Published: 13/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
Several hundred red shirt supporters have joined a weekly gathering to commemorate the April-May violence in which 91 people died and more than 1,400 were injured.
The activities yesterday, led by Sombat Boonngam-anong, of the Red Sunday group, were a prelude to this coming weekend's events to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2006 coup d'etat.
The protesters yesterday held a bicycle parade around the demonstration sites _ starting from Ratchaprasong intersection to Victory Monument, Din Daeng and finishing at the King Rama VI monument at Lumpini Park.
The Red Sunday group has held events in the Ratchaprasong area each Sunday since June to remind the public about the violence and to defy the government's ban on political gatherings of more than five people under the emergency decree, which is still in effect in Bangkok and six other provinces.
About 100 people taking part in the bicycle parade stopped at spots where red shirt supporters were reportedly killed to pay their respects.
"People need such kinds of peaceful and safe activities to join and to share their feelings," Mr Sombat said.
He expected more people to join the activities next Sunday, when a big event will be held at Ratchaprasong intersection to pay respect to those killed in the April 10 clash between government forces and protesters at the Khok Wua intersection and the May 19 dispersal of red shirt protesters from Ratchaprasong.
The gathering will also mark the fourth anniversary of the Sept 19 coup that toppled the Thaksin Shinawatra government.
"We will gather peacefully to recall the democracy which has disappeared from the country since the 2006 putsch," Mr Sombat said. "We will also seek justice for those killed."
He said the event would start at 5pm when participants would release about 10,000 red balloons attached with written messages from red shirt supporters and some 100,000 red ribbons would be tied around trees, bus stops and sign poles around the Ratchaprasong area.
Street performances and plays would also be held throughout the event.
Red shirt members in provinces such as Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani, and overseas, would also hold symbolic activities in remembrance of the incidents, Mr Sombat said.
He assured the activities would be peaceful and would not cause trouble to the public.
"There will be no road blocks. All activities will be held on the pavement," he said.
Mr Sombat said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had created "a good atmosphere" by saying during his weekly television address yesterday that symbolic activities that did not cause the public any trouble were acceptable.
Khattiyaa Sawasdipol, the only daughter of the late Maj Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, known as Seh Daeng, also took part in yesterday's event.
"Four months have passed and the Department of Special Investigation has made very slow progress in an investigation into the death of my father and the other 90 people who died in the April-May violence," Ms Khattiyaa said.
Pornthip Mankong, a Ramkhamhaeng University student who dressed as a ghost in a performance at the King Rama VI monument, said she and her friends wanted to remind the public that there were many people killed at the site.
"Spirits of the red shirt people are still here to seek justice," she said.
source : http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/195922/red-shirts-mark-may-violence
