The PAD justifies their various demands on the basis of the government's incompetence and corruption. "Robbery" of the country, in Piset's words.

Yes, incompetence and corruption are considered a crime. But, like any other crimes, it should be dealt with by legal and constitutional means. Just like trying drug traffickers should be done in court and not through extrajudiciary killings by the police.

Yes, staging a peaceful protest to criticize the government is totally fine, but forcing an elected government out of the office using every means possible and without respect of the rule of law is not.

There are legal and constitutional means through which an elected government can be removed from office. For example, the Election Committee's suggestion that the PPP should be dissolved may lead to the end of this government. Now, that's a constitutional means to punish a "criminal".

Bypassing the legal and constitutional process by forcing an elected government out using costly and irresponsible means is wrong. This short-circuting of the process is a complete disrespect for the rule of law and of the majority who voted this government into the office. That, like corruption, is a crime too.

The PAD's proposal of "New Politics", in which a big portion of the MPs will be appointed rather than elected, is a regressive idea and also a crime. It is a crime of denying the right of Thai citizens to have a say in the governing of the country. 

This kind of politics is undemocratic and totally unacceptable. It looks down on the majority of the population while adoring some educated elites whom the PAD believes are so saintly and moral that they, and only they, know how best the country should be run. This proposal of "rule by a few" is a huge step backward for democracy and is a serious crime against every citizen of this country. We cannot let that happen.

A message for all PAD supporters: please understand that it is one thing to hate Thaksin/Samak, it is another to go against electoral process by supporting the idea of "New Politics". The two are seprate issues and it should not be the case that because you are anti-Samak, you must support the "New Politics".

In any case, I believe Samak, despite his government's ills, should stay on to power. Why? Because staying on to power is the only way that the rule of law and constitutional means can be used to remove the government.

If the PAD forces the government out now, social division will become deeper and the Thai public will never witness how the constitutional means could in fact settle a political problem or crime. Just like staging the 2006 coup has not solved any problems in Thai politics, the PAD's stubborn protest, if successful in bringing doen Samak, would not solve any problems too. The society will remain divided (or become more divided) and corruption will continue as usual. The country will still be in chaos, politically, economically and socially.

Give the law a chance to prove itself. The incompetence and corruption of a government will bring it down some day, but this will be achieved through legal and constitutional means, not by a group of protesters seizing the government house and closing down places. 

For the sake of the country and its people, the PAD should stop doing what they are doing now and retreat to peaceful protests within the rule of law. It should also stop their stupid proposal for "New Politics"; instead, it should focus its energy on thinking about how best to improve the performance of the electoral process and parlimentary democracy based on the fundamental belief that every Thai is equal.