Royal pardon campaign slammed by PM, senators

A group of senators, the outspoken Atibodhi brothers and PM Abhisit Vejjajiva separately assailed the drive to collect 1 million signatures within a month.

Abhisit said politics should be kept away from the monarchy and he deemed the signature campaign inappropriate in politicising the revered institution.

"The petition for a royal pardon should be initiated by Thaksin or his family as a show of remorse. It should not be turned into a political issue with a great number of people being cited in order to influence royal discretion," he said, in reference to the campaign to solicit 1 million signatures.

He said he would instruct authorities to explain the royal-pardon procedures to the public, in order to dispel misunderstanding that the red shirts can sponsor the petition on Thaksin's behalf.

Meanwhile, Kaewsan Atibodhi, a former member of the Assets Examination Committee, and his brother Kwansuang Atibodhi, who is a university lecturer, held a press conference yesterday to call on the red shirts to stop the signature campaign.

The Atibodhis said the campaign would discomfort the monarchy. As far as they are concerned, such a pardon could not be granted because it would be unconstitutional.

"This is a political marketing strategy to gather signatures to pressure the [highest] institution," Kaewsan said.

A group of senators also called a press conference criticising the signature campaign, which kicked off on Wednesday.

Somchai Sawaengkan, a member of the upper house, described the campaign as propaganda that would "never lead to reconciliation as advertised". He added that such a move would instead cause uneasiness for His Majesty the King.

Senator Rosana Tositrakul called on the red shirts to end the signature campaign and stop involving the monarchy in politics. She expressed suspicion over the drive, saying she "smelled something fishy".

Prasan Marukkapithak, an appointed senator, called on members of the general public who disagree with the signature campaign to express their views publicly and peacefully.