Pheu Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh yesterday brushed off news reports that he was poised to become the supreme commander of the People's Army for Democracy under His Majesty the King, a newly formed offshoot of the red shirts.

"I resumed my political activities because I aspire to bring about social unity, and peace by peaceful means," he said.

Chavalit rigorously denied condoning a violent struggle designed to trigger political changes.

In coming out of retirement, he said, he had five objectives: to prove that the Pheu Thai Party and the red shirts were loyal to the monarchy; to foster reconciliation; to quell violence in the strife-torn South; to ensure good understanding between Thailand and neighbouring countries; and to eradicate poverty.

He said he was in complete agreement with ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who he believes is an advocate for peaceful means.

"Before I joined Pheu Thai, Thaksin said directly to me that he had opted for a peaceful struggle to foster reconciliation and uphold the country's interests," he said in defence of Thaksin's involvement in the suspected violent struggle.

Last week a number of red-shirt leaders, including Panlop Pinmanee and Maj-General Khattiya "Seh Deang" Sawasdipol, paid a visit to Thaksin in Dubai.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Panlop said the red shirts, with Thaksin's blessing, had agreed to form the armed offshoot and that Chavalit would lead the red shirts to victory.

In the same interview, Khattiya said the organisational structure of the opposition movement was now complete with Pheu Thai as the party, the red shirts as its front and the armed units.

Many see such a structure as a reminder of the communist insurgency during the Cold War.

Panlop and Khattiya both said the government had until the end of this month to negotiate a settlement with Thaksin or risk facing an eruption of violence in which even Thaksin would not be able to control what the red shirts would do.

Panlop said Thaksin aimed to bring back the suspended 1997 charter to pave the way for House dissolution and a snap election.

He added that the ex-premier did not set the Bt76 billion asset-seizure case as a pre-condition for negotiations but wanted his conviction to be expunged and his two-year jail sentence revoked.

Reacting to Panlop's remarks, Chavalit said he still believed Panlop did not mean to incite a violent struggle, although he might have been using "strong wording" like a soldier.

"It is impossible for me to become the supreme commander because this would duplicate the job of my dear younger brother Supreme Commander General Songkitti Jaggabatara," he said.

He said the red shirts shared the same aspirations as the yellow shirts and other camps under different colours in seeking justice and democracy.

He said he always viewed himself as part of the movement to advance justice and democracy but not in a violent way.

"It is not true that the red shirts would rely on illegal or violent means to bring about changes," he said, insisting the offshoot of the red shirts as mentioned by Panlop was misunderstood.

He said he did not anticipate an eruption of violence this month as feared.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should not be overly concerned about the situation plunging into mayhem, he added.

In regard to his ties with the chief royal adviser, he said he remained respectful although General Prem Tinsulanonda was not quite happy with his decision to team up with Pheu Thai.

But this would pass eventually, he said, voicing optimism he would win back Prem's good graces.

This article was first published in The Nation/Asia News Network.