Chamlong

An anti-government protest scheduled for next Sunday at Sanam Luang may be a political watershed if political veteran Chamlong Srimuang shows up to support the ouster of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

But Chamlong, respected for his clean image, has not yet said he will attend. In a telephone interview, he would only say that he would today announce his political stance and the direction of his Santi Asoke group.

Once Thaksin’s mentor, Chamlong has recently been critical of the leader, and his participation in a rally might pile pressure on the embattled premier.

In May 1992 Chamlong challenged the legitimacy of military strongman General Suchinda Klaprayoon’s regime.

While Suchinda stepped down, Chamlong was also forced to leave the political stage to atone for bloodshed that erupted during a confrontation between the opposing forces. If Chamlong returns, observers wonder if a political replay could be in the offing.

As of yesterday, Chamlong remained tight-lipped about his next move, but his aides said they were sure he would attend the rally.

A press conference has been scheduled for this afternoon to announce the split between Thaksin and Chamlong, said Democracy Confederation adviser Weng Tojirakan yesterday.

“Chamlong will himself announce whether he will attend the rally after confirming his break with Thaksin at the news conference,” Weng said.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin yesterday defied the government by indicating that the city administration would approve the use of Sanam Luang as the venue for Sunday’s protest.

“Pending a final meeting with organisers this week, I foresee no problem in holding a peaceful demonstration there,” he said.

Apirak said the People’s Alliance for Democracy had applied for a permit to hold a rally and city officials would have no objection to the request if there were no prior events scheduled at the site.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he was the victim of a smear campaign.

“Ill-intentioned people have even falsified my signature in fake government memos, sent to various agencies, claiming that I have ordered military units to merge with provincial administrative organisations due to budgetary constraints,” he said.

It was a shameless ploy to mislead people into thinking the country was plunging into a dire financial situation, he said.

Rumours about the government selling state assets were groundless, he added.

“I plead with the people to judge my government on its performance in the past five years and not to be swayed by rumour,” he said.

He said he had steered the country to new heights of prosperity and urging people to check the facts with the state hotline on 1111 or his Thai Rak Thai Party call centre on 1212.

He made the comments during his weekly radio address.

On constitutional amendments, Thaksin said he had had a useful meeting with more than 130 university rectors on Friday.

“I talked with the academics because I wanted an objective solution, not one based on emotion, in reviewing the Constitution,” he said.

Universities will study amendment proposals before laying them before the public for a final say, he said.

Interior Ministry adviser Surachai Baochanya said the grass roots had not wavered in their support for Thaksin.

“The anti-Thaksin protests have attracted only a fraction of urban residents,” he said.

The call for either Thaksin’s resignation or a snap election is meaningless because voters would give an overwhelming mandate to the Thai Rak Thai Party again, he said.

Surachai also blamed academics for being swayed by the government’s opponents into lending their names to the protest.

“I suspect that former Mahachon Party leader Anek Laothamatas is behind the mobilisation of university lecturers and students, because of his close ties with them,” he said.

The student union of Prince of Songkhla University’s Pattani Campus has launched a signature campaign to start impeachment proceedings against Thaksin.

“In just one day 3,000 people have signed calling for the removal of the prime minister,” student leader Ekarin Tuansiri said.

About 1,000 students rallied to support the drive. Their speeches focused on corruption plaguing the state and Thaksin’s failure to quell violence in the South.

Meanwhile Thammasart University’s student union yesterday stated they had gathered 25,000 signatures, half of the required 50,000 for the premier’s impeachment. Among them will be that of Mahachon Party leader Sanan Khachornprasart, who intended to sign yesterday but failed to bring his ID card. Sanan said he would sign today.

Also yesterday the Federation of State Enterprises joined the Student Federation of Thailand in launching a public campaign in Chatuchak Park seeking Thaksin’s resignation.