Red Shirts Say They Will Protest Again Next Month

[webfact]

Red shirts say they will protest again next month

By The Nation

Published on September 21, 2009

Security measures will remain in place till tomorrow, police say

The red shirts have vowed to organise another protest next month after a peaceful ending to Saturday's rally at the Royal Plaza, marking the coup's third anniversary.

Police have reminded that the security measures over the Dusit district remain in force until tomorrow, regardless of the voluntary crowd dispersal.

"The 4,500 policemen will continue to keep peace in Dusit," Metropolitan Police spokesman Colonel Piya Utayo said. But the anti-riot equipment will be removed and military forces guarding Government House will be reduced by a quarter, he said.

Police patrols will continue in 176 areas around the capital as a preventive measure to deter violence, he said.

Today, police will begin checking taped speeches by rally organisers to see whether they made any inflammatory remarks in violation of their conditions for temporary release, pending trial.

The red-shirt leaders are fighting charges related to street protests, particularly the Songkran riots.

Street cleaners have cleared the rally site and traffic around the Royal Plaza has reopened.

Ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra tweeted to thank the red shirts for braving the heavy rains and participating in the rally.

Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Maj General Amnuay Nimmano said the rally was peaceful and there was no violence erupted as feared.

The red shirts did not carry out their threats to march, nor hold a rally at the residence of chief royal adviser General Prem Tinsula-nonda, Amnuay said.

In a separate development, the opposition Pheu Thai Party has announced it will organise a seminar tomorrow to outline damage caused by the 2006 coup.

Pheu Thai deputy leader Plodprasop Suraswadi said the seminar would expose six facts about the coup.

"After three years, everyone has realised today that everything [said] about the coup was nothing but lies," he said.

One fact was that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin did not hatch the coup plot, but merely followed the order to seize power and oust then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he said. Sonthi was the coup leader and grabbed power for about 14 days, he said.

The coup happened before its justification was issued a day later and designed to turn sentiment against Thaksin, he said.

By his own statement, Sonthi admitted the junta had not planned on installing Surayud Chulanont as interim prime minister.

Barred party executive Kudhep Saikrajang said he was one of the coup's victims. The coup was a convenient robbery to destroy democracy by removing political opponents from politics, he said.

He said reconciliation would remain an elusive goal so long as the coup-sponsored political system was not rectified.

Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong said Thaksin was trying to mislead the red shirts into harbouring false hopes for his comeback to fix the situation within six months. He blamed Thaksin for manipulating the red shirts for his self-serving gains.

Democrat MP Boonyod Sukthinthai said the country could not overcome its economic woes and advance forward if political uncertainty persisted.

Boonyod said Thaksin should put the country before his petty interests. "I believe the country will be better off if one man just stops destabilising," he said.

Thaksin was suffering from prostate cancer and was reflecting on the fate befalling him, he said, claiming several cancer specialists from Rama 9 Hospital had travelled to Dubai to treat Thaksin.

-- The Nation 2009/09/21

[Credo]

I hope the next rally is as peaceful as this last one was. Meanwhile, where will the yellow shirts go--maybe they will invade Burma.

[CockneyGit]

Red shirts say they will protest again next month

Getting tiresome now. Does anyone actually care anymore..?? These protests have got these people nowhere so far, both Reds and Yellows. All they're doing is hurting Thailand's global image.

[dre1247]

A complete moratorium on political protest for groups more that 10 persons for at least six months would be very welcome and in order. 99% of the population is SICK and TIRED of this "protesting" and would like to get on with life and let the government try to solve the urgent problems.

[Plus]

Let them "protest", they've got nothing to say and play no role in Thai politics anymore.

Boooring.

[animatic]

Big surprise...

[hammered]

Wonder if the rally wuill be timed to coincide with a certain international meeting

[givenall]

I hope the next rally is as peaceful as this last one was. Meanwhile, where will the yellow shirts go--maybe they will invade Burma.

In San Francisco the demonstration organizers have to pay fro police and overtime if necessary. Also for damages if any occurs during the demonstrations. Why don’t we do the same over here? It would stop these self interest evets like this one. As I said before Thaksin should pay for all these sh…t

[lordsux]

It will rain again!

[hammered]

Maybe drought ridden areas could ask the red shirts to hold a rally on their land.

[jackspratt]

I understand they will be better prepared next time. They will hold the rally next to a telephone booth, in case it rains again.