via CAAI News Media
NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand, March 12 (AP) - (Kyodo)— Supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from all over Thailand were heading to Bangkok on Friday to take part in a mass protest against the government led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
The rally by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) is going ahead despite the planned imposition by the government of the Internal Security Act in Bangkok and other surrounding provinces from Thursday to March 23.
The UDD in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima kicked off the protest with a religious ceremony in the city before gathering at a meeting point at the highway leading to Bangkok. One of the UDD's local leaders, Parada Shing-in, 60, said the protesters wanted the government to step down and return democracy to the people.
"We want democracy back, but I cannot deny that our democracy is related to Thaksin because he is our hero of democracy...we believe we will complete our operation in three days," she said.
Nakhon Ratchasima Province is regarded as the gateway to the northern part of Thailand, the stronghold of Thaksin supporters. UDD protesters from 19 provinces of the Northeast will gather at Pak-Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima and will leave to join protesters from other provinces in Bangkok on Saturday early morning.
Suporn Atthawong, one of the core UDD leaders, vowed to take a strong response if the government launched crackdown against the protesters.
He said the only choice for the UDD is House dissolution.
"We promise to protest peacefully in order to topple the illegitimate government. If they use forces to crack down on us like last April, we will fight back", he said.
Suporn said he and his supporters could mobilize around 400,000 people from the northeast, enough to put pressure on the Abhisit government with what he called "people's power."
Local police expect tens of thousands of protesters from the Northeast.
In Bangkok, antigovernment protests were held in five different locations from noon and lasted for several hours with hundreds of participants at each location.
They conducted similar activities starting with worshipping ceremonies to pray for a victory in coming days.
The rallies in Bangkok were so far peaceful although traffic in some areas was affected and some drivers in downtown Bangkok reacted against the rally by honking at the street march.
Still, traffic flow in downtown Bangkok was better than many Fridays because some businesses near the demonstration sites decided to close to avoid trouble.
Some privately run buses also suspended services.
At a rally in front of Lumpini Park in central Bangkok, a retired school teacher in her mid-50s said she joined the rally on Friday to call for democracy.
"Thaksin is part of our democracy. He is a good leader and very intelligent. He knows how to help Thai people...he knows how to develop this country."
"Thaksin has never been corrupt, but this government is corrupt a lot. I came here today because I don't like unfairness and a double standard in this country," she said.
Rally leaders later adjourned the Friday activities and called for another gathering Saturday in central Bangkok ahead of the Sunday mass showdown that is expect to draw hundreds of thousands of protesters.
Natthawut Saikua, another UDD core leader, said the Sunday protest will be prolonged until Abhisit dissolves the lower house.
The government, meanwhile, began deploying security forces around Bangkok and surrounding suburbs on Thursday. The UDD red-shirted demonstrators in the capital started gathering several weeks ago.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said the red shirts could stage a protest freely, but vowed to take legal action if the protesters break the law.
The ISA empowers the Internal Security Operations Command led by the prime minister to take charge of security in areas where the law is imposed. It may also be used to give the military a role in supporting police to control unruly crowds.
So far 50,000 unarmed police and soldiers have been deployed in the areas where the ISA is imposed, especially at key places such as Government House, the Parliament and Siriraj hospital where King Bhumibol Adulyadej is staying.
The government also set up more than 200 checkpoints and closed some main roads in Bangkok.
Thaksin who is in Dubai called on his supporters via the Internet and phone-in to join the Sunday mass rally, saying the red-shirted people could help by bringing back democracy to the country.
Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in September 2006 while he was out of the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment