Thai opp briefs foreign envoys on political stalemate

Bangkok, Mar 11: Thailand's main opposition party has met foreign envoys here to convey its decision to boycott the snap elections called by caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Democrat Party, Thailand's oldest one, yesterday briefed a group of Bangkok-based foreign diplomats on the unprecedented political situation in the country created by the opposition's decision to stay away from the April 2 polls.

Together with a group of members of Thailand's upper house of parliament, the leader of the main opposition party told the diplomats that mass protests against a new Government formed by Mr Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party would continue even after the snap elections.

''We never support unconstitutional or extra-constitutional exercises or violence but we complement people's efforts to pressure for real political reform,'' the Democrat Party leader added.

Thailand's three main parliamentary opposition groups have decided to boycott the April 2 polls and are demanding constitutional reform under a neutral administration.

The opposition also explained to the diplomats the reason for the street protests by a coalition of anti-Government people's groups outside the Singapore embassy this week.

However, the opposition leaders reassured the diplomats that this did not mean that they endorsed anti-foreign sentiments in Thailand.

The street protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy outside the Singapore embassy were linked to the controversial sale of Mr Thaksin's family telecom business to a Singapore state company for a tax-free 1.9 billion US dollars in late January.

The People's Alliance has also called for a Thai boycott of several Singapore products unless the Singapore Government cancels the deal.

All eyes are now on the next big People's Alliance anti-government rally next Monday night after which thousands of protestors plan to march to Government House.

UNI