ID :
101834
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 19:09
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http://m.oananews.org//node/101834
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Red Shirts halt planned Suvarnabhumi Airport protest
BANGKOK, Jan 22 (TNA) - The anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on Friday said it would halt indefinitely its planned protest at Suvarnabhumi Airport, but would go ahead to protest at Khao Soi Dao in Chanthaburi Saturday, according to UDD leader Nattawut Saikua.
The UDD Red Shirts announced on Tuesday they would rally at the airport entrance to press for legal action against their major rival the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which seized the airport in late 2008 to topple the Somchai Wongsawat administration.
However, Mr Nattawut said the UDD leaders were not of one mind with the plan to rally at the airport.
"I floated the idea at the meeting of UDD leaders but the meeting did not approve it, so the plan will be halted indefinitely," said Mr Nattawut.
He said that the UDD leaders also did not decide when they would rally in Bangkok but the protest at Khao Soi Dao in Chanthaburi would start on Saturday and end at noon on Sunday.
The Red Shirts have planned the demonstration at Soi Dao Highland Golf Club & Resort to emphasise the alleged double standards of law enforcement of the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.
The UDD has accused the owner of the Soi Dao golf course, closely connected with Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, of encroaching on the Khao Soi Dao forest reserve and building the golf course on the land.
The Red Shirt leaders linked Gen Prem to the golf course owned by a group of Bangkok Bank shareholders, when the privy council president was a chief adviser for the bank.
The Soi Dao golf course announced its closure for three days on the weekend beginning Friday and said it had allowed the Red Shirt protesters to set up a stage in its compound in Pong Nam Ron district after they gathered at the site since Friday morning. However, the protest area was roped off from the golf course.
Mr Nuttawut, at a Bangkok press conference, vowed that the Red Shirts will protest peacefully before dispersing by noon on Sunday.
He said ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra may phone in to greet his supporters at the protest site on Saturday.
Veera Musikapong, one of the UDD key leaders, said in response to footage of the deployment of about one thousand military at the golf course, recorded by the UDD members that he would ask the Defence Minister if that mission is appropriate or not.
“If soldiers use force or incite violence, the UDD will review its movements again,” he said, calling on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Deputy Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to investigate the unusual dispatch of soldiers.
Meanwhile, local police opened an operations centre in Pong Nam Ron district, to maintain law and order during the protest.
Police said the combined force of police, military, civil servants and defense volunteers would monitor the situation to prevent any incident on the weekend. (TNA)
The UDD Red Shirts announced on Tuesday they would rally at the airport entrance to press for legal action against their major rival the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which seized the airport in late 2008 to topple the Somchai Wongsawat administration.
However, Mr Nattawut said the UDD leaders were not of one mind with the plan to rally at the airport.
"I floated the idea at the meeting of UDD leaders but the meeting did not approve it, so the plan will be halted indefinitely," said Mr Nattawut.
He said that the UDD leaders also did not decide when they would rally in Bangkok but the protest at Khao Soi Dao in Chanthaburi would start on Saturday and end at noon on Sunday.
The Red Shirts have planned the demonstration at Soi Dao Highland Golf Club & Resort to emphasise the alleged double standards of law enforcement of the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.
The UDD has accused the owner of the Soi Dao golf course, closely connected with Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, of encroaching on the Khao Soi Dao forest reserve and building the golf course on the land.
The Red Shirt leaders linked Gen Prem to the golf course owned by a group of Bangkok Bank shareholders, when the privy council president was a chief adviser for the bank.
The Soi Dao golf course announced its closure for three days on the weekend beginning Friday and said it had allowed the Red Shirt protesters to set up a stage in its compound in Pong Nam Ron district after they gathered at the site since Friday morning. However, the protest area was roped off from the golf course.
Mr Nuttawut, at a Bangkok press conference, vowed that the Red Shirts will protest peacefully before dispersing by noon on Sunday.
He said ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra may phone in to greet his supporters at the protest site on Saturday.
Veera Musikapong, one of the UDD key leaders, said in response to footage of the deployment of about one thousand military at the golf course, recorded by the UDD members that he would ask the Defence Minister if that mission is appropriate or not.
“If soldiers use force or incite violence, the UDD will review its movements again,” he said, calling on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Deputy Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to investigate the unusual dispatch of soldiers.
Meanwhile, local police opened an operations centre in Pong Nam Ron district, to maintain law and order during the protest.
Police said the combined force of police, military, civil servants and defense volunteers would monitor the situation to prevent any incident on the weekend. (TNA)
