Having settled on the upmarket Siam Paragon mall, the new anti-Thaksin protest site could provide the perfect springboard to launch attacks on what protesters have labelled pro-government agencies.

The protesters are gathering today at Siam Paragon, on Rama I Road, where they say they will stay until at least Friday.

It is possible, however, that the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) may not remain there for the whole three days and could decide to shift to other strategic locations in the area.

The map shows some important spots along the road.

The Election Commission (EC) at the other end, for example, offers a tantalising target.

At present the EC is under intense pressure.

The commission is the major organiser of the election and the decision whether or not to allow Sunday's election to go ahead lies behind its doors.

The PAD and the Democrat Party have filed a complaint against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, accusing him of violating electoral laws.

Protesters believe the EC could offer their last hope in their quest to prevent Thaksin from using the election to, as they see it, whitewash his image.

The EC, however, has not even put the complaints on its agenda.

During their three-day protest at Siam Paragon, the People's Alliance will lead some protesters to the EC building to exert pressure before the election.

With only about two kilometres separating the protest site and the EC's office, the PAD might move the whole rally there, possibly on Saturday night in a last ditch attempt to get the poll stopped on election eve.

EC member Parinya Nakchatri said he did not fear the protesters.

"I don't think the rally will come here," he said. "Why would they put pressure on us? We don't harm anyone."

The EC will continue its work this Sunday without preparing any measures against Thaksin, Parinya said.

The headquarters of another agency, the Royal Thai Police, is closer to the Siam Paragon than the EC's office and the police, which take charge of all security measures, are intimately entwined with the protesters.

The PAD on Monday filed a complaint with the police accusing Thaksin and his Cabinet of violations stemming from the privatisation of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the Kingdom's largest supplier of electricity.

But the police passed the charge to the National Counter Corruption Commission, saying any complaint about abuse of power should be lodged directly with the NCCC.

It seems that the police headquarters could be another potential target for protesters, with detachments of protesters deployed across the road from the shopping mall to carry out tactical missions.

Police spokesman Lt-General Achirawit Suphannaphesat said he did not think the protest would put pressure on government agencies. "The protesters haven't come here yet and we're confident there won't be any trouble," Achirawit said.

Not far from the rally site is the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) at Hua Chang Bridge, one of the most criticised "independent" agencies.

The agency has come under severe criticism and is accused of siding with the government and its former secretary-general is said to be an old friend of Thaksin.

Accusations were made that the AMLO probed the financial transactions of "unfriendly" media and non-governmental organisations based only on questionable, anonymous leads.

The agency also refused to examine Thaksin's registration of Ample Rich in the British Virgin Islands, which sparked the controversy that rocked Thaksin's premiership.

Over the past two months, the PAD has gained tremendous ground in its effort to drive Thaksin out of the office. This includes besieging Government House, putting the premier on the run and forcing him to sneak into his office and retreat to his Chiang Mai stronghold.

In spite of quiet objections from the management of Siam Paragon, PAD succeeded in establishing its foothold at the mall and forced businesses to shut for two days - dashing hopes for an end of the month sale.

If the PAD can stop Bangkok from shopping, it is capable of anything. 

Political Desk

The Nation