Voice rise against PAD's latest moves

The latest moves by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have drawn flak from various parties, including the Midnight University.

PAD protesters poured into Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday, forcing the facility to suspend its service.

A group of PAD guards also injured 11 pro-government people two days ago.

"It is clear PAD leaders are bent on causing turmoil in the society so that they can use unconstitutional power as solutions," according to the statement issued by the Midnight University yesterday.

The informal university criticised the PAD for not thinking about the immense negative ramifications of their actions.

"They are bringing Thai society to calamities," it went on.

The Midnight University also blasted prominent social thinker Prawase Wasi, of the National Human Rights Commission, pro-PAD university lecturers and academics, a group of 40 senators, opposition MPs and Thai PBS for supporting PAD activities.

"We call on these people or organisations to take responsibility for damages caused by the PAD," the university added.

Gothom Arya, who chairs the Second National Economic and Social Advisory Council, also disagreed with the PAD decision to close down Suvarnabhumi.

"This act has caused serious damage to the country. It has also intensified ongoing conflicts," he said.

Gothom said as long as parties in the conflicts would not turn to each other and begin negotiations, there would be no solution in sight.

In a related development, the Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) urged the PAD to ensure that its rallies were peaceful and to respect the judicial system.

The UCL also suggested that the government urgently start negotiations with the PAD to end ongoing conflicts.

"If the government is unable to end the conflict within a short time, it should dissolve the Parliament," the UCL said in its statement.

Following the suggestions made yesterday by Army commander-|in-chief General Anupong Paochinda, as chairman of the "situation monitoring panel" - that the government should dissolve the House and the PAD should end the protests immediately - academics threw their support to the non-violent approach.

Pirom Kamolratanakul, the |president of Chulalongkorn University, who was among the seven or eight rectors who joined the panel's emergency meeting yesterday, said that the panel did not call on the government to resign because they didn't want the government to lose face.

"I don't expect that the whole political situation will end immediately but I want both sides to sacrifice for the country," Pirom said.Thai Chamber of Commerce University president Jiradech Usawad, as president of the Thai Private University Association, said that the panel's announcement yesterday was "the most gentle attempt" to solve the problem. He urged the two sides to each step back one step. He said the Thai army had the clear stance of being on the Thai people's side, which was the best solution without a coup or violence.