March 2010 : Red Shirt Demand Rejected Red Shirts demand parliamentary dissolution Opposition Party boycott House session Thaksin’s 46,000 milion Baht transferred to State Cabinet endorsed ASEAN documents Security law applied in Cha-am and Hua Hin Free medicine for minorities and non-citizens Economy recovering Senate not impeaching Somchai State off-the-hook online lottery Military procurement can be investigated Red Shirts demand parliamentary dissolution The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) or Red Shirts protested on the streets of Bangkok demanding parliamentary dissolution within 15 days. They rallied and blocked Bangkok traffic to pressure the Government. The Prime Minister and UDD leaders met to try to find a solution but they failed because the Prime Minister insisted that dissolution is possible after 9 months, but Red Shirt leaders wanted 15 days. Following the UDD leaders’ threat on 12th March that a million people would come to protest in Bangkok unless Parliament is dissolved within 3 days, the Government invoked security law within the Bangkok Metropolitan area and 7 neighboring provinces to ensure law and order. However, provincial Red Shirts poured into Bangkok from 14th March; they set up a stage at Phan Fah Leelat Bridge on Ratchadamnern Avenue and blocked traffic in that area. UDD leaders and Thaksin’s supporters took turns in rallying supporters for political change, parliamentary dissolution and a general election. They said the protest would be non-violent and peaceful. An ad hoc committee, the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation, under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, was set up to deal with the situation. It was located in the military compound of the 11th Infantry Regiment in Bang Khen where the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and others spent nights there for safety. On 15th March, the Prime Minister held a meeting with coalition parties’ leaders to canvass their views as to Red Shirts’ demands. The coalition agreed that immediate parliamentary dissolution would not solve the current political conflict. Subsequently, hundreds of thousands of Red Shirt protesters rallied in front of the 11th Regiment compound. That evening, their leaders announced that they would collect blood from supporters and pour it at Government House, the Democrat Party office and the Prime Minister’s private residence. They expected to receive 10 cc from each supporter and to have a total of one million cc of blood. From the early hours of 16th March, Red Shirts started to donate blood and leaders claimed to have collected 300,000 cc. by noon. They went to Government House first, then to the Democrat Party office and then to the Prime Minister’s house. At these places, they poured and splashed blood at the gates before going back to their main rallying point at Phan Fah Bridge. Unable to summon one million people to Bangkok, UDD leaders changed their tactic to settle in for a long protest. Each weekend, Red Shirt supporters from the provinces would come to Bangkok for a rally in the streets calling on Bangkok people to join them. After the first rally on 15th and 16th March, many civil society leaders offered proposals to resolve the political conflict. Pracharaj Party leader, Sanoh Theinthong, suggested a National Government, Senior Citizen, Pravet Wasi, an ad hoc National Committee for Justice and Cothom Arya, Director of the Center for Peace and Development of Mahidol University, a meeting between the Government and UDD leaders. The Senate also offered to provide a forum for a dialogue. This was later attempted by the Human Rights Commission (HRC), but it failed because Red Shirt leaders alleged that the HRC was biased. Moreover, Red Shirt leaders insisted they would only talk to the Prime Minister. During all that time, Thaksin Shinawatra regularly spoke to Red Shirt protesters via a video phone-link, asking them to continue fighting until they achieve victory. On Saturday 20th March, a Red Shirt parade comprising of motorcycles, pick-ups trucks and private vehicles of about 30 kilometers went on the streets of Bangkok, immobilizing traffic in many areas. To avoid demonstrators, shops and commercial enterprises along those routes were shuttered. Before dispersing at the end, UDD leaders threatened that the next demonstration, at the next week-end, would be bigger and more intensive. The next protest on 27th March started early when groups of Red Shirts went to block places where troops were stationed. After long negotiations, all troops were withdrawn back to their barracks. At 14.00, one UDD leader, Arisman Pongruengrong led supporters to block Parliament House demanding to search for soldiers. After failing to find any, they burnt a replica of the 2007 Constitution in front of King Rama VII statue. On the same day, bombs were thrown in front of the National Broadcasting Television station, Channel 5 and the Excise Department office. Violence erupted in the early hours of 28th March when an M79 grenade was thrown into the 11th Infantry Regiment compound causing 4 injuries. At day break, Red Shirt demonstrators rallied to the Regiment compound again so the Government agreed to meet with UDD leaders. The meeting was held at the King Prachadhipok Institute, with the Government being represented by the Prime Minister, Korbsak Sapavasu and Chamni Sakdiseth, and UDD by Veera Musikapong, Chatuporn Promphan and Nathawut Sai –Kaue. The meeting was televised live. After a long debate, UDD leaders still insisted on parliamentary dissolution within 15 days, to be followed by a general election and any Constitutional amendment to be conducted by the new government. The Government disagreed and proposed that a referendum on Constitutional amendment should be held first followed by dissolution and this process should be completed in 9 months. The meeting ended without any agreement other than that the parties would meet again the next day. On 29th March, the Prime Minister seemed more flexible on the time-frame, asking Red Shirt leaders to reconsider their deadline, but they refused. After two hours, the Prime minister proposed a further meeting, but Chatuporn Promphan of the UDD refused. Both parties were back to where they were, and the meeting ended abruptly. Unless there is a prior dissolution, the protesters would rally again on 3rd April. During March, there were more than 30 explosions in Bangkok at strategically important places, such as the Prem Thinsulanond Foundation, TV stations and army barracks. Therefore, the Security Law was extended until 31st March, but its application was reduced to only Bangkok and a few districts in Nonthaburi and Samut Prakarn. Opposition Party boycott House session On 24th March, 80 members of the Opposition Party, Paue Thai, showed their anger at the tight security by boycotting a session of the House of Representatives. To safeguard Parliament House during the Red Shirt protest at Pan Fah Bridge, traffic in the area was blocked by barb-wire and concrete blocks, tight security was enforced by soldiers and police and only MPs were allowed to walk into parliamentary premises. Nevertheless, the session convened with a total 245 members including the Prime Minister. The House approved 3 bills, they were: the National Agriculture Bill, the Distribution of Telecomminication Frequencies Bill, and the Ram-intra Land Appropriation Bill. Previously on 16th and 17th March, at the beginning of the Red Shirt protest, House sessions had to be cancelled since only 20 and 37 members, out of 625 attended. Thaksin’s 46,000 MB transferred to State The Attorney-General announced that the Controller-General Department is fully authorized to ask commercial banks to transfer 46,000 million Baht from Thaksin’s accounts to the State. Previously the Attorney-General had petitioned the Court for an order, but the Court considered that the Finance Ministry had authority to proceed. This is in accordance with the ruling of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Offices on the assets seizure case against former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. On 28th March, Finance Minister, Korn Chatikavanij, disclosed that cash total 800-1,000 million Baht had been withdrawn from several accounts belonging to Thaksin and his associates. According to the Minister, there is no evidence that money had been sent abroad. Meanwhile Thaksin’s legal advisor, Nopadol Pattama, said that owners of the bank accounts were at full liberty to operate the accounts and the money was not used to support the Red Shirt demonstration. Cabinet endorsed ASEAN documents On 30th March, the Cabinet endorsed documents to be signed or endorsed during the 16th ASEAN Meeting scheduled for 8th -9th April in Hanoi. They were: Draft Statement on the ASEAN response to climate change, Draft Protocol on Dispute Settlement Mechanisms of ASEAN Charter, Draft Communication Plan for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Draft Terms of Reference of the Coordination Meeting of Culture, Civil Society and ASEAN, and Draft Guidelines for Accession Treaty, Friendship and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in BE 2519. The Cabinet approved these documents to be signed or endorsed by the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister who are entitled to make minor amendments as long as these do not conflict with State’s interests. Security Law applied in Cha-am and Hua Hin On 30th March, the Cabinet approved the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Cha-am, Petchburi Province and Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan Province during the Mekong River Commission Summit Meeting scheduled for 2nd -6th April when leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and two dialogue partners, China and Myanmar are attending. The meeting is to demonstrate their commitment to cooperation for a sustainable development of the Mekong River Basin. The ongoing protest of the Red Shirts at Pan Fah Bridge since 12th March and its invasion into the ASEAN Summit at Pattaya in April 2009 made the application of ISA necessary to ensure law and order in the area. ISA had been similarly applied during the 15th ASEAN Summit Meeting also held in Hua Hin in October 2009. Free medicine for minorities and non-citizens On 23rd March, the Cabinet approved a 472 million Baht budget for the Public Health Ministry to allocate to hospitals in 15 provinces along the country’s borders to provide public health services to minorities and non-citizens in accordance with the Constitution. They are 90,000 people recognized as permanent residents, 296,863 temporary residents pending acquisition of Thai citizenship, and 70,513 students registered under the free-schooling policy. Each hospital will get 2,067 Baht per person to provide free medication during 1st April – 30th September. Economy recovering The Office of National Economic-Socio Development Board stated that GDP at the 4th quarter of 2009 is growing at 5.8%. This is the first positive rate in past four quarters; however, economic expansion is minus 2.3%, lower than the anticipated minus 4-7%. Economic recovery is due to increases in export and the implementation of several economic revitalization policies to stimulate domestic consumption. Public confidence is also increasing as well as income from agriculture and tourism. Unemployment in the 4th quarter of 2009 has gone down to 1% while annual unemployment rate is 1.5%. The number of people in employment is 37.7 million, a 1.8% increase from the rate at the same quarter last year. There are 380,000 unemployed or 1% of those employed. Senate not impeaching Somchai On 9th March, the Senate voted 76 to 49 with 6 abstentions and 3 invalid votes, not to impeach former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat under Section 270 of the Constitution. The National Counter-Corruption Commission considered that Somchai had violated Section 270 when he ordered troops to disperse Yellow Shirt demonstrators in front of Parliament on 7th October 2008. Section 270 of the Constitution stated any person holding the position of Prime Minister, Minister, Member of the House of Representatives, Senator, President of the Supreme Court of Justice, President of the Constitutional Court, President of the Supreme Administration Court or Prosecutor-General, who has unusual wealth, indication of corruption, malfeasance in office, malfeasance in judicial office or intentional exercise of power contrary to the provisions of the Constitution or law or seriously violated or fails to comply with ethical standards, may be removed from office by the Senate. A vote to impeach must be made by secret ballots by more than three-fifth of Senators. An impeached person is deprived of the right to hold any political office or to serve in the government for five years. State off-the-hook online lottery On 24th February, the Supreme Court overruled lower courts in the online lottery case between the State and, a company, Ja Ko Limited, releasing the State from paying a compensation of 2,508,593,781 Baht with interests at 7.5% per annum previously awarded by arbitration. The case first came to Court in January 2000. The First Court in July 2003 agreed with arbitrators that the State must pay compensation. The Lottery Office appealed and the Appeal Court affirmed the decision of the lower court. However, the Supreme Court found that the contract between the Lottery Office and Ja Ko was illegal since it had not been approved by the Cabinet as legally required. The law states that an agreement worth more than 1,000 million Baht, between the State and the private sector, must have prior approval by the Cabinet. Consequently, the contract between the parties and subsequent arbitration award were unenforceable. Military procurement can be investigated The Prime Minister announced after the Cabinet meeting on 23rd February that every agency that purchased the GT 200 explosive detector should report their numbers, price and procurement procedures to the Minister to the Prime Minister Office, Satit Wongnongtuey, who will ask the Consumer Protection Commission to consider whether claims for compensation could be made against the sellers as the detectors could not perform as advertised. The Chief of the Army, General Anupong Laowchinda said on 9th March that flying-ships equipped with signal cameras to be used in the Southern Provinces have had test-runs at U-Ta Pao Airport. However, payment had not been approved since test-runs were not satisfactory. He would arrange for members of the press to witness the ships’ operation in the South and they would have opportunities to ask questions. If answers or explanations were unclear, complaints could be made to the Auditor-General or to the National Counter-Corruption Commission.