Campaigners trying to oust Thai Prime Minister

BANGKOK, July 14: Campaigners trying to oust Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra were forced to scale back their protests today after the royal palace made it clear they must stop dragging the king into a long-running political crisis.

Having originally planned a pro-monarchy, anti-Thaksin march of tens of thousands, the ad hoc People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) coalition mustered just 200 protesters outside the British and U S embassies.

''We submit a letter to these embassies to tell their citizens that we don't want Thailand to return to dictatorship and Thaksin is not a democracy defender,'' said rally leader Somsak Kosaisuk.

Playing on Thais' extreme reverence for 78-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the PAD has accused telecoms billionaire Thaksin of undermining the crown, in addition to cronyism and abuse of power -- all charges he denies.

However, Thaksin stoked the controversy this month when he alleged ''charismatic individuals'' were looking to oust him by ''unconstitutional means'', a remark Thai media and analysts took as a thinly veiled attack on top royal adviser Prem Tinsulanonda.

But in a speech on Monday, another senior royal aide made it clear the PAD should stop playing the ''royal card'' and dragging the monarch into the political mess left by April's inconclusive -- and subsequently annulled -- general election.

Amid mounting speculation about pro-Thaksin and pro-palace factions within the armed forces, former Prime Minister Prem told 700 army cadets on Friday it was the military's duty to serve the monarch, not the government and politicians of the day.

''We are soldiers of the nation, soldiers of His Majesty the King,'' said 85-year-old Prem, who also used to be Armed Forces Commander. ''Government doesn't own us.'' After annulling the April 2 poll, which failed to produce a result due to an opposition boycott, the courts have come under pressure to navigate a way out of a deadlock stemming ultimately from a PAD street campaign against Thaksin.

However, the judges have made little headway amid a flurry of lawsuits from all sides. A new election has been pencilled in for October 15, but the opposition and many political analysts think it will have to be pushed back.

REUTERS