BANGKOK, THAILAND: More than 10,000 protesters gathered outside the British Embassy in Bangkok Tuesday (19 Aug) to demand that London return ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Pojaman, to Thailand to face criminal charges.

The protesters, organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), aggravated traffic conditions in Bangkok, as the British Embassy is located on Ploenchit Road in the heart of the city.

The protesters arrived at the embassy at about 10:30am holding posters and shouting: "Thaksin, go to jail!" Police had to seal off roads in the area, including Wireless and Ploenchit roads.

PAD leaders Chamlong Srimuang, Sondhi Limthongkul and Somsak Kosaisuk submitted a petition to an embassy representative at 11:10am.

The protesters called on the British government not to grant political asylum to Thaksin. The petition said his request for political asylum in Britain must be turned down.

"If Thaksin is not brought back to face the charges against him in Thai courts, it will contribute further to the political and democratic deadlock and undermine the capacity to transform the public realm," said the PAD's letter, which was addressed to British Ambassador Quinton Mark Quayle.

Thaksin and Pojaman jumped bail last week, to avoid the looming prospect of losing their Ratchadaphisek land-purchase case in court. They and their family have now settled in London and plan to seek asylum. On 31 July, Pojaman was also sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion in stock transactions dating back to November 1997.

The PAD protesters warned the British Embassy that if Thaksin's request were met, it would set a terrible precedent for other rich, powerful and non-democratic figures, both in Thailand and elsewhere.

"The original meaning of 'democracy' is not merely majority rule, but rather the capacity to do things, especially the capacity to pursue change in the public realm. Through popular, legal and sovereign measures, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was recently brought to trial," said the letter.

"Thaksin was charged with abusing his power as prime minister by securing inside deals on real-estate purchases for family members. This is the first time in Thai political history that a former prime minister has been brought to trial."

The PAD also plans to organise a rally at the Foreign Ministry demanding that Thaksin and Pojaman's passports be revoked on the grounds they are now bail-jumping fugitives. (The Nation/ ANN)