Red Shirt protesters to end rally after Deputy PM Suthep turns himself in to police

BANGKOK, May 10 (TNA) – The anti-government ‘Red Shirt’ United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leadership announced Monday evening that their rally in Bangkok’s prime business district of Ratchaprasong will end after Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban turns himself in to the police to acknowledge charges over the deadly April 10 crackdown.

UDD leader Natthawut Saikua told the Red Shirt supporters from the stage at their rally site that if Mr Suthep surrenders to the police to hear his charges, the rally will end on the same day, and the protesters will return to their homes.

The UDD earlier said Mr Suthep, who heads the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES), should take responsibility for the April 10 crackdown, which resulted in 25 persons dead and some 800 injured in fierce street clashes between security forces and protesters.

Mr Natthawut also said that the UDD had accepted the time frame for House dissolution between September 15-30, which would lead to a general election on November 14 as proposed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as part of his road map for national reconciliation.

The Red Shirt co-leader said that the UDD also demanded the government to return the Red Shirt’s People Channel Television (PTV) and pledged to control the programme to prevent content that could incite violence.

PTV has been the primary communication channel between the Red Shirt leaders and their supporters in the provinces. The government pulled the plug on the satellite-based station last month under emergency rule, citing that it aired distorted information which negatively affected national security and incited chaos.

The prime minister said on Sunday in his weekly television programme that the Red Shirt leaders should decide by Monday to end their demonstration.

He said it was risky for key leaders of UDD who have voiced their support to his reconciliation plan–which includes holding fresh general elections November 14–but are still demonstrating because armed terrorists infiltrating the protesters would use fiercer violence in future.

Panithan Wattanayakorn, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, said Mr Suthep would appear before the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Tuesday to hear complaints filed against him by the protesters.

Dr Panithan, acting government spokesman, said the move was not aimed at satisfying the Red Shirts but had been planned earlier after the opposition Puea Thai party had lodged complaints against Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthem in  relation to the April 10 incident.

He said it was the premier’s policy to let the government and CRES to be under the legal process of the state.

As for Mr Abhisit, who is currently exercising his position as an MP and enjoys parliamentary immunity, Dr Panithan said the premier would pass process of the Parliament and would then himself report to the DSI. (TNA)