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Major Puea Thai figures flee Thailand |
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| : 11 Mar 2010 |
Major Figures Flee Thailand
Major Pheu Thai figures left the country last night including Pheu Thai Party MP Chairman Chalerm Yubumrung who flew to Singapore last night.
Thaksin's son also left Thailand last night, headed for Dubai. His daughter Pintongta left yesterday for Switzerland.
http://www.tannetwork.tv
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Thaksin defends family for leaving ahead of rally
Thaksin has used his media outlets to urge his supporters to turn up en masse for the demonstration.
"This coming [March] 14, please join a campaign to bring back democracy and justice for our future generations," he said in a text message to his followers.
He also messaged on the Twitter site to defend his family for leaving Thailand ahead of the rally, saying his daughters, Pinthongta and Paethongtan, had planned a trip to Germany long before the announcement of the protest date. They left Bangkok last night for Berlin via Zurich.
Thaksin's former wife Potjaman na Pombejra and their son Panthongtae are in Hong Kong.
The chief of the Puea Thai Party MPs, Chalerm Yubamrung, yesterday left for Singapore. Mr Chalerm said he would return once the political tensions eased.
http://www.bangkokpost.com
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Battle-weary communities stand ready
Residents of Bangkok's Nang Loeng and Din Daeng areas are bracing for possible violence during this weekend's mass rally by the red shirts.
The communities vow to be better prepared this time round. The residents were badly affected by the Songkran riots last year.
Supatra Chottikamol, 51, whose 19-year-old son, Yutthakarn Joichodchoi, was shot dead during clashes with the red shirts last April, said Nang Loeng residents would not allow red shirt protesters to block roads or set fire to passenger buses as they did last year.
They would come out to safeguard their community from attack, Mrs Supatra said.
She said the Nang Loeng community was vulnerable to violent protests from groups of all political colours by being located near Government House.
In the Din Daeng area, members of the Muhayeerin mosque committee have put up barbed wire around the mosque.
Hatyee Imron Sawangnuan, a member of the committee, said the mosque's fences had been reinforced with barbed wire for fear red shirts might enter the compound.
Hard-core members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship set up road blocks and commandeered gas tankers during last April's riots, disrupting the lives of many residents, especially those around Nang Loeng and Din Daeng.
Pairoj Thewachu, 70, a seller of drinking water at Din Daeng flat 3, said residents had prepared measures to protect their community.
He appealed to the red shirts not to use violence if they considered themselves to be Thai.
A source said many Din Daeng residents planned to leave the capital at the weekend out of fear for their safety.
Airport authorities have told passengers to arrive at the airport as early as possible this weekend.
Niran Theeranartsin, director of Suvarnabhumi airport, said passengers should get to the airport three or four hours before their scheduled departure if they are catching an international flight and be at least two hours early for domestic flights.
He said measures had been put in place at the airport should the red shirts decide to protest there.
http://www.bangkokpost.com |
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