Thousands of supporters of deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gathered to collect signatures Friday for a petition seeking a royal pardon for the fugitive former leader, according to AP. They are aiming to collect as many as 5 million signatures in a campaign extending from Bangkok to the provinces, in a bid to rehabilitate Thaksin who was ousted in a 2006 military coup but remains very popular in rural Thailand. At least 5,000 of his supporters gathered at an open field in the historic heart of the capital, with more expected to arrive in the evening. They plan to stay until dawn and keep gathering signatures from around the country for another seven days. The campaign began several weeks ago. Some of the participants in Bangkok on Friday submitted thousands of signed petition forms from their provinces. «We want to seek royal mercy on behalf our leader,» one of the group's leaders, Nattawut Sai-kua, said. Thaksin was ousted following accusations of corruption and abuse of power. Last year the billionaire politician was convicted in absentia of violating a conflict-of-interest law and sentenced to two years in prison. While the petition is unlikely to have legal consequences, it threatens to renew political tension between rival political groups that have staged sometimes-violent protests over the past three years. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dismissed the attempt to petition the country's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej. «A royal pardon can only be sought by the individual or their family members as the person faces his sentence,» Abhisit told reporters Thursday. «(Thaksin) hasn't even come back to face charges.» A plea for a royal pardon must also be vetted by the Justice Ministry before it is submitted on behalf of a convict. The government plans to launch a campaign to «inform the public» that the petition has no legal grounding and is inappropriate, said Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Sathit Wongnongtoey, dismissing the drive to gather signatures as a publicity stunt. Thaksin's mostly rural-based «red-shirt» supporters view him as the country's rightfully elected leader, accusing some of the king's close advisers of meddling in politics and even orchestrating the coup. His «yellow-shirt» opponents say he is corrupt and anti-monarchy, accusations the former leader has repeatedly denied. The monarch has historically been the country's sole unifying figure in times of crisis, and Thais have long looked to the king to guide the country through times of trouble, even though he is a constitutional monarch with moral authority rather than legal powers. Thaksin has seen his political party and other parties linked to him win four straight elections since 2001. His allies took power in the first election after the coup. His opponents took to the streets last year, shuttering Bangkok's two main airports in a bid to force the government from office. Court rulings eventually removed two pro-Thaksin prime ministers from power, paving the way for Abhisit's rise. Abhisit cobbled together a coalition in December. But he has been hounded by Thaksin's supporters who forced a regional summit to be canceled and sparked violent street protests in April that were crushed by security forces.
