Party may succeed in this task," Mr. Nidhi said. 

His comment was echoed by Prapat Pintobtang, a lecturer on local politics from Chulalongkorn University, who said the Commoner Party is a much-needed choice for the poor and those who wish to advance reforms through legislation.

"All these years we have lacked a political party that campaigns alongside the popular sector," Mr. Prapat said. 

Suthachai Yimprasert, who teaches political history at Chulalongkorn University, said Thailand's democracy is currently being challenged by the "undemocratic" demands put forth by anti-government protesters, led by the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD). 

"They call it reforms, but what they offer is not reforms. Things like unelected parliament and appointed Prime Minister, these are not democratic," Mr. Suthachai said. "The real reforms should advance human rights and strengthen the people's voices." 

Although party chairman Mr. Thanapon said the CPT is intended to be an alternative for voters disappointed by Pheu Thai's shortcomings, Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit nevertheless attended the press conference and presented Mr. Thanapon with a flower bouquet to show his courteous support.

The CPT was officially listed by the Election Commission (EC) on 5 March, and it can legally run in the next election called by the EC.

Mr. Thanapon is currently serving as chairman of Kasetsat University's Society of Political Science. He has campaigned with various NGO groups for economic and social reforms, and is a longtime friend of Mr. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a labour activist who is serving a prison termfor lese majeste. 

Mr. Thanapon was also once a close friend to Somsak Thepsuthin, a leading member of the Bhumjai Thai Party, but their friendship is thought to have cooled after the Bhumjai Thai Party remained allied with the Democrat Party during the military crackdown on Redshirt protesters in 2010.

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NAKHON RATCHASIMA — Thousands of black-clad "volunteers" of a newly formed pro-government network participated in a massive military-style parade in Nakhon Ratchasima province today.

The parade, part of two-day event organised by the National Volunteers for Defence of Democracy (NVDD), was held at “80th Birthday of His Majesty the King Sport Stadium”in Mueang district.  

The NVDD was founded by several Redshirt leaders, including Suphon Attawong and Kwanchai Praipana, with the stated aim of defending democracy and opposing any attempts to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in an extra-legal way.

Mr. Suphon estimated that approximately 15,000 NVDD members attended today’s parade. The cohorts were organised in 64 columns based on province, with Mr. Suphon standing as the master of ceremony in the middle of the stadium, receiving salutes from each passing column.

A group of monks also chanted blessings and sprayed holy water at the marchers as they passed.

Mr. Suphon said the two-day event was conducted to display the "power of the people" who are willing to fight for democracy and an elected government.

After the parade is over, all members will be dispersed back to their hometowns to wait for notice of further "missions," the NVDD chairman said. One mission is to monitor the Constitutional Court's ruling on Ms. Yingluck, which could result in her removal as caretaker PM.

"If the verdict was delivered without fairness and led to the overthrow of our democracy … or if a coup takes place, we will summon all NVDD members to Bangkok in order to express our support of democracy," Mr. Suphon said. "We are willing to lay down our lives in defence of an elected government." 

A 62-year-old farmer from Nakhon Sawan provionce, who identified herself as Manit, said she decided to join the NVDD with her husband in part because her family has benefited from the government's rice-pledging scheme.

She also said she is deeply angered by the Constitutional Court's decision to invalidate the 2 February election, and that she is ready to fight for justice on Ms. Yingluck's behalf.

"If the NVDD calls for mobilisation, I will come out and fight immediately," Ms. Manit said.

Mr. Pichai, a 67-year-old retired public school teacher, said although he is from Songkhla province—a major stronghold of the anti-government movement—he joined the NVDD with a group of friends because he is opposed to the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) and its effort to "overthrow" the elected government.

"So we are rising up to fight for the right thing. I urge all sectors to swiftly organise a new election," said Mr. Pichai, who refused to give his surname.

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BANGKOK — The head of the Democrat Party has insisted that a new election is not a sufficient solution to Thailand's ongoing political crisis, contrary to the government's claims.

"At this moment many think … a smooth, problem-free election is an adequate solution," Abhisit Vejjajiva said at a press conference today. "But that is not the truth."

According to Mr. Abhisit, even if the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra manages to organise a new round of polls—the previous general election on 2 February was invalidated by the Constitutional Court—the public may not accept the election results because of widespread mistrust towards the government.

Mr. Abhisit's comment came the day before a meeting is scheduled to take place between various parties and the Election Commission concerning a future general election. Tomorrow’s meeting will be broadcast live on two government-owned television stations, channels 9 and 11.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party has urged the EC to conduct a new election as soon as possible, but  Mr. Abhisit said this will "not answer the country's problems." The Democrat Party boycotted the previous 2 February election.

The head of the opposition party also warned that possible clashes between rival protest groups may lead to a military coup similar to the one that ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

"I want all sides to look at the events of 2006. The date of the election was already set, political parties already began vote canvassing, but it ended in a military coup," Mr. Abhisit told reporters.

He went on, "I hope the discussion on 22 April will not see fights between different parties. The talk should be a discussion about the needs of every side, how to help the country move forward, without violence and coups."

Mr. Abhisit refused to say whether his party will run in the next election, but insisted that the Democrat Party is open to opinions from all sides in tomorrow's forum. 

Commenting on the reports that Mr. Thaksin is willing to "quit politics" for the sake of peace in Thailand, Mr. Abhisit said Mr. Thaksin is welcomed to stay in politics as long as he agrees to abide by the rule of laws and transparency.

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BANGKOK — The head of the Democrat Party has insisted that a new election is not a sufficient solution to Thailand's ongoing political crisis, contrary to the government's claims.

"At this moment many think … a smooth, problem-free election is an adequate solution," Abhisit Vejjajiva said at a press conference today. "But that is not the truth."

According to Mr. Abhisit, even if the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra manages to organise a new round of polls—the previous general election on 2 February was invalidated by the Constitutional Court—the public may not accept the election results because of widespread mistrust towards the government.

Mr. Abhisit's comment came the day before a meeting is scheduled to take place between various parties and the Election Commission concerning a future general election. Tomorrow’s meeting will be broadcast live on two government-owned television stations, channels 9 and 11.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party has urged the EC to conduct a new election as soon as possible, but  Mr. Abhisit said this will "not answer the country's problems." The Democrat Party boycotted the previous 2 February election.

The head of the opposition party also warned that possible clashes between rival protest groups may lead to a military coup similar to the one that ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

"I want all sides to look at the events of 2006. The date of the election was already set, political parties already began vote canvassing, but it ended in a military coup," Mr. Abhisit told reporters.

He went on, "I hope the discussion on 22 April will not see fights between different parties. The talk should be a discussion about the needs of every side, how to help the country move forward, without violence and coups."

Mr. Abhisit refused to say whether his party will run in the next election, but insisted that the Democrat Party is open to opinions from all sides in tomorrow's forum. 

Commenting on the reports that Mr. Thaksin is willing to "quit politics" for the sake of peace in Thailand, Mr. Abhisit said Mr. Thaksin is welcomed to stay in politics as long as he agrees to abide by the rule of laws and transparency.

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