Thai private sector offers to mediate to end political rallies

BANGKOK, November 29 (TNA) - The Thai private sector has offered to join other sectors in the society to mediate between the government and leaders of anti-government protesters in order to seek a solution to the ongoing domestic political strife. Isara Vongkusolkit, Chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand, told journalists of the private sector's offer on Friday, acknowledging that the Board of Trade, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and provincial chambers of commerce nationwide have jointly issued a four-point statement, in which the offer is included. Isara said the joint statement indicated that all the mentioned agencies are willing to coordinate with all other parties, namely education institutes and the media, in inviting both the government and the anti-government sides to come to a negotiation table to explore ways to resolve the ongoing domestic political deadlock. According to the joint statement, the Thai private sector is against violence in resolving national problems and considers the dissolution of the House of Representatives should be the best way to end the current domestic political crux peacefully. But before the House dissolution, the joint statement proposed, every concerned party should hold talks, but it shared a view that a demand by the anti-government protesters to set up the so-called "people’s council" should be difficult. Kalin Sarasin, Secretary-General of the Board of Trade of Thailand, acknowledged that a survey conducted recently among provincial chambers of commerce nationwide found up to 70 per cent of respondents wanted a House dissolution, while the rest wanted both sides to hold a dialogue. Kalin revealed that members of the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking will confer on the proposals indicated in the joint statement on December 2, 2013. Meanwhile, Government Spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi announced that the government has already set up a monitoring centre, or a war room, at Bangkok's Government House, in which updated information will be released to the media through press conferences, set to be held 3-4 times daily, so that the public learn about latest developments. Ekanat Prompan, a spokesman of the largest anti-government protesting group at the Democracy Monument, led by Suthep Thaugsuban, a former MP and an ex-deputy prime minister under the main opposition Democrat Party, vowed that his group is prepared to further escalate the street protest, depending on the number of participating supporters, after having induced groups of its supporters to seize major government offices. (TNA)