BANGKOK—Tens of thousands of supporters of deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra rallied on Sunday in Bangkok to demand the dissolution of the current Thai government, and have threatened they will take their protest out to the streets if this is not met.
As several images of Thailand’s revered King overlooked one of Bangkok’s historic quarters, United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leaders told masses of red shirted followers that if the ruling Thai government, led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, refuses to step down today and make way for elections, the red shirts will spread their rally through the city.
One of the UDD leaders, Chinawat Haboonpaid from Juntabury Province told The Epoch Times that there was yet any time frame for when the protests would stop and that it will depend on the government’s response to their demands.
Be it by truck, car, pick-up or boat, the majority of the protestors, in their signature red clothing, travelled from UDD strong holds in Thailand’s rural areas and streamed into Ratchadamnoen Avenue towards Phan Fa Bridge where the UDD leaders spoke from a stage.
The majority of the protestors’ red clothing bore slogans such as “Truth today”, “No justice, No peace” or images of Thaksin, and a minority wore Mao caps or waved flags bearing the image of communist icon Che Guevara.
One red shirt follower, Pi Toon (a farmer as well as a tour guide) said he had driven overnight from Chiang Mai in the Kingdom’s north and was not going back after only one night of rallying.
“The rally is not just about Thaksin but a whole lot of issues,” he said, which were centred on democracy and the neglect of the rural provinces by the country’s urban elite.
“This current government was established by the army, not by democracy,” he added in reference to the 2006 military coup against Mr Thaksin’s elected caretaker government.
Mr Thaksin is dogged by allegations of corruption and is currently based in Dubai where he lives in self-exile. Last night he spoke to the rally via phone and he is expected to again do tonight.
Police and military had a small and observant presence at checkpoints along most of the nine roads leading to the Phan Fa Bridge where the rally was centred. The red shirts had their own security also present to keep order titled the ‘red guard’.
Media reports say that the government has 50,000 security personnel on hand to deal with any outbreaks of violence should it occur.
The red shirts say their protests will remain peaceful.
Most of the businesses in the surrounding area have closed their doors in concern that the rally could degenerate into the something similar to the violence last year when a large red shirt protest became violent and two people were killed and an unspecified number were injured.
