NORTHERN REDSHIRTS, MPS MARK THAKSIN'S BIRTHDAY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000118 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI TH SUBJECT: NORTHERN REDSHIRTS, MPS MARK THAKSIN'S BIRTHDAY CHIANG MAI 00000118 001.2 OF 002 Sensitive but unclassified; please handle accordingly. -------------- Summary and Comment -------------- ¶1. (U) At well-attended events in three northern provinces organized by several different redshirt groups on July 26, supporters of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin celebrated his 60th birthday flanked by leading MPs of the opposition Phuea Thai Party - the successor to Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party. The gatherings were all peaceful, and there were no reports of clashes with or interference by police. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: Nearly 5,000 individuals attended the evening gathering in Chiang Mai - by far the most at any of the numerous events. This figure contrasts sharply with the 200 or so supporters redshirt rallies in Chiang Mai typically draw, and surprised Consulate contacts, particularly those in intelligence circles. Our contacts also believe that participants at the July 26 events were not paid, but rather attended out of a genuine desire to wish Thaksin well, whereas most observers believe that rally-goers at other events organized by redshirt groups were compensated for their participation. The increased attendance may signal rising popular discontent with the current coalition government, or it may be a result of the personal gratitude the populace feels for favorite son Thaksin, regardless of their political leanings. More than likely, it is a confluence of both. End Summary and Comment. -------------- Happy 60th! -------------- ¶3. (U) On July 26, redshirt groups in three key provinces of northern Thailand came out in numbers to celebrate the 60th birthday of their political idol, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who remains a fugitive abroad in the wake of a criminal conviction. In Thaksin's home town of Chiang Mai, the day kicked off with five merit making ceremonies held at temples in various districts, as well as at the site of the former Royal Flora Garden. Opposition Phuea Thai (PT) MPs, Thaksin relatives, and community radio station operators were the key organizers, with MPs Suraphong Towachakchaikul and Surapol Kiatchaiyakorn leading the way. Four of the five ceremonies were attended by about 100 well-wishers each, except for the one in Thaksin's home district, which drew a crowd of approximately ¶300. ¶4. (U) Meanwhile, at a prominent temple in the neighboring province of Lamphun, PT MP Sanguan Phongmanee, a well-known political science professor at Chiang Mai University, Rak Chiang Mai 51 (RCM51) leader Phetcharawat Wattanaphongsirikul, and Thaksin's aunt led 1,200 supporters in a merit making ceremony. They also encouraged attendees to sign a petition to King Bhumibol calling on him to grant Thaksin a royal pardon, which leaders of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) say they will deliver on August 7. Thaksin himself phoned the supporters, who were also provided with 2,492 feet of traditional Thai mulberry paper on which to write messages to him (Note: 2492 is the Buddhist Era year in which Thaksin was born, which is equivalent to 1949.) The entire event was broadcast live on a local pro-redshirt community radio station. ¶5. (U) In Lampang Province, three additional merit making ceremonies were organized at three separate temples, each attended by 150-200 supporters. Thaksin phoned the participants at one of the temples. In Chiang Mai, the evening concluded with speeches by UDD and PT leaders, who took the current government to task and predicted the redshirts would successfully achieve their goal of bringing Thaksin back to power. PT MPs Surapol Kiatchaiyakorn and Sunai Chulapongsathorn, along with UDD leader Surachai Danwathananusorn told an audience of some 400 that the current governing coalition was "misguided" and had illegitimately taken office, calling it "the brainchild of the three allied forces -- aristocrats, military and judiciary." -------------- How Much Cake Can You Eat? -------------- ¶6. (U) At a separate gathering in front of RCM51's Chiang Mai headquarters, 2,729 pounds of birthday cake donated by Thaksin supporters were displayed for the Guinness Book of World Records in attempt to set a record for the most cake at a birthday party. PT MP Sunai, the UDD's Surachai, and former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat were the key speakers at this event, which drew a crowd of nearly 5,000. A concert attended by nearly 2,000 Thaksin supporters capped the evening, complete with another Thaksin phone-in, a cake-cutting by former PM CHIANG MAI 00000118 002.2 OF 002 Somchai , who also addressed the gathering, and the lighting of 61 fireworks. ¶7. (U) Other speakers at the concert, which was organized by local pro-Thaksin community radio stations, included MP Sunai and former Senior Supreme Court Judge Manit Chitchanklap, who maintained that Thaksin did not commit a criminal offense and spoke out in favor of the petition seeking a royal pardon for him. Manit argued that the courts had used "dictatorial" laws promulgated by the 2006 coup makers to convict Thaksin, and that the Constitutional Court was applying a double standard in its handling of separate cases involving redshirts on the one hand and supporters of the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy ("yellowshirts") on the other. ¶8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Bangkok. MORROW