THAILAND'S POLITICAL DEMONSTRATION PART OF DEMOCRACY

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Thailand's current political turmoil and
mass demonstrations are parts of a gradual process of democracy, said Thailand's
National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) president, Prof Dr
Sombat Thamrongthanyawong.

Prof Sombat said: "We (Thailand) have never seen a political conflict like
this.

"Many worry about the political stability but I choose to see it from
another point of view. This is a process of democracy where the Thai people have
truly taken part and participated."

He said this to Bernama after delivering his working paper titled 'Effective
Management and Finance in University: Experience of NIDA' at the International
Conference on Improving Higher Educational Institutions: Empowering Future
Generations, here, Wednesday.

He also said that many Thais hoped that the current government under the
leadership of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would be able to sail through
this political storm and solve the problems.

Regarding former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's possible political
comeback in light of the mass support given to him by Thanksin's loyalists, the
Red Shirts, Prof Sombat said:

"He is still powerful but currently he is facing some cases with the Supreme
Court. One of the cases has already had a verdict."

Currently Shinawatra is in self-exile after facing charges on corruption
and was sentenced to two years in jail last October due to his connection with
the Ratchadaphisek land scandal, in which his then wife won a bid to buy a
coveted state-seized land plot at a price far lower than the market rate.

As for Thaksin's loyalist claims that the current government was
illegitimate, Prof Sombat simply joked by saying,"When one is the opposition,
one can say many things, it is easy to say many things."

-- BERNAMA