We hope today will not end in any manner that belies the red shirts' much-proclaimed intention. They are supposed to seek forgiveness, or mercy, or whatever they want to call it, so let's hope the purportedly humble nature of their campaign stays that way throughout the day and beyond.
Apart from the petition campaign, a Supreme Court verdict in the rubber-sapling case is a major thing to watch, as the fate of Newin Chidchob, the real core leader of the Bhum Jai Thai Party is at stake.
I will update key developments as they happen and give some analyses if necessary. In my opinion, Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters have the right to seek royal petition for him, as long as they respect whatever judgement or decision of HM the King afterwards. This doesn't mean I agree with claims in the petition that Thaksin's conviction was unfair. The Ratchadapisek land deal is a simple, straightforward case, and, with or without the coup, it broke the law.
10 am: Veera Musigapong, a red-shirted leader, said members of the movement will soon march to a gate of the Grand Palace, singing "Sadudee Maha Raja" (Love Live the Great King) along the way. There they will meet a royal representative.
One highlight is that Thaksin will sing along from his overseas hideout.
10.45 am: Thaksin has given a message through video link watched by his supporters gathering at Sanam Luang. Still adamant that his conviction was "a joke", he said seeking help from the monarch was his last resort. "We need to rely on His Majesty in order to bring back justice and peace" to Thailand, he said.
"It's funny how the owners, the buyers and the sellers were all acquitted while I was the only one who was convicted," he said.
Thaksin, I need to remind you, was convicted for giving consent to his then-spouse Pojaman to buy the lucrative Ratchapisek piece of land, thus breaking a law that prohibits such practice.
Wearing a red shirt, Thaksin said he wished HM the King to have a long life like Phra Anond. According to Buddhist history, Lord Buddha's closest aide passed away when he was 120 years old.
When he finished his speech, Thaksin turned and bowed to the portraits of Their Majesties the King and the Queen behind him.
11.30 am: The red parade had been taking peaceful shape. Veera wore a white shirt with a red necktie. In front of the parade were monks and students carrying Thai flags and HM the King's portraits. According to the plan, only about 15 red representatives will meet their royal counterparts around 1 pm. Afterwards, it has been said, all the petitioners will disperse.
The red-shirt movement insisted that the petition was endorsed by more than 5 million signatures. The signed papers are contained in more than 500 boxes wrapped with red clothes. Each box reportedly contains 10,000 signed papers.
1 pm: The submission ceremony has begun in front of the Wiset Chaisri gate of the Grand Palace.
The petition has finally been submitted in a relatively low-key manner. Veera Musigapong read the petition to Injun Buraphan, deputy private secretary of His Majesty the King, during the short submission ceremony.
1:03 pm: It has been very peaceful so far. And the red shirts are expected to disperse shortly. With this, attention will shift to another major event of the day _ the Supreme Court verdict on the rubber-sapling case involving Bhum Jai Thai Party strongman Newin Chidchob.
2 pm: The Supreme Court will any minute read the much-anticipated Newin verdict. A ruling has been made, we know that much. Whether Newin will escape a jail term for malfeasance remains to be seen. Very few Newin supporters have shown up at the court, largely because Newin had urged his followers to stay away to avoid causing trouble.
For a brief background on the rubber-sapling case, click here. If the graphic is too small, place the curser at the right bottom corder and click to enlarge.
To clarify my stand on the Thaksin petition, please read here. On the Thaksin Ratchadapisek land verdict, please click here.
3 pm: Uncertainties are shrouding the rubber sapling case as one of the key suspects, Adisai Bodaramik has practically called in sick. If the verdict reading is adjourned, the day will end in an anti-climatic way, albeit surely peacefully.
3.10 pm: The court has issued an arrest warrant for Adisai, whereas the reading of the verdict has been postponed to September 21. It's quite a long delay _ over a month _ and it will seem to all of us more of a torture than a relief.
4.30 pm: It has been reported that in another phone-in after the petition had been submitted, Thaksin said the event brought tears to his eyes. He said his family felt the same upsurge of emotions knowing that he was loved by so many people. His voice was truly shaken.
According to Thaksin, one of his "around the world" flights once came near Thailand and the pilot asked whether he would like the aircraft to enter the Thai airspace, since doing so could lead to a lot of trouble if there was a need for emergency landing. Thaksin said he told the pilot to go through the Thai airspace.
"During that 20 minutes I meditated. I prayed to all sacred things in Thailand that if I was a really bad person, I must not be able to return to the country, but that if I was a truly loyal person, then I should be allowed to come back," he said.
With that _ and amid a mixture of thunders and illuminating sunlight above the Grand Palace that were certain to cause a media buzz _ the much-talked-about campaign has drawn to a close rather solemnly. Can tension be rekindled? The Office of HM's Principal Secretary's announcement today that it would seek the government's review on the petition before it could reach His Majesty means there's some way to go. The hot potato, it appears, remains firmly in the Abhisit administration's hands.
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