Thai 'red-shirts' pledge passive resistance to possible dispersion
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The co-leader of Thailand's anti- government "red-shirts" vowed late Wednesday night to carry out passive resistance to a possible dispersion under the emergency decree, which had been declared by the Prime Minister in the afternoon.
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Thailand's red-shirted protesters attend a rally inside the Parliament House compound in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, April 7, 2010. Hundreds of anti-government protesters besieged the Parliament House for hours Wednesday and stormed into the compound before they withdrew and dispersed upon their leader's request. [Shi Xianzhen/Xinhua] |
Sitting under the stage at Ratchaprasong Intersection of central Bangkok near midnight, Natthawut Saikua told reporter that the "red-shirts" protesters will neither leave here nor the Phan Fa Bridge, another major rally site in the capital city, before they see a House dissolution.
He also disclosed they plan for a march Friday in Bangkok, which, according to him, will "draw hundreds of thousands of people" from all over the country.
Asked what if the government tries to disperse them under the emergency decree, the "red-shirts" leader said, "We won't retreat but we won't have conflict with the security forces, either; we just sit there and refuse to move."
Another leader Veera Musigapong, sitting beside Natthawut, seemed a little bit silent tonight as the only response he would like to give for the declaration of emergency state was "we don't care."
Veera's made his remark as thousands of "red-shirts" remained at the site, chanting and clapping, blocking the traffic here, even after the Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had imposed the emergency decree in Bangkok and the nearby five provinces.
When asked whether choosing one of the prime business zone as the new rally site other than Phan Fa Bridge may bring inconvenience to Bangkok citizens, Natthawut said he believed " these trouble are nothing compared with what Thai people had been suffering during the past four years" since the ex-premier Thaksin shinawatra was ousted by a military coup.
Natthawut also denied they got new finance recently, or ever got any finance from the beginning, from Thaksin, the self-exiled former prime minister who is believed to be the de facto leader of the "red-shirts".
Abhisit declared a state of emergency in and around Bangkok in a TV live address at about 6:00 p.m. Wednesday to deal with the ongoing anti-government rally by "red-shirts".
He has assigned Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban to head the committee that handles the emergency situation, Ahbisit said, without disclosing how long the emergency decree will last.
Abhisit said the Internal Security Act, which has been enforced since the very beginning of the prolonged rally, is not enough to control the situation since the rally has turned unconstitutional and unlawful.
Hundreds of "red-shirts" besieged the Parliament House for hours around Wednesday noon and stormed the compound before they withdrew and dispersed upon their leader's request.
The anti-government movement has been staging a major rally since March 12 in Bangkok to pressure the Prime Minister to dissolve the parliament and hold a snap election.
