Red shirts to rally
The Bangkok Post (19 November 2009: “Reds confirm protest rally plans”) reports that the red shirts plan street rallies from 28 November to 2 December, demanding “the government immediately call a general election.”
This rally will be seen as provocative. Indeed, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva calls it a “plan to topple the government.” The red shirt rallies have been peaceful since the Songkhran Uprising, but the idea of red shirts ralling at various city intersections will remind some of those April events. At the same time, this planned rally is kind of mirroring PAD’s rallies at the airports last year at the same time. The rally will also target the party dissolution decision that brought down the elected government let by the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra People’s Power Party and allowed the Democrat Party to be maneuvered into government.
Red shirt leaders say they plan for peaceful demonstration and say that if the government doesn’t call an election they will rally continuously following the king’s birthday until their demand is met.
Abhisit also said “he was confident its anti-government rallies would not turn violent,” but added that the government would consider using the Internal Security Act again.
The government’s chief whip “Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said the next few weeks would be an improper time for any political demonstration as all Thai people were happily preparing to show their loyalty to His Majesty the King on his birthday.” We wonder if that advice also applies to PAD, who have called a rally for the day of the king’s birthday?
Update: Democrat Party MPs are calling for authorities to revoke the bail of red shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan. Jatuporn is bailed on charges related to the Songkhran Uprising in April. The MPs want him locked up. Democrat MP Watchara Phetthong said: “Jatuporn has openly declared [that the red shirts want] to drive out the government by he upcoming rally, scheduled to start on November 29; this is a clear violation of his bail…”.
It is telling that we hear nothing from these people when their allies in yellow shirts call for the beheading of “traitors” and “enemies” to “wash royal feet,” refer to “traitors” being “non-humans” and demand that the “traitors” be “finished off quickly” for Nation, Religion and King.
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