ID :
101345
Wed, 01/20/2010 - 15:53
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http://m.oananews.org//node/101345
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Red Shirts at Government House demand PM speed legal action against Surayud
BANGKOK, Jan 20 (TNA) - Thailand's red-clad anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship on Wednesday rallied at Government House, submitting a letter of complaint demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva speed up legal action against Privy Councillor Gen Surayud Chulanont for alleged encroachment on national forest reserve land.
Red Shirt activists led by Suporn Attawong gave the letter to the premier in care of a representative from the Government House complaint centre, amid tight security.
The UDD letter demanded the premier, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suwit Khunkitti and Forestry Department director-general Somchai Piensathaporn to more quickly carry out legal action against the privy councillor and his wife who they claimed they improperly possess a vacation home on forest reserve land of Khao Yai Thiang in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima.
If the prime minister ignores to proceed with legal action against Gen Surayud, the letter said, the premier is in breach of the law, the Constitution’s Article 157, regarding negligence of duty.
The attorney-general’s office earlier said it would not proceed with legal action against Gen Surayud as he had purchased the land legally and it had twice changed ownership before he acquired it.
A Forestry Department probe committee is considering further action on the case as a Cabinet resolution prohibits local residents allocated forest reserve land to farm from selling it to others, except to their statutory heirs. Otherwise the land must be returned to the state.
It is reported that the Red Shirt protesters left the Government House compound peacefully after presenting the complaint and were heading to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary to submit a letter asking for a report on the progress of the UDD petition seeking royal pardon for fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra submitted to the office last August.
Meanwhile, Gen Surarit Jantrathip, a close aide of Gen Surayud, on Wednesday denied being a Gen Surayud ‘nominee’ to buy land at Khao Yai Thiang, saying he had transferred the land to Gen Surayud's wife to ‘repay kindness.’
Gen Surarit told a news conference that he bought the controversial land from Noppadon Pithakwanich as the latter ran into financial problem in the 1997 economic crisis and asked him to help buy the land.
Gen Surarit, then director of TV Channel 5, said five years later he gave the land to Gen Surayud's wife but declined to specify how much he had paid for the land.
"It's about military [comraderie], gratitude and shoulder-to-shoulder loyalty on the battlefield," said Gen Surayud's aide. "With the attachment we have, I repaid kindness to Gen Surayud by giving him the land. He repaid me by facilitating my heart operation." (TNA)
Red Shirt activists led by Suporn Attawong gave the letter to the premier in care of a representative from the Government House complaint centre, amid tight security.
The UDD letter demanded the premier, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suwit Khunkitti and Forestry Department director-general Somchai Piensathaporn to more quickly carry out legal action against the privy councillor and his wife who they claimed they improperly possess a vacation home on forest reserve land of Khao Yai Thiang in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima.
If the prime minister ignores to proceed with legal action against Gen Surayud, the letter said, the premier is in breach of the law, the Constitution’s Article 157, regarding negligence of duty.
The attorney-general’s office earlier said it would not proceed with legal action against Gen Surayud as he had purchased the land legally and it had twice changed ownership before he acquired it.
A Forestry Department probe committee is considering further action on the case as a Cabinet resolution prohibits local residents allocated forest reserve land to farm from selling it to others, except to their statutory heirs. Otherwise the land must be returned to the state.
It is reported that the Red Shirt protesters left the Government House compound peacefully after presenting the complaint and were heading to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary to submit a letter asking for a report on the progress of the UDD petition seeking royal pardon for fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra submitted to the office last August.
Meanwhile, Gen Surarit Jantrathip, a close aide of Gen Surayud, on Wednesday denied being a Gen Surayud ‘nominee’ to buy land at Khao Yai Thiang, saying he had transferred the land to Gen Surayud's wife to ‘repay kindness.’
Gen Surarit told a news conference that he bought the controversial land from Noppadon Pithakwanich as the latter ran into financial problem in the 1997 economic crisis and asked him to help buy the land.
Gen Surarit, then director of TV Channel 5, said five years later he gave the land to Gen Surayud's wife but declined to specify how much he had paid for the land.
"It's about military [comraderie], gratitude and shoulder-to-shoulder loyalty on the battlefield," said Gen Surayud's aide. "With the attachment we have, I repaid kindness to Gen Surayud by giving him the land. He repaid me by facilitating my heart operation." (TNA)
