P.M in court whilst state of emergency in Bangkok is still in effect

Prime Minister Samak Sundarvej appeared in court on 8 September 2008 to face charges that he broke the law by appearing on a television cooking show while in office. The constitution states that lawmakers cannot work with private companies while in office; however, both Samak and television officials argued that Samak did not break the law, as he was not employed by their company. Emerging reports indicate that more than 4,000 students will protest against the government by not attending classes for three days. The boycott will take place from 9-11 September. The university students will join the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters at the Government House. Student PAD leaders initiated rallies on 8 September in Udon Thani, where the Cabinet was meeting for talks regarding the ongoing crisis. More than 1,000 protesters participated in the demonstration, which took place at the Udon Thani provincial hall. More than 700 police officers were deployed; however, no violence was reported. Earlier, on 6 September, more than 1,000 university students protested at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok. The protesters stated that they were trying to incite the youth to be more active in politics. The group, associated with the PAD, urged supporters to gather without incident in order to not incite further unrest. The Minister of Education stated that the students were violating the State of Emergency and ordered the parents to supervise their children. Protesters at the Government House have reportedly stated that they will remain in their position regardless of any future developments, including a referendum vote. Leaders of the 14-day protest movement stated that they will not negotiate with government officials, the military or any liaison until the prime minister and his administration resign. Protesters remained in the area despite severe weather, which caused flooding in the PAD camp on 5 September, with reports that bacterial infections have begun to spread. Medical volunteers have been asked to assist the protesters as many were suffering from other water-borne illnesses. The medical situation could worsen as inclement weather is expected to continue throughout the week, with flood warnings being issued for parts of Thailand, including Bangkok. Senior military officials also met on 6 September to discuss the current stalemate in Bangkok. The army commander stated that the military does not support a coup, but will stay out of politics to the best of its ability and will only act in the best interest of the people. The military chief also stated that he will not ask Samak to step down at this point. Also on 6 September, Samak announced that Saroj Chavanaviraj will be appointed as the new foreign minister. Saroj is the retired ambassador to France and has worked with a number of different departments within the Foreign Ministry. Saroj replaces former Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag, who resigned due to the ongoing PAD protests.