THAI FOREIGN MINISTER TO FACE CHARGES OVER AIRPORT CLOSURE

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, July 6 (Bernama) -- Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and leaders
of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have been summoned by the police
for their alleged involvement in the shock closure of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and
Don Mueang international airports, late last year.

The 16 key figures of the yellow shirt movement have been asked to appear at
the Racha Thewa and Don Mueang police stations on July 16, in relation to the
airport closure at the end of November, which left more than 350,000 travellers
stranded.

Kasit, a former ambassador to the United States and a key figure of the PAD,
is currently in Qatar, and has been severely criticised and asked to resign by
the opposition and media for his alleged involvement in the airport closure.

The Bangkok Post quoted Vice Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth as saying
that Kasit had been informed about the summons and would return in one or two
days' time.

According to him, Kasit had spoken to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and
would continue to carry out his responsibilities.

The summons came at a critical time for Thailand as it tries to redeem its
battered pride by hosting the Asean Ministerial Meeting and the Asean Regional
Forum in Phuket from July 17 to 23, where Kasit will chair meetings involving 26
countries, with dignitaries, including United States Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton.

In April, the anti-government red shirted protesters stormed the venue of
the East Asian Summit in Pattaya and forced its cancellation.

Other PAD leaders facing charges are media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, who
survived an assassination attempt in April, Maj-General Chamlong Srimuang and
Suriyasai Katasila.

The PAD, which led massive rallies in the capital, that led to the military
ouster of then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September, 2006, took to the
streets again in May, last year, after Thaksin's allies won the December, 2007
general election.

In August, last year, they seized the country's administration nerve, the
Government House, for three months. On Nov 23, they blocked the Suvarnabhumi and
Don Mueang airports, forcing airport authorities to close the airport for more
than a week.

PAD only ended the airports' seizure after the Constitution Court dissolved
the People Power Party and banned then-prime minister and Thaksin's
brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat from politics for five years.
-- BERNAMA