The three-day event at Thammasat University's Rangsit campus has attracted some 3,000 leaders. It has been billed as one of the largest NGO gatherings in the country.

Planned more than a year ago, it was intended to chart strategies for a range of issues facing Thailand and its people.

But that was overshadowed by the recent military coup.

"This is an NGO crisis. We've been split on certain issues before, but never to this extent," said activist Sombat Boonngarm-anong.

"To see people I admire and respect serving a dictatorship

is painful and defies explana-tion." Sombat argued in refer-ence to recent appointments by coup leaders of senior activists and academics to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA). These included Tuenjai Deetes, Wallop Tangkananurak, Dr Niran Pitakwatchara, Gothom Arya and Surichai Wankaeo.

"I don't object to anyone wanting to work with the government, but this is not a normal regime. They stole power from the people. The NGO role is to stay on the opposite end of such regimes and hold them accountable," Sombat said.

But others at the forum branded his attitude "fundamentalist democracy" and "unrealistic". They encouraged a more "pragmatic" approach.

"The military seizure of power from Thaksin is not a victory to celebrate," argued Surichai, who has agreed to sit in the NLA, "but it doesn't do any good to stand on the purity of democratic principle. The poor still suffer, and people in the deep South are dying every day.

"Their problems cannot be solved by us fighting ideological battles in Bangkok."

Surichai's supporters included activists fighting a range of issues from free-trade agreements and privatisation of public utilities to land, forest and water rights. They hope to use this forum to have these issues written into the interim Constitution.

Nevertheless, coup opponents like Baramee Chairat asked how effective it could be to work within a process that began by illegal seizure of power, enforced martial law and controlled Constitution-drafting and was becoming less clear on when elections would be held.

"Those [NGOs] involved are not truly interested in demo-cracy," Bramee alleged. "They

may think they can turn the situation around to benefit people, but they can't. The only difference is that they've replaced a capitalist dictatorship with a military one."

Throughout the forum's first day such sentiments cropped up inside and outside formal sessions.

Giles Ungpakorn, the forum's principal organiser, said that while this had not been planned, the coup had happened and NGOs had to respond.

"Many academics and NGOs who were supposed to be a part of our forum became tank liberals [coup-supporters]. But again, open debate is nothing to be afraid of. Everyone has the right to use this space to defend their ideology."

"At the end of the forum we may have to agree an ambiguous common position like 'we all want democracy' and people's participation in matters that affect lives," said Giles.

A planned march of forum participants tomorrow at the end of the forum has been shortened and will now end at Democracy Monument. The original destination was Government House via Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus and Democracy Monument.

"Many of us don't think it's appropriate to march to Government House," said one of the organisers.

Meanwhile, some activists said the divide among groups had not arisen since the coup but had been brewing for nearly a year when NGOs became involved with the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

While there was significant NGO opposition to Thaksin Shinawatra and his government and support for him to step down, many NGOs questioned the integrity and motives of the PAD leadership.

"It was pretty obvious that the only thing PAD leaders stood for was getting rid of Thaksin by any means and its 'democracy' moniker was little more than propaganda." said Nantasith Chairat.

Former PAD leader Pibhob Dhongchai argued that that was untrue. While some former PAD members had "shown relief" over the military overthrow, others, like himself, did not support it.

"We wanted Thaksin out by people power. I'm not happy with the coup. I was offered positions, but I made it clear I wouldn't work with a military dictatorship.

"Some PAD leaders are starting a new political party now, and they have asked me to become leader. I told them I was too old."

Sombat noted: "We now know some NGOs' true colours.

"NGOs can no longer generalise themselves as a progressive leftist movement, because there are greenish [military] right-wing elements among us."

There was another benefit, too, said Giles. "Many people who kept their mouths shut began to debate for what they believe at this forum. Our debate here is what true democracy is about. We're allowing all views to be expressed and charting our way forward from there."

Nantiya Tangwisutijit

The Nation