Red Shirts Confirm Friday Rally To Mark Thailand Constitution Day

[webfact]

Red Shirts confirm Friday rally to mark Constitution Day

BANGKOK, Dec 9 - Thailand's anti-government movement, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on Thursday reaffirmed it's planned rally for two hours on Friday to mark the country's Constitution Day and demand the release of detained protest leaders.

Acting UDD chairman Thida Thavornseth said the Red Shirt demonstration will be held from 6pm tomorrow at the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue and will end at 8pm.

Ms Thida said Metropolitan Police Division 1 commander Pol Maj-Gen Wichai Sangprapai has urged the Red Shirt supporters to stage a peaceful protest and not disrupt the traffic or use loudspeakers.

If any irregularity is found, the Red Shirts are advised to inform the police, said the UDD chair.

Ms Thida stated the Friday gathering is aimed at demanding that detained Red Shirt leaders be released and calling on for the justice.

Most key Red Shirt leaders including Natthawut Saikua, Weng Tojirakarn (Ms Thida's husband), Korkaew Pikulthong, are among those who have been detained on charges of terrorism since they surrendered to police after the clashes between the protesters and troops at Ratchaprasong intersection at the end of their protest on May 19.

At the same time, Ms Thida also announced the six-point policies of the Red Shirts under her leadership focusing on the peaceful struggle and division of UDD operations into three groups.

The three groups are Red Shirt supporters upcountry, in Bangkok and overseas; supporting units who will coordinate to link movements of the main UDD groups together; and independent groups in which policies and struggle approaches may differ to that of the UDD. The last group must clearly identify their different approach to the UDD leadership.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Chief Pol-Lt Gen Chakthip Chaichinda said one thousand police--including four companies of police, rapid response units, traffic police and an investigating team, will be deployed tomorrow.

Gen Chakthip said Gen Wichai has been assigned to negotiate with the protest leaders not to obstruct traffic or block the entrance of government buildings. Anyone vandalising public property by writing graffiti on public signs, footpaths, roads or any part of any monument that is deemed insulting to the monarchy or considered defamatory to other people will be prosecuted.

Loundspeakers and amplifiers are also barred during the demonstration as Bangkok is still under emergency decree. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-09

[asiawatcher]

"... If any irregularity is found, the Red Shirts are advised to inform the police, said the UDD chair."

So now these law breaking violent criminals get to dictate to their fellow birds of a feather? Will law and order ever really exist in this country?

[metisdead]

Illegible post removed from view.

[whybother]

and independent groups in which policies and struggle approaches may differ to that of the UDD. The last group must clearly identify their different approach to the UDD leadership.

They're outsourcing the violence now.

[rubl]

Ms Thida stated the Friday gathering is aimed at demanding that detained Red Shirt leaders be released and calling on for the justice.

Nothing really changed it seems. All about red shirt leaders (with Dr. Weng Ms. Thida's husband amongst them). Somehow I think the movement would get more support and prestige / status if they started to care about the common red-shirts, a few hundred still in custody with no lawyer, no one visiting, no money, no bail, no nothing.

The biggest worry some red-shirt leaders seem to have is 'will my wife / son / daughter not forget to take proper care of the new Mercedes ?'

Edited December 9, 2010 by rubl

[webfact]

PM calls for peaceful anti-gov’t rally if protesters want to see quick House dissolution

BANGKOK, Dec 10 -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called for protesters holding an anti-government demonstration to conduct their rally in the Thai capital of Bangkok peacefully, saying that they should refrain from creating trouble if they want an early dissolution of the House of Representatives and a general election.

Mr Abhisit’s remarks were made Thursday in response to the plans by the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) movement to rally in Bangkok Friday evening to mark the country’s Constitution Day and demand the release of detained UDD leaders.

Urging every concerned party to uphold peace in the country, Mr Abhisit said it is the duty of officials and protesters alike to coordinate with each other to ensure that no trouble occurs during the event as the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has confirmed that it plans to lift the emergency decree in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces before this month’s New Year celebrations.

CRES plans to present the request on revoking the emergency decree in the Thai capital and three neighbouring provinces to the Cabinet at its weekly meeting Tuesday. If the State of Emergency decree is revoked, a peace-keeping plan to be prepared by the Internal Security Operations Command is expected to be imposed in lieu of the emergency decree.

Mr Abhisit said he believed Friday’s planned rally by the UDD would be peaceful as every party had learned a lesson in the past that no one gained from chaos.

Everybody should take into account the people’s benefit, he added.

Mr Abhisit was in Laos for a one-day visit and inaugurated the Nam Theun 2 Dam project and celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two neighbouring countries.

The hydroelectric dam project is a cooperative project between the two countries, aimed at further developing Laos, with that country then selling electricity generated from the dam to Thailand.

Nam Theun 2 is a 1,070 MW trans-basin hydropower project situated in Khammouane province in central Laos. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-10

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Police estimate 7,000 protesters to join UDD rally

BANGKOK, Dec 10 -- Police expect that between 5,000 to 7,000 anti-government protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will join a rally Friday evening in the Thai capital, according to national police chief Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree.

After holding a video conference with senior police officers, Gen Wichean said that the UDD demonstration to be held at the Democracy Monument marking Thailand’s Constitution Day and demanding the release of detained UDD key leaders would attract some 5,000-7,000 people.

The police believe that there will be no violence although some protesters are unhappy with Thursday’s court ruling throwing out the case against the ruling Democrat Party, accused of receiving a Bt258 million (nearly US$8.58 million) campaign contribution illegally from a major cement firm.

Judges of the Constitution Court voted 4:3 to dismiss the case in which the Democrat Party was accused of receiving illegal money from TPI Polene Co.in 2005, citing a legal flaw in the complaint-filing process.

The ruling party has survived for the second time in the dissolution case after the Constitution Court on Nov 29 dropped an earlier dissolution case against it over the alleged misuse of Bt29 million ($960,000) in political campaign funding, saying the filing complaint process lodged by the Election Commission (EC) was done improperly as it was submitted to the Office of Attorney General (OAG) beyond the statutory time frame of 15 days.

Although police do not expect any violence during the rally, they fear that a third-party might mingle with the crowd and create troublesome, Gen Wichean said, adding that the UDD protesters had also agreed not to release lighted lanterns planned earlier on fears that they might create a fire accident.

Regarding a government plan to revoke the emergency decree in Bangkok and three neighbouring provinces, as a New Year gift, Gen Wichean said police agreed that the Internal Security Act – which has lighter punishment than the present decree should be imposed and implemented rigidly.

Meanwhile, UDD protesters rallied in the northern province of Lampang early Friday. They held placards demanding a genuine democratic system in Thailand.

The demonstrators released red balloons during the brief rally, which took place without reported violence, however. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-10