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Almost three-quarters of the respondents said they believed the crackdown was accountable, and 73 per cent believed clashes between civilians, not soldiers, had caused the protester's death.

The survey was conducted by Abac Poll Research Centre, covering 1,439 households in 17 provinces in all regions.

Sixty-five per cent also believed that most protesters had attended the rally out of conviction and really been fighting for democracy, while only 35 per cent doubted this.

Almost 80 per cent had hope of national reconciliation, the rest none.

The Abac Poll Research Centre conducted the survey shortly after the controversial crackdown on red-shirt protesters, which was seriously criticised by most red shirts, who accused the government of covering up more deaths in the crackdown.

Abac Poll Research Centre director Noppadon Kannika yesterday said that in view of the serious national rift the government should look to moral issues as well as economic ones.

"The surge of feeling [against the government] is great enough to be a threat to national security," he said.