APSN | Thai red shirts told to fight 'attempts to unseat government'

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Thai Red Shirts told to fight 'attempts to unseat government'

The Nation - June 3, 2012

Protesters block Thai parliament over amnesty bil - Associated Press. June 2, 2012
Key Thai parliament debate postponed amid protest - Agence France Presse. June 1, 2012
Taksin, Pua Thai and the UDD write military atrocities out of history - Red Thai Socialist. May 27, 2012
Red shirts send warning to Thai elite - Straits Times. May 20, 2012
Taksin says the Thai political crisis 'was just about himself' - Red Thai Socialist. May 19, 2012

Thousands of red-shirt supporters, who helped install Yingluck Shinwatra as Thai prime minister in the July 2011 election, were told during yesterday's gathering at Muang Thong Thani to oppose attempts to unseat the government.

Ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra also addressed the red shirts through video link alleging that the process to undemocratically oust the Yingluck administration has begun.

"Today, people know what is what. The process of robbing people has begun again," said Thaksin, wearing a red shirt. Thaksin stressed that power must belong to the people.

He apologised to those red shirts who were upset with his previous speech, viewed as self-obsessed by some, and vowed to work for the benefit of all red shirts, including those still in jail. "I must apologise. I had no intention to trample on the hearts of red shirts," he said. "We must not be disunited [amongst] ourselves."

Thaksin also attacked the Democrat Party by saying: "In Parliament, there is no uglier party [than the Democrat]," he said, referring to the two days of disturbances in the House earlier this week. Thaksin again denied he was corrupt while in power.

The red-shirt leadership urged supporters to fight what they claimed is the attempt to unseat the Yingluck administration through a coup d'etat or a Constitution Court ruling.

"All of you, come to Bangkok. Fight the decisive battle," said red-shirt co-leader Jatuporn Promphan, who was recently disqualified as a Pheu Thai MP. "We don't need reconciliation with bad people. If we don't fight, PM Yingluck will face the same fate as Thaksin."

The special jam-packed "Truth Today" talk, at Muang Thong Thani's Thunder Dome, to celebrate its fifth anniversary saw some 5,000 red shirts in attendance.

Red-shirt co-leader and Deputy Agriculture Minister Natthawut Saikua warned that there are signs that the "power outside [democratic] system" may soon act.

Veerakarn Musigapong, former chairman of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, said the Democrat Party has "completely revealed itself" over the past few days through the actions against the House Speaker inside Parliament and support for street protests outside Parliament.

He recalled that the red shirts had fought for liberty in the past. He urged the red shirts not to divide Thailand into regions and work towards the unity of the country.

One red shirt, who participated in the event, said he believes there exists an attempt to unseat the government through public disturbances by the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy and an eventual coup d'etat.

Next to the venue, a makeshift stand was set up by the Bang-Na red-shirt group where people could throw used shoes at the painting of opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban.