Thai PM defiant despite civil disobedience campaign

THAILAND: Embattled Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra vowed to stand firm against mounting pressure for his resignation as protesters on Monday called for civil disobedience in a bid to force him out of office.

"I am not going to be the prime minister who resigns after a small bit of pressure against me," Thaksin told an audience of thousands of supporters in the northeastern city of Khon Kaen late Sunday.

"Other prime ministers resigned in the past when conflicts deepened, but I won't. I don't want to set a bad precedent," he said.

Thaksin, battling allegations of corruption and abuse of power, has been the target of hordes of protesters who demanded his resignation at four mass rallies in as many weeks. But he is still very popular among rural voters.

Over 50,000 protesters gathered Sunday at Bangkok's Sanam Luang field near the royal palace, the same venue where Thaksin drew some 150,000 supporters on Friday as he kicked off his campaign for April 2 snap elections.

Like previous demonstrations, Sunday's rally was noisy but peaceful. Yet protesters marched to Government House, the seat of Thailand's government, in a show of force to pile the pressure on Thaksin.

Parnthep Pourpongpan, a spokesman for Sondhi Limthongkul, a key member of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy, said Monday the group would hold daily protests until the premier quits, calling for civil disobedience.

"We will meet every day at 4:00 pm (at Sanam Luang) until Thaksin resigns. We will continue our efforts peacefully and never give up until he quits, which is our main objective," he said.

Parnthep said Chamlong Srimuang, an anti-Thaksin leader who heads the banned Buddhist sect Santi Asoke, could camp at Sanam Luang for one year in a campaign to oust Thaksin.

Bangkok, Monday, AFP