Pro-democracy
groups join protest bandwagon
Chuan
urges other villagers not to descend on Bangkok
Ploenpote Atthakor, Wassayos Ngamkham and Yuwadee Tunyasiri
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A student activist stands behind bars during a
rally at Democracy Monument yesterday. Students have joined
democracy groups and academics in condemning the government for its
rough handling of Pak Moon villagers who broke into the grounds of
Government House. _ APICHIT JINAKUL |
Bangkok Post, July 19, 2000
More than 40 pro-democracy
and activist groups yesterday agreed to join the Pak Moon villagers in
their protest at Government House.
"More groups are expected to join when we meet with rural-based
NGOs and people's organisations that are coming to Bangkok this
Saturday," said Pibhob Dhongchai, secretary-general of the Campaign
for Popular Democracy.
Among the groups signing an agreement were the Union for Civil Liberty,
Foundation for Women, NGO-Co-ordinating Committee on Development, and the
Project for Ecological Recovery.
The groups called on the government to show its responsibility in the
use of force against the protesters.
The activists argued the villagers' constitutional right to stage a
peaceful protest had been violated and demanded those arrested for
trespassing be freed without conditions.
Veteran politician Kanin Boonsuwan, now an adviser to the groups, said
the government violated the villagers' rights in denying them access to
lawyers.
A group of senators-elect has also voiced concern over the use of force
against the unarmed protesters. They urged the government to show some
flexibility in dealing with the situation, and not just sticking to the
letter of the law.
Senator-elect Chirmsak Pinthong said the protesters did not mean harm
when they tried to break into Government House on Sunday night.
"They made the move because their problems have been ignored for
too long. They just wanted to get the attention of the government and the
public," he said, adding that they had demonstrated peacefully for
more than a year before deciding to come to Bangkok.
Mr Chirmsak agreed with the pro-democracy groups that the government
should act on the resolutions of a government-appointed committee led by
academic Banthorn On-dam.
"It is time the government made a decision on this prolonged
conflict or the situation could get out of control. We wish this issue is
raised in the next cabinet meeting," he said.
The committee decided the Pak Moon dam sluice gates should be opened to
allow fish to migrate upstream to spawn.
Academic Nithi Iewsriwong said it was sad the government viewed the
protest as politically motivated.
However, the national police chief yesterday denied police had resorted
to violence in dealing with the protesters.
Pol Gen Pornsak Durongkaviboon said police had acted with restraint in
trying to stop the protesters from breaking into Government House.
Pol Maj-Gen Chakthip Kunchorn na Ayutthaya, an assistant city police
chief, said 225 protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing and
illegal assembly.
He said there was no problem with the 141 men who said they had
followed the instructions of their leaders, but the 84 women were
tight-lipped. They said they would agree to an unconditional release only
if the men were also set free.
Pol Gen Pornsak said he wanted to release the elderly and the infant,
but the baby's mother insisted on remaining with the others.
Police have set bail at 30,000 baht for each villager.
The Assembly of the Poor issued a statement denouncing the bail figure
and said it would be impossible for the villagers to pay.
Investigators will today seek court permission to extend their
detention of all 225 villagers for further questioning. The proceedings
will be held at the Bangkok Special Prison in Lad Yao, as the Criminal
Court cannot accommodate all the suspects at the same time. The villagers
will be detained at the prison after the proceedings.
Pol Lt-Gen Wannarat Kotcharak, the city police chief, said villagers
who arrived yesterday morning to join the protest have been allowed to
gather near Rajamangala Institute of Technology, but would not be
permitted to approach Government House.
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai defended Sunday's use of force. He said
police did not intend to break up the protest but merely tried to remove
the 200 protesters who entered Government House because they were engaged
in an illegal act.
"If the police had failed to prevent the intrusion, they would
have been blamed for negligence of duty. I can assure you they had no
intention of hurting anybody," Mr Chuan said.
In response to reports that more villagers were expected to arrive in
Bangkok to join fellow protesters and that they might attempt another raid
on Government House, the prime minister urged them to reconsider.
"Please don't try to go in there because it would be no use. The
government will not do what it cannot legally do, even under duress."
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