Civil service, Chula oppose petition

The statement said the petition was designed to involve the monarchy in the political struggle and that regardless of the Royal discretion to accept or reject the petition, doubts would remain about the impartiality of the monarchy because the idea of such a pardon had been turned into a political agenda.

It is the duty of every citizen and of the civil service to keep the monarchy above politics, it said.

The 29 cosigners, all at permanent-secretary level, pledged not to allow such a politically motivated petition to tarnish the integrity of the monarchy, as it would, they said, if it was allowed to be presented.

The 5000-strong academic community of Chulalongkorn University yesterday circulated an open letter on much the same lines.

It reminded Thaksin to abide by his oath of allegiance to the King and call off the petition before it was too late.

"The petition for a Royal pardon is clearly being manipulated for political gain contrary to relevant law and established court precedent and is thus tantamount to politicising the monarchy," the statement said.

If a Royal pardon is truly the objective, then Thaksin is well aware of his rights and the prescribed procedures for him to petition personally for clemency, it said.

It went on to make the following points:

• Instead of abiding by precedent on the issue, organisers of the petition have intentionally tried to have their own way.
•  Thaksin, mindful of his oath, should intervene and stop his followers breaking with tradition regarding the monarchy.
• If organisers go ahead and file the petition, the government ought to make a decisive move to rectify the situation by rejecting the petition on grounds of illegality and inappropriateness before it reaches His Majesty.

Acting police chief General Wichien Potposri chaired a high-level meeting to beef up security around the Royal Palace in light of the red-shirt rally to file the petition.

Wichien said about 450 police would be deployed on Monday to keep the peace at the Sanam Luang rally site, the Royal Palace and the Supreme Court, where a graft verdict is scheduled in the rubber-sapling case.

Most of the red shirts are expected to remain in Sanam Luang while some of their leaders march to the palace, where about 15 of them, including Veera Musigapong, will submit the petition.

They will present the petition at the Viset Chaisri Gate, where officials of the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary will acknowledge its receipt.

Thaksin is expected to make a phone-in on Monday to the red-shirt rally, organisers said yesterday.

"Thaksin wants to thank his supporters," Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan, one of the organisers, said.

The red shirts will turn out in full force for the peaceful rally, Jatuporn said, adding that they would stay away from the blue shirts scheduled to rally at the nearby Supreme Court.

He said the red shirts would not become involved in the handing down of the verdict on the rubber-sapling case, even though it involved their faction leader Newin Chidchob.

Organisers have promised to disperse the crowds once the petition has been presented.

Jatuporn said, however, that although the red shirts would out of respect for the King drop the issue of a Royal pardon after petitioning him, they planned to continue rallying against the government.