Thailand Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat rejected pressure to resign on Friday, as thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched in protest at last week’s deadly street clashes.
Police hung back by the roadside as about 5 000 supporters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) marched down a busy Bangkok street carrying pictures of Somchai emblazoned with the word “murderer”.
Two people were killed and nearly 500 injured on October 7 when police fired tear gas to prevent thousands of PAD supporters from blocking Parliament, prompting some protesters to fight back.
Thailand’s powerful army chief on Thursday had hinted that the premier should resign over the clashes, prompting rumours that Somchai may heed his advice and dissolve Parliament.
But despite calling an urgent meeting of his coalition partners, Somchai insisted he would stay on for the sake of the country.
“The government cannot abandon its duty as we still have three key functions coming up,” he said in a televised statement, referring to two royal events and a regional summit to be held before the end of the year.
“Whether I resign or do not resign will depend on national interest.”
At the downtown rally, PAD supporters handed out books and CDs with photos and accounts of last week’s violence.
“The truth will show why the government has no legitimacy to run the country,” Somsak Kosaisuk, a PAD leader, told the crowd, many wearing black to mourn the dead supporters or yellow out of allegiance to the king.
“The government thinks that people are their enemy and used the police to kill people on October 7.”
The colour booklets showed graphic images of protesters whose limbs were blown off in the clashes — injuries blamed by a forensic expert on dangerous Chinese-made tear-gas canisters.
The front page of the PAD leaflet showed a man clutching the bloodied stump of his leg, allegedly after it was blown off in the police crackdown.
“We have brought pieces of cloth, water bottles and masks in case the police use tear gas again,” said PAD supporter Dusadee Siriwanlop (42).
The PAD launched its campaign in May, claiming that the ruling People Power Party elected in December was a puppet of ousted and exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whom it accuses of corruption and nepotism.
The crowd seemed largely cheerful on Friday, sheltering from the sun under a sea of umbrellas.
The rally ended without incident at about 1pm after the protesters marched to the main shopping district and dispersed.
Friday’s protests came a day after army chief General Anupong Paojinda appeared on television flanked by the heads of the air force, navy and police saying that if he were Somchai, he would resign.
“It’s merely [his] opinion,” Somchai said when asked at a press conference about Anupong’s remarks. “As I represent a democratically elected government, I will listen to all opinions from all sectors.”
Somchai, Thaksin’s brother-in-law, was elected after his predecessor, Samak Sundaravej, was forced to resign after a Thai court ruled he had illegally accepted payment for TV cooking shows.
Somchai has repeatedly said he is not overly attached to the position of prime minister but wants to stay in office to oversee amendments to the Constitution, which was drafted by a panel installed by the junta that ousted Thaksin in 2006.
The PAD is a largely right-wing coalition of businessmen, academics and union leaders, which is campaigning to have fewer elected representatives in Thailand’s Parliament. — AFP