Suriyasai-Jatuporn meeting infuriates yellow shirts
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Hardcore members of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were furious yesterday after one of the group's coordinators, Suriyasai Katasila, shook hands and exchanged New Year wishes with old friend and recent political adversary Jatupor
Long-time friends who now stand at opposite ends of the Kingdom’s colour-coded political spectrum, Suriyasai and red-shirt leader Jatuporn were invited to the talk show “Chao Doo Woody” (Morning Watch Woody) on Channel 9 yesterday morning.
Jatuporn is a member of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship.
Many hardcore members of the PAD expressed dissatisfaction with Suriyasai’s participation on PAD news website ASTV-Manager and via social media, saying it was inappropriate for their coordinator to appear on the programme with Jatuporn.
“The red and yellow shirts who died during the battle might be happy if they realised that their leaders are good friends for more than 20 years,” one wrote satirically. “If they are really good friends, why don’t they beg each other to stop taking the lives of our colleagues?”
PAD spokesman Panthep Puapongpan said on his Facebook page that nobody at the PAD knew in advance that Surasai would appear on TV with Jatuporn.
It was a real surprise, he said.
Suriyasai said it was true that he is a friend of Jatuporn, but added that the friendship would not affect his political stance.
He is still fighting against Jatuporn’s boss, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he said.
