By Nuttanan Srithorn
The mass anti-government rally, led by Thailand's United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), or the red-shirted group, kicked off in the capital Bangkok on Saturday afternoon.
The red-shirted protestors are demanding the coalition government to dissolve the House and hold a new general election.
By 4:30 p.m. (0930 GMT) at least 10,000 red-shirted protestors are at the rally site, which had been poured with heavy rain starting from Saturday afternoon, Xinhua reporters at the scene said.
It is estimated by metropolitan police that the number of the red-shirted protest will rise to as many as 30,000 on late Saturday night.
From Friday until Tuesday (Sept. 18 to 22), the Internal Security Act (ISA) has been enforced by the government at Dusit district in the center of capital Bangkok in a bid to ensure law and order.
And, on Saturday evening through a website Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged Thais to be united as his voice was made amid the red-shirted rally in Bangkok and a violent clash between yellow-shirted security guards and the local people in Phu- mi-sa-rol village.
Phu-mi-sa-rol village, which borders Cambodia, is in located in a northeastern province of Si-sa-ket as the clash occurred after the local people in Phu-mi-sa-rol village blocked several hundreds of the yellow-shirted people from passing through to Preah Vihear national park.
The clash occurred as many local villagers did not agree with the protest, viewing it would damage the country's reputation as well as economic and relations with Cambodia. Some villagers were injured in the conflict.
The yellow-shirted people rallied there Saturday to demand Cambodian troops and villagers to be pushed out of the disputed border area around the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Separately, in Bangkok Natthawut Saikua, UDD core leader, announced that the red-shirted people will march to the Si Sao Thewes residence of the president of the Privy Council, General Prem Tinsulanonda after listening to an address to be made by ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra through a video link.
Thaksin has been perceived as the real leader of the UDD people.
At about 8.30 p.m. Thaksin made his video link's speech from a country nearby Thailand repeatedly claiming that his family, red- shirted supporters, and political parties supporting him had been treated unfairly, Thai language news agency Krungthep Turakij Online reported.
Also, Thaksin claimed that the military coup that ousted him in 2006 had negatively affected Thailand's economy.
The coup occurred on Sept.19, 2006, and then premier Thaksin was removed from office while he was attending the UN General Assembly.
Thaksin was accused of corruption, and kept in exile since then. In February, 2008, Thaksin returned to Thailand to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.
Hence, apart from protesting against the current coalition government, the UDD rally is also organized to mark the third anniversary of the military coup.
The UDD group has long accused General Prem of being behind the military coup.
However, General Prem is now not at the Si Sao Thewes residence in Bangkok. He is in another residence in a northeastern province of Na-korn-rat-cha-sri-ma.
Also, General Prem reportedly has not worried about the red- shirted movement, while he will remain at Na-korn-rat-cha-sri-ma.
Natthawut said the UDD rally will be peaceful and will not turn violent.
But, Jatuporn Promphan, another UDD core leader, has threatened to prolong the protest if police use the Long Range Acoustic Device(LRAD) against the protestors, The Nation's website reported.
If the LRAD is used outside Prem's house, the rally will not end at midnight as initially scheduled, Jatuporn said.
Meanwhile, amid widespread fears that a third hand might take the opportunity to incite violence on Saturday night, The Nation's website said Saturday that intelligence have indicated no possibility of violence during the rally since the UDD core leaders have been instructed by Thaksin to "save the energy and funds" for a large protest during the 15th ASEAN Summit next month.
Deputy government spokesman Watchara Kannikar said National Intelligence Agency director Adul Kowattana Friday reported the findings to a meeting of senior officials from state agencies during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister at Government House.
However, in order to ensure law and order, the government can deploy almost 10,000 security personnel to control the rally, Army Spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Xinhua Saturday.
(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2009）
