1,000 reds join ex-TRT execs to celebrate end of political ban
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More than 50 former Thai Rak Thai executives were joined by over 1,000 red-shirt supporters yesterday at the Rama Gardens Hotel to celebrate today's end of the ban on 111 of the party's politicians.
Speakers included Chaturon Chaisang, Pongthep Thepkanjana, Bhokin Bhalakula and red-shirt leader Veera Musigapong. Fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra phoned in via video link.
They called for support of the Constitution rewrite and for people to take a stance against future coups.
“To get out of the crisis, we must change the charter and laws on political parties to prevent parties from being dissolved so easily,” Pongthep said. “Secondly, the movement called Tulakarn Piwat [Judicial Revolution] must be stopped because it allowed the judicial branch to interfere in politics.”
Pongthep told supporters to back democratic-minded people as the drafters of the new charter.
Bhokin said that judges and members of independent agencies must declare their assets and be examined by the people just as politicians are.
Chaturon said that if there’s no reconciliation and two opposing sides are still fighting, “the most-democratic side must move on with all issues to maintain superiority”.
Red-shirt leader Veera said he was happy “to be a person again” and get his voting rights back.
“I don’t know what colour shirt the lovers of democracy are wearing, but they are in the majority. And they are ready to take charge against anyone who stages a coup,” Veera said.
Via video link, Thaksin vowed that he will never forget the red-shirt supporters and will always be grateful for their backing.
“I might be unclear because |the signal is very bad because I |am outside and it’s causing me |to lose concentration. In case there’s any misunderstanding, I apologise to you now,” he said. “I am a grateful person. I will never forget, not even the person who handed me a glass of water. Red-shirt brothers and sisters, I will never forget you.”
“When I return, I will turn red-shirt power into being the power to build a good economy and society for Thailand,” he said.
Following the event at the Rama Gardens, there was |more celebration by the red shirts at a party at the Miracle Grand Hotel.
