Meanwhile, representatives of three local administration organisations submitted a letter objecting to the bill and presented flowers to Interior Minister Aree Wongsearaya, who has opposed the move.

Prior to a discussion on the issue at Chulalongkorn Univer-sity yesterday, scholars, professionals and leaders of people's organisations said they backed the bill. They called it a key mechanism for people's participation in democracy.

They said the bill would give people the chance to participate in local development by working with local administration bodies and state agencies. It would also promote community strength and boost cooperation between local administration bodies and social groups.

Anti-corruption campaigner Rosana Tositrakul urged local administration organisations not to oppose the bill, saying Thailand urgently needed people's strength and participation to stop corruption and prevent future coups. Political turmoil was due to a lack of checks on politicians, she said.

Son Roopsung, secretary-general of the Assembly of Community Organisations of Thailand (ACOT), said there were already conflicts anyway, so fears the bill would spark disunity were groundless. Son cited a tambon administration organisation (TAO) election in which supporters of the four candidates had fought bitterly.

After the winner was announced, he could not get any cooperation from supporters of the other three candidates to implement local projects.

If there were a local community organisation council, representatives of community organisations could formulate development plans with no political interference and succeed, as seen in 20 tambons now, he said.

ACOT said Interior Ministry  officials had been trying to sew misunderstanding over the bill's true content. It urged people to study the bill carefully.

Thanathorn Panthong, president of the Srisawang TAO in Roi Et's Phon Sai district, said he did not believe the bill would create disunity unless there was political interference.

He said tambon and local administration bodies had been told by the Interior Ministry they could work freely, then new regulations reduced their power. If there were a community organisation council in place, each area could be regarded as "transparent", because the council could help ensure that.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Provincial Administra-tion Organisation Council, the National Municipal League of Thailand, the Tambon Administration Organisation Council of Thailand (TAOC) and the Village and Tambon Headmen's Association yesterday handed Aree a letter objecting to the bill. They say it would spark conflict and was redundant because of existing local administration bodies.

The group said the TAOC was surveying opinions about the bill in five southern provinces.

Aree told the groups that he and Deputy Prime Minister and Human Security Minister Paiboon Wattanasiritham had no conflict over the issue, merely different opinions.