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No matter how we look at it, to stage a rally right now to check on the progress of the royal petition submitted by the red shirts to the palace almost two months ago to seek a pardon for Thaksin Shinawatra, is a bad idea.

That His Majesty the King remains in hospital recuperating from lung inflammation means that such a gathering could backfire against the red shirts. Although they have made it clear that their rally would aim the inquiry into the petition's status at the Abhisit government, not the palace, that doesn't matter much. In the public's eye, this is simply not a good time to rekindle the sensitive issue.

Tomorrow, 60 days will have passed since the red shirts braved criticism and government resistance to submit the pardon-Thaksin petition to palace authorities. The movement reserves its right to inquire about its progress after the government said it had to make a final decision on whether the petition would be presented to the King.

Last time it was legal questions that hounded the red shirts' petition push. How could Thaksin, critics of the petition asked, be pardoned when he had yet to serve his punishment and had been waging a global campaign to undermine the Thai justice system under which he was found guilty in the Ratchadaphisek land case?

Despite much opposition, the red shirts were allowed to proceed with their petition plan, which culminated in a major red rally on August 17.

This time the questions won't be legal. But their impact on the red-shirt movement could be far more unsettling than the nervous public reaction when the petition was submitted through a massive red parade. The red shirts, divided and still reeling from the bad publicity generated by the Songkran turbulence, are risking more damage to their reputation with the planned Saturday gathering.

They have vowed to totally respect HM the King's judgement regarding the petition. While this doesn't necessarily mean they will respect the way the Abhisit government handles the process, the red shirts are supposed, if not trusted, to be considerate and sensitive at this moment.

Like back in April, the red shirts may be thinking that they sincerely want to help Thaksin out. Again, the end result may be just the opposite.

Tulsat@hotmail.com