Last night an estimated 30,000 anti-government protesters marched to Government House in Bangkok after convening in Sanam Luang close to the Grand Palace. The rally was organized by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) who are opposed to the current Democrat government and the way in which they came to power. The UDD has links to the current opposition party, Pheu Thai, as well as to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Supporters of the group are distinguished by their red shirts.
The march was mainly good-natured and peaceful despite the fact that the protesters forced their way through four separate police blockades before arriving at Government House around midnight. Army units had been placed on standby in case the protest turned violent or attempts were made to enter government buildings. The protest leaders said they never intended to enter the grounds of Government House which was occupied last year by the yellow shirts of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Instead, demands were read out and posted at the gates of the building. The red shirts have issued four key demands saying that if the government does not comply within 15 days there will be a permanent protest. The demands are:
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Legal action to be taken against the leadership of the PAD movement for their protests last year which closed down Bangkok’s two airports.
- Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is removed from office (he openly supported the PAD occupation of the airports)
- The House of Representatives to be dissolved.
- The 1997 constitution to be reinstated.
The red shirts say that the current government is illegitimate which was summed up by one of the organizers of the protest who said, ‘How can the party that lost three times in elections become the government?’
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