ID :
115845
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 20:42
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/115845
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‘Red Shirt’ television PTV back on the air after 24 hours off
BANGKOK, April 9 (TNA) - The Red Shirt’s People Channel Television (PTV) returned to the air Friday evening after police and Thaicom satellite ground station executives agreed to the demand of the anti-government Red Shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to reconnect the broadcast signal of PTV.
PTV is the primary communication channel between the Red Shirt leaders and their supporters in the provinces. The government pulled the plug on the satellite-based station on Thursday under emergency rule, citing that it aired distorted information which negatively affected national security and incited chaos.
The Red Shirt protesters had earlier Friday afternoon stormed into the ground station compound after a brief clash with police and military who defended the site briefly with water cannon and tear gas.
After successfully invading the compound, UDD leaders Natthawut Saikua, Jatuporn Prompan and the opposition Puea Thai MP Karun Hosakul negotiated with Provincial Police Region 1 chief Lt-Gen, Krisada Pankongchuen and Thaicom satellite ground station executives for 20 minutes.
Mr Natthawut later announced that the senior police officer mediating agreed with the UDD demand to reconnect the PTV signal immediately and the protesters would disperse.
The protesters then returned to their main protest sites at Ratchaprasong intersection and Phan Fa Bridge.
Hours later there was a minor scuffle during a stand-off at Police General Hospital between 10 companies of riot police who moved from the nearby National Police Headquarters and the Reds at the hospital gate.
The forces later retreated after 15-minute push in which some 20 Buddhist monks lined up against female anti-riot police on the front line.
Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 1 Commander Pol Maj-Gen Wichai Sangprapai later told the protesters that the police had been informed that a group of ill-intended persons planned to seize the hospital, so police had accordingly been stationed to prevent it from happening.
However, he said, the police opted to retreat after learning that there was no such attempt.
The riot police retreated amid the cheers of the protesters. (TNA)
PTV is the primary communication channel between the Red Shirt leaders and their supporters in the provinces. The government pulled the plug on the satellite-based station on Thursday under emergency rule, citing that it aired distorted information which negatively affected national security and incited chaos.
The Red Shirt protesters had earlier Friday afternoon stormed into the ground station compound after a brief clash with police and military who defended the site briefly with water cannon and tear gas.
After successfully invading the compound, UDD leaders Natthawut Saikua, Jatuporn Prompan and the opposition Puea Thai MP Karun Hosakul negotiated with Provincial Police Region 1 chief Lt-Gen, Krisada Pankongchuen and Thaicom satellite ground station executives for 20 minutes.
Mr Natthawut later announced that the senior police officer mediating agreed with the UDD demand to reconnect the PTV signal immediately and the protesters would disperse.
The protesters then returned to their main protest sites at Ratchaprasong intersection and Phan Fa Bridge.
Hours later there was a minor scuffle during a stand-off at Police General Hospital between 10 companies of riot police who moved from the nearby National Police Headquarters and the Reds at the hospital gate.
The forces later retreated after 15-minute push in which some 20 Buddhist monks lined up against female anti-riot police on the front line.
Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 1 Commander Pol Maj-Gen Wichai Sangprapai later told the protesters that the police had been informed that a group of ill-intended persons planned to seize the hospital, so police had accordingly been stationed to prevent it from happening.
However, he said, the police opted to retreat after learning that there was no such attempt.
The riot police retreated amid the cheers of the protesters. (TNA)
