PAD to collect 20,000 signatures to impeach [Thai] PM

BANGKOK, March 4 (MCOT online news) -- Thailand's yellow-clad movement, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) plans to collect 20,000 signatures in effort to impeach Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for alleged neglect of duty leading the kingdom to lose territory to Cambodia, according to PAD leading member Prapan Koonmee.

Mr Prapan said the PAD would use legal means to put pressure against Mr Abhisit's government by collecting 20,000 signatures, as required by the Constitution, to present to the Constitution Court.

He said the premier should be impeached for neglect of duty by bring up 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Thailand and Cambodia which the PAD claimed that it was legally ineffective as a tool for negotiation with the Cambodian authorities.

The move had led Thailand to lose territory to Cambodia, he claimed.

The MoU on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary signed by Thailand and Cambodia on June 4, 2000 saw both sides agreeing not to carry out any work resulting in changes to the frontier zone environment, pending the survey and demarcation of the shared land boundary.

Meanwhile, Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a PAD core leader, said the government was trying to put pressure against PAD.

However, the PAD would not return the area on Rajdamnoen Nok Avenue to the authorities except if the government uses force to disperse the protest.

Gen Chamlong said he believed the government would try to do just that.

He said that now the PAD would step up its campaign to inform the public that if Thailand loses the 4.6 square kilometres of contested land to Cambodia, the kingdom will lose another 180,000 rai (72,000 acres) along the border to Cambodia.