De rode T-shirts

Thailand Het laatste Thailand nieuws
41

PRO-THAKSIN RALLY
Govt ‘to avoid clashes,’ protect airport.

By Piyanart Srivalo
Yossawadee Hongthong
The Nation
Published on March 27, 2009
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**Police and officials would exercise utmost restraint in dealing with red shirt protesters surrounding Government House, sources said yesterday. **

Meanwhile, some 2,000 people dressed in blue, consisting of police and troops plus health volunteers, gathered at a building at Suvarnabhumi yesterday in case an effort is made to seize the airport.

The authorities would try their best to avoid clashes between protesters and security forces, sources said.

Chief government whip Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said urged ousted premier****[URL=“http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/adsearch.php?keyword=+Thaksin+”] Thaksin **Shinawatra **to avoid causing further social division by improperly mentioning royal advisers in his phone-ins.

Tens of thousands of pro-Thaksin protesters surrounded Government House yesterday and planned to camp there “until the government leaves office”, rally leaders said.

Thaksin phoned in shortly after 8pm last night. He said he would “tell it all” about his political enemies when he calls again tonight. Earlier, he claimed Privy Councillor and former PM General Surayud Chulanont and some top judges were behind the 2006 coup that overthrew his government.

He also complained about “double standards” in politics.

Thaksin, who said he was in an African country, spoke for just about 10 minutes in a link that sounded scratchy.

Jatuporn Phrompan, an MP from the opposition** Pheu Thai Party and one of the protest leaders, said Thaksin **would address supporters every night for half an hour via a video-link system.

He said the rally and Thaksin’s phone-ins would continue until the government leaves office. He claimed broadcast signals of the pro-Thaksin D Station satellite TV were being obstructed.

Government sources said most protesters came from Bangkok and surrounding areas. Provincial authorities admitted they had failed to block** red shirts from their provinces. Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban **earlier threatened action against governors and police chiefs who failed to block protesters from their provinces, the sources said.

Interior Minister** Chaovarat Chanweerakul **described the protest as worrying. He said a report estimated the crowd had surged to about 30,000.
Chaovarat could not predict how long it would last. He said police were closely monitoring the rally after threats to protest at other government agencies, including the new airport.

Bron: The Nation

42

Red-shirt protest rally begins

Red-shirt protesters surrounded Government House on Thursday afternoon, demanding the three-month-old government’s resignation.
Police put the number of demonstrators at around 30,000.
“Get out! Get out!,” sign-waving protesters shouted, while using cranes to remove large containers police had used to block roads leading to Government House frolm Sanam Luang.

“Today we have only one aim: to oust this government,” red-shirted United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Jatuporn Prompan declared from a truck armed with huge amplifiers.

The protesters left Sanam Luang about 1.30pm, after a brief delay, and began marching to Government House, demanding the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Protest leaders earlier delayed the start, explaining they needed to wait for supporters who went to collect their 2,000-baht gift cheques from the government in the morning.
Mr Abhisit was not at Government House. He attended a meeting of the House of Representatives after launching the government’s ‘save the nation’ 2,000 baht gift cheque campaign for low-income earners at City Hall.

A view of the demonstration, with Government House in the background.
Bangkok police chief Lt-Gen Worapong Chewpreecha said there were about 15,000 red-shirt supporters when the rally began, but the numbers swelled during the day.
Plain-clothes police were among the crowd to prevent a third party from creating unrest, he added.

He believed the protest would be free of violence. Police had been instructed to take only soft measures against the the demonstrators and to avoid any clashes.
The march began after Mr Jatuporn postponed the planned noon protest march, amid claims the government was preventing supporters travelling to Bangkok.

Mr Jatuporn said many supporters were probably spending the morning collecting their 2,000 baht gift cheques from the government and needed the extra time to gather at Sanam Luang.
He said UDD supporters in the provinces were also facing difficulties in getting to Bangkok. He claimed that authorities were keeping them from using trains, tour buses and car rental services.

Core leader Veera Musikhapong said authorities were trying to obstruct supporters in provinces such as Khon Kaen from travelling to Bangkok.
He insisted the group would continue protesting until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva resigns, but affirmed that the protesters would not attempt to break into state offices or seize them.

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was scheuled to make a video-link phone-in from overseas to the rally at Government House about 7pm Thursday, Mr Veera said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban entered Government House in the morning as the red-shirts were gathering at Sanam Luang.
Mr Abhisit said the government had no plans to enforce the Emergency Decree to deal with the t protesters. He believed the government could manage the situation and it would not escalate into violence.

“I am confident that the government will not have to declare a state of emergency, but whatever happens we are ready to cope,” he said.

Mr Suthep told reporters that the prime minister has given him authority to give orders if the mass rally gets out of hand.

The protesters would not be prevented from demonstrating but they must not carry weapons, Mr Suthep said.

Security around the Government House is tight with about 10,000 police, soldiers and defence volunteers guarding the area.
The demands of the protesters include the removal of Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, the dissolution of the House and the prosecution of People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) core members who seized Bangkok’s airports last year.

Bron: Bangkok Post

43

UDD demonstration goes ahead without Thaksin

By: POST REPORTERS Published: 27/03/2009 at 12:00 AM About 20,000 red-shirt demonstrators ringing the Government House compound are threatening to hold their ground until the Democrat-led government steps down.

Protesters led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorshipmake their waydown Ratchadamnoen Avenue towards Government House. APICHART JINAKUL

Demonstrators taking part in the rally, organised yesterday by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), are hoping to receive a boost today when former premier Thaksin Shinawatra delivers on his threat to expose the “extra-constitutional figure” who unseated him in 2006.
Thaksin was to address the crowd by video link yesterday at 8.10pm but said he had trouble getting through.
He accused the military of jamming incoming signals.
Thaksin, who claimed to be calling from Africa, attacked the armed forces for not treating the red-shirt demonstrators as well as they did their yellow-shirt rivals last year. He pointed to the heavy troop presence inside Government House.
The army sent about 5,000 troops to assist the 3,300 police guarding the compound.
UDD core member and Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan said the protest would continue until the government resigned but the demonstrators would avoid provocation and violence.
“But if troops crack down on the demonstrators, they will see a people’s war and they will lose,” warned Mr Jatuporn.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said he hoped the rally would not turn violent and stressed the need for patience by security forces in dealing with the protesters.
Yesterday’s rally began at Sanam Luang with no resistance from security forces and the crowd moved on to Government House.
The protesters used cranes to lift containers, positioned by police to block them, to open up a passage so they could surround Mr Abhisit’s offices. The containers, filled with sand, were dumped into Prem Prachakon canal.
The targets of the UDD protest were mainly Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, privy councillor Surayud Chulanont and the Democrat party and its 2,000-baht cheque handout which started yesterday.
Some demonstrators decided to give their 2,000 baht to the UDD.
Charoen Panya, a UDD follower from Chiang Mai, lambasted the giveaway as a bribe.
“It is state money and it is unacceptable to spend it for political gain,” he said. “It serves them right that we donate the money to oust the government.”
The UDD protest was criticised by the business community, who fears it can only hurt the economy.
“The world economy, including Thailand’s, is in very poor condition. We can’t take any more trouble,” said Dusit Nontanakorn, the new chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
“If we really love Thailand, we all have to join together to help make things better.”
Adirek Sripatak, the president and chief executive of Charoen Pokphand Foods, said fresh protests and conflict would only further undermine confidence in the economy and hurt investment and tourism.
Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thailand Travel Agents , said the red-shirt rally would surely damage the tourism industry, particularly among international tourists like the Chinese who are very sensitive to this kind of issue.

Bron: Bangkok Post

44

PM refuses to resign.
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By: BangkokPost.com, AFP Published: 27/03/2009 at 10:45 AM Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva reiterated his refusal to step down on Friday, the second day of the anti-government protest ringing the Government House complex.
“Whether I resign or do not resign from my position will be determined under the normal political proccess,” he told reporters at the parliament building.
“I have no engagements there [Government House] today but if I have time I will go there,’
''Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban reassures me there is no problem and we are still going into the compound,” he said.
An estimated 30,000 supporters of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) surrounded Government House on Thursday, but police estimated numbers had fallen to about 3,000 on Friday morning.

Services offering massage are set up around the Government House so red-shirt protesters can relax.

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Security there remained high, with 6,000 soldiers and 3,200 police deployed.
Mr Suthep said he would assess the situation before deciding whether to enter the complex on Friday.
If the protesters obstruct his entry, the deputy prime minister said, he would not try to force his way in, so they could not accuse him of provoking violence.
Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said in a phone call to his supporters at the rally on Thursday night that he would call in again on Friday and Saturday.
Thaksin’s plan to address the protest by video link did not happen. He claimed the link was being blocked.

Bron: Bangkok Post

45

Thaksin called for Prem and Surayud to stop interfering in politics.

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**Fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra called for Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanond and Privy Councillor Gen Surayud Chulanont to stop intervening in Thai politics, saying that is the only way to bring peace and stability to the country. **

Thaksin said that their interventions in the politics have brought country into chaos.

He criticised them during his video broadcast from unknown location that both had intervened into the politics and did anything to bring him down.

Thaksin also revealed on Friday that “influential person” he mentioned as mastermind behind the coup and his ousting was Prem.

Thaksin was speaking to thousands of red shirt protesters who gathered in front of the Government House.

He repeated his accusations that Prem, former PM Gen Surayud Chulanont and Pramote Nakhonthap attended a secret meeting which discussed about the coup.

Red-shirts will not rally at Prem’s residence Friday night.

Pheu Thai Party MP Jatuporn Promphan, a leader of the red-shirt movement, said the pro-Thaksin protesters will not rally at the residence of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda Friday night.

Earlier Friday, Prime Minister** Abhisit Vejjajiva **said the authorities would not allow protesters to cause trouble to Prem at his house.

Bron: The Nation

46

RED SHIRT RALLY
It’s getting nastier, more personal

By The Nation
Published on March 28, 2009

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Offensive books, posters commonplace **
The protest might be about ousting the government but evidence of continued social division, resentment and even disturbing hatred against ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s political enemies could be observed at the red-shirt rally at Government House yesterday.
The protesters, affiliated with the pro-Thaksin Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, credited the anti-Thaksin People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) for paving the way for the Abhisit Vejjajiva **government’s rise to power.

Books condemning the** PAD - with titles such as “Evil Deeds of the PAD” - are widely available. Common too are signs and posters attacking and ridiculing the PAD **leaders.

One poster shows a picture of** PAD speaker Suriyasai Katasila **with abusive words calling him names and adding, “This is a man who turns black into white and white into black,” a reference to the perceived truth and falsity propagated by the PAD.

Leaflets containing a lengthy list of companies allegedly sponsoring the** PAD during its 19-month marathon protest, which saw a military coup and the ouster of**[URL=“http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/adsearch.php?keyword=+Thaksin+”] Thaksin **Shinawatra **and later the downfall of two premiers regarded as his proxies, were also being distributed.

“Please pass it on,” said the male distributor sitting under a tent, which gave some relief from the scorching summer sun outside Government House.

“Take only one each and have it photocopied and distribute it widely,” he said.

The list includes not just the names of companies but also those of musicians, actors and artists who have graced the** PAD **stage.

“Stop buying or watching their shows,” the pamphlet urged.

Much more disturbing was an exhibition of four pictures put up by the same man and showing near-naked pictures of the body of “Nong Bo”, Angkana Radabpanyawut, a female** PAD **member who died last October during the PAD’s major protest at Parliament, which ended in bloody clashes with the police.

The pictures show the woman’s body lying on an autopsy bed, with stickers attached to the photos to cover her private parts. However, the controversial wounds to the left side of her chest and an arm are visible.

The** PAD **insist she was killed by the police, while the red-shirt group argue it was some sort of home-made grenade she was carrying that night which exploded and took her life.

The caption reads: “See the truth for yourself. This picture is not doctored. Is it tear gas, or a grenade she carried?”
Many red-shirt protesters were glued to the macabre pictures after a woman burst into a tirade against Nong Bo.

Bron: The Nation

47

Join red-shirt protest, Thaksin tells people

By POLITICAL DESK
THE NATION ON SUNDAY
Published on March 29, 2009

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Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra last night called on people who had benefited from his government’s policies to come out and support the red-shirt movement.

“I call on you to rise up throughout the country to join the red-shirts and bring back democracy for our children,”** Thaksin **said.

He also called on politicians who had been part of his disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party to “lead your countrymen in the fight”.

Wearing a red T-shirt,** Thaksin **appeared on a live video broadcast to the protest by his red-clad supporters outside Government House. It was the second night of protest with a Thaksin’s speech. On Friday he accused Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda and post-coup premier Surayud Chulanont of masterminding the 2006 coup that ousted him from power.

Thaksin last night directed his attacks at the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva, portraying it as pro-aristocracy and inefficient in tackling the country’s economic problems.

“It’s time to return democracy to the people, or the confusion will never end,” he told his supporters through a video link-up.

Thaksin did not say from where he was speaking. He began his one-hour speech at about 8.30pm with greetings in the local dialects of the North and Northeast, where most of his supporters hail from.

He said that a return to democracy was necessary to solve the economic problems as the current political situation stripped Thailand of credibility in the international forum.

The former premier criticised the government for spending money on populist policies, instead of sinking it in projects that would create jobs and income for the public. He also called for cuts in the military budget.

Thaksin said that the government should “borrow from its own money”, meaning make use of the country’s reserves of over US$100 billion (Bt3.5 trillion), instead of borrowing from abroad. He cautioned that the government’s plan of extending the legal borrowing ceiling of 60 per cent of the country’s GDP would “lead Thai people to hell”.

The fugitive ex-leader said the country should focus on its strength as a leading food-manufacturer and suggested the government woo investment from rich states in the Middle East. “You should spend more time thinking about the economy and try to solve the problems proactively. Don’t bother about hunting for me,” he said.

Thaksin pointed to the need for investment in alternative-energy plants to prepare for new increases in oil prices, which he expected some time in 2011. He said the government should invest more in public-transport projects, such as rail links between Bangkok and major provincial centres, to make it more convenient to travel and to “bring happiness to the people”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister** Abhisit Vejjajiva **rejected Thaksin’s call on Friday for immediate dissolution of the House of Representatives. He said that his government’s priority was to tackle the economic problems facing the country.

“I’m not sure what he really wants. Sometimes he says he wants constitutional amendments first, and now he proposes House dissolution, which is not something he has ever mentioned before,” Abhisit said.

The premier said Thaksin’s speech was “the old, old story”.

Former deputy Army chief General Wattana Chaimuanwong yesterday described** Thaksin **as a highly ambitious and power-hungry man.

General Somjet Bunthanom, former National Security Council secretary-general, countered Thaksin’s allegation that he was the victim of double standards by saying that when in power** Thaksin himself had practised double standards.
Bhum Jai Thai Party Khon Kaen MP Panya Sripanya said party boss Newin Chidchob and his fellow leaders felt Thaksin **was over-reacting and should not have involved the Privy Council. "We are unlikely to team up with Pheu Thai,‘’ he said.

Bron: The Nation

48

Somchai says rally is for ‘true democracy’, not Thaksin.

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By Kittipong Thavevong
The Nation

Former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat told red-clad protesters on Wednesday night that the ongoing rally was a fight for “true democracy”, and not directly for ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Somchai and leaders of the protest echoed what** Thaksin had told his supporters on the previous nights during his speech.
Thaksin, who has escaped an imprisonment sentence at home, did not make his speech on Wednesday night. The protest organisers blamed the cancellation on a two-hour interruption of the satellite-based D Station broadcast in the evening. D Station broadcasts the ongoing protest and Thaksin’s video linkup.
Somchai on Wednesday night said the ongoing protest by the red shirts was for a better future of Thailand, rather than for Thaksin. "Any benefit for Thaksin will be only a by-product," he said.
He said Thailand’s political vicious cycle dominated by coups was due to the fact that the voice of ordinary people had never been heard.
“We are doing this for the country and for our children and grandchildren,” Somchai said of the ongoing protest by the red shirts.
The ex-PM was speaking to thousands of the red shirts gathering outside Government House. He appeared on stage at the protest site amidst loud cheers from the anti-government protesters. The bespectacled Somchai wore red a T-shirt, with a red garland around his neck.
The leaders of the protest, as well as Thaksin who has addressed the protesters nightly, describe the protest as a fight for “true democracy” in Thailand.
Somchai criticised certain provisions in the Constitution. He said the clause that requires a political party to be dissolved when only one party executive commits wrongdoing is unfair.
Somchai was forced to step down as prime minister after the Constitutional Court ruled to dissolve his People Power Party **for electoral fraud.
Somchai told the audience that he was informed about an interruption of D Station broadcast of the protest in the evening. The broadcast was resumed shortly after 7 pm, and leaders of the protest blamed authorities for the interruption.
Leaders of the protest repeated their allegations that Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda was behind the coup of September 19, 2006. Veera Musigapong, a pro-Thaksin politician, continued his attack on certain privy councilors, accusing them of interfering with politics.
The protest leaders continued their attack on what they described as a political system dominated by aristocracy.
They issued a statement calling for a nationwide protest with the goal of “bringing about a true democracy within our generation”.

Bron: The Nation

Red-shirts to rally at Finance Ministry on Thursday.

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49

Suthep offers to begin talks with Thaksin
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By: BangkokPost.com and AFP Published: 1/04/2009 at 02:13 PM Acting Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Wednesday he was ready to hold talks with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bid to end the week-long blockade of Government House.
About 2,000 red-clad Thaksin loyalists remain camped outside Government House after a mass march by up to 30,000 supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) last Thursday. UDD leaders have announced plans for another mass protest next Wednesday.
“The government is ready to hold talks with Thaksin wherever to make our country peaceful,” Mr Suthep, the deputy prime minister in charge of security, told reporters.

“But some of his demands are impossible, such as the dissolution of the House,” he said.

He added: “I am ready to open talks with Thaksin as he’s the real protest leader and decision-maker. I will wait for his reaction this evening.”

Thaksin has been phoning-in to his supporters every night since the protest started.

Mr Suthep is acting prime minister while Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is in London for the G20 summit as current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

UDD core leader Jatuporn Prompan quickly rejected Mr Suthep’s offer.
“The situation now is beyond negotiation,” he said.
“Since we want to topple the government how can we talk with them?
''It’s too late and pointless.”

The Civil Court on Tuesday issued an injunction ordering the UDD leaders to unblock the entrances to the Government House complex so cabinet ministers and government officials can work in their offices.

The protesters were also ordered to stop using loudspeakers during office hours, 8.30am to 4.30pm.

UDD leaders said they were appealing the injunction, which police posted outside Government House on Wednesday amid jeers and boos from the demonstrators.

The court order gives the government a legal framework to move against the protesters if they prevent staff from entering the complex, observers said.
The government has repeatedly said it will strictly stay within the law when taking action against the demonstrators.

Bron: Bangkok Post

50

Red shirt protesters threaten to disrupt Asean Summit in Pattaya

By The Nation

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A red shirt protester receives a foot massage service on Sunday after joining anti-government protest in front of the Government House for days. The protesters planned to stage a mass rally on April 8.

**Anti-government protesters Sunday threatened to sabotage Asean Summit scheduled to start in Pattaya this Friday , if the government blocks the reception of their community radio stations. **

Their leader, Natthawut Saikuea, told a press conference at the protest stie that Abhisit government has tried to prevent UDD supporters upcountry from joining their colleagues who are now rallying at Government House in Bangkok.
He also charged that officials had earlier disrupted signals of a taxi drivers community radio station but the problem has now been fixed.
He said Prime Minister’s Office Minister Satit Wonghnongtaey who supervises state- related media should assure that no signal disruptions would recur, otherwise the** Asean summit would not take place smoothly.
The Asean **leaders will meet their counterparts of six nations; China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand – between April 10-12.
However Abhisit told journalists in Chiang Mai that the anti-government protesters could rally in Pattaya during the Summit. “The authorities will prepare venues so that the summit itself will not be disrupted,” Abhisit said.

The Cabinet will hold its weekly meeting this Tuesday in Pattaya to see the** Asean **meeting venue arrangement, said the prime minister.

Bron: The Nation

51

Pro-Thaksin rallies grow

**11 provinces join in as government stays calm **

Rallies supporting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra were held in more than 10 provinces on Monday, ratcheting up pressure on the government to resign.

“The intention of the red-shirt rally is clear. It is trying to provoke violence. But the government will not fall into this trap.We will be patient.” SUTHEP THAUGSUBAN DEPUTYPRIMEMINISTER

The government paid little heed to the demonstrations to avoid any confrontation with the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, which has surrounded Government House since Thursday.
To further defuse tensions, it decided to cancel today’s cabinet meeting, saying there were no urgent issues on the agenda.
Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva consulted with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on what was happening with the Government House rally before deciding to cancel the cabinet meeting, a cabinet source said.
Mr Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, told the Bangkok Post the government would not use violent measures to crack down on the protesters.
“The intention of the red-shirt rally is clear. It is trying to provoke violence. But the government will not fall into this trap. We will be patient,” he said.
Peaceful demonstrations to show support for Thaksin took place mostly in northern and northeastern provinces where the convicted former prime minister remains popular. They included Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Nan, Phayao, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani and Khon Kaen.

The red-shirt protesters rallied at provincial halls, with some deciding to camp out for the night. The demonstrators in Bangkok remained at their site outside Government House. Stages were erected outside provincial halls with broadcasts of the rally in Bangkok being relayed to the protesters.
They said they were waiting for a signal from UDD leaders in Bangkok to travel to the capital to join the rally at Government House.
They pledged to join their colleagues in Bangkok if the government moved to break up the rally at the prime minister’s office.
The demonstrations in the other provinces were organised after Thaksin on Saturday urged his supporters across the country to stand up and show their strength, while making clear their opposition to non-politicians being involved in politics.
“We will keep fighting until we get democracy back,” Thaksin said in a video broadcast from an unknown location to the rallies last night.
“This government was installed by a silent coup. It is not a democratic government. The coup was staged by the Constitution Court, the military and the Privy Council president,” he said, referring to Gen Prem Tinsulanonda.
Thaksin has accused Gen Prem and privy councillor Surayud Chulanont of being involved in plotting the coup to topple him on Sept 19, 2006.
Thaksin pledged to return to Thailand to join his supporters in a move to pressure the coalition government if it uses force to break up the rally at Government House.
“We’ll head to Bangkok from all directions. We won’t budge and I will come in, too. Today, I am not coming because I don’t want to cause trouble. But I’m not afraid,” he said.
Kwanchai Praipana, radio host and leader of the Udon Thani-based pro-Thaksin group, said red-shirt protesters made a show of force nationwide because they were now aware of who “the charismatic extra-constitutional figure” was.
The term “charismatic extra-constitutional figure” was previously used by Thaksin to refer to Gen Prem.
Gen Prem yesterday met a group of alumni from Vajiravudh School in Songkhla. One of his close associates quoted him as telling the visitors he was not involved in the coup.
He admitted to having an audience with His Majesty the King on the day of the coup that toppled Thaksin. But that was in his capacity as Privy Council president when he learned of events. It was his duty to serve the King, the source said.
UDD leader Veera Musikhapong said Gen Prem’s Si Sao Thewes residence in Bangkok would be a target again but refused to say when the demonstrators would surround the house.
As Thaksin steps up his fight against the government, the Foreign Ministry is expediting its efforts to extradite him.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said the Thai embassy in the United Arab Emirates was arranging for talks with officials on the issue.
A ministry source said once the schedule was arranged, Thai legal experts from the ministry and the Office of the Attorney-General would hold talks to prepare for an extradition treaty with the Gulf state.
Thaksin has been using Dubai in the UAE as one of his bases after going into exile.
The ministry also plans to revoke his ordinary passport.

Bron: Bangkok Post

52

2 men arrested following attack against PM’s car.

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A body guard tries to provide security for PM Abhisit Vejjajiva who changed his car to avoid red shirt protesters in Pattaya Tuesday. However the protesters damaged the new vehicle.
Car of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva which was damaged by red shirt protesters on Tuesday
Red shirts mob and damage vehicle of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva who was on his way from Pattaya to Bangkok on Tuesday. Abhisit was unhurt.

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Two men were arrested Tuesday in connection with an attack on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s car, besieged by a redshirt mob that smashed its rear window and injured his bodyguards while the car was stuck at a red light near South Pattaya Road.

Bron: The Nation

53

PRO-THAKSIN MASS RALLY
Red shirts to target Prem today
By The Nation
Published on April 8, 2009

**The anti-government red-shirt movement will mount the most pressure on Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda during today’s rallies. **

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Core leader Jatuporn Promphan said that up to 300,000 people were expected to join the movement and pressure Prem to quit.

Besides the main demonstration site at Government House, the protesters plan to rally in the Royal Plaza and outside of the nearby Si Sao Thewes residence of Prem.

The** red shirts have accused the Privy Council president, who is His Majesty the King’s chief adviser, of being the mastermind behind the September 19, 2006 coup that overthrew the**[URL=“http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/adsearch.php?keyword=+Thaksin+”] Thaksin **Shinawatra **government, a charge denied by Prem.

Jatuporn said Thaksin, a fugitive in exile, would be on standby throughout the day to join protesters via telephone and video link.

In last night’s address to the red shirts,** Thaksin **called on people who wanted “real democracy” to gather in great numbers at today’s rally.

He insisted on his loyalty to the monarchy, “which has been in my blood since my childhood”.

The ousted leader also criticised former aide Newin Chidchob, the banned politician who yesterday accused** Thaksin **of causing trouble for the country.

“This afternoon I saw a soap opera. They made the villain a hero, and they let the villain lecture the hero,”** Thaksin **said.

Protesters yesterday were flocking to Bangkok from upcountry with food and other supplies, because they expect today’s rallies to be lengthy.

Meanwhile, security officials have been instructed to brace themselves for an uprising, because the** red shirts **may besiege provincial halls across the country.

In Bangkok, about 30 police officers were deployed yesterday to guard the road leading to Prem’s Si Sao Thewes residence.

The** red shirts **have been threatening to lay siege to his residence since they began rallying late last month.

In the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, 500 red-shirt protesters left for Bangkok yesterday in 40 vehicles fully loaded with supplies.

In Sakon Nakhon, six buses full of** red shirts **departed for the main rally site at Government House.

At least 200 police officers are on standby in case of violence in Chiang Mai, where the** red shirts **are also strong.

The police chief of the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima ordered a checkpoint to be set up, to prevent protesters from reaching Bangkok.

Meanwhile, more than 2,000 People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters gathered at Krabi’s city hall yesterday, voicing their intention to protect the monarchy.

In Si Sa Ket, a group of government supporters attacked ousted prime minister** Thaksin **for making accusations against Prem.

Group leader Niyom Rodniam called on Si Sa Ket residents to think carefully before joining the red shirts, saying they could fall victim to ill-intentioned people.

Bron: The Nation

54

PRO-THAKSIN MASS PROTEST
Police on alert for ‘third party’ instigation

Published on April 8, 2009

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The Metropolitan Police is bracing itself for the 80,000 or so anti-government protesters expected to take over the capital today, the city police chief said yesterday.

Police Commissioner Maj Gen Worapong Chiewpreecha has urged people to avoid areas around Government House.

He said he believes the police and Army soldiers would work round the clock in shifts to keep things peaceful. Worapong said municipal officials had been told to watch out for unusual objects in public areas.

The police also advised organisers of the Red-Cross Fair nearby to ensure that steel bars, wooden poles or anything else that could be used as a weapon is not left behind after they have dismantled their booths.

He said the police would also prevent a “third party” from inciting any violence.

Pongsak Semsant, permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said yesterday that about 2,000 officials from the BMA’s Department of Law Enforcement would help the police direct traffic near and around the protest site. He said ambulances would be also on 24-hour standby.

Deputy Interior Minister** Boonjong Wongtrairat **yesterday called a meeting with provincial governors from all over the country. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in Pattaya, he said he would instruct the governors to prevent any confusion or violence in areas under their jurisdiction.

Early yesterday, Interior Minister** Chaovarat Chanweerakul **presided over a function at which ministry officials took an oath of loyalty to the monarchy. More than 100 provincial governors and ministry officials took part in the ceremony.

According to acting government spokesman Panitan Watanayagorn, Prime Minister** Abhisit Vejjajiva **advised his Cabinet yesterday to do their utmost to prevent violence, particularly in their ministry compounds. The premier also expressed concern at possible intervention by a third party to spark violence during today’s red-shirt rally, Panitan said.

Bron: The Nation

55

RED-SHIRT PROTESTS
Stop hurting the King : Newin

By Kornchanok Raksaseri
The Nation
Published on April 8, 2009

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**Former confidant says those who disagree with Thaksin are hunted. **

A tearful** Newin Chidchob yesterday launched a stinging attack on former boss**[URL=“http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/adsearch.php?keyword=+Thaksin+”] Thaksin **Shinawatra **and asked him to put the brakes on the red-shirted movement’s activities that may have upset His Majesty the King.

His voice choked with emotion, Newin said if he could ask for two things from** Thaksin **after “risking my life” for him, he would want the former prime minister to tell his men to stop “hurting” the monarch and end activities that could damage Thailand as a whole.

The political drama unfolded on TV at Siam City Hotel as Newin and his colleagues appeared at a press conference to rebut claims by the red-shirted movement that they had “betrayed” Thaksin.

Newin - once a right hand man of the runaway ex-PM - directed most of the press conference to denying he had betrayed** Thaksin by turning his support to Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva **to form the government late last year.

Newin asked red-shirted protesters who planned to join the planned mass rally today to reconsider their decision, saying their leaders had ulterior motives beyond toppling the Abhisit government. He said he suspected the protest leaders had plans to incite the situation and provoke violence in the country.

Newin said** Thaksin **and his (Newin’s) group had fulfilled each other politically. It was not him alone who had gained advantages from the relationship.

He was an elected MP and a deputy minister in three ministries before joining Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai Party. Besides sharing Thaksin’s way of thinking, which he appreciated, Newin said he risked his life working for Thaksin, was detained after the coup in 2006 and indicted for involvement in irregularities in two of the** Thaksin **government’s projects.

The “real betrayal” and “utter show of ingratitude”, he said, was Thaksin’s treatment of** Samak Sundaravej when he was made to believe Thaksin was 100 per cent behind efforts to reinstate him as prime minister last September. Newin claimed Thaksin betrayed Samak by asking coalition allies and some People Power Party **MPs to back Somchai Wongsawat as prime minister, after Samak had been disqualified in the cooking-show controversy.

Samak became prime minister as the leader of People Power Party, to which the former Thai Rak Thai Party’s MPs had moved after the party’s dissolution.

Newin said that Samak, in his 70s, had to suffer as a prime minister just for Thaksin’s sake. And Samak would have stepped back if he had known** Thaksin **no longer wanted him to continue as prime minister.

Newin said the red shirt protest leaders had held people hostage to achieve their goals and for their own benefit.

He told Thaksin’s supporters to take his group as an example of this exploitation.

“When we think differently from Thaksin, we are hunted. We are destroyed,” he said with trembling voice. "With respect, I want to send a message to [former] prime minister** Thaksin **that we are men, we are human, not slaves.

“I want to tell brothers and sisters joining the rally, I want to tell the [rally] leaders, I was a tool.”

In a trembling voice and with tears at his eyes, he continued: “I was just a hound. On the day, I thought differently, I didn’t follow what he said, In [former] prime minister Thaksin’s eyes I became just a traitor. These are our lives. For those who are joining the rally on April 8 [today], I want you to take our lives as a lesson,” Newin said.

Sitting next to Newin on stage, Deputy Interior Minister** Boonjong Wongtrairat wept while Newin was speaking. Former deputy agriculture minister Theerachai Saenkaew, former deputy transport minister Songsak Thongsri** and former deputy public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul were also at the press conference.

Newin’s voice was choked with emotion when he said he was ready to die for the monarchy and would do anything to fight those who wanted to destroy it.

In his phone-ins,** Thaksin **has encouraged protesters to join the mass rally today, to oust the Abhisit government.

In a separate development, Natthawut Saikuea , a co-leader of the red shirts, told protesters at Government House that Newin had met Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda on Monday night before the dramatic press conference.

However, Newin denied the claim.
Reactions
“He must be thinking he has enough charisma to convince people or to win their hearts. But he is wrong. I want to tell Newin that his friends here are happy that he has gone away. They are not longing for his return.”

PHEU THAI MP CHALERM YOOBAMRUNG
“He has done everything for his own interests. What he is doing now will only encourage more people to come out [and join the protests].”

CHAMLONG KRUTKHUNTOD, A FORMER CLOSE AIDE TO NEWIN “I cannot understand Newin’s agenda.”

PONGTHEP THEPKANJANA, Thaksin **SHINAWATRA’S PERSONAL SPOKESMAN, INSISTING THE FORMER PM IS AS LOYAL TO HIS MAJESTY AS NEWIN. **

Bron: The NATION

56

**Massaprotest tegen Thaise regering **

Uitgegeven:8 april 2009 08:08Laatst gewijzigd:8 april 2009 13:17

**BANGKOK - In de Thaise hoofdstad Bangkok protesteren zeker 100.000 demonstranten woensdag tegen de regering. Ze eisen het vertrek van premier Abhisit Vejjajiva en nieuwe verkiezingen. **


Dinsdag richtten betogers hun woede op de auto van Abhisit en sloegen een raam in.
De veiligheidsdiensten bewaken regeringsgebouwen waar de aanhangers van de voormalige premier Thaksin Shinawatra protesteren.

De demonstranten liepen in rode shirts riepen ‘‘Breng Thaksin terug, Abhisit ga weg!’’ Velen hadden zich verzameld voor de het kantoor van de premier in Bangkok.

Betogers protesteren sinds twee weken buiten het gebouw. ‘‘We zijn hier om de regering naar huis te sturen’’, aldus een van hen. ‘‘We willen ze laten zien dat we met meer mensen zijn dan ooit.’’

Nieuwe verkiezingen

De in Groot-Brittannië geboren Abhisit dreigde met harde acties als de protesten gewelddadig worden. De bewindsman weigert de vier maanden oude regering naar huis te sturen en nieuwe verkiezingen uit te schrijven. De rode shirts zijn boos op de manier waarop Abhisit van de Democratische Partij in december aan de macht kwam.

Abhisit werd aangewezen door het parlement, hij is niet gekozen door het volk middels verkiezingen. Abhisit volgde Somchai Wongsawat op. Somchai was de laatste premier uit de entourage van Thaksin, die in 2006 door het leger werd afgezet.

Thaksin verblijft in het buitenland om niet naar de gevangenis te hoeven gaan wegens corruptie. Zijn verblijfplaats is onbekend. Het Aziatische land is diep verdeeld tussen aanhangers van Thaksin, de arme bevolking in de steden en op het platteland, en de conservatieven in het paleis, het leger en de ambtenarij.

© ANP

Bron: Nu.nl / www.nu.nl

57

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PRO-THAKSIN MASS RALLY
Big crowd but not a D-Day

By Pravist Rojanaphruk
The Nation
Published on April 9, 2009

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**An estimated 100,000 or so members of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) took to the streets yesterday in the hope of dislodging the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration and Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda. **

Protesters vowed to keep the pressure on until they manage to remove what they see as the elite influence in politics, through rallies that are bound to become lengthy.

Though well short of the 300,000 people protest leaders hoped for, the turnout was large enough as pro-Thaksin Shinawatra protesters effectively shut down a large part of Bangkok, turning it into a sea of red, with more people joining in as the sun set.

Nobody expected as many** red shirts **to show up outside Prem’s official residence in Si Sao Theves, and hurl abuse as they called for his resignation as top adviser to His Majesty the King. Prem and Abhisit were widely attacked while hundreds of police stood guard. The protesters voiced anger at the man who they claim was behind the 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin.

A protest leader standing atop a truck in front of Prem’s residence gave the privy councillor four choices: “A) to resign; B) to get out; C) not to stay on; D) or all of the above.”

Still, the protesters were mixed in whether they could really get rid of Prem, who they believe also pulls strings behind the ruling Democrat Party. The** red shirts **claim this thwarts the poor and the uneducated from having a real political say.

“I don’t think [Prem] will resign,” said |a 50-something woman called Suksanguan, who teaches criminal justice at a leading Bangkok university. “But we want to |show him that Thais don’t want him. |Though we don’t have evidence [that he’s behind the coup], we know his traits. We are against him, not the [monarchy] institution. General Prem should no longer stay in the post. Dissolving the House would also be the best solution. Hold a quick [general] election and let us accept the winner, whoever it is.”

Suraphan, a 60-something former mechanic, said: “Everyone is clinging on to Prem [to manipulate politics from behind the scenes]. I pity him but I don’t empathise with him.”

But Chaiyaphon Tarunadamrongdej, 59, a retired teacher from Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, believes Prem will resign. “It will be more graceful. If not we will chase him away in two or three days.”

The abuse hurled at Prem was more heated than the insults flung at Abhisit and some protesters even made fun of Prem’s alleged gender orientation. A picture of Prem’s face was posted on the exit of the nearby Army Club with the words “Beast from Hell” written underneath.

Despite the huge number of protesters at Government House and Prem’s residence nearby, protesters near Theves bridge realised yesterday was not the “D-Day” that would force Prem or the government out.

“Though we were not victorious today, please call your friends, brothers and sisters [to come and join us]. If they don’t, we can’t achieve equality and democracy,” a red-shirt protester declared.

The Student Federation of Thailand (SFT) issued a statement yesterday saying the government was being “dishonest to the principle of democracy” in reference to the military’s role in forming the Abhisit government.

The SFT called on the government to dissolve the House and warned that: “No conservative power can obstruct the wheel of human history which seeks to better the lives of all.”

The SFT also slammed the government for what they see as a delayed judicial process against leaders of the People’s Alliance Against Democracy (PAD), which shut down Bangkok’s two airports last November.

The crowds at Government House were thick and walking under the hot sun was |a challenge to one and all. Some police resting near Government House’s Gate One removed name tags from their khaki uniforms. Some sales staff at the Bangkok Cooperative on Sri Ayudhaya Road were also seen sporting red.

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Bron: The Nation

58

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Red shirts occupy Democracy Monument, traffic closed.
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The** red shirts **have relocated their rally site at Royal Plaza to Democracy Monument on Rajdamnoen Avenue.

Police have closed off traffic around two thoroughfares at Democracy and Victory Monuments.

The** red shirts **moved out of two rally sites, the Royal Plaza and Si Sao Thewes residence of royal chief adviser General Prem Tinsulanonda.

Many protesters still remain at the main rally site in front of Government House.

Bron: The Nation

59

Red-shirt rallies found in 21 provinces: Interior Ministry.

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The** red shirts **are holding rallies in 21 provinces to support the main demonstration in Bangkok, the Interior Ministry said in a report on Thursday.

In the North, the rallies are in eight provinces, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phayao, Nakhon Sawan, Nan and Phetchabun.

In the Northeast, the** red shirts **are rallying in 11 provinces, Si Sa Ket, Sakon Nakhon, Mukdahan, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nakhon Phanom, Kalasin, Yasothorn, Roi Et and Udon Thani.

The Central Region has one rally in Nakhon Pathom. And the South’s only rally is in Satun.

The ministerial report said upcountry** red shirts **were not planning to travel to the capital.

Bron: The Nation

60

RED-SHIRT SURPRISE
Taxi drivers paralyse traffic around.
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By Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation
Published on April 10, 2009

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Traffic blockades appear not to have been ordered by protest leaders.
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Victory Monument and surrounding roads - Bangkok’s traffic centre - was shut down by hundreds of anti-government taxis drivers, motorcyclists and 5,000 protesters as they stepped up the pressure on the Abhisit Vejjajajiva administration and on privy council President Prem Tinsulanond to resign.

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The immediate effect was a paralysis of Bangkok’s traffic as more red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) protesters kept arriving in the evening and vowed to stay put until their goals were achieved.

The move appeared to have been spontaneous and without direct order from the** DAAD **leadership, suggesting the protest movement may have morphed into something more organic and multi-centred, making it more difficult for the government to deal with.

Pricha Jaibantad, 48, a taxi driver originally from Chiang Mai, said taxi drivers were communicating among themselves through intra-taxi communication channels and FM 107.5 taxi community radio. He said there was no obvious leader but the group was clear about its goals.

“We will shut more roads down,” he said, adding that he and his peers would stay on until this government and Prem were ousted.
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Asked if he was afraid of another military coup, a police crackdown or attack by the anti-Thaksin Shinawatra People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), he said no. “We’re children of poor and grass-roots people, but we’re not afraid.”
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By 5pm, protesters cheered as taxi radio broadcast Announcement No 2 from the** DAAD **leadership, that they would no longer recognise Abhisit as the legitimate prime minister of Thailand and that the protesters were urged to fight the government as if fighting “a group of outlawed bandits.”

Two dozen taxis began the surprise move to block the Victory Monument shortly after 1pm and there were only 200 protesters by 2pm. But the number soon multiplied. Heavy rain poured down shortly after 6pm but failed to dampen the protest as hundreds marched and danced in the rain, singing and chanting as if it was some sort of carnival. Victory Monument is connected to four major roads and all were affected by the shutdown.

At nearby Sam Saen Delta, two dozen cabs were parked. Somboon Srisawang, a red-shirt protester said: “Let’s paralyse Bangkok”.

Onlookers mostly watched the protest in bewilderment and amusement - some were partial to it.

One woman on an elevated walkway, a beautician in her mid-thirties, was asked if she thought the protesters were hurting the economy and causing major traffic jams,replied:

“What about when those god-damn [PAD] took over the Government House and the aiports [last year]? Did they think of anybody else but themselves?” she said, adding that she’s fed up with what she believes to be a double standard in Thai politics, as the** PAD leaders are not in jail and whatever the PAD **does is regarded as correct.

“Should we just accept that whatever they do is correct?”

Some protesters said the area would likely be the new protest centre as it was effective in bringing the government to its knees and larger and more convenient in accommodating protesters.

In the nearby Din Daeng expressway entrance, another group of taxi drivers combined forces with the so-called “educated red shirts”, shutting down the expressway by the afternoon, saying they wanted to prevent the military or police from reaching Victory Monument. More were also marching near Hua Lampong train station in the evening as parts of Bangkok gradually became paralysed.
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Bron: The Nation