POLITICS
Have doubts about source of invitation
Representatives of state enterprise labour unions rejected an invitation to a meeting with army chief Anupong Paojinda yesterday. Sources said the State Enterprise Relations Confederation (SERC) and water and electricity labour unions had received an invitation from an unnamed aide to Gen Anupong to attend a meeting with the army commander.
SERC president Sawit Kaeowan and Sirichai Mai-ngam, an SERC member from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, discussed the invitation with colleagues and decided to reject it.
The reasons were that they could not verify the source of the invitation and the exact topics to be discussed.
SERC representatives would like to see convincing evidence of the invitation, such as an invitation fax or email.
''The army chief has a very positive standpoint so we would not mind meeting him,'' a union source said.
''But right now we must be very careful because we do not know exactly who made the approach.''
Its quick decision to an invitation would also be difficult because SERC representatives would first have to consult their members and the five leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy.
A military source said Gen Anupong wanted to meet SERC representatives following reports they planned to cut off power and water supplies to several important government agencies. The SERC turned down the invitation, saying its key figures could not agree on a common stand, the source said.
PAD co-leader Somsak Kosaisuk said the PAD still backed cutting off services to pressure the government to resign.
In Songkhla province, Hat Yai international airport opened to flights again yesterday after being closed by PAD supporters who blocked access roads.
Airports of Thailand (AoT) said the closure of Hat Yai and Phuket airports by PAD demonstrators had caused a revenue loss of 6.9 million baht in the past six days from flight cancellations _ 5.7 million baht at Phuket airport and 1.2 million baht at Hat Yai airport.
AoT acting president Serirat Prasutanond said immigration police reported passenger traffic at Suvarnabhumi airport had dropped by one-third from about 80,000 passengers a day during the period of the PAD protest. No airlines had cancelled flights to Thailand during the high tourist season, which starts next month, Mr Serirat said.
Country doctors condemned Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday and joined the call for his government to step down.
Dr Kriengsak Watcharanukulkiat, head of the Rural Doctors Society, urged staff at all 730 community hospitals nationwide to wear black and join the PAD demonstration when they are off duty.
He said they should also erect banners at their hospitals denouncing the government for failing to prevent the violence and demanding its resignation.
Dr Pinitjai Nakphan, a cardiovascular physician at Maharaj hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima, said the medical faculty of the hospital wanted Mr Samak to resign unconditionally as his government had caused divisions among Thai people and had taken a violent approach against demonstrators.
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