Lertchai Sirichai, an academic from Walailak University in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, said the region had declared it wanted to end the "Thaksin regime's" authority in the South.

"It's the Election Commission that forced them to fight back by tearing up their ballots so the EC should take responsibility," he said.

Lertchai said the ballot rippers, who included academics, intellectuals and businessmen, were not deterred by threats from the EC that they would face legal action.

"I believe we will see more fierce resistance from civic groups," he said.

Charoon Yoothong, an academic from the Institute for Southern Thai Studies in Songkhla, said the relatively high number of voters destroying their ballots was a new phenomenon in the South.

"The incidents show people's anger and opposition to the elections. It's the only way they can fight after they failed to achieve what they wanted by casting "no" votes because the EC went ahead with the second round of voting," he said.

"No matter how many elections take place, they tell people they won't accept the results," he said.

Charoon said the unwanted election would increase political tension. "These MPs will not be the representatives the majority of voters wanted," he said.

The first torn ballot belonged to Chulalongkorn University academic Chaiyan Chaiyaporn, who was protesting against the April 2 election.

It caused caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to describe Thai public life as surreal, with economists calling on people not to pay their taxes, legal experts wanting to tear up the Constitution and political scientists ripping up their ballots.

"I hope our country will not be weird for too long," Thaksin said.