A top Thai protest leader, who has vowed to oppose the February 2 snap polls, has written to US President Barack Obama defending his fight against beleaguered premier Yingluck Shinawatra as a "pro-democracy" movement.
Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), said his campaign was "not conducting an antidemocratic uprising" in a letter to Obama posted on his official Facebook page today.
In another letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Suthep explained that his movement was "not conducting an antidemocratic uprising".
Obama and Ban have had distorted information from "media organisations and lobbyists hired by the network of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra", Suthep was quoted as telling protesters by the Bangkok Post.
"Let me assure you that the PDRC is not conducting an anti-democratic uprising. In fact, the PDRC is a pro-democracy movement intent upon removing the dictatorial regime led by Yingluck Shinawatra, who has been empowered through and directed by her elder brother, Thaksin Shinawatra," he said in the letter to Obama.
Suthep, who has been leading the anti-government campaign since November, has said protesters will not "block" but "oppose" voting when advance polling for the snap polls starts tomorrow.
The protesters want polls to be postponed for a year or more and a "People's Council" installed to carry out reforms before any election. They have also demanded Yingluck's resignation.
"Thai citizens have a moral responsibility to rise up and demand the removal of both Yingluck and the influence of Thaksin, then define and implement the reform necessary to ensure that the Kingdom of Thailand remains free from unjust and corrupt leaders in the future," Suthep's letter said.
The protesters, who have vowed to topple the Yingluck regime, today marched on the streets of Bangkok in defiance of the emergency imposed on Thursday.
