Increasing Public Displeasure Confines Reds To Barracks

Published : March 27, 2010 :: 12:03:26 [ 1,432 views ]

Increasing Public Displeasure Confines Reds To Barracks

Bangkok has mixed blessings this morning, March 27, 2010, with bombs exploding and defused, but the promised Saturday Red Shirt rally looks like being a low key affair, with protestors confined to their rally ground. It could well be that the Red Shirt leaders are taking heed of the rising public antipathy towards the disruption their continuing protest is causing.

March 27, 2010, [PDN]: the Klong Toey Customs Department compound was hit by a bomb explosion at the break of dawn , this morning, damaging windows and a parked van but causing no human injuries. It is thought that the dud M-67 grenade found inside a plastic in bag at the Phaholyothin Office of the Attorney General’s parking lot was thrown last night but failed to explode; a bomb disposal team defused it early today, just to be on the safe side.

The promised Red Shirt mobile circumnavigation of Bangkok, promised for today, looks like being a non-event as they ‘confine themselves to barracks’, so to speak, at their rally ground at Phan Fa Bridge. This will be good news for Bangkok folks. The mobile rally was tentatively abandoned to avoid possible violence, and maintain public goodwill. Their public standing is none too high in the minds and hearts of the ‘besieged’ Bangkok citizenry, however. Yet another organization has come forward to add their complaints to the Bangkok communities consortium statement issued two days ago calling for a peaceful negotiation of the current impasse. “The businessmen for democracy society” yesterday added their voices to the calls for a halt to the Red Shirt disruption of business and tourism in the capital. A group of 30 representatives of this organisation, led by their president, Somkiat Homla-or, took to the streets of Silom in a counter protest.

A somewhat more influential contingent, the Federation of Thai Industries, also voiced their concern and disapproval of the Reds’ disruption, via their chairman, Santi Vilassakdanont, who, according to the Bangkok Post, highlighted the negative psychological impact the continuing rallies are having, suggesting that the UDD consider using parliamentary procedures instead of street rallies, with the admonishment that “In a democracy, we must respect the rights of others.”

Amidst this growing tide of public disapproval, the lodging of Thaksin’s appeal went ahead, yesterday, without much public sentiment being expressed one way or the other. The appeal hopes to prevent the Supreme Courts’ seizure of Thaksin’s Bt46 billion assets.

Reporter: Taliesin Verity (Chief-Reporter)
Photographer: Jack Rames & Internet

Comments

Hugh Jorgan

said :

Let us hope this matter can be resolved quickly with Prime Minister Abbasitt resigning and returning to his birthplace; Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, U.K.

Email : hjorgan@yahoo.co.th Date : 2010-03-27 20:35:47