Time line for protests

[asiafun]

REAL-TIME COVERAGE The Nation

From Royal Plaza to Sanam Luang

 

12:00 pm: Chamlong Srimuang, former Palanag Dharma Party leader, arrives at Sanam Luang with some 1,000 members of his Dharma Army. Other groups of protesters start arriving.

 

Chamlong leads the members of the Santi Asoke Buddhist sect, many are monks and nuns of the sect, to walk from bear-foot from the Royal Plaza to Sanam Luang.

 

Sanam Luang comes alive with activities of the protesters.

 

Members of Dharma Army carry big luggage with them, indicating they will stay put. Most of protesters tie yellow band around their head. (The anti-Thaksin coaliton has been using yellow, which represents His Majesty, as a symbol for fighting against Thaksin and fighting for HM.)

 

Some 100 policemen from Metropolitan Police Bureau are deployed to keep law and order.

 

12:45 pm: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrives at the Thai Rak Thai head office to have lunch with leading members. He declines to give interviews to reporters.

 

12:50 pm: Sudarat Keyuraphan, deputy leader of Thai Rak Thai Party, calls on Democrat Party to participate in the April 2 snap election. She says Thai Rak Thai is now standing with its back against the wall.

 

1:29 pm: Pol Col Pinij Maneerat, spokesman of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, tells ASTV that police expect no untoward incident at Sanam Luang. He says some 4,000 policemen will be deployed to keep law and order. He says police will not be armed. Police are told to exercise extreme tolerance.

 

1:36 pm: Thai Time Radio station on FM 94 MHz reports that there are rumours that Parinya Nakchatree quit as Election Commission member.

 

1:40 pm: ASTV reports that utilities tent to provide medical and other supports to protesters have been set up. The satellite station says the stage setup is nearly complete.

 

Leaders of the Anti-Thaksin coalition will go on the stage to attack the prime minister at 4 pm.

 

1:44 pm: ASTV reports that people from several provinces were blocked at road checkpoints from travelling to Bangkok to join the rally. They include people from Phetchabun.

 

2:00 pm: Thai Rak Thai's legal time holds a press conference to denounce the Democrat and Mahachon parties for indicating that they would boycott the election. Wichit Plungsrikul, a legal expert of the party, says the two parties do not support democracy.

 

Leading members of the People's Alliance for Democracy hold a meeting at the October 14 Memorial to map out rally strategies.

 

2:45 pm: Parinya denies he has resigned as EC commissioner.

 

2:48 pm: Senator Karun Sai-ngam tells ASTV that he has learnt that the Chat Thai Party has decided to boycott the election.

 

3:05 pm: The Chat Thai resolves to boycott the April 2 election. Chat Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa will send two representatives - Nikorn Chamnong and Somsak Prissanananthakul to participate in a press conference with the Democrat Party at the Sofitel Central Hotel at 3:30 pm.

 

3:30 pm: Some 5,000 people gather at the rally site at Sanam Luang. The PAD finishes setting up the stage and amplifiers and loudspeakers.

 

3:40 pm: ASTV broadcasts feeds from Sanam Luang, displaying that people carrying umbrellas bracing blazing sun to gather in front of the stage.

 

4:05 pm: ASTV reports live from Sanam Luang that a man comes to a tent where Chamlong is resting and hurls abusive words against the former Palang Dharma leader. The man is quickly whisked away by police.

 

The satellite channel says a press room with fax and Internet connections has been set up to facilitate foreign reporters at the rally site.

 

4:12 pm: ASTV reports that FM92.25 community radio station and Thaiinside.com Web site have been closed down by the government.

 

4:15 pm: Somsak Prissanananthakul, a Chat Thai deputy leader, confirms that the three smaller parties will call on Thaksin to invoke Article 313 of the Constitution to set up an independent non-partisan committee to reform politics or else the parties will boycott the election. He says members of the committee must be acceptable to the public and must be appointed by His Majesty.

 

4:50 pm: Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and Mahachon Party leader Sanan Kachornprasat hold a press conference to announce that the two parties call on Thaksin to set up an independent committee to amend the Constitution. They will boycott the election if Thaksin doesn't give in to the demand.

 

The Chat Thai sends representatives to observe the press conference but the Chat Thai will make a formal announcement about the party's stand at 7 pm.

 

5:00 pm: The first speaker, a lecturer from Rangsit University, goes up on the stage to attack Thaksin.

 

5:45 pm: A helicopter flies over Sanam Luang, Suwit Watnu, a spokesman, tells the crowds to stay calm.

 

 

Most interesting:

 

1:44 pm: ASTV reports that people from several provinces were blocked at road checkpoints from travelling to Bangkok to join the rally. They include people from Phetchabun.

 

4:12 pm: ASTV reports that FM92.25 community radio station and Thaiinside.com Web site have been closed down by the government.

 

What/Who is ASTV?

[Nervous_Dog]

And I wonder how ASTV is making 400 Million baht over the last few months?

 

Don't be fooled, they are doing this for PROFIT, same as everyone else!

 

DOG

[Flashermac]

Who's counting?

 

 

6:50 pm: The number of demonstrators is estimated at over 50,000, occupying about half of 68-rai area of Sanam Luang.

 

7:30 pm: Some demonstrators surround a TV crew from iTV station after the reporter announces on its Camera that there are only 6,000 demonstrators. Samran Rodphet, a spokesman, asks the crowds to be calm so the demonstrators allow the iTV crew to retreat from its coverage area in front of the Emerald Buddha Temple and asks the station not to cover the rally.

 

9:15 pm: Suwit Watnoo, a spokesman, announces that about 100,000 people are now gathering at Sanam Luang.

 

9:57 pm: ASTV reports that some 10 border patrol policemen are deployed to keep law and order at the iTV station head office at the Shinawatra 2 building.

[Flashermac]

PAO BOON JIN!!!

 

 

11:20 pm: A satirical Chinese opera by former Thammasat students is played.

 

The crowds roar with laughter when a character, who plays Thaksin role, says he has zombie slaves in the both lower and upper houses.

 

The play satires against the Constitution Court and says the Thaksin character has taken over all the courts, except the people's court of Judge Pao.

 

The plays also satires Thaksin's sale of Shin Corp without having to pay taxes.

 

At the end, Judge Pao tries to expel "Thaksin" to British Virgin Islands but he refuses. The villain then flees after Judge Pao rules that he must be beheaded.