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Thai pro-government Red Shirt told to prepare for fight against undemocratic rule

(Xinhua)    21:12, December 10, 2013
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BANGKOK, Dec. 10 -- Thailand's pro-government Red Shirt demonstrators were told on Tuesday to prepare themselves to fight a current undemocratic movement headed by former deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban.

Former Red Shirt leader Nattavut Saikua said on Tuesday he might organize a fresh Red Shirt movement against "Suthep's rule" allegedly being installed by the ex-deputy premier who has demanded that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and all members of her cabinet resign as a caretaker government.

Nattavut who is currently acting deputy commerce minister called on all Red Shirt members and other people to keep themselves informed of the latest political situation and get prepared for a massive anti-Suthep movement.

"If Suthep refused to stop undermining democratic rule, I would call on all democracy-loving people countrywide to rise up against Suthep's rule. It might be a people's revolution which would be done in peaceful fashion without triggering civil war," the ex-Red Shirt leader said.

The National United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, the official name of the pro-government Red Shirt activism, called off a mass gathering of Red Shirt members in Ayutthaya province, about 70 kilometers north of Bangkok, earlier scheduled for Tuesday after Yingluck dissolved parliament on Monday.

Yingluck, who dissolved the lower house to return power to the people by calling a snap election scheduled for February 2, maintained that her government was legally obliged to continue to run the country as a caretaker government.

In a brief press conference on Tuesday, Yingluck asked for justice from Suthep and his followers who have pressed her to stop performing as the caretaker government.

"Since we are all Thais...Is it so bad that (members of the Shinawatra family) can no longer stay in this country?

"I have conceded so much that I wonder what more could still be conceded. I'm only asking for justice," said Yingluck as tears were brimming her eyes. She was apparently referring to her dissolution of parliament.

Suthep, who has had hordes of anti-government protesters lay siege around the Government House since Monday, shrugged off Yingluck's dissolution of parliament and insisted that an unelected prime minister and cabinet will be set up "by the people " instead of the Yingluck caretaker government.

Meanwhile, acting Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said Suthep was merely trying to evade arraignment in court scheduled for Thursday, given charges of involvement in army crackdowns on Red Shirt protesters which saw nearly 100 people killed and about 2,000 others injured on Rajdamnern and Rajprasong areas three years ago.

"Suthep is holding the protesters as hostages so he might not be taken to court to answer the charges involving the 2010 army crackdowns. So he has prolonged the street protest by another three days," said Surapong, who concurrently head the Center for Administration of Peace and Order

He said the world community would definitely not recognize any unelected government as pushed by Suthep and ex-Democrat lawmakers who have joined the mass protests.

"No foreigners anywhere in the world would deal with anyone such as Suthep who does not abide by the laws of their own country. They should end the street protest and run in the election under the globally-respected democratic rule," he said.

(Editor:WangXin、Yao Chun)

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