>>>>> Rally reportedly dispersed with tear gas

BANGKOK, Aug 29 (TNA) - Tear gas was reportedly used to disperse anti-government protesters staging a rally outside the Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Bangkok and asked them to protest peacefully without violating the law.

Over 1,000 police were deployed to guard the police headquarters, as protestors rallied outside. Teargas was used to disperse the crowd. Some of the injured were tended by paramedics and ambulances which were on standby. Most of them suffered from eye irritation.

The group of anti-government protestors had marched to the Metropolitan Police Headquarters on Friday evening, after the People's Alliance for Democracy leaders asked authorities to turn in the police who had injured protestors in a clash Friday morning.

The protestors rallied there to pressure the police, and allegedly vandalised a police truck and a Channel 3 car.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej maintained his stance the government would not use violence in handling the protesters, while expressing anger over the disturbances which had broken out in different provinces and included state enterprise participation.

"So how do you want our country to become? You want me to play a bad guy hurting, killing people? I won't buy that. I was the one who ordered a halt to the crackdown." (TNA)

บช.น. 29 ส.ค. - สถานการณ์ที่ บช.น. ยังตึงเครียด ผู้ชุมนุมออกมารวมตัวกันอีกครั้ง ตลอดเวลากว่า 1 ชั่วโมง มีรถพยาบาลวิ่งเข้า-ออกกว่า 10 คัน แต่ยังไม่ทราบยอดผู้บาดเจ็บที่ชัดเจน ตำรวจยืนยันจะไม่ให้มีการบุกรุกเข้าพื้นที่เด็ดขาด พร้อมเสริมกำลังตำรวจนับพันนาย ล่าสุด มีรายงานว่าตำรวจเตรียมแถลงข่าวเพื่อสรุปเหตุการณ์ที่เกิดขึ้น ขณะที่ พล.ต.จำลอง ศรีเมือง ก็ขอให้ผู้ชุมนุมเดินทางกลับ.- สำนักข่าวไทย

Source: http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=5998&t=2

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Protest coalition seeks unconditional Thaksin extradition from UK

BANGKOK, Aug 17 (TNA) -- Thailand's anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on Sunday urged the British government to return ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to stand trial in Bangkok on alleged corruption and malfeasance charges here.

Sondhi Limthongkul, a PAD core leader, said Mr. Thaksin should not be considered "a political refugee but a criminal who has eluded the country's criminal law" and his flight to Britain proved that the corruption charges against him were true.

Mr. Thaksin should display courage and return to Thailand to face the charges, Mr. Sondhi said.

Thailand's Office of the Attorney-General, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related government agencies must more quickly act to return Mr. Thaksin to stand trial, he said. The foreign ministry must also revoke Mr. Thaksin's diplomatic passport, otherwise the PAD would take legal action against the ministry.

His remarks were made as the so-called democracy protesters prepare to march to the British Embassy on Tuesday to rebut negative remarks made by Mr. Thaksin against the Thai judiciary.

Toppled in a bloodless coup in September 2006, multi-billionaire Thaksin and his wife flew from Beijing to London, ignoring a court date in Bangkok, after attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The couple failed to appear last Monday at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to defend themselves against charges related to the Bangkok land scandal which occurred in 2003 while he was in power.

The Court on that day issued arrest warrants for the couple and also confiscated bail totaling Bt13 million (US$389,000).

In order to strengthen relations between the Thais and English people, the PAD would like to request the British government to send him back to "stand on court trial here without condition," Mr. Sondhi said.

In another development, a survey conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University's Dusit Poll on 2,312 people nationwide found slightly over one-third of the respondents -- 34.55 per cent -- agreed that the decision by Mr. Thaksin and his wife Pojaman to flee to Britain proved their guilt, while 21.58 per cent opposed the escape and 20.67 per cent wanted legal action be taken against them.

The survey showed that 29.44 per cent of the total respondents wanted the Thai government to negotiate with the British government to send Mr. Thaksin back to Thailand. (TNA)

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Ex-premier Thaksin flees to UK

BANGKOK, Aug 11 (TNA) – Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Monday conceded he had decided to stay in the United Kingdom, claiming he and his family faced a security threat and received unfair treatment in the Thai judicial system.

In a three-page handwritten statement sent to Thailand's state-run NBT TV channel, Mr. Thaksin said he could not return to report to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Positions Holders on Monday because of security concerns and therefore needed to go to England.

He pointed out there were attempted assassinations against him, adding that he and his family had repeatedly received death threats and they had to travel in bullet-proof cars.

Mr. Thaksin stated a group of people was appointed following the military coup to draw up a new constitution aimed at persecuting the coup-makers opponents and giving their supporters political gain.

The ousted premier said he had decided to return to Thailand on February 28 since he thought the situation would improve after the election result of December 23, 2007, which saw the People Power Party (PPP) win the election.

But the situation was not as favourable as he thought, and did not permit him to prove his innocence since there was an "intervention in the judicial system" that could lead to double-standard employment in legal proceedings against him.

He said such an ill-intentioned act originated from the intervention by dictators who had a hidden agenda to "get rid of me and my family".

Mr. Thaksin reiterated that he and his family are still loyal to the nation, religion, and monarchy though some had attempted to accuse him of being otherwise. "I may be not a perfect man," he said, "but I reaffirm that I am not as bad as some have accused.

" Mr. Thaksin also apologised his supporters for having to seek political asylum, and then asked them to remain committed to him.

"If good fortune were on my side," he said, "I would return to Thailand and die there like all other Thai people." The former prime minister apologised to his supporters for having to go into exile and asked them to remain committed to him.

"All this is the result of my tireless efforts to help the country," Mr. Thaksin said. "I apologise for having to seek relocation to England. I ask that all my supporters to remain with me a bit longer.

"Ex-premier Thaksin said he would reveal the whole truth at an appropriate time, saying "Today is not my day." (TNA)

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