Reds to rally at court for ruling on Jatuporn

Phaholyothin police chief Col Chatree Kanchanapakdee said yesterday some red shirts had already put up tents in front of the court on Ratchadapisek Road to wait for the ruling.
The Criminal Court is due to make a decision on a request by the Constitution Court to have Jatuporn’s bail revoked.
Chatree said police would be deployed to maintain security at the court due to the rally.
Constitution Court judges sought revocation of Jatuporn’s bail after comments by the former Pheu Thai MP during a red-shirt rally in front of Parliament were interpreted as intimidatory.
Jatuporn made the speech after the Constitution Court ruled on May 18 to disqualify him as a Pheu Thai MP.
Worawut Wichaidit, a spokesman for the red-shirt movement, said yesterday that red-shirt leaders and supporters would gather at the court today to provide moral support for Jatuporn.
Worawut said the rally was not an attempt to pressure the court to retain bail for Jatuporn. They simply wanted to provide support for Jatuporn, he said.
The spokesman said red-shirt leaders did not expect the court to revoke Jatuporn’s bail and had not prepared any measures in the event his bail is revoked. He said red shirts would be asked to behave during the rally, otherwise they could be accused of contempt of court.
Jatuporn has threatened to stage a hunger strike in prison if his bail is revoked.
In another development, the Democrat Party vowed yesterday to organise political activities in provinces considered to red-shirt strongholds, although Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva encountered strong protests by red shirts in Chiang Mai on Friday.
On Friday, Abhisit visited Chiang Mai to follow up on the Democrats’ policy to push for the issuing of community land deeds for the poor in the north.
Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday that red shirts hounded Abhisit from the airport to a hotel where the Democrats held a seminar. Some even tried to block Abhisit’s car with their vehicles.
Chavanond said the Democrats were not worried by the incident but would continue to visit “red” provinces. The government should stop using red shirts as tool to block the Democrats from carrying out political activities, he said.
Also yesterday, Abac Poll gave results of its latest opinion survey, which found that most people felt conflicts over charter amendments were not over yet.
Abac Poll said the survey was carried out among 2,144 residents in 17 provinces from July 16-21. It found about 80 per cent of the respondents believed that conflicts over changes to the charter were not over.
Some 53 per cent of respondents believed courts would help reduce the conflicts, but 60 per cent did not believe that Parliament, the prime minister, or the armed forces would be able to lessen the conflicts.
Abac Poll said 63 per cent of respondents believed turmoil and conflict over charter amendments would not end even after a national referendum, while 37 per cent believed the problems would end after a referendum.
The survey also found 66 per cent of respondents still support Yingluck Shinawatra as PM.