The National Human Rights Commission, foreign embassies and academics yesterday called upon the red-shirt protesters and the government not to resort to violence during this weekend's demonstrations.
The protesters and their leaders should also exercise restraint and not employ violence, and should respect laws as well as the basic rights of other people, the statement said. "For those who do not join the protest, they should respect the basic rights of the protesters and avoid confrontation with the demonstrators," it said.
The US Embassy in Bangkok issued a statement calling upon the "protesters and their leaders to forswear the use of violence and to exercise their right to assemble and protest peacefully, in accordance with the law".
"We also encourage the government to exercise appropriate restraint," it said.
Peaceful demonstrations are a hallmark of a democratic society, the embassy added.
Gothom Arya, director of Mahidol University's Research Centre on Peace Building, yesterday met Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to urge the government to avoid using violence against the protesters and to find a peaceful solution to end the conflict.
Abhisit said his government would not use force to end the protest or create a situation to justify cracking down on demonstrators.
The government has assigned Prime Minister's Secretary Korbsak Sabhavasu as a negotiator with the protesters, he said.
The red shirts have appointed Weng Tojirakarn as their representative to contact Korbsak in case they need to negotiate, Gothom said.
