Suthep expects turbulence by red shirts around 19-26 Feb
Suthep expects turbulence by red shirts around 19-26 Feb
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban Saturday told his party meeting that he expected the red shirt protesters to go wild and use violent protests during February 19 to 26.
Suthep said he expected the red-shirt protesters would use all forms of violence to try topple the government and bring back former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
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We are at war with military: Khattiya
Suspended Army officer Maj Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol announced Saturday that he is a leader of the red-shirt movement and is training the movement’s fighters for fighting against the military.
He called a radio programme to say that he had not escaped into Malaysia but he went to Hat Yai on Thursday to train the red-shirt people there.
“We are now at war with the military and I appointed myself a leader of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship to fight for democracy and the red-shirt people accepted this,” Khattiya said.
He said he will return to Bangkok Saturday.
PRO-THAKSIN GROUP
Reds want military to admit to coup plans
The red shirts are set to demand that military chiefs confess whether they plan to stage a coup.
The move is seen as a ploy to rally the opposition movement in the wake of the protest at Khao Soi Dao in Chanthaburi over the weekend.
Rally organisers said they would confront the top brass to try to bring “secret plans” about seizing power into the open.
“Our next move is to visit First Army Region commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha and ask him whether he will stage a coup,” red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan said.
Jatuporn did not clarify his erronous reference to Prayuth, who is presently the deputy Army chief Lt General Kanit Sapitak is commander of the First Army.
He said he wanted to raise awareness about the military’s supposed coup plot and its failure to penalise Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for avoiding being conscripted.
The Khao Soi Dao protest ended early yesterday after the red shirts dispersed in the morning instead of noon, as previously scheduled, after what they said was a successful move to expose the encroachment on the forest reserve.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said he heaved a sign of relief when he heard about the red-shirt ending their rally.
“The news about the dispersal of the red shirts is welcome because everyone wants things to be back to normal,” he said.
With Thailand gearing up to welcome visitors arriving for the Chinese New Year, all good news would help boost tourist arrivals,” he said.
Although the red shirts and their patron Thaksin Shinawatra have made it clear they want to oust the government by mid to late February, the Abhisit administration remains hopeful that parties concerned would not seek to do more damage to the country, he said.
Commenting on red-shirt figure Maj General Khattiya Sawasdipol, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjjajiva said society should not condone any attempts to evade the law or military disciplinary rules.
Khattiya had been suspended pending a hearing into alleged disciplinary violations and should not act as if he was above military regulations, the PM said, in reference to Khattiya’s defiance of Army chief, General Anupong Paochinda.
He said he had no opinion about Thaksin’s threat to form a government in exile if a coup was staged.
“I don’t pay attention to Thaksin’s take on the situation and a coup, if one happens, is directed at the government and would have nothing to do with him,” he said.
Meanwhile, Khattiya said he received a police summons to give a statement to the Crime Suppression Division for their investigation into the bomb attack at the Army headquarters.
He said he would schedule to report for questioning after completing tomorrow’s rally at Phitsanulok.
The Army filed a complaint about the bomb attack at Nang Lerng police station, which has jurisdiction over its headquarters, but officials did not request the police check the scene. Under the military-police procedures, the military has the capacity to treat the alleged offence as an internal matter.
Thaksin says he will set up govt in exile if coup staged
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra early Monday he will set up a government in exile if another coup is staged.
Posting messages on his ThaksinLive Twitter page, Thaksin said: “Thais in all foreign countries should get prepared, especially those who love democracy. If a coup is staged, we will form a government in exile together. Now, I have not set it up yet. I must wait for a coup to take place first.”