Thaksin supporters throw Bangkok into turmoil
Updated
Tens of thousands of red-shirted supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have set up camp outside the government's main administration building in Bangkok.
They're calling for the Government of Abhisit Vejjajiva to resign and call fresh elections.
Presenter: Ron Corben
Speaker: Jakrapob Penkair, key rally organizer
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(sound of rally)
JAKRAPOB: The first objective, the one among the two is to get people to know more about what is going on in Thailand. That in itself is a complex task.
Thai people have been kept in a blind - that don't actually know what's going on because the mainstream media and the private media have been pressured not to tell the truth in the past decades.
The second purpose we want to stay here until some kind of political break through has happened. We want action this time. We have been here several
times to state our wishes. This time it's the time to get those wishes to come true.
CORBEN: Some people say that part of the aims of these rallies is actaully to be able to reach a point of negotiation; for Mr. Thaksin to be able to negotiate
his position and perhaps the other 111 Thai Rak Thai Party executives. What do you say to that?
JAKRAPOB: If tomorrow - or in a few days to come - we go on stage and tell the people - please go back home Thaksin is now released of all charges - I
believe the people would turn against us because the people here are beyond Khun Thaksin's suffering already. Khun Thaksin's suffering is one of the causes that they are fighting for - but they are fighting for themselves as well - the economic crisis, the economic deprivation of their chances and rights here have been the cause of their anger and frustration. If we reach an agreement as rumoured then it will be a betrayal to the public. So if Khun Thaksin decides to compromise that way we have to fight him as well.
CORBEN: So the real objectives are much more?
JAKRAPOB: Yes, the real objective is to get the whole country to change back towards democracy - that intangible form means the restoration of a
democratic constitution; wiping off all these political traps that set the political crisis in motion from the beginning. Secondly, when the people know what is
going on you would see a natural being or happening. What is happening now the popping up of the Red Shirt Groups which are not organized by us,
we just went around the country spoke to the groups that we didn't know how they came about. So it's a kind of natural phenomenon has been the
evidence to show us that if we inform the people well enough, systematic enough then people would decide how the best way they would transform
this country.
So what is beyond Khun Thaksin's fate is the country's fate which has been symbolized in the constitution and the changes in some form, for example,
the reduction of the power by the Privy Council - this is something that we would try to gain.
CORBEN: How long are you willing to stay?
JAKRAPOB: As long as it takes. This time, the dates to depart or dissemble is indefinite. We plan to stay long. We are planning the infrastructure to support us to stay long. And the whole country has been more understanding of why we have to do what we are doing. So I believe that the pressure to relinquish what we are doing will not be there and we can stay long until we get what we want.
CORBEN: People are worried what the Army might do in reaction to the Red Shirts? What do you say to that?
JAKRAPOB: There is nothing they can do right now and not provoke more Red Shirts support. So we see it as a good thing for us if they would decide
foolishly to do anything to us. We are not willing to exchange people's lives for a better cause of the Red Shirts. We don't want to do that - we are not
asking for trouble. But the point is if it has to happen we will be ready for it but let me remind them that anything that they try to do - especially militarily
would result in more Red Shirt support around the country beyond their control.
