Blot onThailand's reputation

Asst Prof Dr Wichai Kanchanasuwan, a lecturer at Prince of Songkhla University, said the red-shirt invasion of the summit's venue had been broadcast worldwide, not just shaming the government but also damaging the country.

"The government should not have underestimated the situation. It should have been better prepared. What happened will inevitably affect international confidence in Thailand, especially in the eyes of Asean countries,'' he said.

He said the government did not dare use force against the red-shirts because they were using the very same tactics as the yellow-shirts.

"Restraining the situation and explaining things to the international community is the best damage-control tactic for the government," he said.

Adviser to Human Rights Watch Sunai Pasuk said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's order declaring a state of emergency had come too late because the meeting had already been cancelled and the protesters had dispersed.

"The government should have stepped in as soon as the blue- and red-shirts started confronting each other. It should have declared the meeting area off limits and should not have let the red-shirts get close to it. Declaring a state of emergency now is meaningless,'' he said.

What happened yesterday will definitely affect the country's credibility and its ability to host the Asia-Pacific security meeting scheduled for mid-year, he said. Powerful political entities, such as US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, are expected to attend the security meeting.

"Now these leaders must be wondering if the government can actually control the situation, when they couldn't manage things in an area as small as Pattaya. It will take the government years to restore confidence after this," he said.

Dr Parinya Thewanaruemitkul, vice rector of Thammasat University, said the government had misjudged things and that security officials were not trained well enough to handle such situations. "They either use too harsh or too lenient an approach,'' he said.

Instead, he said, Abhisit should dissolve the House, but only after the Democrats and the opposition Pheu Thai Party make a pact that both sides will abide by the election results, no matter who wins.