Thaksin aide: Red-shirt movement “must go on

From CNN

April 23rd, 2009
Thaksin aide: Red-shirt movement “must go on”
Posted: 05:40 AM ET
From Kocha Olarn
CNN
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) — The movement by “red-shirt” protesters to dislodge the Thai government has to go on, a close aide to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Thursday while in hiding.
“What I am doing now is to set up a workplace to be able to monitor the situation in Thailand, and movement of the red must go on,” said Jakrapob Penkair, speaking from an undisclosed location.
Jakrapob was the spokesman during Thaksin’s administration and is on the run from Thai authorities.
Police said they have an arrest warrant out for him for inciting unrest. Officers are on alert at border checkpoints to prevent Jakrapob from sneaking out.
The red-shirt protesters — named for their clothing — are loyal to Thaksin, who was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006. He fled the country last year while facing trial on corruption charges that he says are politically motivated.
The demonstrators called off their weeks-long demonstrations on April 14 in the face of a strong military offensive.
The protests had turned violent a day earlier, when scores of riot police descended to take back Bangkok and clashed with demonstrators.
About 123 people, included more than two dozen soldiers, were wounded in the skirmishes. Two more people were killed when red shirts clashed with locals opposed to their cause.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva imposed a state of emergency in Bangkok, saying last week that he would not lift it until he was convinced that the capital wouldn’t “return to chaos and violence.”
The emergency measure allows officials to arrest and detain protesters without a court order, and to restrict gatherings, authorities said.
Thaksin’s supporters continue to meet in the evening, but do so peacefully.
The pull-back by the demonstrators breathed new life into Abhisit’s 4-month-old administration, which at one point appeared to have lost control of the situation.
In his interview with CNN on Thursday, Jakrapob dismissed an allegation by Thailand’s foreign minister that Thaksin was directing his supporters to take lives.
“It is only a distraction from the real matter and it has no substance in what he said, but it should come as no surprise,” Jakrapob said.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya made the assassination claims in a speech to the Asia Society in New York on Tuesday.
“The last resort of the former prime minister of Thailand, having failed on the populist movement and the mass unrest and now, I think, he has resorted to some sort of the assassination attempt.”
Kasit made his statements after a Thai leader, who helped topple Thaksin, was shot and wounded Friday.
The foreign minister also hinted that Abhisit was on the list of potential targets.
Immediately after Abhisit’s state-of-emergency declaration, dozens of protesters stormed the country’s Interior Ministry and pelted Abhisit’s car with rocks, chairs, flags and sticks as he escaped.
“There was no question that my life was seriously threatened,” Abhisit said afterward, adding there was a moment when he thought he might be killed.