Petition Submitted

Bangkok Post

Your Majesty the King,

We, whose names are attached to this petition, would like to inform Your Majesty as follows:

1.We have suffered a great deal from economic hardships of which the root cause was the Sept 19, 2006, coup d'etat. The coup-makers destroyed a regime elected under a constitutional monarchy and replaced it with a military dictatorship.

The putsch was so damaging to the country that it has affected the economy until today, when the country is also being impacted by the global economic downturn. As a result, we have been unable to cope with the difficulties we are facing.

Moreover, the formation of the current government, which lacks legitimacy under democratic principles, has not received any love or cooperation from the public. How can this government lead the country out of a recession when the prime minister can't even travel to many parts of the country?

2.Pol Lt Col Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister who was overthrown in the coup, is well-versed in economic matters and trusted by all of us. We believe he is the only one who can ease our difficulties. He has been living in exile abroad because he has been a victim of a dictatorial regime who enforced unjust laws against him. The litigation against him has barred him from using his intelligence and potential to assist the country and the people. This is a big loss in terms of human resources.

Thaksin, who has been living in exile for a long time now, has been barred from happiness and warmth that one can enjoy in his motherland.

3.The military takeover of Sept 19, 2006, not only affected the economy negatively but also hurt the country's international standing and tainted the reputation of its judicial system to an extent that lawyers, who used to be so proud of their profession, can't help agree that since the 2006 coup, the country has had problems enforcing the law. This is shameful in the eye of the world community.

We, and the people in general, are aware that double standards are being used in the enforcement of law against two particular groups of people which we consider as uncivilised and unacceptable approaches. For this reason, we have staged rallies to demand justice and legitimacy. If they hadn't forced so many injustices upon us, we would not have had to take such steps as there is a limit to everyone's patience.

4.We would like to tell Your Majesty that you are the one and only person we know we can turn to for help. This is because Your Majesty are always committed to improving the people's well-being. You have a long-term vision and adhere to good governance, and we have faith that Your Majesty will not allow us to endure hardships for too long.

We, therefore, are submitting this petition to ask Your Majesty to grant a royal pardon to Pol Lt Col Thaksin Shinawatra for the two-year jail sentence handed to him by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions. Only then would he be free to return as Your Majesty's servant and resume his contribution to the country. At the least, he could become an economic adviser. We have confidence and trust in his capability.

We expect that our petition will lead to solidarity and reconciliation among people in the country. Only then can the country unite to fight the common dangers we are facing.

Thais will then be able to live happily in peace and Your Majesty's reputation would be enhanced. However, we leave the decision on this issue at the discretion of Your Majesty.