Leaders of Thailand's anti- government group People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) announced on Tuesday evening that it will end its mass rallies after the government collapsed upon a court ruling that disbanded the ruling People Power Party (PPP).
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Thailand People's Alliance for Democracy protesters celebrate at the besieged Suvarnabhumi international airport in Bangkok, today. Thailand's Constitutional Court has dissolved the three biggest parties in the ruling coalition and banned the prime minister along with top party executives from politics for five years. |
Core leader of the PAD, Sondhi Limthongkul read the PAD's 21st statement at a press conference after 6:00 p.m. (11OO GMT) that the PAD resolved to end its anti-government rallies at the Government House and the Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, effective from 10:00 a.m. (0300 GMT) Wednesday.
The PAD cited three reasons for the decision: the movement's goal to block the PPP-led government's attempts to amend the 2007 Constitution has achieved; the near collapse of the government led by now disqualified prime minister Somchai Wongsawat after the Constitution Court earlier on Tuesday to disband the ruling PPP party and ban its executives, including Somchai, from politics for five years; to celebrate the Thai King's birthday on Dec. 5.
The PAD started to rally against the government from May and seized the Government House since Aug. 26. Lately in a showdown, the PAD besieged and shut down two airports on Nov. 25, paralyzing air service from and to Bangkok, causing hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded in Thailand for days.
But the PAD statement said it would resume its fight if the new government is still under the influence of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
PAD leaders at the Suvarnabhumi airport declared, "This is the victory of the people!" and then led its supporters to cheer "God bless the King!"
The PAD announced the statement after the Constitution Court handed down the verdict against PPP and its two coalition partners in the government -- Chart Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties, and an annual military dress parade at the Royal Plaza in central Bangkok in late afternoon as a traditional ceremony ahead of the Dec. 5, when the revered King Bhumibol turns 81.
(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2008)
