The Bangkok Post (15 November 2009: “PAD rally for the country, against Thaksin”) reports on the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rally in Bangkok. Sounding rather like 1976, PAD called “on Thai people to help protect the national institution, religion and the monarchy.”
Some 10,000 people – about what the police had predicted – rallied at Sanam Luang “waving the national flags and signs with messages condemning ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.” PAD leaders accused Thaksin of “actions … treacherous to the country…”.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban explained: “The government is unbiased. The Internal Security Act is not enforced since the PAD has not moved to Government House yet…”. Suthep knows that his statement is untrue, for the ISA has been imposed for all red shirt rallies, with just one exception.
As some had predicted, there has been minor violence from a small explosion, with the Bangkok Post reporting a grenade attack “causing at least 10 injuries.” The attack came as “PAD core member and New Politics Party leader Sondhi Limthongkul was on the stage to deliver his speech on why the country needs a monarchy institution at around 8.55pm.” The “unidentified attacker on a motorcycle hurled a grenade towards the backstage, and quickly fled after the blast, the police said.”
The Nation (16 November 2009: “Five injured in blast at rally”) reports 5 injured and a man arrested. The rally continued.
Update 1: A more measured report is in from AFP. The AFP report has a crowd estimate of 20,000 (based on television coverage, this seems a better estimate) and an explosion but cite Sondhi as saying: “four protesters were hurt” when “two men on a motorcycle threw a firecracker.” He gave no more details and police were investigating.
Update 2: As usual, New Mandala commentator Nick Nostitz has a perspective and some interesting pictures of this rally and the PAD rally in Bangkok, including pictures of those injured by the explosion. Note that Nick estimates 35,000 attending.
Update 3: Police claim that the explosion was caused by an M-79 grenade. They say that the attacker “launched the grenade with the M79 launcher from the City Pillar Shrine near Lod Canal, or about 350 metres away from the yellow-shirt gathering. The grenade’s trajectory indicated that it could not be thrown by a person from a close distance.” The report says 12 were injured.
PAD leader Sondhi is reported to have said “Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the Puea Thai Party chairman, and Gen Panlop [Pinmanee], also a Puea Thai member, might be behind the attack.” Both deny involvement. The military has also denied involvement.
Update 4: From the rally, it is reported that PAD leaders claimed that the “event was ‘colourless’ (without political stripes)” but also urged all people “to put aside their political beliefs and unite behind the institution of the monarchy.” Sondhi said: “The nation comes before colours.”
He also said that “PAD would hold another gathering on Dec 5, His Majesty’s birthday,” and called for “the annihilation of “traitors”. Phibhop Dhongchai, another PAD core leader, read out a six-point statement stressing that Thailand is indivisible and will always be governed by its constitutional monarchy.
PAD also criticized Thaksin “for damage he has inflicted on the country,” and for “acts of treason by conspiring with the enemy, understood to be Hun Sen, in undermining the country’s stability. PAD also attacked Hun Sen.
Small PAD rallies were also reported in Yala and Satun.
