The government should review the bail of Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra and former Thai Rak Thai Party members if they continue to financially back PTV anti-government campaigns, a political activist said yesterday.

Campaign for Popular Democracy secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila alleged rising anti-government campaigns by PTV and the Thai Rak Thai Party were undeniably a strategy designed by deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to topple the Surayud Chulanont government.

Public prosecutors on March 26 charged Pojaman, her brother Bhanapot Damapong and her personal secretary, Kanjanapa Honghern with conspiring to evade tax. The three were bailed for Bt5 million each.

Suriyasai said anti-government campaigners were open about wanting Thaksin back in power.

He said they were challenging court authority because Thaksin family members were under investigation for corruption and other offences.

"If the Thai Rak Thai Party continues its support of PTV, public prosecutors must review the bail granted to Pojaman to stop its anti-government campaigns,'' he said.

He added if protests continued it was likely the People's Alliance for Democracy would resume its political movement to counter Thaksin groups.

"We will come back not to create confrontation but to make sure the government brings corrupt people in the Thaksin administration to justice,'' Suriyasai said.

PTV yesterday threatened to sue Pracharaj Party leader Snoh Thienthong for alleging it had been paid to organise demonstrations against the government and the junta.

Jatuporn Promphan, an executive of the planned satellite television station, said he would ask its lawyers to consider suing Snoh for defamation.

"I challenge Snoh to provide evidence showing who financed the rallies," Jatuporn said. "He is 73 years old so he should [know he needs to] back up allegations with evidence."

If Snoh does not stop attacking PTV, the station will definitely sue him, Jatuporn said.

Snoh, however, repeated the allegation at his birthday party yesterday, though he backed down on his threat to name the person who allegedly bankrolled PTV's rallies.

Snoh said he did not have to identify the person because the government and the Council for National Security (CNS) knew who was behind PTV's rallies.