Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday he would not abandon efforts to find a peaceful solution to a two-month political crisis despite renewed violence in Bangkok that took the death toll to 29.
However, he also appeared to be running out of patience with the Red Shirt protesters, telling them he wanted a reply within a day or two to his proposal to hold an early election on Nov. 14.
The Red Shirt protesters have been demonstrating in the capital since mid-March, at first demanding immediate elections, and have set up camp in an upmarket shopping area since April 3, forcing sleek malls and luxury hotels to close.
“No matter how the political situation evolves, I affirm that the government will stick to the reconciliation plan and we have already started the process. I would like to ask the Thai people to join us,” Abhisit said in a weekly televised address.
However, he said the deal he proposed on May 3 would be off if violence continued, and he seemed to rule out negotiations.
“All parties have to cooperate and there should be no violence. If we can do that, the election will happen. If not, it won’t happen,” he said.
Protest leaders have welcomed the plan, with reservations, and have promised a response by this Saturday.
That was too late, Abihisit said.
“There should be a clear answer today or tomorrow so that we can move ahead. As for my proposal, it’s non-negotiable and nobody can propose conditions,” he said.
The Red Shirts want Abhisit to set a precise date for dissolving parliament and want input into any constitutional changes, among other demands. The prime minister does not have to call an election until the end of next year.
His proposals call for reforms to address social injustice, a big Red Shirt grievance; an independent body to monitor media to ensure unbiased reporting; a committee to investigate political violence; and political reform, possibly including constitutional amendments.
Two policemen were killed and 13 people wounded in gun and grenade attacks in the latest violence linked to the protests, which have crippled Bangkok and scared off tourists. More than 1,000 people have been wounded during the protests.
The Red Shirt protesters denied involvement in the attacks, which will add to pressure on Abhisit from the Bangkok middle classes and elite to take a tougher line with the protesters.
The government has blamed people who did not want the protests to end.
Abhisit said yesterday that certain groups disagreed with his proposals and he named Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, also known as Seh Daeng, a renegade soldier in the Red Shirt camp. He stopped short of blaming Khattiya for the latest deaths.
“I can say that Seh Daeng doesn’t want my plan and doesn’t want the protest to end. He has said clearly that he is trying to contact Red Shirt leaders in the provinces to object against central leaders joining in the reconciliation process,” Abhisit said.
Police and the state-run Erawan Medical Center said one policeman was killed by a gunman on a motorcycle in a drive-by shooting just before midnight on Friday, and another in a series of suspected grenade blasts about two hours later.
The attacks took place in the Silom Road area of the capital guarded by soldiers and packed with offices, hotels and bars popular with tourists. The area is close to an entrance into the fortified encampment held by the protesters.
A hospital official said three soldiers, seven police and three civilians were hurt. They included two people from the so-called “multicolored” group, who were among several dozen that had gathered to voice their opposition to the Red Shirts.
Before the killings, the atmosphere had been cooling after a week of calm following Abhisit’s peace plan.
The Red Shirts, drawn mainly from the rural and urban poor, support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006. They say the ruling coalition lacks a popular mandate after coming to power in a parliamentary vote 17 months ago that they claim was orchestrated by the military.
Thousands remain in the 3km2 camp, the numbers generally dwindling to one or two thousand overnight and growing during the day.
They have said they would bring in more supporters to help defend the camp if the troops surrounding them attempt a crackdown, and the Bangkok Post said around 5,000 arrived from northern strongholds on Saturday.
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