By Andrew Wood,
eTN Ambassador in Bangkok |
May 19, 2010
Seven red-shirt leaders surrendered to police at the Royal Thai Police headquarters about 1.30pm on Wednesday.
"Ratchaprasong is clear, army say their operations are completed. Fires are still breaking out incl Central World shopping centre, as hard core protesters torch previously placed tyres soaked in petrol around Bkk. It may be all over soon if these pockets of red shirts can be cleared. Lets hope so", said Andrew Woods, eTN Ambassador.
The red shirts were not satisfied with their leaders' decision to surrender and end their rally. They set fire on various spots around the rally site, according to television reports.
Billows of smoke were seen blowing out from in front of the Central World department store.
Some of the protesters smashed glass panes around the department stores while others threw fire bombs into the first floor of the building.
At the Sala Daeng intersection, the protesters destroyed telephone booths, advertisement signs, traffic signs, and others.
They are Jatuporn Prompan, Natthawut Saikua, Weng Tojirakarn, Wiphuthalaeeng Pattanaphumthai, Korkaew Phikulthong, Yosvaris Chuklom and Nisit Sinthuprai.
Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan announced from the stage at 1.15pm that that he and other leaders would surrender to prevent further losses.
"I apologise to you all but I don't want any more losses. I am devastated too. We will surrender," he said.
He also announced the ending of the anti-government protest.
Shortly before the announcement, opposition chief whip Witthaya Buranasiri said seven leaders of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will surrender to police on Wednesday afternoon.
Senator Lertrat Ratanavanich said earlier that UDD leader and Puea Thai Party MP Jatuporn had contacted the opposition chief whip and said he wanted to surrender to the police at 1.30pm today.
He said a group of Puea Thai MPs would go to the Royal Thai Police headquarters to witness the surrender.
"I believe other UDD core members, besides Mr Jatuporn, will turn themselves in to the police as well," he added.
However, thousands of red shirts in Khon Kaen and Udon Thani refused to give in and raided the city halls to show dissatisfaction over the government's crackdown on UDD protesters in Bangkok, according to television reports.
In Khon Kaen, more than 1,000 red shirts broke through a cordon of police and administrative officials at the main gate of the city hall.
They brought with them car tyres and fuel and threatened to set fire on the city hall if the government did not respond to their demand for it to dissolve the House of Representatives.
In Udon Thani, more than 5,000 red shirts broke through barricades and a cordon of police, soldiers, and volunteers and entered the city hall.
2 comments:
ahhhhhhhhhhh....there were no bloody crackdown actually. Military officers were attacked.
12:21 AM, if the military were attacked and no bloody crackdown like you said, how come no soldiers or police got killed. How come only protesters got killed. Abhisit came to power illegitimately, so he needs to listen to the people and step down. Samak came to power by election but he was kicked out by the yellow shirt criminals, led by Foreign Minister Kasit, who violently ransacked the airport. This crackdown was carried out by the Thai Royal Guards, the king's personal bodyguards.
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