Threats of violence

By Surasak Glahan, Mongkol Bangprapa and Wassana Nanuam

Leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy will mobilise supporters for the "biggest gathering yet" on Sunday after a bomb blast caused death and injury at their demonstration site early on Thursday.

Political analysts warned this could lead to even more violence and advised the PAD leaders to make the safety of the demonstrators their first priority.

PAD leaders met after an explosion at 3.25am killed one man, Jenkit Kladsakorn, and injured 23 other people , and agreed to organise a mass demonstration.

They could no longer just continue the demonstration at Government House and allow PAD supporters to be violently attacked, they said.

Claiming the government and police were involved in the bomb attack, the group made plans to lead demonstrators to parliament. They would bring pressure to bear on the government to resign and cease its efforts to rewrite the constitution.

The PAD leaders did not say whether they would follow the same strategy they used on Oct 7, when their blockade of the parliament building led to two fatalities and more than 400 being injured.

PAD core leader Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang said only a record number of demonstrators could pressure the government to resign.

A key reason the PAD had fallen short of its goal was because there had not been enough people taking part in the protests, he said.

"We believe we'll win this time, otherwise we will all just pack up and go back home," he said.

Fewer people have been attending the PAD's rally in recent weeks, but the numbers were up again Thursday at Government House, which the PAD has occupied since Aug 26, following the overnight bomb attack.

The pro-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) also plans a big gathering on Sunday at Wat Suan Kaew in Bang Kruai district of Nonthaburi. The PAD denied it intended to confront its rivals.

A PAD leader who attended Thursday's meeting said the idea of a mass protest was proposed by Maj-Gen Chamlong, and no one opposed it.

Maj-Gen Chamlong dismissed concerns about the safety of demonstrators, saying he did not believe there would be violence.

"It won't result in an incident [bloodshed] like that on Oct 7.

"The government cannot use force against us because there would be an uprising and the administration would have to go," he said.

About 500 PAD supporters accompanied the coffin containing the body of Jenkit from Government House to the Metropolitan Police Bureau Thursday, demanding justice and action from authorities.

Prajak Kongkirati, a political analyst at Thammasat University, said the PAD leaders should make the safety of supporters their first priority and call off the protest. Those who have been injured and killed

Analyst Somjai Phagaphasvivat, also of Thammasat, doubted the PAD move would be successful.

The government had already shown it would not bow to pressure, he said.

There could be violence if the PAD managed to mobilise a large number of people and the government refused to bow to its demands.

Any violence could also result in military intervention in the form of another coup.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat denied the government was in any way involved in Thursday's fatal bombing. His administration had no intention of causing turmoil.

"No one wants any fellow Thais to be hurt," the prime minister said.

Mr Somchai said police were trying to track down those responsible.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda said he was assessing the effect of the bomb blast on national security. He would report his findings to the prime minister so that he, as the new director of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), could decide whether to declare the PAD's demonstration area a "security zone".

Gen Anupong said a security-zone declaration would have less of an emotional impact on the people and the economy than an emergency decree.

Once the area was declared a security zone, the 22-member Isoc would decide what measures would be implemented.

The early morning bombing was also used by the opposition Democrat party to grill the government in parliament.

Democrat MP for Phatthalung Nipit Indharasombat asked the prime minister to clarify whether he was involved in the bomb attack on PAD demonstrators.

Interior Minister Kowit Wattana, answering for the prime minister, denied the allegation. "Everybody here knows that this group of protesters have a connection [with someone in power]. If it was an ordinary demonstration, it would have ended a long time ago," Pol Gen Kowit said, adding that the PAD should stop violating the law.

Investigators had encountered difficulty in examining the scene of the blast, he said.

Speaking outside the House, People Power party MP for Samut Prakan Pracha Prasopdee said he wondered if the PAD itself was responsible for the bomb blast, because it needed an excuse to call another major rally.

About 40 senators demanded the prime minister investigate army specialist Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawadipol, also known as Seh Daeng, who issued a warning in advance about bomb attacks on PAD protesters.

Senator Prasarn Marukpitak told a press conference Maj-Gen Khattiya had recently made several predictions that grenades would be fired at PAD supporters after the royal cremation ceremony was over.

"Every time Seh Daeng talked about an attack, an attack took place," Mr Prasarn said.