Thai Red Shirts Commemorate Deadly Clashes

One year after political street violence shocked the Thai capital, Red Shirt protestors have returned to Bangkok.
Thai Red Shirts Commemorate Deadly Clashes
5/19/2011
Updated:
10/2/2015
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/redshirt1.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/redshirt1.jpg" alt="An anti-government demonstrator at the Red Shirt commemorative rally held in Bangkok on Thursday May 19. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)" title="An anti-government demonstrator at the Red Shirt commemorative rally held in Bangkok on Thursday May 19. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)" width="575" class="size-medium wp-image-1870020"/></a>
An anti-government demonstrator at the Red Shirt commemorative rally held in Bangkok on Thursday May 19. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)
BANGKOK—As a poignant reminder that Thailand remains a staunchly divided country, thousands of red-shirt anti-government protesters rallied in Bangkok on Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of the government’s deadly crackdown that killed over 90 people and injured at least 2,000.

Just as they did during the April-May protests last year, the red shirts positioned a truck trailer at an intersection in Bangkok’s premier shopping area and used it as a stage for their anti-government speeches.

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/redshirt2.JPG"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/redshirt2.JPG" alt="Red Shirt rally. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)" title="Red Shirt rally. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)" width="150" class="size-medium wp-image-1870022"/></a>
Red Shirt rally. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)
An estimated 15,000 people attended the rally and listened to speakers denounce last year’s military action, which finally—and violently—cleared out the red shirts sprawling protest camp that existed for over a month.

As they did in 2010, the protesters hung a large banner over the stage reading “Peaceful Protesters, Not Terrorists.”

Not far from the intersection is the temple where six people were shot dead during the clearing out on May 19.

Looming on a corner of the intersection are the remains of one of 30 plus buildings that were set alight by hardcore protesters when their camp fell. The red shirts were reportedly supported by a secret militant wing, which clashed with Thai troops during street fighting.

The Bangkok protests of the spring of 2010 were part of a failed bid to force Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to call an early election. The red shirts accused Abhisit’s government of being a front for a military and Bangkok elite dictatorship.

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/redshirt4.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/10/redshirt4.jpg" alt="Red Shirt rally. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)" title="Red Shirt rally. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)" width="150" class="size-medium wp-image-1870024"/></a>
Red Shirt rally. (James Burke/The Epoch Times)
Abhisit survived the challenge and only recently announced elections, which are scheduled for July 3.

The vote is set to be as divisive as the street protests. At center stage are Abhisit’s elite-backed Democrats up against the Puea Thai party supported by the red shirts and led in absentee, by ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Puea Thai announced on Monday that its candidate for Prime Minister is Thaksin’s 43-year-old sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, a businesswoman with little political experience whom he described as his “clone.”

Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and he lives abroad to avoid criminal charges. He is also considered the figurehead of the red shirt movement that is more formally known as the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.