This blood is on the hands of one man

Thaksin, will he stop at nothing? To escape the Thai courts for good? To make Thais kill Thais and make civil war, just to save himself?

After yesterday's incident, Britain can no longer be complacent and ignore the root cause of Thailand's division - all due to one man's selfishness. Britain must set the precedent now and send Thaksin back immediately to face legal proceedings, or else be willing, with Thai blood on her hands, to welcome more fugitives and harbour them from justice. I do not believe British citizens, will feel comfortable with the latter choice.

CAROLYN

BANGKOK

British authorities need to take a reality check

Thaksin is at it again, doing what he always does best: being deviously deceitful. He is hoodwinking the British government, hoping it will buy his pathetic plea for asylum. In fact, he is orchestrating, even bankrolling, the destruction of anyone, including unarmed protesters, standing in the way of his return to power. If the British government falls for this one, God Save the Queen and her countrymen!

WINSTON THAN

BANGKOK

PAD and the PM must carry all the blame

Tuesday's toll of two dead and 400 injured after the police crackdown on PAD protestors is too much. The PAD and PM Somchai are to blame, and both must pull us back from anarchy.

The PAD's claims of non-violence ring hollow when many protestors were armed with staves and a demonstrator used a truck to run down police. Similarly, the PAD's anti-democracy credentials were starkly revealed when it demanded the unilateral right to demand that the PM step down and dissolve Parliament or "face decisive action'.

Maj Gen Chamlong's surrounding himself and other PAD leaders with female participants when faced with arrest speaks volumes about his courage. PAD participants should now realise that their main use may be as human shields for their leaders, and that they may well have been misled as to the PAD's motives.

PM Somchai should resign for his lack of imagination and inability to keep the peace.

Yes, the law requires a public hearing of the government's policies before taking office - but must this hearing be in Parliament? Also, why were the demonstrators not given any warning and time to leave? A cardinal rule of riot control is to use minimal force.

The new PM should choose a more qualified Cabinet than those of ex-PM Samak and Somchai, including requiring nominees to obtain Senate confirmation. If he cannot do that, then he should dissolve the House, so we can choose anew.

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK