The Pheu Thai Party yesterday filed a police complaint accusing the People's Alliance for Democracy of violating the state of emergency with its rally last week over the Preah Vihear Temple controversy.
The main opposition party singled out PAD leaders and activists, including Chamlong Srimuang, Chaiwat Sinsuwong and Veera Somkwamkid, as suspects, party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said after lodging the complaint at the Crime Suppression Division.
In the complaint, the PAD was accused of holding rallies in defiance of the emergency rule. The rallies took place on July 27 at Unesco's Bangkok office on Sukhumvit Road and on Saturday at Government House and at the 1st Army Region headquarters. The PAD is upset over a Unesco designation of the ancient Hindu temple, which is in Cambodia near the Thai border, as a world heritage site before boundary demarcations in the area have been finalised between the two countries.
Prompong said his party wanted to ensure the rule of law, since the authorities appeared reluctant to take action if it involved the PAD.
The gathering of large groups is supposedly prohibited in those provinces still under emergency rule, including Bangkok. When the red shirts assembled at Rajprasong intersection and in Chiang Mai, the police swiftly moved to crack down on them, he said, raising concern of a double standard, as the police turned a blind eye on violations of the state of emergency by the yellow shirts.
Pheu Thai also plans to lodge a complaint at the National Anti-Corruption Commission accusing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of lapse of duty in enforcing emergency rule, he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Army chief General Anupong Paochinda, national police chief General Patheep Tanprasert and Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt-General Santhan Chayanont will be on the list of suspects for failing to deal with the PAD, he added.