Protesters take to the streets in a rowdy show of force on Saturday night near the Democracy Monument.

Moves by the PTV Group are reminiscent of those made by the People's Alliance for Democracy, which played a catalytic role last year in ousting Thaksin Shinawatra from office. It is clearly an eye-for-eye engagement.

It started with media tycoon Sonthi Limthongkul upset that he didn't get a slot for a TV programme from the Thaksin government. Modernine TV removed his 'Muang Thai Rai Sapda' show. Undaunted, Sonthi moved his weekly talk show to the Thammasat University Auditorium to expose corruption, cronyism and nepotism in the Thaksin government. It became a Sonthi phenomenon.

Afterwards, Sonthi gained more followers, who liked to listen to his hard-hitting talking style at Lumpini

Park.

The Bangkok middle class might not fully trust Sonthi as a messenger but they liked his message because they were very uncomfortable with the Thaksin regime.

Sonthi's solo endeavour later on transformed into the People's Alliance for Democracy, with broad-based support from Bangkok's middle class. The PAD's core leaders also included Major General Chamlong Srimuang, Phipob Thongchai, Somkiat Phongpaiboon and Somsak Kosaisuk.

The group's street demonstrations were covered by Sonthi's ASTV satellite-based television group. Eventually, the PAD succeeded in cornering Thaksin by staging mass rallies at the Royal Plaza and also at Government House, which attracted crowds of up to 100,000 supporters.

PTV - or People's Television, which is said by some to represent Pojaman, Thaksin Vision - represents a parody of ASTV. It was created after Thaksin had been ousted from office.

Thai Rak Thai figures Veera Musigapong, Jakraphob Penkair, Natthawut Saikua, and Jatuporn Phromphan stood up as leaders of PTV, aiming to become an anti-military and anti-Surayud government broadcast news station.

But the military junta would not allow this TV station, which supports a return of Thaksin, to see daylight.

Initially, PTV called for equal treatment with ASTV so it could broadcast its news service. Later, it has transformed itself, with 10,000 supporters, to become a political movement aimed at toppling the military regime altogether.

PTV, which has been staging weekly protests against the Surayud government, has also been upset with the Constitution Tribunal's rulings, which disbanded the Thai Rak Thai Party and barred its 111 executive members from politics for five years.

Last week, its supporters marched to the Army headquarters to demand the resignation of Army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin. Fears of further political instability have increased. It now calls itself a Democratic Alliance for the Toppling of the Military Dictatorship.

While the People's Alliance for Democracy aimed to remove Thaksin from political power, the Democratic Alliance for the Toppling of the Military Dictatorship has announced clearly that it would like to have Thaksin back in power.

While supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy wore "yellow shirts" together in their political drive, those now supporting the Democratic Alliance for the Toppling of the Military Dictatorship are also camouflaging themselves with yellow shirts and head bans.

The People's Alliance for Democracy sought to expose corruption scandals in the Thaksin government as a weapon to destroy Thaksin, but the Democratic Alliance for the Toppling of the Military Dictatorship is playing on the military's dictatorial powers gained via the coup.

The People's Alliance for Democracy got support from the middle-class, while the Democratic Alliance for the Toppling the Military Dictatorship relies on support from people recruited from the countryside to stage demonstrations in Bangkok.

There are some differences and similarities between these two political movements.

But at the end of the day, only result counts. Will the Democratic Alliance for the Toppling of the Military Dictatorship succeed?

Or is it only acting as a proxy for behind-the-scenes negotiations on the impending freezing of former politicians' assets?

Political Desk

The Nation