Thaksin's Rural Red Shirts Swarm The Capital

[webfact]

Thaksin's rural Red Shirts swarm the capital

by Thanaporn Promyamyai

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Donning a red cowboy hat and tucking in to a spicy papaya salad, 55-year-old Noo Nakhao said she had travelled on a pick-up truck for two days from her northeast rural home to fight the government.

"We've packed enough sticky rice, fermented fish and papaya for a week," said Noo, reeling off the list of regional cuisine that she had carried all the way from Khon Kaen, 450 kilometres (280 miles) from the rally site in Bangkok.

"But we will stay until the prime minister dissolves parliament," she said.

Tens of thousands of protesters, wearing their signature red shirts and waving flags, crammed on to pick-up trucks and brightly painted buses to bring their countryside struggle to the capital.

Accusing the current administration, led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, of double standards and elitism, many of the crowd carried pictures of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, their would-be leader.

The telecoms tycoon, deposed in a 2006 coup and accused of widespread corruption, is currently living abroad to escape a two-year jail term for graft.

But Thaksin has rallied his supporters by text message and his Twitter page, urging them to hit the streets of the capital after the country's top court last month ordered that most of his fortune be seized by the state.

"The Abhisit government doesn't care about the countryside at all, he cares only about Bangkokians," said 45-year-old Tanyawadee Meechok, a food vendor from Lampang in Thailand's north.

"He hasn't done anything to help the people, particularly we who love Thaksin," she said.

Thailand's rural poor were joined by their urban counterparts -- taxi drivers, food vendors and others from Bangkok who feel aggrieved by the government's rise to power by a court ruling that ousted Thaksin's allies.

The Reds have held a string of protests since that ruling, in late 2008, which followed protests by the rival, royalist "Yellow Shirts" who hate Thaksin and have the backing of Bangkok-based elites.

Communist protest songs were played out from the main protest stage where leaders egged on the crowd with fiery oratory, with several demonstrators dancing alongside waving foot- and heart-shaped clappers.

Street stalls were set up around the large rally grounds in Bangkok's old quarter, some selling merchandise while others offered massages.

Dozens of riot police, deployed to monitor the demonstration under a strict security law, looked on in relaxed spirits and sipped water with no sign yet of the predicted trouble by saboteurs.

Many of the Red Shirts sat under red and white umbrellas designed to shield them from the sun's strong rays, while others made meals of chopped up raw fruit and packets of rice noodles.

Banners were raised above the crowd showing where they had arrived from, while others carried slogans that simply said: "Enough is enough."

Nearly a year after Bangkok riots by the Red Shirts left two dead and more than 100 people injured, few attending Sunday's rally seemed concerned about trouble breaking out.

"I'm not afraid of any violence, we won't use force," said Benjawan Pholprasart, 50, who works at petrochemical company in Chonburi, on the Gulf of Thailand.

"I've come to call for real democracy and I will be here until we win."

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-03-14

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

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[webfact]

Red shirts to move through Bangkok Monday AM

BANGKOK: -- Key anti-government red-shirt leader and Puea Thai politician, Jatuporn Promphan, has told a press conference back stage of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) rally on Rajdamnoen Avenue that the red-shirts will take their protest on the road Monday morning.

Mr. Jatuporn said the red-shirt movement had demonstrated its ability to mobilize a large number of people, demonstrating there was a large level of dissatisfaction with the current government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Though red-shirt leader Veera Musikapong earlier today (March 14) gave the government 24-hours to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections, Mr. Jatuporn said protesters would lay siege to the 11th infantry regiment in Bangkhen district where Mr. Abhisit has set up a “war room” to monitor the protest rally prior to the deadline expiring.

“We will be out the front of Mr. Abhisit’s hiding place by midday unless he agrees to dissolve the parliament and hold elections. We will start moving from here (the Rajdamnoen Avenue rallying area) starting at 9am and by midday will have the [military] base surrounded”, he said.

The comments by Mr. Jatuporn follow speculation the Government will today declare a state of emergency in Bangkok, on top of enacting the Internal Security Act (ISA) last week.

The declaration of a state of emergency will enable the military to take total charge of security in the capital, whereas the ISA only permits the military to assist the police if required.

Earlier today Royal Thai Army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said an additional 20 companies of troops had been sent to protect the 11th Infantry Regiment in Bangkhen district against any invasion by red-shirts.

The 11th infantry regiment is located close to 2006 coup maker and former national army chief Sonthi Boonyaratgalin’s residence.

-- thaivisa.com 2010-03-14

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

Bangkok Red-shirt rally - Live updates Sunday:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Bangkok-Red-...da-t347258.html

[yoshiwara]

The red shirts are in a bind. Without violence they will be ignored.

With violence they will be as discredited as they were as a result of the last Songkran events.

Eventually the bluster will run out.

Next step? Try to negotiate a 'victory' to justify a retreat.

Edited March 14, 2010 by yoshiwara

[SICA]

Does anybody know the route the Red Shirts will take? I am only thinking about my commute from On-nutt to Central World for work.

Any updates would be welcome.

[Jingthing]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. ((remove)). You figure it out ...

[Insight]

Despite how vigorous the pro-Thaksin supporters claim no money is changing hands for the supporters, we in the capital don't have to go far to hear from people that have been offered cash to attend - the maid of my last workplace for one.

Turnout directly equates cash. Thaksin is going for it this time.

[Sunderland]

Going to be fun in this neck of the woods tomorrow. Our school is close to Kasetsart University and opening as normal tomorrow. Expect half the children will not be coming in and parents of the remainder frantically picking up their children mid-morning onwards.

[Garry9999]

The AFP article is written in a rather demeaning way, making out the reds are a bunch of country bumpkins eating som tam and sticky rice.

No doubt the yellows consumed there fair share of som tam at the airport sit in.

[Jingthing]

Despite how vigorous the pro-Thaksin supporters claim no money is changing hands for the supporters, we in the capital don't have to go far to hear from people that have been offered cash to attend - the maid of my last workplace for one.

Turnout directly equates cash. Thaksin is going for it this time.

For sure, so lets hope he REALLY is going for broke this time, and that he REALLY goes broke. Hope springs eternal. However, I fear this is more like one of those zombie horror movies where you keep thinking the monster is finished, but he keeps coming alive for more ...

Edited March 14, 2010 by Jingthing

[animatic]

My worry is that they disperse to cause thousands of little conflagrations all across the city.

Groups of 50-100 causing dozens or hundreds of disturbances, could then bring out local opposition,

as much as army overload, and like at Dindaeng last year, street confrontations happening all over

would be anarchy. A prime definition of the word actually.

Not much of a way to stop it,

other than the shear numbers of Bangkokians resenting the intrusion to their lives

and taking matters into their own hands.

It is an insane tactic and those who put it into motion should not be given quarter by the authorities.

This is not a way to democracy, but just the INVERSE of Democracy.

[Sunderland]

Does anybody know the route the Red Shirts will take? I am only thinking about my commute from On-nutt to Central World for work.

Any updates would be welcome.

You should be OK as they are not leaving Ratchadamnoen until about 9am.

Obviously nobody can be sure of their route. However, I would expect them to go via Victory Monument and then either northwards via Phaholyothin Road passing Saphan Mai, Ari, Morchit, etc. or Din Daeng/Vipavadi route.

At the Vipavadi/Phaholyothin intersection (Central Ladprao) they would then either go straight up Phaholyothin Road via Major Ratchayothin (intersection with Rachada, close to SCB Park) and Kaset-Nawamin intersection (next to Kaset University) or go straight up Vipavadi before turning right onto Ngam Wong Wan (leading to Kaset-Nawamin) or further north to Laksi and turn right onto Chaengwattana which leads to the Bang Khen intersection of Phaholyothin/Ram Intra.

Best avoid the following intersections from 10am onwards: Ratchayothin, Kaset-Nawamin and 5th Constitution Monument (roundabout) at Bang Khen.

As I said above they might choose a different route, but that's a fairly direct one from my knowledge of living in this neck of the woods, about a mile south of the 11th infantry base.

[Garry9999]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. They do have fermented fish. You figure it out ...

Just out of interest, do you know how many Yellows it took to close down Bangkok airport and the parliament? And what moral authority were they working under?

[yoshiwara]

I wouldn't be surprised to see them occupying an undefended public building.

Given their delusions and historical resonance, it will likely be a university.

Probably only light security so achievable.

Which one? First choice Thammasat.

[Artisi]

The red shirts are in a bind. Without violence they will be ignored.

With violence they will be as discredited as they were as a result of the last Songkran events.

Eventually the bluster will run out.

Next step? Try to negotiate a 'victory' to justify a retreat.

I would agree, the government can wait then out - and where will that leave the reds.

Or they, meaning the paid lackies of Thaksin, can instigate real trouble leading to the bloodshed of innocent people conned into coming to Bangkok in the name of democracy when in actual fact they have been manipulated all for the benefit of one person - namely a convicted criminal named Thaksin and his paid hencemen.

[writeshack]

Does anybody know the route the Red Shirts will take? I am only thinking about my commute from On-nutt to Central World for work.

Any updates would be welcome.

Take the skytrain. they won't bother you.

[nickynomatesbkk]

My worry is that they disperse to cause thousands of little conflagrations all across the city.

Groups of 50-100 causing dozens or hundreds of disturbances, could then bring out local opposition,

as much as army overload, and like at Dindaeng last year, street confrontations happening all over

would be anarchy. A prime definition of the word actually.

Not much of a way to stop it,

other than the shear numbers of Bangkokians resenting the intrusion to their lives

and taking matters into their own hands.

It is an insane tactic and those who put it into motion should not be given quarter by the authorities.

This is not a way to democracy, but just the INVERSE of Democracy.

I drove behing a truck full of red shirts this morning in Nontraburi.

They got many cheers as they drove.

I have a feeling there is more rooted support than would like to be admitted by some in authority.

Songkran many Bangkok workers will return to their hometowns.

For many in Bangkok their roots are in the home town and Bangkok is viewed only as a way to make money and send it home.

The spin doctors paint a very bad picture of the reds.

The average Thai in the middle ground will easily change sides depending how this plays out over the next 24 hours.

These are the key people to all this and both sides know it.

Just happy no violence and almost a party like feeling.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I admire everyone's imagination and clairvoyance of future events.

Meanwhile, political protests can and do happen in any part of the world without the need for martial law and rumors of coups. For example, today in Italy.

And hey, guess what, even color coding a protest isn't exclusively Thai.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8565265.stm

Back to drama-queening guys.

[jayboy]

The red shirts are in a bind. Without violence they will be ignored.

With violence they will be as discredited as they were as a result of the last Songkran events.

Eventually the bluster will run out.

Next step? Try to negotiate a 'victory' to justify a retreat.

Actually the people who are in a bind are the mean spirited and blinkered people who refuse to accept that there has a been a huge response to the red rally, and that so far thank goodness it has been peaceful and good natured.Credit too to Abhisit who has shown a cool head and humanity, as one would expect from someone who is an intelligent and equally importantly a decent human being.This poster seems disappointed there has been no violence to speak of.Perhaps he and others like him will have their wish granted, but I'm praying for a peaceful end.The reds' point has already been made.Some of the reported interviews with individual reds are truly inspiring: no doubt some are there for the handouts and I would guess even more for the fun of it all.But there's an essential seriousness coming through that the greedy and unfair domination of the country must come to an end.

[ChiangMaiFun]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. They do have fermented fish. You figure it out ...

You're wrong again dude - they have majority support in the country as far as people i know - tuk tuks up here are flying red flags - I have yet to find any yellow fellows outside of BKK and this forum

[Kiotic]

Yeah, What route would be most likely to be taken? I have to also travel from On Nut -> Suriwong for work tomorrow morning.

Will take the bts but I have to walk from sala deang to suriwong and then down to the Sakulthai building, much red shirts around there?

Edited March 14, 2010 by Kiotic

[favre360]

Well I gotta hit the gym at major ratchayothin tomorrow around 1-2pm hopefully they're outta my way by then. Better yet if I get there early enough maybe I can watch them from the giant panoramic windows. It'll be like working out at the zoo

[mrtoad]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. They do have fermented fish. You figure it out ...

You're wrong again dude - they have majority support in the country as far as people i know - tuk tuks up here are flying red flags - I have yet to find any yellow fellows outside of BKK and this forum

Hmm, well I would guess there are actually a significant amount of people who have no alignment to either red or yellow. It seems anyone who speaks out against the reds is deemed as a yellow by those red and Takki Shinegra supporters - that is total nonsense.

[Sunderland]

Yeah, What route would be most likely to be taken? I have to also travel from On Nut -> Suriwong for work tomorrow morning.

Will take the bts but I have to walk from sala deang to suriwong and then down to the Sakulthai building, much red shirts around there?

You should be OK, but take an umbrella to fight off the brolly wielding aunties and defend yourself from the fermented fish bombs

[teacherthailand77]

They definitely have the majority of the Thais support nationally--- that's why they always win the most seats in elections.

Edited March 14, 2010 by teacherthailand77

[Big Guy]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. They do have fermented fish. You figure it out ...

Actually they do have the support, which party got the most votes in the last elections.

[Sunderland]

Well I gotta hit the gym at major ratchayothin tomorrow around 1-2pm hopefully they're outta my way by then. Better yet if I get there early enough maybe I can watch them from the giant panoramic windows. It'll be like working out at the zoo

Just don't do any 'moonies' out those giant windows. You'll get arrested and be sentenced before the end of the day ... unlike a certain person with an arrest warrant hanging over his head.

[neverdie]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. They do have fermented fish. You figure it out ...

You're wrong again dude - they have majority support in the country as far as people i know - tuk tuks up here are flying red flags - I have yet to find any yellow fellows outside of BKK and this forum

Hmm, well I would guess there are actually a significant amount of people who have no alignment to either red or yellow. It seems anyone who speaks out against the reds is deemed as a yellow by those red and Takki Shinegra supporters - that is total nonsense.

Agreed. I dislike both sides equally. Thailand definately needs some new fresh faces, ones that put the nation ahead of themselves or their hidden adgendas.

[britmaveric]

Good on the REDS and power to the people.

[jesimps]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. They do have fermented fish. You figure it out ...

Strange that, seeing they have had the majority in the last two legitimate elections.

[mrtoad]

They will get frustrated. They don't have the majority support or the moral authority to pull off what they are demanding. They do have fermented fish. You figure it out ...

Actually they do have the support, which party got the most votes in the last elections.

But it's based on seats dear liza, dear liza, it's based on seats dear liza.............