UDD attacks Abhisit over 'provocations'

[Flashermac]

 

The Democrat Party's plan to hold a major electioneering event in Bangkok's Ratchaprasong area to remind voters about last year's mayhem will only intensify political conflict, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship has warned.

 

Democrat leader and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said his party would hold a rally in front of CentralWorld shopping complex on Thursday in its last major address in Bangkok on the final leg of its election campaign.

 

"On that day, we will focus on the party's reconciliation plan. We invite everyone to come and listen to our plan to douse the fire in the country," Mr Abhisit said as he campaigned in Phetchabun province.

 

[color:red]Mr Abhisit said Ratchaprasong is "the perfect place" for his party's campaign speech because of the political unrest that took place there last year.[/color]

 

The red shirts set up their main stage at Ratchaprasong intersection during their lengthy demonstration to oust the Abhisit administration.

 

Ninety-two people died in the unrest, with dozens killed at Ratchaprasong and adjacent areas during the crackdown on protesters on May 19.

 

Tida Tawornseth, the UDD chairwoman, yesterday said the Democrats' Ratchaprasong address would provoke discontent among red shirt supporters, especially those who were injured or who lost their loved ones during the security forces' operations.

 

The Democrats' tactics to attack the red shirt people and to remind the public about the April-May protests would not do any good to the party and would not bring it more votes, she said.

 

Instead of rubbing salt into people's wounds, Mr Abhisit should launch a transparent investigation into the deaths of 92 people and bring involved state authorities to justice, said Mrs Tida, the wife of Weng Tochirakarn, the UDD leader-turned-Pheu Thai party list candidate.

 

"What the Democrat Party and Mr Abhisit are doing now is to provoke the red shirt people," she said.

 

"He attacked the UDD during his election campaigns, he wrote on his Facebook defending the government's violent dispersal of the red shirts, and now he will hold an election campaign at Ratchaprasong."

 

These provocations had led to sporadic disruptions of the Democrats' electioneering by red shirt members, Mrs Tida said.

 

"Mr Abhisit can't blame the UDD for the mischief because it is he who keeps provoking the red shirts," Mrs Tida said, adding that the UDD had repeatedly asked its supporters not to disrupt the Democrats' election campaigning.

 

Natthawut Saikua, the former UDD core leader who is now a Pheu Thai party list candidate, said the Ratchaprasong event aimed to provoke conflict and violence.

 

"They are using the April-May incident as a political tool to woo votes as many polls show the Democrats' popularity is dropping," Mr Natthawut said, calling on red shirt supporters not to fall victim to the Democrats' plot to provoke confrontation.

 

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit yesterday said the planned election speech at Ratchaprasong was "inappropriate".

 

He urged the Democrats to cancel the event or change the venue to avoid deepening conflicts in society.

 

[color:red]Mr Prompong also strongly denied the Democrats' allegations that the party was behind red shirts' disruptions of Democrat canvassing.[/color]

 

"We are concerned about the moves, but our investigations found none of our party's staff are involved in such activities," he said.

 

The latest confrontation erupted on Friday evening when a red shirt supporter allegedly kicked a member of the Democrats' campaign team led by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban at Phetkasem 79 market in Bangkok's Bang Kae district.

 

Mr Suthep yesterday called on Pheu Thai to accept responsibility for the incident.

 

The Democrats' secretary-general said he and his party had been accused of killing red shirt demonstrators and failing to prevent the torching of buildings on May 19.

 

"I will take to the stage next Thursday to tell the truth about what really happened [during last year's unrest]," Mr Suthep said.

 

 

 

Bangkok Post

 

[Flashermac]

 

Dems going ahead with Ratchaprasong rally

 

 

The Democrat Party will not cancel its major election campaign rally at Bangkok's Ratchaprasong intersection on Thursday, Democrat MPs chairman Ong-art Klampaibul said on Monday.

 

Mr Ong-art said the Ratchaprasong rally will not cause traffic problems as the stage will be set up in front of CentralWorld shopping centre, not in the middle of the road.

 

He said election candidates of the Democrat Party will travel to Ratchaprasong by skytrain, not by pickup trucks, to prevent traffic congestion.

 

"We don't know which group may be planning to create unrest during the rally, but police are fully prepared to handle the situation.

 

"The red-shirt group continues to harrass the Democrat election campaign. I don't think they have good intentions," the caretaker PM's office minister said.

 

He said the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) had been trying to incite violence in areas where the Democrats were campaigning.

 

On Sunday a team of Democrats led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was harassed by a group of red-shirt supporters in Samut Prakan, prompting Mr Abhisit to call off the campaign activity for fear there would be a clash between his supporters and hecklers.

 

"Even if they don't like the Democrat Party, they shouldn't approach us and confront us face-to-face," Mr Ong-art said.

 

[color:red]Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate Yingluck Shinawatra on Monday brushed aside Democrat leader Abhisit's call for her to help put a stop to the heckling by the red-shirts.

 

Ms Yingluck said she could not order the people what to do and what not to do, and anyway she was very busy campaigning.[/color]

 

If any laws were broken, police could take action against those responsible in a just and fair manner, she said.

 

Ms Yingluck said she was not bothered by the increasingly severe attacks by the Democrat Party.

 

Pheu Thai deputy leader Plodprasop Surasawadee said the Democrat Party's rally at Ratchaprasong intersection on Thursday was intended to provoke the red-shirts to come out on the streets, because the prime minister's party knows it is now the underdog in the election.

 

Mr Plodprasop said that Pheu Thai would not respond and would not make any move to counter the rally. It would let the people to see for themselves that the Democrat Party lacks a mature approach, he said.

 

The party had discussed this matter with leaders of the red-shirts and decided it would not do anything to counter the rally.

 

However, some red-shirt "ghosts" of victims of the protest violence may appear at the rally, he added.

 

[color:red]Asked about Mr Abhisit's call for Ms Yingluck to tell the red-shirts to stop harassing him, Mr Plodprasop said the party did not know if the hecklers were genuine or not.[/color]

 

[color:red][color:red]If Ms Yingluck fell into his trap by telling the red-shirts to stop, the Democrat Party would take it for granted that she had admitted they were genuine red-shirts and submit a petition seeking Pheu Thai's dissolution, he said.[/color][/color]

 

National Reform Committee member Wichai Chokviwat said the red-shirt group should not try to obstruct the Democrats from holding a rally at Ratchaprasong.

 

"In a democratic system, all parties can organise election campaigns anywhere in the country so long as they don't break the election law," Mr Wichai said.

 

Senior police adviser Pongsapat Pongcharoen said national police chief Wichean Potephosree has ordered the Metropolitan Police to ensure law and order during Thursday's Ratchaprasong rally.

 

Pol Gen Pongsapat, who is in charge of security for the election, said police throughout the country, had also been instructed to step up security for the leaders, key members and election candidates of all political parties.

 

Last year, protesters led by the UDD set up their main stage at Ratchaprasong intersection during their prolonged demonstration to try to oust the Abhisit administration.

 

Ninety-two people were killed in the April-May violence last year - red-shirts, soldiers, police and innocent civilians - with dozens killed during the crackdown on the protest on May 19.

 

[color:red]The red-shirts have since organised many rallies at the intersection, causing traffic disruption and loss of commerce - angering businesses and residents in the area.[/color]

 

 

 

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