Red Shirts threaten to deluge Government House with blood

BANGKOK, March 15 (TNA) – Anti-Thai government demonstrators on Monday announced that they would step up their campaign to bring down the administration of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva after he rejected their demand to dissolve the lower house of Parliament and call new elections.

The protesters are now threatening to splash all the entrances to Government House with their own blood, one million cubic centimetres, collected in advance.

The coalition-leading Democrat Party and the prime minister’s home slated as the next targets of the blood pouring.

Tens of thousands of Red Shirt demonstrators led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) gathered at the 11th Infantry Regiment where the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) is coordinating the government’s response to the Red Shirt rally situation
to pressure Premier Abhisit to dissolve the House of Representatives by Monday noon. Mr Abhisit rejected their demand, saying his government was legitimately elected and will not use force against the red-clad demonstrators.

Key UDD leader Natthawut Saikua, however, accused the prime minister of defying the UDD’s ultimatum, and that he was still clinging to power that was illegally gained. Therefore, the Red Shirt protesters would step up their campaign againist the government to press their demand.

He said that in this latest move, the Red Shirts had devoted their own flesh and blood to fight for their political movement, so, literally, the UDD would collect blood from 100,000 of its volunteers — 10 cubic centimetres (cc)each — to achieve a total target of one million cc.

Then if the government does not dissolve parliament by 6pm Tuesday, they would pour portions of the collected one million cubic centimetres of blood at every gate of Government House, he said.

If the Red Shirt demand is still ignored, another million cc of blood will be collected and protesters blood will be poured at the ruling Democrat Party Headquarters and then another one million CC will be poured at Mr Abhisit’s home in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area, Mr Natthawut said.

The UDD key leader affirmed that the move was aimed to pressure the government through peaceful means, adding that the blood collections will be carried out on the platform at Phan Fah Lilat Bridge at 8am Tuesday.

After the announcement, the UDD leaders announced the dispersement of their protest at the 11th Infantry Regiment and urged the protesters to return to their main protest venue at Phan Fah Lilat Bridge on Bangkok’s Rajdamnoen Avenue.

Key red shirt figure Weng Tojirakarn who is medical doctor said the collection of 10 CC of blood would have no impact on the physical well-being of the demonstrators and that he himself would be the first volunteer to give blood to this purpose.

Meanwhile, Cdr Dr Ubonwan Charoonreungrit, deputy director of the National Blood Centre at the Thai Red Cross Society warned that the venipuncture must be done by experts, otherwise it could lead to blood infection or shock.

She added that the needles must be sterilised.

Dr Ubonwan said the centre has not been asked by the UDD but if received, the centre would deny the request as the venipuncture must be done for specific purpose such as donation and health checking. (TNA)