ID :
47891
Fri, 02/27/2009 - 10:19
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http://m.oananews.org//node/47891
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Thai protesters withdraw from Government House
BANGKOK, Feb 27 (TNA) - The anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) dispersed from their protest site outside the gates of Thailand’s Government House, but vowed to return in one month with more supporters to expel the Democrat-led coalition government.
UDD core leader Veera Musikapong announced late Thursday that the United Front ‘Red Shirts’ will intensify their protest to oust the Democrat-led government as their four-point list of demands has been ignored by the government. He said there was no point in staying put protesting in front of Government House to press for their demands.
The Red Shirts will temporarily halt their campaign at Government House, but will return in one month with even greater numbers of supporters to oust the government, Mr. Veera said. Not sitting idle, the UDD’s activist core leaders will in the interim travel around the country telling the people that the government is not justified to run the country.
Mr. Veera said the UDD expects to raise more support from the people to dispel the government.
The anti-government demonstrators clothed in bright red shirts, had surrounded Government House since Tuesday.
They demanded that Parliament be dissolved and new elections held, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya removed because of his links to the UDD's arch rival People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement which closed Thailand's two main airports last year to force the then Thaksin Shinawatra-aligned government out of power.
Mr. Thaksin, Thailand only prime minister to have been convicted of corruption and abuse of his office, fled to voluntary exile abroad rather than face public court hearings in Bangkok last year. The ex-prime minister on the run says that he cannot receive a fair trial in the kingdom.
After the Veera announcement that the UDD would make a tactical retreat from Government House, the pro-Thaksin United Front leadership took turns on stage to attack the government until midnight, when the performances morphed into music to entertain the protesters as their leaders joined the band to sing songs.
All on-stage activity stopped at 3.45am Friday. The lights went down, the protesters began processing away from Government House, the stage was dismantled and stored for future use, and cleaners took charge of the area.
The units of police and army personnel which had provided security inspected the area at dawn before opening the road for traffic to resume as normal.(TNA)
UDD core leader Veera Musikapong announced late Thursday that the United Front ‘Red Shirts’ will intensify their protest to oust the Democrat-led government as their four-point list of demands has been ignored by the government. He said there was no point in staying put protesting in front of Government House to press for their demands.
The Red Shirts will temporarily halt their campaign at Government House, but will return in one month with even greater numbers of supporters to oust the government, Mr. Veera said. Not sitting idle, the UDD’s activist core leaders will in the interim travel around the country telling the people that the government is not justified to run the country.
Mr. Veera said the UDD expects to raise more support from the people to dispel the government.
The anti-government demonstrators clothed in bright red shirts, had surrounded Government House since Tuesday.
They demanded that Parliament be dissolved and new elections held, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya removed because of his links to the UDD's arch rival People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement which closed Thailand's two main airports last year to force the then Thaksin Shinawatra-aligned government out of power.
Mr. Thaksin, Thailand only prime minister to have been convicted of corruption and abuse of his office, fled to voluntary exile abroad rather than face public court hearings in Bangkok last year. The ex-prime minister on the run says that he cannot receive a fair trial in the kingdom.
After the Veera announcement that the UDD would make a tactical retreat from Government House, the pro-Thaksin United Front leadership took turns on stage to attack the government until midnight, when the performances morphed into music to entertain the protesters as their leaders joined the band to sing songs.
All on-stage activity stopped at 3.45am Friday. The lights went down, the protesters began processing away from Government House, the stage was dismantled and stored for future use, and cleaners took charge of the area.
The units of police and army personnel which had provided security inspected the area at dawn before opening the road for traffic to resume as normal.(TNA)
