Brawl In Thai Parliament As Thousands Rally Outside

By Jamaluddin Muhammad BANGKOK (Thailand), May 31 (Bernama) -- A brawl broke out in the Thai Parliament when opposition representatives told the House Speaker to vacate his seat, in opposing proposed reconciliation bills, as thousands rallied outside the premises. The incident occurred about 6pm when the Speaker, Somsak Kiatsuranont, asked law makers to vote, in allowing the four proposed reconciliation bills for urgent deliberation. A few opposition members of parliament (MP) immediately surrounded Kiatsuranont before one of them grabbed and pulled his hand, asking him to vacate his seat. This led the police to intervene and take the Speaker out of the house chamber. At that juncture, some women opposition MPs took the Speaker's chair, as well as those of the two deputy speakers, out of the podium. This time, the brawl involved the women opposition MPs and government MPs, as they pushed each other in seizing the three chairs. "PAD vows to stay put until it achieves its mission of fighting against the bills," said PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul. The opposition and the protesters claimed the bills, among others, were aimed at 'whitewashing' former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's wrong-doings as it offered blanket amnesty. Thaksin, who was ousted in a bloodless coup on Sept 19, 2006, fled Thailand and has been a fugitive since 2008, after being charged with corruption over his then-wife's purchase of prime land in Ratchadaphisek here. He was later found guilty in absentia and sentenced to two years in prison. The four reconciliation bills are proposed by two government Pheu Thai MPs, a Red Shirt leader who is also Pheu Thai MP, and 2006 coup maker Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin in his capacity as current chairman of the House Committee on National Reconciliation. Initially, the Yellow Shirts' rival, the Red Shirts who are aligned to the government, also wanted to hold a rally outside Parliament today, in showing support for the bills but called off the plan, following police advice. As at 8pm (Malaysian time: 9pm), Parliament was still in session while the protesters rallied outside. -- BERNAMA