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The Nation on Sunday
Sondhi
Bangkok:-- Yellow-shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul made a return to the movement yesterday by holding a special version of his popular 'Thailand Weekly' TV show.
He gave a speech on "Reforming Thailand and unveiling dirty politics" during an event by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) at Lumpini Park. Thousands of yellow-shirt supporters attended.
Sondhi, who is a PAD co-leader, criticised the government and the opposition, as well as many public figures, including Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha and ousted Thai Airways president Piyasvasti Amranand.
He also credited the PAD for the government's refusal to support the campaign to amend Article 112 of the Penal Code, which concerns lese majeste offences. "The PAD serves as a wall to protect the monarchy. We seem to be doing the duty for the [recent] Army chiefs since 2005," Sondhi said, adding that recent Army chiefs were "good at talking and making threats, like politicians".
In late 2005, Sondhi started holding his weekly programme at Lumpini Park after it was taken off the air at state-run Channel 9. The weekly gatherings by Sondhi's supporters later grew to become the PAD and a movement against Thaksin that eventually led to a coup in September 2006.
PAD spokesman Panthep Puapongpan said yesterday that in regard to questions where Sondhi "disappeared to", the yellow-shirt leader had in fact continued doing his regular news analysis show on satellite-based ASTV.
-- The Nation 2012-05-27
