Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan to speak on the ongoing Thai-Cambodia difficulties

Jatuporn Prompan

Top Red Shirt Jatuporn defies court ban, will join anti-government protest Sunday

BANGKOK, Jan 8 (MCOT online news) -- Despite a court order forbidding his participation in political events involving five or more persons, top Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan said he would speak on the ongoing Thai-Cambodia difficulties to as many as 60,000 anti-government of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) at Ratchaprasong Sunday evening.

Metropolitan authorities advise the public to avoid the area from the Democracy Monument to the Ratchaprasong intersection as the UDD Red Shirts will rally from 3pm until at least 8pm demanding the government to release the movement leaders held in prison on terrorism charges.

Police Bureau Division 1 commander Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangprapai on Saturday afternoon met with key UDD leaders including acting UDD chairperson Thida Thavornseth and MP Jatuporn of the opposition Puea Thai Party, agreeing that the UDD can gather at the Democracy Monument on Rajadamnoen Avenue at 3pm Sunday and march to Ratchaprasong for activities in memory of protesters killed during April and May last year.

The UDD event will end at 8pm, according to Mrs Thida, who said 60,000 UDD supporters will participate.

Gen Wichai told journalists that the UDD agreed to not release airborne 'floating lanterns' and to not attack the monarchy by vandalising public property with abusive graffiti.

About 200 police will be deployed at the Democracy Monument and seven companies of police will be stationed near Ratchaprasong intersection, Gen Wichai said.

Mr Jatuporn said he would join the rally and speak about the ongoing Thai-Cambodia issue.

The UDD announced earlier they would rally monthly on the 10th and 19th to remember their protesters killed during clashes with government security forces last year on April 10 on Ratchadamnoen Avenue and May 19 at Ratchaprasong.

Eighty-nine persons, both security personnel and protesters, were killed and more than 1,900 were injured in several clashes between the troops and UDD members during last year's 10 week protest.

The Red Shirt protest in Bangkok was dispersed on May 19, 2010 with the movement's leaders announcing the end of their protest and surrender to police as army units sealed off their protest area. Most top protest leaders remain jailed under terrorism charges and their bids for release on bail has been rejected as the court cited their possible flight to avoid prosecution.