The Democrats have given an ultimatum to the Pheu Thai Party to scrap the controversial amnesty bill by Monday.
"By 6pm on Monday, the bill must be gone from parliament. Otherwise, we will do what we have to do," Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban, who is leading the protest on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, announced to demonstrators there.
The ultimatum came after the protest against the blanket amnesty bill escalated on Wednesday.
Anti-amnesty protesters sleep at the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue on Tuesday night. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Bangkok Post reporters put the number of demonstrators at Ratchadamnoen Avenue at 20,000, up from about 10,000 the day before while the Democrat Party claimed there were 50,000.Although the government has announced it will not resume efforts to push through the blanket amnesty bill if it is rejected by the Senate, the Democrat Party is not convinced.
On her Facebook page Wednesday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said if it fails to pass its first reading in the Senate the government will not pursue the blanket bill.
"There are several steps to help the people without passing an amnesty law."
If the Senate rejects the bill and sends it back to the House, the government can resuscitate it in 180 days.
However, Prime Minister Yingluck said the government had decided against taking that step.
"After 180 days have passed, the Pheu Thai Party will not revive and adopt the bill and will not issue an executive decree [to enforce it]," she said.
She stressed that the government has paid heed to the people's voice and it will not hurt their feelings. She also insisted the government will not use force against the demonstrators.
Ms Yingluck has cancelled scheduled visits to eastern provinces on Thursday and will chair a meeting of security agencies to handle the protest.
The intensification of the rally on Wednesday also led Pheu Thai secretary-general Phumtham Vejjayachai to read out a party statement at a press conference yesterday saying the party would ask its MPs to withdraw any amnesty and unity bills pending House deliberation.
"The party wants to promise the people that it will not propose or endorse any [further] bills that will stir up controversy," the statement read.
Chief government whip Amnuay Khlangpa said: "The government whips have decided to withdraw all six bills. We have made this decision based on what the public wants."
The six bills are firstly the reconciliation bill proposed by Matubhum Party leader and 2006 coup leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin; and two reconciliation bills of Pheu Thai MP Niyom Worapanya and Pheu Thai MP Samart Kaewmeechai. The others are the reconciliation bill of Pheu Thai MP and red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar; the reconciliation bill of Pheu Thai MP for Yasothon Piraphan Palusuk; and the amnesty bill of Pheu Thai MP Niyom Worapanya.
Mr Suthep on Wednesday night demanded the Yingluck government remove the clauses in the blanket bill which grant an amnesty to suspects in serious crimes and corruption cases instead of killing it in the first reading in the Upper House.
He said despite repeated promises by the Pheu Thai Party that it will not enact the bill if it is rejected by the Senate, he said: "We don't believe it."
Instead of rejecting the bill, Mr Suthep demanded the Upper House resolve tomorrow that the bill be considered a financial bill which requires the prime minister to endorse it and send it back to the Lower House.
Then, Mr Suthep said, the parliament president could convene all 36 House committees on Monday to also resolve the bill is a financial bill and return it to Ms Yingluck, refusing to endorse it.
In another option, the Upper House could on Friday approve the bill and then amend it to grant an amnesty only to people who participated in rallies without committing serious crimes. In so doing, it would not grant an amnesty to those responsible for killing protest participants and security officials, and those who committed corruption, Mr Suthep said.
"After that, the Upper House [could] enact the amended bill after three readings in one day and the Lower House [could] convene on Monday to endorse the bill as amended by the Upper House," he said.
