About 2,000 protesters from the Dhamma Army and the People’s Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism march from Lumpini Park to the Uruphong rally site where they join forces with the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand to scale up the protest. PATIPAT JANTHONG
By Terry Fredrickson
The Democrats are marching, the Uruphong protest site has been reinforced and a network of business people are rallying in the Silom area today.
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City march aims to cripple traffic
Business groups to hit streets against amnesty
Manop Thip-Osod
Patsara Jikkham
An animated Suthep Thuagsuban tells the Samsen crowd that the Democrat party was about to ramp up its protest over the blanket amnesty PORNPROM SATRABHAYA
The Democrat Party will lead a march of opponents to the government's blanket amnesty bill from Samsen railway station across Bangkok today in a stepped up campaign against the law change.
Democrat heavyweight Suthep Thaugsuban declined to identify the destinations of the march but a well-placed party source said the move, which will begin at 10am, is aimed at paralysing traffic in the capital to press for an end to the bill
The strategy comes as the rally at the Uruphong intersection is shaping up as a new focal point of opposition to the bill after protesters agreed yesterday to let an anti-Thaksin coalition of civic groups take the lead in their campaign
Attention is also focused on Silom today with business groups coming out onto the streets to air their opposition to the bill
With only 1,000 protesters in attendance at the beginning, the rally at Uruphong, which was engineered by the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand, is gathering pace. Now there are at least 3,000 people at the anti-government demonstrations since the Dhamma Army and the People's Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism (Pefot) joined them from Lumpini Park.
The groups decided to unite and work out future action under the leadership of a coalition which has yet to be formally named, and comprises civic groups from 77 provinces. The Dhamma Army has close connections with Chamlong Srimuang. The groups also agreed to give leadership to Somkiat Pongpaiboon, a key figure of the coalition they said.
Uruphong protest leader Nitithorn Lamlua welcomed the decision for unification as all groups shared the same goal to oust the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Mr Somkiat and Suriyasai Katasila announced the decision to close the Lumpini rally site to their supporters.
Maj Gen M C Chulacherm Yukol explains the opposition of 70 royal families to the blanket amnesty bill PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD
Democrat list-MP Korn Chatikavanij posted a message on his Facebook page yesterday urging people in the business area of Silom to blow whistles to oppose the amnesty bill today at 12.34pm.
Mana Nimitmongkol, director of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, said a network of businessmen will rally to mobilise white-collar employees in the Silom area against the bill with about 10,000 whistles to be handed out to participants
Seventy families of royal descendants from past monarchs of the Chakri Dynasty yesterday also voiced opposition to the amnesty bill
Maj Gen M C Chulacherm Yukol said the 70 royal families agreed at a meeting yesterday the blanket amnesty bill was flawed and the government should not submit the legislation if approved by the Senate to His Majesty the King for royal endorsement
A group of 578 lecturers of Thammasat University yesterday also issued an open letter opposing the amnesty bill and calling on the Senate to reject it.
Meanwhile, the Democrat Party will begin its nationwide campaign against the bill today, starting in Phetchaburi, said Alongkorn Ponlaboot, a deputy party leader.
Mr Alongkorn called for the Senate to reject the amnesty bill which has been passed by the House of Representatives
A petition will also be filed with the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the bill
The Democrat Party will also file a no-confidence complaint against the government, which has damaged the country's credibility in its administration he said.
Vocabulary
administration: the process or act of organising the way that something is done - การบริหาร
aim: to have as your purpose or goal - มีเป้าหมาย มีจุดมุ่งหมาย
air: to make known - เปิดเผย, ประกาศ
amnesty: a situation in which a government agrees not to punish, or to no longer punish, people who have committed a particular crime - การนิรโทษกรรม
animated: full of interest and energy - มีชีวิตชีวา
approve: to give official permission - อนุมัต
attention: interest, especially interest that the public has in a person, event, situation etc - ความสนใจ
bill: a proposal for a law - ร่างกฎหมาย
blanket: affecting or aimed at everyone or everything equally, even when this is not sensible or fair - ครอบคลุม, กว้าง
campaign: a series of actions intended to produce political or social change - การรณรงค์
civic group: a group made up of citizens rather than government officials -
coalition: the act of two or more groups joining together; a group formed by people from several different groups, especially political ones, agreeing to work together for a particular purpose - การรวมเป็นหนึ่งเดียว, การร่วมกัน, การร่วมมือกัน, การประสานกัน
comprise: to consist or be made up of two or more things - ประกอบด้วย
connection: a relationship between people or groups - ความสัมพันธ์
Constitution Court: the court that decides whether or not laws follow the constitution - ศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ
constitutionality: whether or not a law, activity, etc. follows what is allowed in the constitution - การเห็นชอบตามรัฐธรรมนูญ
credibility: the degree to which something can be believed or trusted - ความน่าเชื่อถือ,ความน่าไว้วางใจ
cripple: to prevent from working properly; to paralyse; to damage - ทำให้พิการ; ทำให้ใช้การไม่ได้
decline: to say politely that you will not accept something or do something - ปฏิเสธ
demonstration: an occasion when a group of people gather together to support or protest about something - การชุมนุม
deputy: a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation - รอง
descendant: a relative of a person who lived in the past - ทายาท, ผู้สืบสายเลือด
destination: the place where someone or something is going - จุดหมายปลายทาง
employee: someone who is paid regularly to work for a person or an organisation - ลูกจ้าง
endorsement: official approval - การรับรอง การลงนามในเอกสาร
engineer: to arrange for something to happen, especially in a useful and skilful way - วางแผน
figure: someone who is important in some way - บุคคลสำคัญ
file: to take official action like making a complaint - ยื่น, ยื่นคำร้อง
flawed: spoiled by something - มีข้อบกพร่อง
focal point: the most important, interesting, or attractive part of something, that you concentrate on or pay particular attention to - จุดโฟกัส, จุดสนใจ
focus: to give attention, effort, etc. to one particular subject, situation or person rather than another - เพ่งความสนใจ
gather pace: to become stronger; to accelerate - เพิ่มกำลัง
goal: aim; purpose - เป้าหมาย จุดมุ่งหมาย
heavyweight: someone or something that has a lot of influence, status, or knowledge - คนที่มีอิทธิพลมาก,คนที่ฉลาดมาก
House of Representatives: the main lawmaking body in Thailand, consisting of 500 members - สภาผู้แทนราษฎร
identify: to specify - ระบุ
intersection: a place where roads, lines, etc., join or cross each other - สี่แยก
issue: to give or provide something official - แจกจ่าย
lecturer: a teacher at a university or college - อาจารย์ผู้บรรยาย
legislation: a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament - กฎหมาย, การออกกฎหมาย
meanwhile: at the same time - ในเวลาเดียวกัน
mobilise: to bring together for a particular purpose - ระดมพล
monarch: a king or queen - กษัตริย์ หรือราชินี
network: a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. - เครือข่าย
no-confidence: believing that someone is unsuitable for a job or not capable of doing it, usually used in parliament during a censure debate - ไม่ไว้วางใจ
opponent: someone who disagrees with you or who is competing against you - ผู้ไม่เห็นด้วยกับ, ฝ่ายตรงข้าม
opposition: strong disagreement with a plan or policy - ความขัดแย้ง
oust: to force to leave a position of power - ขับออกจากอำนาจ
overthrow: to force a leader or government out of power - ขับไล่ออกจากอำนาจ
paralyse: to cause to be unable to move or function - ทำให้เป็นอัมพาต
participant: someone who takes part in something - ผู้เข้าร่วม
party list (proportional representation system): a system that gives each party in an election a number of seats in relation to the number of votes its candidates receive - ระบบสัดส่วน, ระบบปาร์ตี้ลิสต์
petition: an official document in which you ask a court to take legal action - คำร้องต่อศาล
protester: someone who shows that they disagree with something by standing somewhere, shouting, carrying signs, etc - ผู้ต่อต้าน, ผู้ประท้วง
rally: a large public gathering of people to support someone or to protest against something - การชุมนุม
ramp up: to make something increase in amount or strength; to make larger; to scale up; to escalate - ยกระดับ; เสริม
reform: a change that is intended to correct a situation that is wrong or unfair - การแก้ไข การปฏิรูป
reject: to not agree with a request, offer or proposal - ปฏิเสธ ไม่ยอมรับ
royal families: members of families originated by a King or Queen; royal descendents - ราชสกุล
scale up: to make larger; to ramp up; to escalate - ยกระดับ
Senate: one of the two groups of politicians who make laws in some countries, for example in the US, Australia, Canada and Thailand - วุฒิสภา
site: a place where something is located - สถานที่
source: someone who gives information - แหล่งข่าว
stepped up: increased - เพิ่ม
strategy: a plan that is intended to achieve a particular purpose - ยุทธวิธี, กลวิธี
submit: to formally give something to someone so that can make a decision about it - ยื่น (เอกสาร) เพื่อการพิจารณา
take the lead: to be the leader of a group, activity, etc. - เป็นผู้นำ
unification: the joining together of people, things, parts of a country, etc. tso that they form a single unit - การรวมตัวกัน, การสร้างเอกภาพ
urge: to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take - วิงวอน ย้ำเตือน
voice: to express your feelings or opinions - ออกความคิด
whistle: a small metal or plastic tube that you blow to make a loud high sound, used to attract attention or as a signal - นกหวีด
white-collar: working in an office, rather than in a factory, etc; connected with work in offices - เกี่ยวกับงานนั่งโต๊ะ มีเงินเดือนประจำ และไม่ต้องใช้แรงงาน
