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<br>Subject: PRESS RELEASE: People's movement for democracy in Nepal and Thailand highlighted<br>To: <a href="mailto:siewhwa@cawinfo.org">siewhwa@cawinfo.org</a>, <a href="mailto:deepa@cawinfo.org">deepa@cawinfo.org</a>,
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">THAI SOLIDARITY GROUP FOR DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN NEPAL</span></font></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align="right"><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">7 May 2006</span></font></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">PRESS RELEASE</span></font></b></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">People's movement for democracy in Nepal and Thailand highlighted</span></font></b></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">(Bangkok, 7 May 2006) Political leaders and civil society representatives stressed the regular monitoring of the situation in Nepal and sought strong solidarity for democratic movement in both the countries in Bangkok, Thailand.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Speaking at a brainstorming and seminar on 'Fighting for Democracy: Experiences of People's Movement in Nepal and Thailand', organised by the Thai Solidarity Group for Democratic Movement in Nepal, Sulak Sivarak, senior civil society member and democratic activist in Thailand, highlighted the role of monarchy and democracy in various countries. "Institutions are for the people, but neither for the constitution nor the sake of continuation of royal governance. The future of Nepal has to be determined along with the spirit of the people's movement", he said.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Professor Surat Horachaikul, Director of South Asia Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, emphasized people to people contact to make sure that their issues would reflect at the new constitution in Nepal. However, the sustainable democracy cannot be guaranteed merely by the constitution. There are many issues such as civic education and reflection of people's agenda in the state systems to lay people to develop free will, he said.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Professor Jaran Dita-apichai, Member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Thailand said that the new political scenario in Nepal should reflect people's demands in its reality and the international community has to be constant vigilance. "Thai democracy could be meaningful if we look at the general willingness of the people", he said while illustrating the people's movement for democracy in Thailand.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Speaking at the programme, Surapong Jayanama, Former Ambassador of Thailand, pointed out the geo-political position of Nepal and the importance of international concern in determining the status of democratic system. "People's movement and the international concern have forced the king to give up the powers and accept the agenda of the political parties", he added. People's movement in both the countries is directed towards democracy, where the people are struggling against the king in Nepal, and against the government of Thaksin Shinawatra in Thailand, Surapong compared the movement in the two countries.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Somsak Kosaisuk, Leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), Thailand said, "People's understanding has to be reflected in the process and they should not be left behind". Speaking at the programme, Ekraj Sabur, of Youth Coordination Centre International stressed the importance of effective regular monitoring of the situation for true benefit of the Nepalese people.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Sarba Khadka, Ph D student at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand presented a paper on the political situation and people's movement for democracy in Nepal. Similarly, Somkiat Pongpaiboon, Lecturer at the Rajapat Nahorn Ratchasima University, Bangkok explained about the political situation, and formation and strategies of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in Thailand.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Other speakers of the programme include Rawai Pu-paka, of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM)-Thailand, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, of the Alliance of Democratic Trade Unions (ADTU), Thailand, Supawadee Petcharat, of the Thousand Women for Nobel Peace Prize 2005, and Chalida Tajaroensuk, of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). About one hundred and fifty participants attended the seminar.
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<p><i><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-STYLE: italic">Thai Solidarity Group for Democratic Movement in Nepal is a network of trade unions, human rights organisations and women's labour organisations in Thailand, dedicated to support the democratic movement of Nepalese people.
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">[ENDS]</span></font></p></div></div>