After a brief lull, protesters in Thailand again took to the streets on Thursday with members of the anti—government PDRC rallying in Bangkok as they continued to demand the ouster of caretaker Premier Yingluck Shinawatra.
At the Foreign Ministry, Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary general of the People’s Democratic Committee (PDRC), spoke out against caretaker Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichaikul’s plan to invite UN chief Ban Ki—moon to step in to solve the current political crisis.
The protesters could not get any senior official to discuss the political deadlock.
Suthep, a former opposition Democrat Party MP, told his supporters that he had led the people to exchange opinions with foreign ministry officials.
He said his intention was to discuss Surapong’s plan to invite the UN chief to step in to get involved in the political conflict.
The anti—government leader claimed that Surapong would damage the country’s reputation by doing so, stressing that the UN should not be allowed to get involved in Thailand’s internal affairs.
Suthep then led the demonstrators to the central bank where he was welcomed by the bank’s representatives before having lunch there.
Thailand’s powerful army chief General Prayuth Chan—ocha said yesterday that the military would not oust the caretaker government.
Anti—government demonstrators, who have been protesting since November last year, have demanded that embattled premier Yingluck step down and a people’s council be elected to carry out reforms before elections are held.
The protesters accuse Yingluck of acting as a proxy for her fugitive brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006.
Both pro— and anti—government supporters have called for a massive rally in Bangkok on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Jatuporn Promphan, the chairman of the pro—government United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship, said that about 500,000 ‘Red Shirts’ will join the rally.
He said the rally would be just a rehearsal for the “real mass rally” whose date has yet to be decided.
