ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan has urged all parties in Thai politics to return to the negotiating table and seek peaceful resolution of the political crisis, while the experts yesterday called for elections to be held this year.

In a statement issued yesterday, Surin said the Asean member states raised serious concern on the deteriorating situation as the crisis is affecting the confidence in the security and stability of the region.

Asean offered its help to calm the current political turmoil without interfering in Thailand's domestic affairs.

"I call upon all Thai parties concerned to exercise a maximum self-restraint and to seek a quick renegotiated settlement through dialogue and reconciliation as soon as possible," Surin said in a statement sent yesterday.

In Bangkok's bloody clashes over the weekend, 21 people were killed.

"If it (the political situation) is left to fester and escalate, it could lead to more violence and losses of lives," he said.

Thai political analyst Naruemon Thabchumpon stressed the need for the government to hold talks on new elections.

"The government has to show the people that it takes serious action to conduct peaceful elections in the country before the end of this year," she said.

To calm the Red Shirts, she added, the government should come out with measures to deal with the family victims and survivors of the bloody clash. "As this is the government of the people, therefore the government might have to make the move to reconcile," she said.

She suggested that the current Thai crisis must be resolved through political means instead of using legal options. "The government should not involve military to solve the matter as this is a political issue."

Puangthong Pawakapan, an expert on peace and conflict issue at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, said that dissolution of parliament and new elections as demanded by the protesters are means to exercise democracy and the people power.

"I would say the government should consider parliament dissolution seriously because they now cannot run the country fully," Puangthong said.

Bridget Welsh, an expert on Southeast Asia at the Singapore Management University, said that the political turmoil in Thailand will affect the economy and the credibility of its government.

She said the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's absence during the recent Asean Summit will affect the regional plans within the 10-member grouping.

"It is not just about the size of the economy, but Thailand's role as part of the core of Asean and leader in mainland Southeast Asia," she said.

She said the crisis will give an opportunity to Vietnam to emerge as powerful economy in mainland Southeast Asia.

"Vietnam will now have more of an opportunity to stamp its own direction for Asean." she added.

The Brunei Times