Bangkok Red-Shirt Rally - Live Friday

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Friday April 16 Red-shirt rally live updates

Here you can follow the live updates from the media, hour by hour.

To make it easy to follow, this thread is read-only.

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AFTERMATH

Her Majesty pays private visit to injured soldiers

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- One more civilian fatality yesterday, bringing overall deaths to 23

Her Majesty the Queen yesterday graciously paid a private visit to soldiers who sustained injuries in last Saturday's clashes and are being treated at Phramongkutklao Hospital.

The April 10 violence has caused many deaths on both sides.

One more fatality was reported yesterday, bringing the total to 23, according to the Bangkok Emergency Medical Service and the Erawan Centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Centre director Dr Phetpong Kamjornkitjakarn said the latest reported death was a 49-year-old civilian, Saming Taengphet. He was shot in the head during the clashes and died later at Chulalongkorn Hospital.

So far, fatalities have been listed on the centre's website, including Mana Arjran, 21, a Dusit Zoo employee. He is believed to be a casualty of political violence, although the cause of his death at the zoo late on Saturday night is pending Dusit police station's investigation.

The investigation is under way but the result is not yet available as more witnesses are to be interrogated, according to Pol Lt-Colonel Tinnakorn Somwandee, deputy chief of the station and chief of the investigation.

The centre also reported that 191 casualties continued to receive treatment at 15 hospitals in Bangkok. Of these, eight are under special care in intensive care units.

Meanwhile, Suwannee Putla, a female red-shirt protester who sustained a severe gunshot wound to the heart during the clash, miraculously survived after undergoing surgery at Rajavithi Hospital, said hospital director Dr Warunee Jinarat.

The 55-year-old patient is safe now, but remains in the hospital's ICU to receive treatment, Warunee said.

A sharp piece of metal was found embedded in Suwannee's lower-right heart wall. She also suffered bleeding in her pericardium and blood loss. And it was hard to take her pulse when she was taken to the hospital last Saturday after the clash took place.

Warunee said the patient could do some activities, including eating.

The director said Suwannee was saved because a team of the hospital's doctors had been able to provide immediate surgery.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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AFTERMATH

Officials to check Democracy Monument for damage

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- On Monday, the Fine Arts Department will check for any damage to the Democracy Monument, the bridges of Rajdamnoen Nok and Rajdamnoen Klang roads and the Mahakarn Fort, a senior official said yesterday.

Following last Saturday's clash and the red-shirt demonstrators' move on Wednesday to Rajprasong intersection, department deputy chief Khemachat Thepachai said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had contacted the department to check for any damage to the monument.

Office of Archaeology officials will inspect the monument, which reportedly was damaged by stray bullets and grenade shrapnel, he said.

The officials will also check the Phan Fa, Chamaimaruchet Bridge, Makkhawan Rangsan and other bridges as well as the Mahakarn Fort, which was behind the red-shirt stage, he added.

The bridges were registered as national historical sites in 1975, while the fort was registered in 1949.

The Democracy Monument, with contributions by legendary sculptor Professor Silpa Bhirasri and architect ML Pum Malakul, was built on June 24, 1939 during the Field Marshall Por Pibulsongkram administration.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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AFTERMATH

Rajprasong Dangerous

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Rajprasong has been designated a danger zone due to the stockpile of weapons and the "terrorists" congregated in the area, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.

"Rajprasong is very dangerous to the people, including the red shirts, because violence can break out at any time," he said.

Sansern urged the red shirts, many of whom left for their homes to celebrate the Songkran festival, not to return to their rally site because of the safety risk.

He said rally organisers admitted they were supported by "unidentified warriors", who were ready to resort to violence in order to counter-attack the riot forces. Last Saturday, a number of weapons were stolen from soldiers and might end up inflicting casualties in another round of violence, he added.

He said the authorities were trying to restore normalcy by dislodging the red shirts from the Rajprasong area and that they were now prepared to deal with live ammunition fired by the "terrorists" from the red shirts' side.

"Please rest assured that the law will definitely be enforced," he said.

"In any operations, soldiers and policemen will try to avoid losses or, if that is not possible, to contain the losses within acceptable limits," he added.

As of yesterday, security reports estimated the number of red shirts in the Rajprasong area to be in the region of 4,500 to 5,000.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau is expected to beef up police numbers from nine companies to 18 to keep peace around the rally site.

Metropolitan Police spokesman Maj-General Piya Uthayo said the police bomb squad had swept the dismantled rally site at Phan Fa Bridge and found no explosive devices or any weapons left behind.

Police had assisted in negotiating with the red shirts to return some 29 items of weaponry stolen from the soldiers, Piya said.

He said police - under the jurisdiction of the Central Investigation Bureau - were preparing to enforce arrest warrants issued against 24 red-shirt leaders.

Natthawut Saikua, one of the 24, said the red shirts were preparing a "welcoming party" if the government cracked down on protesters.

"I confirm the red shirts will not waver if the government is to launch a new round of anti-riot operations early next week," he said, adding that the red shirts would not disperse before the dissolution of Parliament.

Panithan Wattanayakorn, the government's acting spokesman, said: "The Thai public have already learnt about what happened on April 10. The government will not try to explain what we are confronting at this point.

The situation is not normal. It has never happened before. And it is very dangerous to the country and the survival of the people.

"There are details in many incidents. But the truth will reveal itself in the future. In the end, we will all know what the protesters are really up to."

He added that the prime minister would give fewer press interviews or communicate less with the public, except in case of necessity.

Panithan also said the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations yesterday evening had issued an order to summon those involved in the red-shirt demonstrations to testify to the centre today.

He said more than 50 politicians and businessmen would be summoned to testify.

Red-shirt chief security officer Aree Krainara said he had doubled the number of guards to protect the leaders and the rally site.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit led surviving relatives of what he said were 30 dead victims to file a police complaint charging the prime minister and other authorities with murder related to Saturday's "bloodbath".

Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan said the funeral for the victims would be postponed until the completion of legal proceedings.

Under the law, the corpses must be kept pending the completion of the investigation into the killings, he said, vowing to bring culprits to justice before the expiry of the statue of limitations in 20 years.

He said the red shirts would initiate 900 cases related to the bloodbath.

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said the PM has no intention of resigning or dissolving Parliament to pave the way for a new election. He said doing so would damage the country in the long term.

Korn said he was not worried about the situation weakening the baht, as a weak currency would help exports.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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Red shirts send survival kit to Abhisit

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A red-shirt supporter showed up at the 11th Infantry Regiment yesterday with some food for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, but this was by no means a gesture of goodwill.

Attached with the noodles, cans of coffee and bottles of water was a message from the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship, which read: "Let the prime minister eat so that he can survive at least until he dissolves the House of Representatives and pays for his bad deeds as a murderer."

Chantisa Rojanapimuk, who was accompanied by her boyfriend, said core red-shirt leader Natthawut Saikua had assigned this duty to her. She left the food and the message with the guards at the gate.

The red shirts have been blaming Abhisit for last Saturday's bloody clash that claimed 23 lives. The prime minister has rarely been seen outside the 11th Infantry Regiment since then.

Currently, the red-shirt demonstrators are camped out at the Rajprasong intersection and are promising to take over more areas in downtown Bangkok. Their presence has been hurting businesses very badly, including several upscale shopping malls.

Yesterday, Natthawut said the size of the demonstration would grow once Songkran was over.

"Our rally might soon go as far as Sukhumvit Soi 31 [where Abhisit's home is located] and Silom Road [the capital's business district]," he said, adding that the red shirts will not stop rallying until Abhisit dissolves the House.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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THAKSIN, WHERE ARE YOU?

Thaksin believed to be in South Pacific

BANGKOK: -- Fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra is believed to be staying in a South Pacific country after visiting Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

Chavanont Intarakomalyasut, the foreign minister's secretary, said yesterday that Thaksin - wanted in Thailand to serve a two-year jail term - had visited Saudi Arabia from Saturday to Monday.

Chavanont quoted a report from the Thai ambassador to Saudi Arabia that Thaksin had visited Jeddah and Riyadh in his private jet before leaving for an Asean country.

Thaksin stayed two nights in the Asean country before departing yesterday for a South Pacific nation.

Chavanont did not name the Asean and South Pacific countries, but said the government could not put pressure on them to hand over Thaksin as Thailand has no extradition treaty with them.

"What we could do is to ask those countries not to allow Thaksin to use them as a base to criticise Thailand," he said.

The Foreign Ministry has been well aware of Thaksin's whereabouts but has been unable to say much about it.

Thaksin visited three South Pacific countries - Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga - last July.

In Fiji, he reportedly conducted secret talks with Frank Bainimarama, controversial leader of the Pacific island's military-installed regime.

Bainimarama is Fiji's self-appointed prime minister, who has drawn the ire of the international community by abrogating the constitution last April and refusing to hold democratic elections before 2014.

The Guardian online reported last July that it was claimed Thaksin was considering investing US$300 million (Bt9.6 trillion) in Fiji in return for protection from extradition.

The online newspaper reported that Thaksin had entered Fiji under an assumed name after his Thai passport was cancelled. The former prime minister has been issued new passports by the governments of Nicaragua, Uganda and Montenegro.

The Foreign Ministry believes Thaksin has used "Takki Singegra" as his name in his new passports.

At that time, the government claimed Thaksin had flown to Suva from Kuala Lumpur. Thai authorities had intended to apprehend him in Malaysia, but he flew out of the country in his Learjet before they could act.

In the same week, Thaksin also visited Vanuatu and Tonga, where he was seeking to invest millions of dollars.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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APRIL 10 TRAGEDY

DSI told to take on Saturday clashes as a special case

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The government has proposed that the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) consider last Saturday's clashes as a special case, considering it involved terrorist attacks as well as ambush with explosives and guns, a source from the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation said yesterday.

At 10am today, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, in his capacity as president of DSI's Special Case Committee, will hold a meeting to decide whether the clashes could indeed be considered a special case in order to lessen the burden on the Royal Thai Police.

The investigation team comprises of officials from 10 agencies - DSI, the Attorney-General's Office, Metropolitan Police, Special Branch Police, Central Investigation Bureau, Provincial Police Region 1, Royal Thai Army, Judge Advocate General's Department, National Security Council and National Intelligence Agency. Should the committee agree to take up the case then the investigation team would continue with the job taking into account the facts already gathered by the National Intelligence Agency.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will set up an independent body to investigate human-rights violations during clash, which claimed more than 20 lives and injured over 800 people.

NHRC president Amara Pongsapit said she would be chairing this panel, comprised of four NHRC representatives, two representatives of the red-shirt demonstrators, two from the government, two from the media and two from a civic group.

Amara said the panel was expected to meet on either April 19 or April 20 to draw up a framework.

"I promise that this panel will be totally neutral," she said.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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Panithan denies govt plans to use force to break up rally Monday

BANGKOK: -- Deputy PM's Secretary-General Panithan Watanayakorn Thursday denied the government planned to use force to break up the red-shirt demonstration at Rajprasong on Monday.

Panithan said the red-shirt leaders were spreading the false rumours of the crackdown to try to retain the demonstrators' support for the rally.

Panithan said the government estimated that about 30,000 protesters joined the rally Wednesday night and the number of the demonstrators dropped to 3,000 Thursday morning.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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Red shirts to visit television stations Friday

BANGKOK: -- Red shirts protesters will visit several televison stations on Friday to ask them to air red shirt's video footage of April 10 clashes.

Their leader; Arisamun Pongruengrong, told the protesters at Rajprasong intersection rally site that the protesters will start go to TPBS station at 11am.

He said he would ask the stations to air video footages which he claimed would show soldiers fired at and killed protesters during the clashes.

Police and soldiers were deployed at Channel 3 and 9 on Thursday night to prepare for the protesters.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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PM to refrain from giving interviews to media for several more days: Panithan

BANGKOK: -- Deputy PM's Secretary-General Panithan Watanayakorn said Thursday that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will refrain from giving interviews to media for several more days for safety reason.

Thursday was the fifth day that the prime minister did not meet the media.

Panithan said the prime minister would have to remain in the 11th Infantry Regiment for several more days.

He said the prime minister will communicate with the public once in a while and will rush to solve the country's problems.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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THE NATION: Nation Channel: Panithan said 60 politicians, businessmen were summoned to testify to Emergency Operations Command.

THE NATION: TNN: Hotel Association president Prakij said hotels around Rajprasong lost income about Bt35m a day each because of red-shirt protests.

THE NATION: He said hotel staffs, who were hired on daily basis, were all out of job because of the plunge of hotel guests caused by protests.

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Thavisa News: Bang Sue police arrested 6 PAD security guards for possessing guns and a large number of ammunitions

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THE NATION: TNN: Some 1,000 people are now gathering in front of 11th Infantry Regiment to show moral support for PM.

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THE NATION: Suthep: Special force rounded alleged terrorists and red-shirt leaders from SC Park Hotel. They will be taken to 11th Infantry Regiment.

THE NATION: Suthep urged protesters to return home and urged relatives to tell protesters to return home for their own safety.

THE NATION: Deputy PM Suthep said govt needs to end terrorism as soon as possible.

THE NATION: e said he deployed security force to protect all radio/TV stations and will use decisive action to halt any attempts to raid the stations.

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MCOT: Suthep: Police commandos besiege SC Park Hotel in Bangkok; some Red Shirt leaders detained

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THE NATION: Arisaman Pongruangrong, Phayup Panket and Suporn Atthawong have been arrested at SC Park Hotel: SMS MGRNews

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Arisaman, Phayup, Suporn rounded up at SC Park

Several media organisations reported on their SMS services that at least three red-shirt leaders have been rounded at the SC Park Hotel.

The SMS news stated that Arisaman Pongruangrong, Phayup Panket and Suporn Atthawong have been arrested at the hotel.

They were reportedly taken to the 11th Infantry Regiment.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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MCOT: Red Shirt protesters block SC Park Hotel surrounding police who arrested their leaders

MCOT: Citizens with many colours of shirts gather at 11th Infantry Regiment, showing support for PM Abhisit, objection to House dissolution

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MCOT: Arisman narrowly escapes SC Park Hotel with help of Red Shirt protesters as police besiege hotel

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TAN Network: Arisman scale walls of SC Park Hotel to flee commando unit; 2 other leaders still inside

TAN Network: Suthep: red-shirts will be prosecuted if they close off any TV stations

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Arisamun escapes arrest by '007 style'

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Arisamun Pongruengrong, a red shirt leader, narrowly escapes arrest on Friday by using a rope to climb down from his balcony of his room on the third floor to the ground as police and commandos raid the hotel where he and other leaders have stayed.

He then was whisked away by about 500 red shirts who waited for him on the ground.

The raid was conducted on Friday morning to round up terrorists and their weapons.

Other leaders, including Suporn Attawong, Payap Panket and Jeng Dokjik, are believed to still be in the office.

-- The Nation 2010-04-16

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THE NATION: NationTV : Arisman negotiate with police, order Bangkok police to leave their guns!

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Red-shirts Take High-ranking Police Officer as Hostage at SC Park

The red-shirts have taken a deputy Metropolitan Police commander and 2 other police officers as hostage at SC Park Hotel to pave the way for their escape out of the hotel.

Reports have also come in of gunfire being heard in the vicinity. ASTV has reported that 1 poice officer has been shot.

-- Tan Network 2010-04-16

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18 companies of police deployed at Ratchaprasong

BANGKOK (NNT) – About 18 companies of 2,700 police officers have been deployed to watch over security in the mass gathering of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) at Ratchaprasong Intersection to prevent unrest instigation by any third party.

Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Police Major General Piya Uthayo, announced that the police has resolved to increase deployment of officers from nine companies to 18 companies to take care of security, especially at Erawan Emergency Medical Institute and Central World Shopping Complex.

More checkpoints have been set up to screen for third party protestors who may instigate unrest in the area. UDD protestors are now gathering around Ratchaprasong Intersection from Chidlom, Ratchaprasong, Pathumwan, Ratchadamri, to Pratunam.

Meanwhile, security measures around Phan Fa Bridge, nearby communities, and government offices such as the Supreme Court, Government House, and Parliament remain tight although the main rally site at Phan Fa Bridge has been vacated.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Chief, Police Major General Panu Kerdlarppol, has been tasked with supervising traffic around the area and negotiating with UDD core leaders to facilitate traffic at Pathumwan and Pratunam Intersections as they are linked with other important roads.

-- NNT 2010-04-16

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MCOT: All Red Shirt leaders escape from police custody at SC Park Hotel; Protesters surround police, demanding they disarm

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Red Shirts evade arrest at Bangkok hotel: protest leader

BANGKOK (AFP) -- All the leaders of Thailand's Red Shirt protest movement who were at a Bangkok hotel besieged by security forces managed to escape Friday, one of the protest leaders said.

"All of them got out from the hotel. Our six core leaders are now with our Red people, who are bringing them back to this stage," Nattawut Saikuar, who was not at the hotel, said at the main rally site in Bangkok's commercial hub.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-04-16

Published with written approval from AFP.

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Operation to nab Thai protest leaders 'unsuccessful': govt

BANGKOK (AFP) -- A security operation to arrest leaders of Thailand's anti-government protest movement at a Bangkok hotel was "unsuccessful", a government spokesman said Friday.

"It is an unsuccessful operation, but we will continue further operations," Panitan Wattanayagorn told reporters. "We have to wait for reports from the operation team."

Security forces had been dispatched to arrest six leaders of the "Red Shirt" protest movement.

Protest leaders said all their members had escaped the hotel and would return to the group's central Bangkok rally spot.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-04-16

Published with written approval from AFP.

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THE NATION:

Arisman flees arrest

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MCOT: Officers taken hostage as Red Shirt leaders freed from police custody at SC Park Hotel

[george]

Discussion topic (including escape video):

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Red-Shirt-Le...es-t356597.html