Black-clad men were UDD guards in disguise

BANGKOK, 23 June 2011 (NNT) – Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has clarified to the Thai people at Ratchaprasong Intersection that the black-clad assailants during the 2010 political mayhem were, in fact, security guards of the red-shirt group.

In his capacity as the Democrat Secretary-General, Mr Suthep made the opening speech on stage at Ratchaprasong Intersection as part of the Democrat Party’s major election campaign organized to create a correct understanding with the public about various incidents occurring during the mass rally of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) last year.

In response to UDD core leader Natthawut Saikua’s recent claim that Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was the one who ordered a massacre of innocent people on 19 May 2010, Mr Suthep clarified that no fatalities had been caused by the party leader as accused since no protest dispersal operations were ever carried out on the day. Instead, he pointed out that the mysterious black-clad men were responsible for the violence as they were trying to create misunderstanding and conflicts between security officers and UDD protesters.

In addition, the Democrat Secretary-General elaborated that some of the assailants were found taking off their black outfits after instigating chaos in order to put their red shirts back on before rejoining the UDD rally as security guards. All of his statements made during the campaign were backed with evidence, including video clips.

According to Mr Suthep, the men in black began their attack during the 10 April bloodbath, in which 20 soldiers, 5 UDD supporters and one journalist were killed.