Good morning,

The anti-junta protests were largely peaceful over the weekend, partly because of inopportune storms and partly because of nationwide suppression efforts and arrests by junta henchmen (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/18Jun2007_news01.php). Up to 50,000 people attended the demonstration on Friday to hear a video message from democratically elected prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6760235.stm). Junta heads have rejected the demand that they should immediately resign and restore the 1997 constitution (http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=29991). Crony Colonel Sansern continued to spread rumours maligning the motives of the pro-democracy supporters: “"Actually, when the time comes, everyone will know the real objective of demonstrators is to fight for an individual person. "We are not worried about the movement. But we want to see the demonstrators abide by the law. What we are concerned about now is the core members' failure to control the demonstrators.”

More evidence about Operation Popcorn has emerged, showing that it was a definite attempt (apparently) by general Vang Pao and his colleagues to murder their way into control over the whole of Laos (http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=119498). They had large scale plans and seem to have located heavy duty military hardware in America.

Seven soldiers who were part of a teacher protection unit were killed in a bomb attack over the weekend. However, many schools are due to reopen this morning (http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=29980). Seven suspects have been arrested while a 60 year old man was murdered and mutilated, among many other atrocities that mark just one more bloody weekend (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/18Jun2007_news07.php).

More content daily at ASEAN Affairs (http://www.aseanaffairs.com).

Back tomorrow.