Hundreds of Thai anti-government protestors, who marched peacefully from the Government House, have arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday afternoon as they are rallying to pressure Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to resign.
The anti-government rally, which has been led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), started gathering on Tuesday morning at Sanam Luang in central Bangkok and later marched peacefully to the Government House and have stayed there from Tuesday night.
The group, which is also known as the red-shirted people, has pressured the current coalition government led by the Democrat Party, to follow its four political demands, which include dismissing Kasit, prosecuting the People's Alliance for Democracy' s(PAD) leaders for shutting down two Bangkok airports late last year,reinstating the 1997 Constitution, and dissolving the House of Representatives.
Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai Wednesday lashed out at ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra accusing him of instigating trouble for the government by being the puppet master behind the red-shirted-people rally, the website by The Nation newspaper reported.
"I believe, the activities of the red-shirted people are linked to the proposal for a national unity government advanced by ( opposition) Pheu Thai Party MPs, all of which are engineered, financed and supported by Thaksin," the website quoted Chuan as saying.
However, speaking at the Government House Wednesday UDD core leader Nattawut Saikua said fugitive former premier Thaksin did not order the UDD to prolong the protest and Thaksin will not make a phone-in during the demonstration, the website by Bangkok Post reported.
It all depended on the government, if it did not want the protest to prolong, the government needed to follow the UDD-led protestors' four political demands, the Bangkok Post's website quoted Nattawut as saying.
Another UDD core leader Jakrapob Penkair claimed if the coup was not staged on September 2006, the current prime minister of Thailand would be Thaksin and the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would not have the opportunity to host the 14th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. The 14th ASEAN is scheduled to be held from Feb. 27 to March 1 in Thailand' s central resort Cha-am.
Also, Jakrapob branded the current government as a thief because it let a terrorist, who laid siege to airports and Government House late last year, join the cabinet.
The rally at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly to be short-lived as the UDD-led protestors are expected to return to protest at the Government House.
Outside the Government House the UDD-led protestors on Wednesday started building up tents, toilets, bathrooms, and kitchens for the protestors.
Also, the UDD issued a statement announcing that the anti- government protester group planned to close traffics around the Government House from during night time.
(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2009)