Pheu Thai demands apologies from Democrat leaders
The ruling Pheu Thai Party yesterday demanded that opposition and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban apologise to the families of those killed and injured in the 2010 red-shirt riots.
More than 10,000 red shirts from different parts of the country converged at the Ratchaprasong intersection to commemorate the third anniversary of the event. The area was off limits to traffic from the Ratchaprasong intersection to the Pratunam intersection. CentralWorld and Zen also closed their operations from afternoon yesterday. A huge stage was erected on the street outside CentralWorld.
Pheu Thai Party deputy leader Anusorn Iamsa-ard said Abhisit and Suthep owed the red shirts a long-overdue apology because they had ordered security officials to use real bullets to shoot at the protesters during the crowd-control operation. Pheu Thai would join the red shirts to commemorate “democracy fighters”, who sacrificed their life during the 2010 rallies.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung expressed confidence there would not be any violence during the red-shirt rally anniversary, which he said was held symbolically.
PM’s secretary-general Suranand Vejjajiva said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was not concerned about the rally as it was appropriate for the red shirts to remember those who were killed and demand justice for people affected by the incident.
Meanwhile, 68-year-old Khaiki Wongrasri, a Sakhon Nakhon resident, was found dead at a security box near Wat Pathum Wanaram early yesterday morning, police said.
Thongdee Mainoi, a relative of Khaiki said they came by a bus from Sakhon Nakhon to join the third anniversary and arrived at Wat Pathum Wanaram. Khaiki persuaded her to come with her to the toilet but on the way she said she was tired and wanted to sit and rest for a while; but she collapsed and stopped breathing.
Police suspected the woman was exhausted by the long journey coupled with the fact that she had been suffering from illnesses. Her body would be sent for autopsy to the Police General Hospital.
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