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Protesters flood Bangkok again
Source: Agencies |
February 14, 2011, Monday
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THOUSANDS of Thais held color-coded "red" and "yellow" protests in Bangkok yesterday, underlining persistent anti-government sentiment and deep political divisions ahead of an election planned this year.
The "red shirts" called for the release of 18 of their detained leaders and their rival "yellow shirts" demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's resignation over his handling of a long-running border dispute with Cambodia.
The rallies were staged ahead of an election that Abhisit says could take place in the first half of the year. On-off anti-government campaigns since 2005 by the two groups with a history of, at times, violent protests point to a rocky road for Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.
The two rallies also took place in defiance of the Internal Security Act invoked last Tuesday which bans protests in main government and commercial areas.
There was a heavy presence of riot -police, but no attempt was made to block the demonstrators, who -protested peacefully.
Last year saw some of the worst political violence in modern Thai history during a 10-week protest in Bangkok by "red-shirts," most of whom support ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Gunmen clashed with soldiers on the streets and the military crushed the protest in which 91 people were killed.
Eighteen "red shirt" leaders have been detained since then and their supporters massed yesterday outside the Criminal Court, which will make a ruling on a bail appeal on February 21.
The "red shirts" called for the release of 18 of their detained leaders and their rival "yellow shirts" demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's resignation over his handling of a long-running border dispute with Cambodia.
The rallies were staged ahead of an election that Abhisit says could take place in the first half of the year. On-off anti-government campaigns since 2005 by the two groups with a history of, at times, violent protests point to a rocky road for Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.
The two rallies also took place in defiance of the Internal Security Act invoked last Tuesday which bans protests in main government and commercial areas.
There was a heavy presence of riot -police, but no attempt was made to block the demonstrators, who -protested peacefully.
Last year saw some of the worst political violence in modern Thai history during a 10-week protest in Bangkok by "red-shirts," most of whom support ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Gunmen clashed with soldiers on the streets and the military crushed the protest in which 91 people were killed.
Eighteen "red shirt" leaders have been detained since then and their supporters massed yesterday outside the Criminal Court, which will make a ruling on a bail appeal on February 21.
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