thaizer.com

An estimated group of 4,000 yellow shirt protesters have descended on a national park on the Thai-Cambodian border. The demonstration has been organized by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the same group that occupied Bangkok’s airports at the end of 2008. The group, who are regarded as ultra-nationalists and royalists, have used the Preah Vihear temple as the focus of their protest. Ownership of the temple and the surrounding land is a subject of dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. The PAD protesters say the disputed land belongs to Thailand and want the removal of Cambodian troops from the area.

Thailand’s prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, had previously expressed concerns over the rally and ordered security in the area to be beefed-up. Roadblocks and checkpoints were set up to prevent the yellow shirts gaining access to the Preah Vihear National Park. Cambodia had also reportedly drafted in riot police in case the protesters gained access to the Cambodian side of the temple.

There have been confirmed reports this afternoon of skirmishes on the Thai side of the border with the PAD supporters clashing with riot police and a group of local Thai villagers. The Thai villagers had launched a counter demonstration and are angry that the yellow shirts will damage cross-border trade and relations between Thailand and Cambodia. The yellow shirt protest comes on a day when their red-shirted rivals have gathered in Bangkok to mark the third anniversary of the military coup which deposed Thaksin Shinawatra.

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