PM warned he has to back down
Democracy groups raise spectre of 1973 and 1992 bloodshed as they urge Thaksin to put an end to roiling dispute
 The Nation
November 21, 2005 - Civic and democracy groups yesterday urged the Thaksin government to stop interfering in the media and to end the political confrontation with Sondhi Limthongkul before the conflict snowballs into a crisis and a bloodbath.
The current intense political climate is being likened to the events of October 1973 and May 1992.
Sondhi, the head of the Manager media group, drew tens of thousands of people to a rally in Lumpini Park on Friday evening to hurl more scandal allegations at the Thaksin government.
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, the Campaign for Media Reform and the Committee of the May 1992 Heroes' Relatives said the situation could lead to a physical confrontation between supporters of the government and those who no longer trust it.
Campaign for Popular Democracy chairman Pithaya Wongkul warned the current political conflict could deteriorate into the use of force by police and military officers and threaten democracy if the government does not bring an end to the confrontation.
"The best way out is for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to dissolve the House and call for a general election to avoid bloodshed - as happened in October 14, 1973 and May 17, 1992,'' he said.
Pithaya claimed the use of force was imminent. This was obvious because military top brass had come out in defence of Thaksin and had threatened Sondhi by saying that if they failed to act, 14,000 soldiers could take the matter into their own hands.
"We fear that 'Sondhi fever' will develop into the 'Chamlong [Srimuang] fever' that led to the May bloodshed in 1992," Pithaya said. "People in the government may hire some people to bring about a clash between supporters and opponents of the government.''
Rampant corruption, especially in mega-projects, is another reason the government should dissolve the House, he said.
Dr Chaianant Samudvanija, director of Varijavudh College and once a strong supporter of Thaksin, said the prime minister has become a fearful figure, now that the military had thrown its support behind him.
"People are afraid that Thaksin will have absolute control over the House, the military and even the Senate,'' he said.
Chaianand said Thaksin made a big political mistake by trying to silence Sondhi by removing his programme "Muang Thai Rai Sapda" from Channel 9. Sondhi has since used Suan Lumpini and Thammasat University to present his talk show.
"Thaksin should have joined Sondhi's show so he could know how upset people are," he said. "People are afraid of him having absolute control. If I were Thaksin, I would find a way out, now!''
Chaianand said Thaksin's strongman style of governing made him the target of all criticism when things go wrong.
Adul Kiewboriboon, chairman of the Committee of the May 1992 Heroes' Relatives, urged Thaksin to stop creating conditions that could lead to violence and to clear all allegations against him and his family.
"He has to clarify all the charges in clear-cut terms," Adul said. "The army leadership should also take a look back at history after the October 1979 and May 1992 bloodbaths. It took the military quite some time before they could leave their barracks and regain confidence from the public."
The Campaign for Popular Democracy, the Campaign for Media Reform and the Committee of the May 1992 Heroes' Relatives also called on the government to stop threatening press freedom and to withdraw lawsuits against Sondhi.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he did not agree with the call for a dissolution, saying the government has been in office less than a year and that there was a better way out of the political conflict.
"The government must allow a checking mechanism and press freedom," he said. "It only makes matters worse by covering up allegations. If it corrects these things, it is not too difficult to solve the current problems.''
Abhisit warned, however, that the military should not become a political tool or it could lead to a confrontation.
Suranand Vejjajiva, the PM's office minister, sought to defend the government by saying he wanted to extend his moral support to those, particularly Supreme Commander General Ruengroj Mahasaranond, who had stood up against Sondhi.
On Friday Ruengroj warned Sondhi the military's patience might run out if he did not stop invoking the Monarchy in his quarrels with the prime minister.
"The supreme commander is the top military officer, who has been serving His Majesty the King all along. He has good judgement that everybody should respect," Suranand said.
Democrat Party spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said government leaders are bringing about their own downfall and denied the opposition has joined Sondhi to topple the government.
Ong-art said Thaksin has been acting as if he is untouchable and sees people with different opinions as enemies who want to topple his government. "He loves to listen to praise more than the truth,'' he said.
Thaksin also failed to use good governance and runs the country without moral principles. "For instance, he promotes officials with whom he has close ties,'' Ong-art said.
The government's interference and dominance in the work of independent bodies had caused the country's checking system to cease functioning properly.
Ong-art said conflicts of interest and corruption by politicians and their families are the reason for the government's popularity downturn.
The government's interference in press freedom and its blocking of the free flow of information are all contributing to its imminent downfall.
The chairman of the House committee on the military, Somchai Petprasert, warned the military top brass against making political comments that lead to public confusion. Referring to the supreme commander's warning, Somchai said: "He should have been more careful about what he said and should not jump to such conclusions.''
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