Good morning,

Police have resorted to violence to break up the thousands of demonstrators who again gather outside the house of General Prem Tinsulanonda, who is widely suspected to have masterminded last year’s military coup (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6911060.stm). Police plan to arrest eight of the demonstration’s leaders this morning (http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=30642). There are some reports that demonstrators ‘attacked’ police and threw ‘missiles,’ which would be unusual (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/23Jul2007_news01.php). Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the protestors and some people have received treatment at hospital. The head of the junta, General Sonthi Boontaratkalin, has ruled out declaring a state of emergency yet (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30041974). Junta-sympathisers and a motley crew of anti-democracy activists and religious maniacs gathered in a counter-counter-coup demonstration (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/07/23/politics/politics_30041903.php).

Last night was the first weekend evening not to have been blighted by rain storms for the past few weeks.

This is what the Bangkok Post has to say about Shinawatra University, from where your correspondent writes: http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/23Jul2007_news03.php.

Lawyers are urging workers to study the labour law ahead of fears that more will be laid off in garment factories because of the high baht (http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/23Jul2007_biz28.php). Five thousand workers were thrown out of Thai Silp company last week and it was not clear to what extent they would receive their legally mandated severance packages.

I have been putting up more articles at Suite 101: Vang Pao’s Would-Be Coup (http://laos.suite101.com/article.cfm/vang_paos_wouldbe_coup) and The Yurt (http://asianhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_yurt). I will put up some more in a few minutes, in fact.

Back tomorrow.