Red shirts to demand Arisman's release
Red shirts in the North and Northeast will on Wednesday evening travel from their red villages to visit leader Arisman Pongruangrong in jail and demand his release from Bangkok Remand Prison tomorrow.
“Some 5,000 reds in the North and other 5,000 in the Northeast are planning to rally for Arisman,” organiser Anont Saennan said.
Anont is the Udon Thani red leader who spearheaded the setting up of 8,702 red villages in the North and Northeast.
He said residents of red villages want to free all red shirts being held under remand.
In the Arisman case, he said bail should be granted because Arisman did not flee to elude his criminal charges but because he feared for his life.
After the resumption of normalcy, Arisman and other red shirts reported to the law enforcement authorities, he said.
Arisman has been detained at Bangkok Remand Prison since December 7 pending trial on charges related to terrorism in connection with last year's political turmoil. He fled to Cambodia once the red-shirt rally at Ratchaprasong intersection was brought to an end on May 19 last year.
His second bail application was rejected on Monday on grounds that he might flee again.
His escape and the serious nature of the charges were two critical factors behind the rejection of his first request for bail, the court said.
In his second plea for bail, Arisman told the court that he had to flee abroad and wait until this month to surrender because people had warned him of attempts on his life.
Arisman vowed in court that he would not attempt to escape or lead any rallies again.
