Red Shirt supporters join 2nd anniversary of protest at Ratchaprasong

May 19, 2012

BANGKOK, May 19 -- Red shirt supporters started gathering at Ratchaprasong intersection to join activities organized by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) -- the red shirt movement -- to mark the second anniversary of the 2010 protest against the previous Abhisit Vejjajiva-led administration.

Rachadamri road was closed from Ratchaprasong intersection to Pratunam and a stage was constructed similar to the Red Shirt protest in 2010.

Many vendors prepared various merchandises to commemorate the protest by the Red Shirt movement.

The gathering officially started at 2pm with merit making for the Red Shirt supporters who lost their lives during the protest clampdown.

Former prime minister Thakin Shinawatra was scheduled to address the crowd via video link from an unknown location at 8pm.

Robert Amsterdam, the Canadian lawyer for fugitive ousted ex-premier Thaksin and the UDD, was to deliver a brief on the development of the lawsuit asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to investigate alleged crimes against humanity during 2010′s April-May clashes between Red Shirt protesters and government’s security forces last year.

The case would cover the death of 91 victims during the protest.

The rally was scheduled to end at 2 am of May 20.

Metropolitan Police Bureau spokesperson Pol Col Preeda Sataworn earlier said the police expected a huge crowd to join the event, so five companies of police–or 1,200 personnel including traffic police, investigative police and bomb squad–would be deployed around the Ratchaprasong intersection.

Col Preeda urged motorists to avoid the roads around Ratchaprasong intersection because traffic was expected to be seriously jammed.

Retail centers nearby the rally site–Big C, Gaysorn Plaza and CentralWorld–which were affected by the protests in 2010 announced that they would open as normal but security was stepped up.

However, there has been only a light turnout of customers.

Report by : MCOT