This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 001408 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2016 
TAGS: PGOV TH TRT SNAP
SUBJECT: THAILAND POLITICAL UPDATE:  ANTI-THAKSIN FORCES TO 
MOUNT FURTHER PRESSURE TO OUST THAKSIN 
 
REF: BANGKOK 1376 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR SUSAN M. SUTTON.  REASON: 1.4 (D) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  At a March 6 rally at Sanam Luang Park, 
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leaders called for a 
large scale march on Government House next week to coincide 
with the meeting of the caretaker cabinet.  The organizers 
also plan a "rehearsal" demonstration at Sanam Luang on March 
13, the night before the cabinet march.  An umbrella group of 
state enterprise employees has called for a general assembly 
on March 10 to discuss possible labor actions.  Thaksin 
remains defiant of his critics, insisting that he will not be 
intimidated and has the support of millions.  An academic 
leader within the anti-Thaksin movement told us that further 
measures to pressure Thaksin are planned and that he feared 
clashes between demonstrators and police (and possibly 
Thaksin partisans) could break out.  End summary. 
 
LATEST RALLY CALLS FOR MASSIVE MARCH ON CABINET MEET 
 
¶2.  (C)  At a March 6 rally attended by an estimated 30,000 
anti-Thaksin protesters at Sanam Luang Park, People's 
Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leaders called for a large scale 
march on Government House next week to coincide with the 
meeting of the caretaker cabinet.  The marchers will 
reportedly try to hand a petition to Thaksin calling for him 
to resign.  PAD core member Pibhop Dhongchai told the crowd 
that the morning procession on March 14 could be challenged 
by the Prime Minister.  PAD has called for continuing 
demonstrations at Sanam Luang every evening until March 13, 
when a large "warm up" demonstration will be held on the eve 
of the cabinet march. 
 
ACADEMICS PROMISE MORE ACTION; SAYS CLASHES PROBABLE 
 
¶3.  (C)  Chulalongkorn University lecturer Dr. Surat 
Horachaikul, a leader of the Academic Network for Democracy 
(AND - a part of the anti-Thaksin coalition) told poloff on 
March 7 that the movement plans to mount boycotts of Thaksin 
family-owned  companies AIS (cell phones) and ITV 
(television).  AND will also stage protests outside the 
Singapore Embassy in the near future and postpone scheduled 
academic cooperation programs because of alleged Singapore 
support for Thaksin through the Temasek Corporation.  Dr. 
Surat said that the movement was keeping things on a "low 
boil" this week, but that next Tuesday's march to petition 
Thaksin at his cabinet meeting would signal a new push to get 
him out of office. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Surat said that he believes Thaksin wants to exit 
gracefully but will not do so until he is sure his assets are 
safe.  Surat said that, regretfully, some academics had 
called for Thaksin to be stripped of his (presumably 
ill-gotten) assets.  This, said Surat, leaves Thaksin little 
choice but to fight it out.  Dr. Surat told poloff he 
believes that in the end Thaksin will be forced out and that 
the King will eventually and reluctantly intervene under 
constitution article 7.  He could not give poloff any game 
plan by Thaksin's opponents save that Thaksin's resignation 
must be followed by free and transparent polls under a strong 
Election Commission.  He cautioned however that he expects 
the spiraling level of anti-Thaksin demonstrations will lead 
to a clash between demonstrators and police (and possibly 
pro-Thaksin partisans).  Dr. Surat vowed to prevent Thaksin 
from claiming legitimacy through what he predicts will be 
rigged polls next month. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Another academic from Thammasat University told 
poloff in a separate meeting on March 7 that students plan to 
launch a "Vote No Vote" campaign as soon as exams conclude at 
the end of this week.  The campaign would focus on convincing 
voters to go to the polls on April 2 and mark the space for 
"No Vote" on their ballots. 
 
AND LABOR GROUPS CONSIDER ACTION 
 
¶6.  (C)  Press articles on March 7 report plans by personnel 
of a number of state firms -- the Electricity Generating 
Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the Metropolitan Electricity 
Authority (MEA), the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), 
the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWWA) and the 
Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA), to conduct a work 
stoppage from next Monday to pressure Thaksin to step down. 
However, Embassy labor contacts tell us that these threats 
were not likely to be carried out.  Some in the movement fear 
a public backlash if services are disrupted, while others 
question the relevancy of the anti-Thaksin movement to their 
union members, saying that anti-Thaksin leaders such as 
Sondhi and Chamlong have agendas that do not include labor 
issues.  The State Enterprise Relations Confederation (SERC) 
has notified the Labor Ministry that it would like to hold a 
general meeting on March 10 and may call for state enterprise 
workers to ask for personal leave on March 14 to join the 
anti-Thaksin march. 
AND EVEN TROUBLE IN THE MALL FOR THAKSIN 
 
¶7.  (C)  According to a senior editor of an opposition 
newspaper, Thaksin's wife and children were confronted by 
shoppers at an upscale Bangkok mall several days ago. 
Wanchai said that they were booed by many of the shoppers and 
assailed with the anti-Thaksin movement's slogan "Thaksin Get 
Out!"  "Thaksin Get Out!"  Finally, security guards rushed to 
the scene to escort them out of the shopping mall. 
BOYCE