BANGKOK, April 17, (AFP)- Leaders of Thailand's anti-government “Red Shirt” protesters said Saturday they would surrender to police next month, but refused to end their rally in the capital's commercial heartland.
One week on from deadly clashes between the Red Shirts and security forces, the protesters said they expected a new push by the army to disperse them after its chief was put in charge of security in the strife-torn capital. “On May 15, 24 of us will surrender. All of the leaders,” said one of the top Red Shirts, Nattawut Saikuar. “For now the 24 of us will keep rallying to show sincerely that we won't run away,” he said.
“I'm sure the order to suppress us will come out soon.”The Red Shirts, who are seeking immediate elections, have so far ignored repeated calls by authorities to disperse from the capital's commercial heartland, despite arrest warrants outstanding against core leaders.
They support fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and accuse the government of elitism and being undemocratic as it came to power after a parliamentary vote that followed a court verdict ousting Thaksin's allies.
Late Friday embattled Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva put his army chief Anupong Paojinda in charge of security, after a bungled operation to arrest some protest leaders at a hotel in Bangkok's northern outskirts. Key Red Shirts gave alms to monks on their rally stage Saturday, in memory of last weekend's violence that left 23 people dead and more than 800 injured.
The mostly poor and rural-based red-clad movement has since abandoned its rally spot close to where the violence took place to instead reinforce numbers in a Bangkok district home to luxury hotels and shopping malls.
The military has said it will make a renewed attempt to disperse the protesters but has given no further details of its plans.
“There will be an effort to retake the area. We can't allow protests there because it damages the country,” army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told reporters late Friday. Abhisit said that he was replacing his deputy as head of security operations in the capital, giving Anupong broader powers to tackle “terrorism”.
The decision came after commandos earlier Friday stormed a hotel where leaders of the Red Shirt protest movement were hiding, but the mission ended in dramatic failure after the suspects managed to flee. |
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