November 24, 2008	Monday	Ziqa'ad 25, 1429

BANGKOK, Nov 23: Thousands of anti-government protesters rallied in central Bangkok on Sunday, the start of what they call the “final battle” in a five-month street campaign to oust the administration.

“I fear nothing. We will not bow our heads to the dark power destroying our country,” said Cat, a 48-year-old businesswoman, among the thousands of protesters waving placards and shouting “fight, fight” inside the Government House compound they have occupied since late August.

The crowd led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) planned to march to parliament early on Monday, where police have erected barricades and stationed trucks with water cannons.

In October, two people were killed and hundreds wounded, including scores of police, in running street battles with the PAD outside parliament.

This time, police have been ordered not to use tear gas or truncheons and only carry shields, government spokesman Nattawut Saikuar said after a meeting of security ministers.

House leaders have refused to change the venue or postpone Monday’s session, which will debate legislation relating to next month’s regional summit in the northern city of Chiang Mai.

THAKSIN PUPPET: Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat — who the PAD accuses of being the puppet of exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, his brother-in-law — assigned army chief Anupong Paochinda to monitor the protests while he attends an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru.

Major bloodshed would raise the chances of a military coup only two years after the army’s removal of Thaksin, who now lives in exile after skipping bail on corruption charges.

Anupong, who has put more than 3,000 anti-riot soldiers on standby to help the police, has said a putsch would do nothing to resolve Thailand’s fundamental political rifts.

The PAD enjoys the backing of Bangkok’s urban middle classes and elite, including Queen Sirikit, while Thaksin and the government claim their support from rural voters that returned a pro-Thaksin party in a December election.

The PAD is calling the march “its final battle” to oust the government, which it blames for a grenade attack last week that killed one person and wounded 23.

Another grenade blast wounded seven PAD security guards on Saturday. An eighth guard died of his wounds on Sunday.

Somchai has denied the government or its supporters are behind the blasts. Police have made no arrests so far.

GOVERNMENT RALLY: On the outskirts of Bangkok, thousands of red-shirted government supporters rallied in a Buddhist temple on Sunday to show their support for Somchai.

Jatuporn Prompan, a leader of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), said they would not march on parliament on Monday to confront the PAD.

Raising the pressure on Somchai, public sector unions have called a nationwide strike for Tuesday unless he stands aside, a threat that, if carried out, would deepen the economic impact of a political crisis now in its fourth year.

Government decision-making has ground to a halt, intensifying fears about the export-driven economy’s ability to withstand a global recession. Some foreign firms are already cutting back.

Japanese camera maker Nikon has laid off 1,500 staff in Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported on Saturday.

Last week, US car giant General Motors Corp announced a two-month shutdown at its Thai plant, and Toyota Motor Corp said it planned production cuts in Thailand.

—Reuters