Planned Rally Venue For Tuesday Changed To Stadium

via Khmer NZ

BANGKOK, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- The Thailand Patriot Network finally agreed to change its rally venue from the Government House to a stadium, here Saturday, following negotiation with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Friday.

Abhisit said he had asked the group to conduct its rally at the Thai-Japanese Stadium in Din Daeng.

The consensus was reached after Abhisit met with the network's leader Samdin Lersbuth at Government House, here, where the prime minister's office is located.

"The two sides have the same goal of protecting Thailand's sovereignty for the country's benefit but they have different approaches," Abhisit said.

Earlier, the group insisted on holding its rally at Government House to demand that a border memorandum of understanding with Cambodia in 2000 be revoked although the government had asked them to cancel the protest.

The government's position is that the memo is a framework for the two countries to find ways to demarcate the border and will not put Thailand at a disadvantage during the demarcation process.

The network claimed that the MOU signed by the two countries when the Democrat Party was in power would cause Thailand to lose 4.6 square kilometres of disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple.

They claimed the MOU was the source of the problem as it gave Cambodians a chance to trespass and settle in the disputed area.

Thailand and Cambodia have strained relations after Unesco listed the 11th century Hindu temple as a world heritage site in 2008.

The temple is situated in Cambodia's territory, according to the International Court of Justice ruling in 1962, but both countries claimed an area of 4.6 square kilometres adjacent to the temple.

The Unesco World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia, Brazil, last week postponed its decision on the management plan for the temple submitted by Cambodia to next year, following protest from Thailand as the plan includes part of the disputed territory.

The Thailand Patriot Network is led by the same leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), popularly known as the yellow shirts who seized the Government House on Aug 26, 2008 and took over two airports - Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Muang Airport on Nov 24, 2008.

However, the network leaders distanced Saturday's rally from any links with the yellow shirts.

Abhisit said he would go to the stadium Saturday to present the government's point of view over the issue.

There will be a live telecast debate between the group and government on Sunday and Abhisit will lead the government's team.

The Abhisit administration held a live telecast debate with the red shirts leaders last March before the peaceful street protest turned into violent clashes between the protesters and troops that left 91 people dead and 1,800 others injured when the protest ended on May 19.

Bangkok is still under a state of Emergency and the government declared Government House and its surrounding area a "restricted zone" from Friday night.

Samdin said he agreed to the change of the venue, adding that the government had agreed to help transport protesters who gather at the Government House to the stadium Saturday.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security matters Suthep Thaugsuban issued a stern warning that protesters would face arrest if they hold a rally at the Government House Saturday.