Pro-government supporters to rally in Thai capital

THANYARAT DOKSONE
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Supporters of Thailand’s embattled government were set to rally Saturday in a show of force following a tumultuous week that saw Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and part of her Cabinet forced from power by a controversial court ruling.

Jatuporn Prompan, who heads the pro-government Red Shirt movement staging the rally on the western outskirts of Bangkok, said that “as long as the country’s democracy is not safe, we will be here.”

The gathering takes place a day after anti-government protesters — who have been campaigning for six months to remove Yingluck from office — ramped up their efforts by laying siege to television stations, surrounding state offices, and demanding lawmakers help them install a non-elected prime minister by Monday.

Police fired tear gas and water cannons to push back hundreds of protesters who attempted to force their way into the government’s security agency. Six people were reported injured.

The competing rallies Saturday will be held several dozen kilometers (miles) apart, but still raised concerns about violence. Jatuporn said “each side should take care of their own supporters” and avoid confrontation.

The protesters, led by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, called Friday’s actions the start of their final mission to set up an unelected “people’s council” they say would implement still-undefined reforms to combat corruption and fight money politics. They oppose polls tentatively scheduled for July, which the current ruling party would likely win.

The Cabinet last week named deputy premier Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan as acting prime minister. But protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban told followers Friday night that the Senate should select a new premier immediately, since the lower house has been dissolved since December.

“This matter must end by Monday,” Suthep warned, saying the protesters were ready to take over the offices of the prime minister themselves. “If it’s not finished by then, we’ll do it ourselves.”

Jatuporn warned that if there’s a coup or an unelected prime minister is installed, the Red Shirts will “escalate our fight immediately.” The pro-government movement has not said what action it will take, but Jatuporn said it would be peaceful and they “do not wish to see people killed or hurt along the way.”

The protesters achieved a partial victory on Wednesday when the Constitutional Court ousted Yingluck, saying she had violated the constitution by transferring a senior civil servant to benefit her politically powerful family. Nine other Cabinet members were also forced from their posts.

Thailand’s long-running political crisis began in 2006 when Yingluck’s brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was toppled by a military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thaksin, a former telecommunications billionaire, remains highly popular among the rural poor in the north and northeast, and parties controlled by him have won every national election since 2001. The protesters, aligned with the opposition Democrat Party, say they want to remove all traces of his political machine from politics.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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