A Thai government ultimatum yesterday failed to dislodge thousands of “Red Shirts” from a protest camp in central Bangkok as their leaders made a fresh offer to negotiate on the fifth day of raging street battles that have killed 37 people.
A small plane dropped leaflets urging the estimated 5,000 protesters to abandon their fortified camp by 3pm or face criminal charges and up to two years in prison. The demand had little apparent effect and unrest still flared in various parts of the downtown area, with troops firing live ammunition at protesters who were lighting tires to hide their positions. The thick smoke darkened the sky.
Some protesters commandeered a fuel tanker from a gasoline station and pushed it to the middle of the key Rama IV Road that has become a battleground. The protesters tried to set it ablaze with a burning tire and fireworks, but were stopped by troops.
Yesterday, the so-called military strategist of the Red Shirts, who was shot in the head in an apparent sniper attack last week, succumbed to his injuries. The shooting on Thursday of Major General Khattiya Sawasdiphol had sparked the latest unrest, two months into the standoff in the capital, and his death raised fears violence could get worse.
The Red Shirts are trying to unseat Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and force immediate elections.
A Red Shirt leader, Jatuporn Prompan, said the only hope now to end the violence was intervention by King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Another protest leader, Nattawut Saikua, said the Red Shirts were ready to negotiate and to submit themselves to the courts.
Despite the conciliatory words, the Red Shirts also continued to insist they would not stop the protests until Abhisit orders a ceasefire.
Fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra called on the government and his Red Shirt supporters yesterday to step back from a “terrible abyss” and start talks to end civil violence.
“I stand with my countrymen in this terrible hour in our history,” Thaksin said in a statement.
“The pictures that I have seen go beyond any nightmares that could have been envisaged. I have no choice but to state resolutely the need for all sides to step back from this terrible abyss and seek to begin a new, genuine and sincere dialogue between the parties,” he said. “The present action of the government dishonor our history and will forever weaken our institutions and democracy.”
Authorities say they are not shooting to kill but only want to choke off the Red Shirts, who have occupied a protest zone in one of Bangkok’s ritziest areas for weeks.
“Immediately vacate the area that is considered dangerous,” the government said in a televised announcement and mobile phone text messages.
“Terrorists are trying to cause deaths in the area,” it said.
The announcement said buses would be provided to escort protesters out of their encampment and take them home.
However, the deadline passed without incident, and most protesters interviewed said they were not aware of the announcement as the leaflets fell far from the protest zone. Protesters had no access to television and cellphone signals had earlier been jammed by the government, preventing the messages from being delivered.
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