Sept. 18: Redshirt rallye in Korat

[Johnnie F.]

The Bangkok Post reports that tomorrow there will be a rallye by the Redshirts. About 20.000 Redshirts from Isaan are to meet at Yamo and then march to general Prem's residence to protest about his role in the coup three years ago.

It might be advisable not to hang around downtown Korat tomorrow in case there'll be already some of the violence tha's expected for Saturday the 19th in Bangkok on the third anniversary of the coup that ousted Thaksin.

[george]

If you don't go you wont get the pictures, now grow a pair and get down there.

[Johnnie F.]

Soldiers, police deployed in Korat

About 1,000 police and soldiers have been deployed to protect Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda's home and the city halll in Nakhon Ratchasima during the planned red-shirt rally to mark the third anniversary of the Sept 19 coup.

At Gen Prem's home on Suebsiri road in Muang district, more than 500 police and soldiers from the 2nd Army have been deployed to cope with the red-shirt rally due to start at 4pm on Friday.

Two tents have been put up and two fire trucks parked in front of Gen Prem's residence to accommodate a police command post supervised by Pol Col Pongdet Promichit, deputy chief of Nakhon Ratchasima police.

Suebsiri road has been closed to all traffic and two checkpoints have been set up at an intersection about a kilometre  from Gen Prem's home.  Five fire trucks have also been placed at the intersection, which is manned by riot police with crowd control equipment.

At the city hall, where Gen Prem is to present scholarships from the Prem Tinsulanonda Foundation to needy children tomorrow, 200 police and 200 defence volunteers have been deployed.

Gen Prem arrived at his Korat home from Bangkok about 11.30am today.

The red-shirts plan to rally at Gen Prem's home in Nakhon Ratchasima before moving to Bangkok to join the main protest at the Royal Plaza on Saturday.

Bangkok Post Sept 18, 2009

I can imagine that there are a couple more thousands waiting in Suranaree Camp to be let onto the redshirts. 

[Lung Jim]

If you don't go you wont get the pictures, now grow a pair and get down there.

Aren't you askin' a bit much from old gits?

[george]

Maybe some of you old gits are putting to much value on your lives now polish up the wheel chairs and get down there

[Johnnie F.]

On MCOT in an one hour old article they're talking about 3.000 police and army have been deployed. No mention about how many are waiting in Suranaree Camp as backup.

[Johnnie F.]

Protesters gather near Gen. Prem's residence; Security tight at PM's home

BANGKOK, Sept 19 (TNA) - Led by leaders of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), red-shirted demonstrators early Saturday marched near the home of Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council and statesman, in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima.

More than one thousand UDD protesters are marching in Nakhon Ratchasima as well as in the capital on Saturday to commemorate the third anniversary of the bloodless coup which toppled then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Confusion occurred when protesters attempted to break through barricades set up by police near Gen. Prem’s residence. Police retreated some 10 metres from the barricades, but did not allow the protesters to approach the home.

UDD protesters rallied there after being unable to break through the barricades, while their leaders passionately spoke against Gen. Prem for about an house, but the former prime minister was not home.

The protesters dispersed at 8.30 am, heading to Bangkok’s Royal Plaza in a convoy of over 30 buses, to the United Front’s mass rally.

UDD leaders have charged that Gen. Prem was the key mastermind behind the coup.

Meanwhile, police security at the home of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in Bangkok was tight.

Anti-riot personnel, including female police officers, were seen surrounding Mr. Abhisit’s home, but there were no signs that UDD protesters would demonstrate there.

Mr. Abhisit was scheduled to travel to a shopping mall near his home at 10 am to record his weekly address which airs Sunday. At 7 pm he will attend the 60th anniversary celebration of the founding of the People's Republic of China at Impact Muang Thong Thani. (TNA)

MCOT Sept. 19, 2009