Bangkok - Thai Deputy Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned his post Tuesday to take "responsibility" for a confrontation between anti-government protestors and police. Chavalit submitted his resignation to Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat Tuesday shortly after police fired tear gas on thousands of protestors belonging to the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who had laid siege to Parliament.
Chavalit had been assigned by Somchai, who was appointed premier on September 25, to conduct peace talks with the PAD which has been staging anti-government protests since May this year.
The PAD's demonstrations culminated on August 25 with the seizure of Government House, the seat of government, which they had occupied since.
Chavalit a former prime minister and army-commander-in-chief, was reportedly making progress with his negotiations with the PAD before the unexpected arrests of PAD leaders Chaiwat Singsungwong on Friday and Chamlong Srimuang on Sunday.
Both men face treason charges for leading the occupation of Government House.
The arrests of the two PAD leaders perplexed observers, as it inevitably derailed Chavalit's peace talks.
"It was a screw up, a la Thai style," said Kraisak Choonhavan, a member of the opposition Democrat Party.
Kraisak blamed the poorly timed arrests on the police, who may have been taking orders from the military.
"There is a faction within the military who dislike Chavalit, so anything Chavalit does they try to undermine him," said Kraisak.
Kraisak was one of the last people to see Chaiwat before he was arrested.
"They are tired of the whole thing themselves," said Kraisak. "They are fed up with the daily confrontation."
Not everyone within the PAD is fed up. PAD key leader Sonthi Limthongkul has vowed to launch "tough measures" if the government doesn't dissolve parliament Tuesday after ordering police to fire tear gas at his followers.
Many political observers believe the PAD, a loose coalition of groups adamantly opposed to the return to power of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his populist style politics, have been searching for an honourable ending to their five months of anti-government protests.
The military and police have been reluctant to crack down on the movement because it espouses many of the same beliefs they do, including devotion to the monarchy, contempt of corrupt politicians and a fondness for appointee governments.
The PAD has suggested Thailand engage in serious political reforms that would lead to a "new politics," and away from its recent tradition of "money politics" that was raised to new heights by Thaksin, who was ousted by a military coup on September 19, 2006.
