Red-shirts mark coup anniversary in Bangkok
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Thousands of red-shirts showed up Sunday in Ratchaprasong area of Bangkok, with more expected to come, to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2006 coup as well as the political violence in that area four months ago.
Till noon time about two thousand red-shirts had arrived Ratchaprasong, a downtown area which saw dozens died and many injured during the anti-government movement's rally in April and May.
Some red-shirts tied red ribbons along the street while most of the others were just there awaiting more activities later the day, including releasing balloons and lighting candles.
"We expected to draw 5,000 people by 5 p.m.," said Sombat Boonngamanong, founder of the Red Sunday branch of red-shirts movement and one of the organisers of Sunday's event. He said the activities will officially start at 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon and conducted in a peaceful way. People will release balloons and tying more ribbons around the intersection.
They will disperse by 8 p.m., said Sombat, though the police warned that any forms of gatherings must not last longer than two hours as Bangkok remains under the security rule.
According to Bangkok Post online, in the morning a group of red- shirts travelled to Pathum Wanaram temple near the Rachatprasong Intersection and placed red roses outside the pavilion, where six people, including both protestors and medical workers, were killed during the rally on the early morning of May 20, one day after the military dispersion of the rally.
Sombhat, 42, said there are two purposes for Sunday's activities: to mark the coup d'etat on September 16, 2006, which ousted the then Prime Minister Thaksin shinawatra, whom many believe is the leader de facto of red-shirts; and to mark the military dispersion of the red-shirts rally on May 19, which, along with a series of conflicts between protestors and security forces during the rally, left 91 killed and nearly 1,900 injured.
The authorities have deployed 3,000 police for Sunday, with about 1,800 at Ratchaprasong and another 1,200 manning over 100 check points in and around Bangkok.
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