ANTI-THAKSIN protesters take a rest after attenging the Royal Plaza really overnight.

Civic groups and academics hope to use the political “wake-up” call from the marathon rally led by media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul to spur political reform and oust Thaksin Shinaw

Campaign for Popular Democracy secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila said yesterday people from various sectors including academics, businessmen, farmers, urban poor, non-government organisations, labours and students would form the “People’s Alliance for Democracy” to champion reform and try to oust the PM.

Thaksin, whose family made more than Bt73 billion from a contentious deal with a Singapore investment fund, had raised too many questions about concealment of assets and lacked the morality to govern. He had created a regime that only benefited his cronies, he said.

A meeting of representatives from 40 organisations yesterday agreed to set up the new group to show the government that people from all sectors of society – not only supporters of Sondhi – want the prime minister to quit, as well as to achieve political reform, Suriyasai said.

Another meeting on Wednesday would pick a 15-member committee to oversee the group and the platform for the movement, he said, adding it would campaign all around the country, not only in Bangkok.

Sondhi claimed victory yesterday in his battle against Thaksin after the overnight rally at Royal Plaza drew nearly 100,000 people, the biggest anti-government protest since the bloody May 1992 demonstrations against the Suchinda administration. But the media tycoon vowed to fight until Thaksin goes, calling another rally for this Saturday to continue his crusade.

Sondhi told the thousands who stayed at the Royal Plaza until yesterday morning that the protest achieved notable goals. He had managed to lodge three petitions against Thaksin with His Majesty the King, General Prem Tinasulanonda, chairman of the Privy Council, and General Sondhi Boonyaraklin, the Army chief.

Suriyasai said the Royal Plaza rally had raised the political temperature. He praised Sondhi’s effort, saying he had created awareness among the middle-class in Bangkok about the dark side of Thaksin’s regime.

Sondhi’s one-man style had, however, blocked participation by other groups and weakened the people’s movement, Suriyasai said. Many protesters agreed with Sondhi’s leadership but various groups around the nation were wary about his business background and motivation, he said.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy would talk with Sondhi to try to get a role at this Saturday’s rally, he added. Sondhi did not allow speakers from non-government groups to take the stage over the weekend, Suriyasai noted.

Labour leader Somsak Kosaisuk, who had previously joined Sondhi’s movement, said his group would continue to support the media mogul as he had the same goal – to oust Thaksin.

Chulalongkorn University political scientist Prapas Pintobtang, who last week joined a group of academics calling for the premier to stand down, said academic groups would also set up a forum to discuss the political crisis under the current government.

“Thaksin has some moral problems while our political system is also in a crisis as many mechanisms under the Constitution do not function,” he said, noting that forcing the PM out would not solve all the nation’s troubles.

A Chiang Mai University academic said yesterday his group would gather 50,000 signatures to initiate an impeachment action against the prime minister.

Atthachak Satayanurak, a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, said he would hold a meeting of academics from the North to discuss a constitutional move to get Thaksin out of office.

Last week, lecturers from numerous universities around the country signed letters demanding that Thaksin resign. They accused the PM of abusing his power and business laws to help his family avoid paying a huge sum in tax in the controversial Shin Corp stock deal.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee,

Subhatra Bhumiprabhas

The Nation