Special Report:  Crisis in Thailand

      BANGKOK, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Anti-Thaksin demonstrators led by Thailand's People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have rejected a call to temporarily end their rallies before the April 2 general election, the Thai News Agency reported on Tuesday.

    Core members of the PAD, including Maj. Gen. Chamlong Srimuang and Suriyasai Katasila, insisted Monday that the PAD would continue to fight on the way to garner wider public support until its aim to oust caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is achieved.

    Earlier, a leading Thai academic and one of Thaksin's arch critics, had proposed that the anti-Thaksin campaigners end their rallies to respect people's electoral rights and resume their demonstrations with wider public support after the election.

    Thirayuth Boonmee, a leading academic who is a Thammasat University lecturer and a former democratic movement leader, suggested that the constitution be sustained by observing the people's rights.

    "An administration can be suspended, but the charter courses must be upheld," he said.

    A core of the constitution focuses on respecting people's rights and decisions through elections, he noted.

    The election law bans rallies after 6:00 p.m. on the eve of the election day. Enditem