New group of scholars campaign for peaceful politics

The group urged the government to lift emergency rule and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leaders to respect the country's rule of law. The group also called on impartial citizens to break their silence and join them to help resolve the political crisis.

"The way that would lead Thai society out of the current political violence is to restore normalcy to society first," said Thammasat University (TU) political scientist Prajak Kongkiriti at a press conference at the university's Tha Pracha Campus.

Prajak and 40 fellow-academics from various universities, including Chiang Mai University, Chulalongkorn, Kasetsart, Mahidol, Ramkhamhaeng and Silpakorn, issued a statement urging the PAD leaders to turn themselves in to the police and the government to lift the state of emergency.

"No one can be above the law and the country has to be restored to normalcy," the statement read.

"The emergency decree is a law that limited people's rights to associate and rights to political expression and may give an opportunity for the authorities to violate the rights of the people," Prajak added.

TU economist Apichat Satitniramai urged Thai society to ignore the PAD leaders' demands if they do not respect the rule of law.

"We [the group] urge the PAD leaders to respect the rule of law to show the true [principle] of civil disobedience, which will defuse violence and prevent political change by powers from outside the [democratic] system," he said.

Philosopher Kasem Penpinan added the government should also show forgiveness by withdrawing the treason charge against the PAD leaders.

Historian Thanet Aphornsuvan, dean of TU's faculty of liberal arts, warned that if people in society allow the current political conflict to develop, it could lead to a coup.

"It could be the first bloody coup in Thailand's political history," the historian said.

However, he said that he did not think it would reach a state of civil war, which many people were worried about.

The group urged people to send postcards or e-mails to support their campaign to tell the PAD leaders and the government that "No one can be above the law and the country has to be restored to normalcy."

Postcards can be sent to Room 9, 6th floor of Faculty of Liberal Arts,

Thammasat University - Tha Prachan Campus.  E-mails can be sent to http://ruleoflawthailand.wordpress.com

Santi-Prachadhamma Academic Network demands

* PAD leaders turn themselves in to the police to face charges and demonstrate that no one is above the law. The leaders respect court and judicial power, a basic principle. Protesters should have the right to continue their peaceful protest.

* The government should lift the state of emergency that limits people's right to associate and political expression and allows the government to violate rights.

* Public to keep the peace when expressing political views.