BANGKOK BRACES FOR ANOTHER MASSIVE RALLY

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, April 7 (Bernama) -- Thailand's never-ending political crisis is at
the crossroads, as Bangkok braces for another massive anti-government rally
Wednesday, deemed as the D-Day by supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra.

The red-shirt supporters of United Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship
(UDAD) is mobilising 300,000 people in a desperate bid to shackle the
three-month-old government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva who appears
unshaken due to strong military support.

Since March 26, the red shirt movement has laid siege to the Government
House, forcing Abhisit to cancel last week's Cabinet meeting, and Tuesday
travelled to Pattaya to conduct one, as 5,000 policemen stood guard around the
meeting venue at Royal Cliff Resort which will also host the East Asian Summit
from Friday.

"Our minimum demand is for the government to dissolve parliament and call
for a fresh election. The mandate must be returned to the people as this is an
illegitimate government," a UDAD spokesman said.

He said the protest would begin at 8am and likely, stretch to Privy Council
president and former prime minister Prem Tinsulanonda's house. Prem was accused
by Thaksin in his daily speech via telephone, of masterminding the Sept 19, 2006
coup which ousted him.

The spokesman, who declined to reveal how the movement was going to achieve
its demand, said the protest could last three days but the some of the
protestors could stay behind while the rest returned home to celebrate Songkran
festival next week.

Besides the parliament dissolution and Prem's exit, the UDAD also wants the
government to dissolve the current consitution drafted by the military regime
in 2007 and replace it with the 1997 Constitution, as well as prosecute the
rival yellow shirt of People's Democracy for Alliance (PAD) for seizing
Bangkok's two major airports in November.

Thaksin, who is living in exile, already came under fire in the local media
for his attack on Prem and another ex-premier, Surayud Chulanont, who replaced
him after the coup. His criticism against people working for the revered King
Bhumibol Adulyadej is seen as undermining the monarch.

Fear of civil war fizzled out after PAD leader and staunch critic of
Thaksin, Sondhi Limthongkul, denied that the movement was taking to the streets
to rally against the red shirt.

In a special address over the state-owned NBT station last night, Abhisit
ruled out declaring a state of emergency as the government was confident there
would not be any violence. He came to power after Thaksin's brother-in-law,
Somchai Wongsawat, relinquished his premiership following a court decision to
ban his People's Power Party last December.

The Nation daily, in its front-page analysis, said the current protest was a
war between new and old money.

"So, this is a war between new money, represented by Thaksin and his
associates, some die-hard leftists, a young middle class fed up with old
politics, educated as well as lesser-educated middle and working class versus
the PAD - which claims to represent the monarchy and moral politics and is run
by the few and supported by the military, the bureaucracy, old money and old
elites," it said.

The ongoing political crisis is a setback to the efforts being made to
revive the economy, with the number of tourists already down after PAD's six-
month long street protest and the airport closure.

Hathaijanak Kritakara, an advisor to the Senate Standing Committee on
Tourism, said the number of tourists from major destinations like China and
South Korea was still low due to the travel warning issued after the airport
closure.

"The travel warning is still there...the Thai Government must write to China
and Korea to request the withdrawal," he said.
-- BERNAMA