Make a note in your calendar: Saturday March 29 and April 5, because then all hell can break loose. Saturday, April 5 is red shirt day, Saturday, March 29 is anti-government day.
The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD, red shirts) dragged the knives in Lan Khao Talo (South Pattaya) yesterday. More than 10.000 red shirts (police estimate) gathered to demonstrate against the Constitutional Court's ruling to void the February 2 elections. (See: Thailand goes to the polls again, but when?)
Organizers said attendance was higher than similar recent rallies in the North and Northeast. The leader of the East UDD department estimated it at 30.000.
Newly appointed UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan said that the UDD should stand up against the network ammart (elite) to fight. He called on his supporters to prepare for a major journey on April 5. On Saturday, the leadership will discuss three 'secret missions', the destination of which will be announced later.
He also called on the red shirts to wear black from tomorrow, not only in protest against the invalidation of the elections, but also because of the National Anti-Corruption Commission's recommendation that the Senate President (a Pheu Thai man) function (see post Senate President Nikhom has to leave the field).
No elections, but reforms
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said last night in Lumpini Park that now is the best time for the protest movement to step forward and tell the people that they want reforms, not elections. He called on his supporters across the country to take action on Saturday. In Bangkok, anti-government protesters march from the park to the Royal Plaza.
Bombs and grenades
Political observers [who would they be?] fear that the strong response from both camps could lead to violence. Friday evening already offered a foretaste of that. Pointwise:
- At 13 Soi Chaeng Watthana, not far from the protest site, a car went up in flames. Residents alerted the fire department and police after hearing explosions. The police found the remains of two fire extinguishers with explosives in the back seat of the car, and a butane gas bottle (a bomb) in the trunk. It has been rendered harmless.
- Three attacks took place in Chiang Mai on Friday evening. The first involved a bomb hidden under a parked car in the parking lot of the Andaman Seafood Restaurant in Pa Dad. No one was injured. The newspaper reports nothing about the damage, but the car must have been a total loss.
- The Boon Rawd Brewery office in Yang Nerng was the target of the second incident. Two grenades were fired at it. One grenade exploded, the other failed. No one was injured in this either. Not a word about damage.
- Finally, a bomb was thrown at a gas station in Nong Hoi. Four people were injured in this. Details are missing.
(Source: bangkok mail, March 23, 2014)