Many in working- and lower-middle classes back movement

The massive 20-kilometre-long red-shirt motorcade around Bangkok Saturday proved beyond doubt that many working-class and lower-middle-class people in the capital support the red shirts, as they came out in force to wildly cheer the caravan as if their liberators had arrived.

Police estimate 65,000 red shirts took part in the procession with 10,000 motorcycles and 7,000 other vehicles, mostly pick-ups and lorries, involved. The real numbers are hard to estimate, however.

The seemingly endless motorcade left the protest site at 10am and made its way through major streets such as New Phetchaburi, Ratchadaphisek, Lat Phrao, Ramkhamhaeng and Rama IV.

In the Pratunam area, just in front of Platinum Fashion Mall, at least 200 people along the streets and pedestrians on the overpass ecstatically cheered the red procession as it marched on for more than five hours until 3.45pm.

The whole atmosphere resembled a carnival or fiesta. Many bystanders went onto the streets to interact more closely with those in the procession. The caravan rolled on at what could be considered brisk walking pace.

Many of those cheering the red shirts donned red or had something red on them, such as a handkerchief or a headband. They jumped, danced, waved and shook their foot clappers.

They also handed out bottled water to members of arguably the longest political caravan in Thai history.

A clear majority of those waving and cheering were working-class and lower-middle-class people, highlighting the growing disquiet over class inequality among the poor as well as indicating class solidarity.

A clear majority of the sympathisers appeared to be street vendors, clerks, waitresses, hotel cooks, security guards, taxi drivers, motorcycle-taxi riders, and local residents coming from the more congested and poorer parts of Bangkok.

Some shouted: “Abhisit [Vejjajiva, prime minister] get out!” Others shook hands and patted the shoulders of red-shirt protesters who passed by.

Looking cheerful and confident, they seemed to have the belief that they would eventually prevail. Car-honking and loud anti-Abhisit and anti-old-elite slogans were heard along the route.

At a restaurant at the Lat Phrao-Ratchadaphisek intersection, one middle-class customer, who is not a red-shirt supporter, told The Nation: “These days people [I met] simply say they want to see either a quick victory or defeat. They’re tired of it.”

Some hostile reception was reported in areas such as Onnuj and Klong Tan with a bottle thrown at Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship co-leader Natthawut Saikua missing its target in the Klong Tan area.

Many of those who opposed the march, which paralysed much of Bangkok’s traffic, kept off the streets and posted their dismayed feelings online.

“Why don’t they shut their own province down? People are fed up,” read one such posting on prachatai.com online newspaper.

Some subway gates were temporarily shut yesterday from 10.40am, leaving those who were trapped agitated.

“You are just creating an image that these people are violent and cruel!” one woman commuter reprimanded a subway staff member at Exit 1 of Phra Ram 9 station. “They don’t even carry weapons.”

A man in his mid-fifties was furious, as he could not exit from the gate. “This kind of stupidity will only earn more sympathisers for the reds …

This country has gone nuts! If you’re to shut the gate why don’t you shut down the whole subway as well so I won’t have to use it.”

Krishna Sajjadej, a subway staff member, apologised to the 30 or so stranded commuters, who were not easily appeased.

In the afternoon, at a petrol station near the Lat Phrao-Ratchadaphisek intersection, two red shirts speculated as to why Abhisit would not resign or dissolve the House.

One said it was because the military and the elites who controlled him had told the premier not to do so.

“But we shall eventually oust him,” said a middle-aged red shirt.

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AFP) — Montenegrin police confirmed on Wednesday the former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, on the run from corruption charges, is in Montenegro and holds a passport of this Adriatic republic.

Thaksin arrived on March 13 by a private plane from Dubai to the Montenegrin coastal town of Tivat, police said in a brief statement.
“Mr Thaksin Shinawatra is a citizen of Montenegro and he is here at the moment. The police have no grounds to take any measures based on its competencies,” the statement said.

Earlier, local media widely reported that Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon, was seen in coastal Budva’s medieval old town on Sunday.
Montenegro’s officials have so far failed to explain how Thaksin obtained the citizenship of this former Yugoslav republic.

The populist former prime minister was ousted in a 2006 coup, and has been living abroad, mostly in Dubai, to avoid a jail term for corruption.

In Thailand, protesters hurled bags of their own blood at the prime minister’s residence Wednesday on the fourth day of a rally in support of Thaksin.

The government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has rejected an ultimatum by protesters who have demanded immediate elections.

Protesters spilled their own blood at the gates of Thailand’s government headquarters Tuesday in a colourful act of political theatre designed to propel their fugitive hero back to power.

Thousands of “Red Shirts” loyal to deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra queued up during the day to donate blood in makeshift tents, where it was poured from syringes into five-litre water bottles for the bizarre spectacle.

Red leaders said they had collected 300 litres (530 pints) of blood, far short of their aim of 1,000 litres, most of which they poured at the Government House gates in the late afternoon to press their demand for snap elections.

A Hindu priest invoked a curse against the government, as Red leaders moved on with some of the blood to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s Democrat party offices for another liquid protest.

It was the latest part of a pro-Thaksin demonstration that has drawn up to 100,000 protesters to the streets of Bangkok since the weekend, according to police, watched over by a 50,000-strong contingent of security forces.

“This blood is to show our commitment in calling for democracy. This is an important curse ritual,” said Red leader Nattawut Saikur.

The Red Shirts, whose numbers appeared to be dwindling on Wednesday, held the blood bottles in the air triumphantly as they rode on trucks followed by thousands of supporters and monitored by riot police.

The Reds are protesting against the perceived elitism and illegitimacy of the Abhisit government, which came to power via a December 2008 parliamentary vote after a controversial court ruling ousted Thaksin’s allies.

Last month another court decision confiscated 1.4 billion dollars from Thaksin, whose followers are largely from the poor rural north and fervently support the populist policies he introduced before being ousted in a 2006 coup.

They began their blood drive on Tuesday morning despite hygiene concerns raised by health officials. Organisers insisted only qualified medics were collecting donations, using one needle per person.

“It doesn’t hurt. I’ll do any activity the leaders say, I’m willing to participate because I want a democracy,” said Somsak Janprasert, 63, a retired railway official from Bangkok.

“This is a very symbolic way to express that our blood, the people’s blood, is power,” he said.

On Monday the Red Shirts spent several hours massed outside a military barracks on the northern outskirts of Bangkok where Abhisit and his government were holed up amid fears of violence by saboteurs.

The premier rejected the crowd’s demands to dissolve parliament and call elections, and on Tuesday he again stood firm against their calls.

“A decision cannot be made between protesters and the government, because it is related to the whole country,” he said on television from the army barracks.

A joint session of both houses of parliament was postponed on Tuesday due to the lack of a quorum, with some lawmakers fearing for their safety in the ongoing demonstrations, parliamentary officials said.

At a separate army barracks across the city, four grenades exploded on Monday, wounding two soldiers and raising tensions. It was not clear if the attacks were linked to the Red Shirts, whose leaders denied involvement.

Since the coup that ousted Thaksin, Thailand has been rocked by protests from both supporters and opponents of the former premier, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Thaksin, who was spotted over the weekend in Montenegro, made an impassioned plea to supporters by a video link to Bangkok on Monday evening for the third consecutive night, urging them to fight on.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council is threatening to punish nurses who agree to collect blood from red-shirt protesters for the plan to pour blood around Government House today.

“We will consider punishing them on a case-by-case basis,” council president Prof Vijit Sriruphan said yesterday. “They should know that collecting blood is only done for research or medical purposes.”

But she said the council would not go as far as cutting nurses’ professional licences.

Vijit expressed concern over the mass blood collection at at the rally site, saying that it could put demonstrators at risk because some medical devices could be contaminated.

She spoke after Dr Weng Tojirakarn, a leader of the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD), said he would mobilise 500 medical workers, including doctors and nurses, to draw blood from red-shirt demonstrators.

The blood campaign is a move aimed at pressuring Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve the House of Representatives.

But many health authorities expressed serious concern as soon as the idea was unveiled.

Medical Council secretary general Dr Samphan Komrit said it was highly unlikely the reds would be able to mobilise 500 medical workers for the protest today. He said taking blood from people could be dangerous if it wasn’t done by trained medical workers.

Deputy director of the Thai Red Cross Society’s National Blood Centre, Commander Dr Ubonwan Jarunreungrit, said a blood puncture could cause paralysis if the needle was put in the wrong position.

“Or if the puncture is made on an artery, people will lose a lot of blood and they may suffer shock,” she warned.

Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre director Dr Praphan Panuphak disagreed with the red shirts’ blood campaign. If protesters did not have adequate sleep, they would be exhausted after having blood drawn out, he said.

Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit warned protesters not to use the same needle to draw out blood as they would be at risk from infectious diseases such as HIV/Aids and hepatitis.

He also said red shirts should avoid giving blood in sunlight as that could put them at risk of suffering a stroke.

Samphan, of the Medical Council, also disagreed with the red shirts’ blood campaign. “I can’t say that this is an abuse of the code of medical conduct or not, but it would be the first [such] case in history,” he said.

Samphan said the council would discuss the issue at its next meeting if somebody filed a complaint about the move.

Former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, on the run from corruption charges, was spotted in the Montenegrin town of Budva this weekend, a local TV station reported Monday.

Thaksin was seen in coastal Budva’s medieval old town on Sunday, enjoying coffee and cakes in one of the area’s posh hotel with his entourage, TV Vijesti reported, quoting witnesses.

Police refused to comment the reports.

According to press reports Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon, has a Montenegrin passport but so far officials in this former Yugoslav republic have refused to confirm if he has been given citizenship.

The populist former prime minister was ousted in a 2006, and has been living abroad, mostly in Dubai, to avoid a jail term for corruption.

In Thailand on Monday the current government rejected and ultimatum by tens of thousands of pro-Thaksin protesters who demand immediate elections.

Prime Minister Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the rest of the government and the top military brass have taken refuge in military barracks amid fears that the so-far peaceful demonstration by “Red Shirt” supporters of Thaksin could turn violent.

Natthawut Saikua, a red-shirt leader, announced at 1:40 pm Monday threatened to pour 1 million cc of blood of 100,000 red-shirt people around the Government House.

Natthawut said the red-shirt people would collect their blood and pour the blood at every gate of the Government House at 6pm.

The government will likely enforce a state-of-emergency decree today to cope with the escalating security problem in Bangkok after tens of thousands of provincial protesters arrived in the city yesterday.

A state of emergency, which would be on top on the current implementation of the Internal Security Act (ISA), would empower the military to fully take charge of the situation.

Under the ISA, soldiers can only help the police in maintaining law and order.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is expected to hold an emergency Cabinet meeting before the emergency decree is used, according to a senior government source.

Red shirts rallying for “democracy” yesterday threatened a mass march on Abhisit’s hold-out if he does not dissolve the House of Representatives by noon today.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathering from across the country at the main rally stage on Rajdamnoen Avenue were prepared to lay siege to the Army’s 11th Infantry Regiment on Phaholyothin, where the premier is temporarily billeted and manning a “war room”.

Many demonstrators from the Northeast, North and other parts of the country arrived in Bangkok yesterday, with their numbers expected to swell past 100,000 today, said Tawil Pliensri, secretary-general of the National Security Council.

Jatuporn Promphan, a key leader of the anti-government movement, said that at this stage they had no plan to march to Government House, Parliament House or the house of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda. Natthawut Saikua, the red-shirt spokesman, said today would see more arrivals from central, eastern and western provinces as well as from around Bangkok.

“We’re still confident the count will reach 1 million,” he said.

Veera Musikapong, another leader, will address the rally today and deliver an ultimatum for Abhisit to dissolve the House and call a snap election.

“If Abhisit ignores our demand, we’ll step up the protest by marching on Bangkok’s streets and urge more people to join our campaign for House dissolution,” Natthawut said.

The red shirts expect a successful conclusion before the week is out.

“Altogether, we do not plan to stay more than seven days. I guess we could have a victory within four days,” Jatuporn said.

Korkaew Pikulthong, another leader, said disbanding the House was the only solution to the current crisis, nothing less.

“If Abhisit resigns, then Chuan Leekpai, chairman of the Democrat Party’s advisory council, would likely be his replacement. In this case, we will continue to protest. We want the government to return power to the people via a new election.

“If there are more than 500,000 protesters, I think Abhisit will have to dissolve the House and every party should reach an understanding to accept the outcome of the new poll so that the country can move forward.

“Representatives of all the stakeholders, including General Prem, president of the Privy Council, Abhisit, General Anupong [Paochinda, Army chief], Sonthi Limtongkul [of the yellow-shirt movement] as well as General Chavalit [Yongchaiyudh, chairman of the Pheu Thai Party] and Veera Musikapong and Thaksin Shinawatra should also enter into this agreement,” he said.

Police plan to dispatch 3,700 reinforcements to keep law and order during the red shirts’ show of force in Bangkok.

Metropolitan Police spokesman Maj-General Piya Uthayo said police estimated some 40,000 red shirts had assembled in Bangkok yesterday, with more to join last night and today.

Authorities would be on guard for any sabotage during the night, he said.

Acting Government Spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said a huge turnout by the red shirts was still not beyond expectations.

Authorities would exercise special care around the protest site, mainly on Rajdamnoen Avenue, and the residences of important figures in order to prevent any unfortunate incidents.

Abhisit expects the build-up of protesters to peak today.

Authorities now will focus on preventing any extreme incidents, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said authorities would use no force as long as the protesters did not break the law.

If they started blocking roads or breaking into government buildings or trashing private property, authorities would disperse the troublemakers, he added.

Lukewarm start as less than 10,000 demonstrators take to capital’s streets

BANGKOK: — Anti-government rallies were held yesterday by red-shirt demonstrators, mostly involving ceremonial activities that saw a moderate number of participants.

No major incidents or instances of violence were reported, except a confrontation between red-shirted protesters and troops stationed outside the 11th Infantry Regiment in northern Bangkok where an ad-hoc command of the government is based.

The red shirts blockaded the barracks, located off Phaholyothin Road, sealing off all entries amidst tighter security provided by policemen.

Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD) leader Weng Tojirakarn hit out against the government and taunted Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban working inside.

Traffic congestion got worse later in the day before the red shirts dispersed after 4pm.

A minor incident occurred in the Silom area when office workers threw empty plastic bottles from office buildings on a red-shirted crowd, which had gathered near the Bangkok Bank building.

Initial police estimates put the total number of red shirts gathering at five major rally sites in Bangkok as not more than 10,000. A second estimate by the Metropolitan Police Bureau later in the afternoon reduced the number to 6,500.

Press reports said about 2,000 of them were gathering at the Laksi monument, 1,000 at Wongwian Yai roundabout, 1,000 at Bang Na intersection, 500 at Lumpini Park and 600 at the Din Daeng triangle.

Coffin-burning and cursing ceremonies were held at major rally sites, with DAAD leaders presiding over the rituals and reading out cursing statements against the government and the military.

Traffic congestion began in the morning when the red shirts started gathering at the rally sites.

Jatuporn Promphan denied at a ceremony at Wongwian Yai that the DAAD was behind four bomb attacks in Surat Thani earlier yesterday. He said the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra movement would gain nothing by carrying out such attacks.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau said revised rules of engagement had been issued to security officials manning major checkpoints on main roads into and out of Bangkok after an inspection by commander Pol Lt-General Santhan Chayanont. The number of vehicle searches was lower than expected.

There are eight checkpoints in the outer areas of Bangkok and another six in inner areas. Each of the 14 checkpoints operates around the clock. They are manned by 220 officials, comprising police, soldiers and municipal policemen.

Movie and still images of operations at all checkpoints are recorded as evidence in case of emergencies or violations of laws by vehicles or protesters who may push through when the majority of them are expected to reach Bangkok on Monday morning.

More than ever now, Thaksin Shinawatra needs the rural poor to bail him out.

Yesterday’s quiet showing by his red-shirted supporters based in Bangkok and its surburbs was downplayed as a calm before a real storm, but whether that’s true or not, their provincial counterparts have to produce nothing short of a hurricane in the next couple of days.

He could take heart in the fact that red tides were streaming into Nakhon Sawan last night from upper North.

The meeting point, rally organizers hope, would be flooded with more than 100,000 people before dawn, making the last stretch of the journey to Bangkok one of the historic political moments.

Thaksin knows better than anyone that this particular red campaign can’t end with a whimper.

While there can be plenty of excuses for the low turnouts at rendez vous spots around Bangkok yesterday, he can’t afford to be seen as being abandoned by the rural poor during arguably his darkest hours.

No more court case coming up. Pheu Thai, his virtual political party, is facing no dissolution threats. If Thaksin can’t turn the asset seizure ruling into a groundswell of sympathy now, the only chance for a “red upheaval” will be lost forever.

According to police, only 6,500 protesters gathered yesterday at various spots around Bangkok, far below the initial target of 10,000 people at each gathering point.

A lot of factors may contribute to the low turnout _ hot weather, limited financial supplies, the “no-violence” campaigns, the widespread fear of violence as well as the seemingly poor coordination among the organizers.

Rivals of the red shirts claimed there were other reasons as well. They said news that Thaksin’s family members and close relatives were leaving Thailand during this time left a bad taste in his followers’ mouths.

Some red sympathizers might have also felt reluctant to join a “pro-democracy” rally that took place only days after the Supreme Court seized his “ill-gotten” money.

“If you are red members you can get somewhat confused,” said Suriyasai Katasila, a yellow-shirted leader.

This is not to say, however, that most red shirts would renounce a campaign to retrieve Thaksin’s money.

It’s only that protest organisers’ reluctance to associate the rally with Thaksin’s confiscated wealth has left them with the less attractive, or even boring, cause of overthrowing an illegitimate Democrat government.

That the “three buddies”, as the three red shirt leaders are called, spent most of yesterday appearing on red cable TV discussing same old issues raised eye-brows.

They offered no good explanation why they were not leading the crowds on the first day of the rally, only saying yesterday was just a “prelude” and the reds’ real force would be seen at the weekend.

It seemed everyone was pinning his hope on the rural poor to weave their political magic and save Thaksin.

News reports from the province showed lively preparations in various northern and northeastern provinces, but along with that also came a setback, as a group of red supporters were caught on camera receiving payment from those who looked like organizers.

Whether or not the apparent scandal was an exception or a rule didn’t matter as far as Thaksin was concerned. He has to do whatever it takes to make sure the red rally creates a big impact at least in terms of numbers.

This desperate situation has prompted fears that if the red shirts could not form a mass big enough, chances of “statement through violence” may increase.

Considering the fast-growing “peace” movement in the city and the government’s preparations, a repeat of last year’s Songkran turbulence seems unlikely, at least for now.

To bounce back from the court setback, Thaksin will need pure power of the poor to relaunch himself.

The irony of it is not even the fact that he remains one of Thailand’s richest men, but the red shirted leaders’ description of this campaign as one to expose a yawning gap between Thailand’s Haves and Have-nots.

Fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra left Dubai and arrived in Cambodia on Friday as red shirts started gathering to join the mass rallies on Sunday.

PM’s secretary Chavanon Indharakomansut said Thaksin travelled to Siem Reap province of Cambodia by his private jet.

Thai foreign ministry has already contacted its embassy in Phnom Penh to monitor Thaksin’s activities in Cambodia, Chavanont said.

Thaksin has been appointed as an economic adviser to Cambodia’s PM Hun Sen and the Khmer government. The appointment has led to protests by the Thai government.