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Thai "red shirts" defiant after 20 die in clashes
Alan Raybould and Viparat Jantraprap
BANGKOK
Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:42am EDT
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BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai "red shirt" protesters said on Sunday they would not give up their fight for early elections after clashes with security forces in Bangkok the previous day killed 20 people.
World | Japan
The red shirts, mostly rural and working-class supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a coup in 2006, are demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament immediately and leave the country.
The fighting, the worst political violence in the country in 18 years, some of it in well-known tourist areas, ended after security forces pulled back late on Saturday.
The city of 15 million was quiet on Sunday and the overground Skytrain, halted as violence intensified, reopened with a restricted service, avoiding the central shopping district occupied for over a week by the protesters.
Thai media reported that around 500 red shirts had again forced their way into the grounds of a Thaicom satellite earth station north of Bangkok, a flashpoint on Friday when the authorities blocked an opposition TV station.
The government said it had appointed a senior prime ministerial aide to make contact with the red shirts to try to find a way to halt the confrontations, but having seen off the attempt to disperse them, they seemed in no mood to compromise.
"The time for negotiation is up. We don't negotiate with murderers," Weng Tojirakarn, a red shirt leader, told Reuters.
"We have to keep fighting. We can't give up. The military will come out again," he said, although he said they would simply hold their ground on Sunday "out of respect for the dead".
SEEN HITTING TOURISM, MARKETS
Foreign investors have been plowing money into Thai stocks but the outbreak of violence since the middle of last week caused them to pause. The stock market is open on Monday but closed from Tuesday to Thursday for the Thai New Year holiday.
"The political scenario has changed. It's now more likely that the government will move ahead with negotiations with the red shirt leaders. So, we think the dissolution of parliament looks to be a possible solution at this stage," said Kasem Prunratanamala, head of research at CIMB Securities (Thailand).
"Tourism will be the very first sector to be hit and the Thai stock market should react negatively on Monday. The heavy foreign buying we have seen in the past month will hold back until the political situation is clearer."
More than 800 people were wounded as troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of demonstrators, who fought back with guns, grenades and petrol bombs near the Phan Fah bridge and Rajdumnoen Road in Bangkok's old quarter, a base for the month-old protest. Four soldiers were among those killed.
Thai media reported that an M79 grenade was fired at the headquarters of army-owned Channel 5 TV station in the northern province of Phayao early on Sunday.
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters forced their way into government offices in two northern cities, raising the risk of a larger uprising against the 16-month-old, army-backed government.
"There is no precedent for something so massive, prolonged and disruptive on the part of the underclasses," said Federico Ferrara, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore.
"The people who are leading the protest now are people whose right to participate in government has never been fully recognized, hence the coups that have removed governments elected by the provincial electorate."
THAKSIN ALLIES
The protesters say Abhisit lacks a popular mandate after coming to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote following a court ruling that dissolved a pro-Thaksin ruling party. Thaksin's allies would be well-placed to win fresh elections.
The red shirts have shown they have support among Bangkok's poor but have angered the middle classes, many of whom regard them as misguided slaves to Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon who fled into exile in 2008 to avoid a jail term for graft.
The twice-elected Thaksin was despised by many of the Bangkok elite who accused him of corruption and undermining the monarchy, but popular with poor, rural majority for policies such as cheap healthcare and microcredit grants to villages.
The government declared a state of emergency in Bangkok on Wednesday after red shirts briefly broke into the grounds of parliament, forcing some officials to flee by helicopter.
After hours of violence on Saturday, army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said troops would pull back in the old quarter as the riot spread to Khao San Road, popular with back-packing tourists, where many people were wounded and property damaged.
A red shirt leader later called on supporters to pull back to the main protest sites, including Bangkok's main Rachaprasong shopping district, a stretch of upscale department stores and five-star hotels.
In a televised statement, Abhisit expressed regret to the families of the victims and said the army was only allowed to use live bullets "firing into the air and in self-defense".
Among those killed was Reuters TV cameraman Hiro Muramoto, a 43-year-old Japanese national who had arrived in Bangkok on Thursday to cover the protests.
"Journalism can be a terribly dangerous profession as those who try to tell the world the story thrust themselves in the center of the action," said David Schlesinger, Reuters Editor-in-Chief. "The entire Reuters family will mourn this tragedy."
Japan's Foreign Ministry urged the Thai government to investigate Muramoto's death. (Additional reporting by Damir Sagolj, Warapan Worasart, Ambika Ahuja and Jason Szep in Bangkok, Kevin Krolicki in Tokyo; Editing by Nick Macfie and Alex Richardson)
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Comments
See All Comments (19) | Post Comment
Apr 10, 2010 10:30pm EDT
In this time of violence and confusion I call out to all Thai’s and those who have influence to remind themselves of the words and actions of the buddha “if you want others to be happy practice compassion. if you want ot be happy practice compassion.” The people of Thailand derserve peace and an end to suffering may all those involved do no harm. Namaste and pax nobiscum – Daniel Hanley
canuckdeal
Report As Abusive
Apr 10, 2010 11:06pm EDT
No he was shot by the red shirts, Soldiers used rubber bullets and tear gas.
but the red shirts led war weapons attacked soldier
Thaipp
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Apr 10, 2010 11:44pm EDT
As one of Thailand citizen who have been living in Bangkok for 30 years,I’m blaming red shirt especially their leaders. Government has been doing a great job to sustain these provocative situation.
tuey
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Apr 10, 2010 11:45pm EDT
Thaksin or the nominy party of his would win the election anytime and anywhere. People who voted for him just want democracy, simple as that. My sister and brother were there last night, they said one of the soldier turned on their own last night and that was why they lost four. Camfrog gave better news than the Thai TV last night.
BISBOSS
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Apr 10, 2010 11:52pm EDT
It’s really ridiculous for the democracy that could be bought by money.
DerekWPK
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Apr 11, 2010 12:08am EDT
Military will do whatever to keep its power. PM Apisit is just a pet who can dazzle the audiences. You know what this war will simply end with one side armed with household medieval weapons, the other, tanks and ’so-called’ rubber bullet.
Ben1975
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Apr 11, 2010 12:10am EDT
This comfliction & violence could not be happened if the best prime minister just sacrifice his power in early and give the power back to the Thai Citizens for fresh election. He will gain a lot of acceptance from his people nationwide.
Democracy is a political government carried out either directly by the people. An essential process in representative democracies is competitive elections, that are fair both substantively and procedurally. Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential so that citizens are informed and able to vote in their personal interests.
lightenyourmind
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Apr 11, 2010 12:12am EDT
In fact Red Jacket was the military tank shooting at the gun head. Weapons of war used to people empty-handed shot m.16 red shirts as evidence that video clip taken every red shirt seized nearly ten tank cars. Situation has been created. Put the blame for the red shirts. Both the red shirts of 500 EA. seized weapons from military m.16. But the red shirts to deliver weapons to the police. It used to fear that if government is accused of a terrorist
birds
Report As Abusive
Apr 11, 2010 12:12am EDT
In fact Red Jacket was the military tank shooting at the gun head. Weapons of war used to people empty-handed shot m.16 red shirts as evidence that video clip taken every red shirt seized nearly ten tank cars. Situation has been created. Put the blame for the red shirts. Both the red shirts of 500 EA. seized weapons from military m.16. But the red shirts to deliver weapons to the police. It used to fear that if government is accused of a terrorist
birds
Report As Abusive
See All Comments (19)
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