ID :
129215
Tue, 06/22/2010 - 19:31
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http://m.oananews.org//node/129215
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Red Shirts gather at Seh Daeng's royally-sponsored cremation
BANGKOK, June 22 (TNA) - Thousands of anti-government Red Shirt supporters on Tuesday attended the royally-sponsored cremation of the movement's key military strategist, Army Specialist Maj-Gen.
Khattiya Sawasdipol, in the first large-scale Red Shirt gathering after the 10-week long United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protests ended last month.
Among the crowd paying their last respects to Gen Khattiya, better known as "Seh Daeng", were Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan and former acting leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party
Jaturon Chaisaeng.
Other Red Shirt leaders are now being detained in prison for terrorism charges, while some are still on the run after the Red Shirt protest ended on May 19 after troops sealed off the protest site at Ratchaprasong intersection and forced the protest leaders to end the rally.
Seh Daeng's daughter read the laudatory message extolling her father's life and career before the royally-sponsored cremation began.
Some Red Shirt supporters fainted while queuing to lay wooden flowers at the cremation site.
The royally-sponsored cremation of "Seh Daeng" was carried out with about 800 police officers deployed Tuesday at a Buddhist temple in the capital.
On the evening of May 13 before the army operation began to seal off the Red Shirt rally site at Ratchaprasong intersection, Seh Daeng was shot in the right temple while he was being interviewed by a foreign journalist outside the Red Shirt barricades at Saladaeng intersection. He died May 17 at Vajira Hospital.
Many Red Shirt protesters believed the rogue general was killed by a military sniper, but the army denies the accusation.
The general, a staunch supporter of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was a hardliner among the leading protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) who were demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve the House unconditionally.
He also supervised the UDD movement’s security operations and its Red Shirt guards.
Seh Daeng's death is thought to have speeded and intensified the course of violence and clashes between security forces and the Red Shirt guards,.which resulted in many deaths and injuries. (TNA)
Khattiya Sawasdipol, in the first large-scale Red Shirt gathering after the 10-week long United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protests ended last month.
Among the crowd paying their last respects to Gen Khattiya, better known as "Seh Daeng", were Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan and former acting leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party
Jaturon Chaisaeng.
Other Red Shirt leaders are now being detained in prison for terrorism charges, while some are still on the run after the Red Shirt protest ended on May 19 after troops sealed off the protest site at Ratchaprasong intersection and forced the protest leaders to end the rally.
Seh Daeng's daughter read the laudatory message extolling her father's life and career before the royally-sponsored cremation began.
Some Red Shirt supporters fainted while queuing to lay wooden flowers at the cremation site.
The royally-sponsored cremation of "Seh Daeng" was carried out with about 800 police officers deployed Tuesday at a Buddhist temple in the capital.
On the evening of May 13 before the army operation began to seal off the Red Shirt rally site at Ratchaprasong intersection, Seh Daeng was shot in the right temple while he was being interviewed by a foreign journalist outside the Red Shirt barricades at Saladaeng intersection. He died May 17 at Vajira Hospital.
Many Red Shirt protesters believed the rogue general was killed by a military sniper, but the army denies the accusation.
The general, a staunch supporter of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was a hardliner among the leading protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) who were demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve the House unconditionally.
He also supervised the UDD movement’s security operations and its Red Shirt guards.
Seh Daeng's death is thought to have speeded and intensified the course of violence and clashes between security forces and the Red Shirt guards,.which resulted in many deaths and injuries. (TNA)
