Today, a delegation of 30 people led by Socialist Party Malaysia (PSM) staged a protest at the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Those who present included Dr. Nasir Hashim (Chairperson of PSM and Selangor State Assemblyperson of Kota Damansara ), Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj (Central Committe Member of PSM and Member of Parliament for Sungai Siput), and S. Arutchelvan (Secretary-General of PSM). There were also representatives of Suaram, a leading human rights organisation in Malaysia, as well as a representative from the Student Federation of Thailand.

According to Arutchelvan, the purpose of this action is to voice our concern over the situation in Thailand as well as to condemn the brutal crackdown on Red-Shirt protest on 10 April 2010. Dr Jeyakumar said, the Red-shirt demand for fresh election is a fair demand and Thai government should recognize the democratic rights of the people to protest and to choose their government. Choo Chon Kai, PSM International Coordinator then read PSM’s demands in the memorandum

Though today was the holiday of Thai Embassy due to the Songkran Festival, the group managed to handover a memorandum to the First Secretary of Royal Thai Embassy, Mr. Montri Nathananan, who was observing the whole event. He nodded to the points expressed by PSM’s leadership and said that he will channel the memorandum to teh Government. A few policemen also stood by for the entire event.

In the memorandum, PSM called for:
– The immediate resignation of the military-installed Ahbisit government and the holding of fresh democratic elections.
– A halt to all forms of violent crackdown against Red Shirt protesters. Respect the right of the people to organize, to protest and to strike.
– A halt to the suppression of democratic rights and clampdown on the media.
– the Thai government to not resort to any military coup.
– Bringing all Thai people together in an effort to solve political and socio-economic problems, recognizing that such efforts must stem from the power of the people.

PSM reaffirmed its stand in supporting the mass movement of Red-Shirt in Thailand to struggle for democracy and social justice. The Red-shirt pro-democracy movement has grown into the largest democratic movement in the history of Thailand and it has shaken the power structure of the ruling elite especially the royalist. The class struggle has been intensified yet the challenge ahead is tremendous. If the Thai pro-democracy movement can overthrow the oligarchy rule through massive mobilization from below and not through another same old military coup, it can be a great step forward for the Thai people to build a real democracy and social justice based on people’s power.