Many business councils or federations and professional umbrella groups are known to be supportive of the idea, and others have been receptive. At yesterday's meeting, which was also attended by interim prime minister Surayud Chulanont as an observer, the atmosphere was solemn at best. It was basically a silent show of concern and frustration.

Debate had taken place on the pros and cons of Prawase's idea. Thailand's political chaos has reached the stage where a slightly wrong move or tiny misperception can push an innocent "neutral" toward either the anti-coup or pro-Thaksin camps. And with the majority of the Thai media still holding negative views of the ousted prime minister, the role of the major umbrella media organisations as the middle-man in the Quest for Peace campaign will also be questioned.

Again, as Prawase said, this is a forum for everyone who doesn't want Thailand to plunge into violent confrontation, to regain its lost ground and find its feet. The country, he stated, doesn't belong exclusively to those who hate Thaksin Shinawatra to the bone or to those who will stop at nothing to bring him back.

There are those who don't like Thaksin but can't wait for the day the Council for National Security leaves the scene. There are those who are totally against the coup but think that the anti-coup protest will have the adverse outcome of prolonging the military presence in politics. In other words, there are those who think that it's not right to assume that those who shout louder have a greater right as Thai citizens. And now is probably the right time for peace-loving people to get out of their own "silence equals neutrality" mindset. According to Prawase, the neutrals can remain what they are even after screaming "enough is enough". A show of force can achieve peace, Prawase thinks. But it has to be natural, and not ambitious.

There has been an increasing sentiment that the long-time saviour called the "Middle Path" - with both Thaksin and the generals taken out of the political equation - might be the only way out of the present crisis. Prawase believes that if there are enough silent neutrals out there, the kind of movement he envisions will grow into a real voice for what Thailand really wants.

Violence and bloodshed can be avoided if it becomes clear to the warring camps, or the extremists in them at least, that they are in fact somewhat on the "boundaries", they are not the heart and soul of the nation. Is this too idealistic? Again, Thailand's political impasse has presented another irony. Idealism is normally associated with extremism, but now those advocating the Middle Path might as well be called dreamers. You can't have it both ways, the neutrals may be told. In reality, can we say "No" to both Thaksin and the coup at the same time? Will the "neutrals" welcome Thaksin back if their quest for peace leads Thailand to that outcome? Or will they want the generals to stay longer if that's the only way to prevent bloodshed?

But at least someone is trying to do something. If Prawase is right and there are enough neutrals out there, yesterday's gathering could be the beginning of a turning point. Or Prawase's plan could be just the first step up a very steep hill. The frailty of this campaign has as much to do with the crushing pressures from both sides as its own tendency to veer off the course.

It is a very noble and patriotic move by Prawase, but this so-called Middle Path will be a very narrow one indeed.