Udon Thani saved red-yellow clash
By THE NATION ON SUNDAY
Published on February 15, 2009



Police keep rival supporters away during PAD rally

People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters gathered yesterday in Udon Thani and their rally continued late in the evening without feared interruptions from anti-government red-shirt locals, after the latter dispersed in the evening.

The Khon Rak Udon protesters were kept away from the PAD supporters by around 2,000 anti-riot and local policemen. About 15,000 PAD supporters gathered at a mini concert at Prajak Silapakhom Pond Park on Muang district,

The PAD mobilised around 2,000 of its guards to provide security to its supporters, who travelled from Bangkok and across the country, including mostly those living in nearby provinces in the Northeast.

Many Pheu Thai MPs from Udon sent red-shirts on motorcades around the province throughout the day, calling on the locals to the street to campaign against the PAD gathering and other activities. The provincial authorities later issued a statement thanking Udon Thani locals for their cooperation and apologising for the inconvenience caused by the PAD activities.

Jaroen Mookhajornphan, the local PAD leader, criticised the police for their strict and time-consuming checks and searches on PAD protesters at many road checkpoints. He said the traffic congestion and inconvenience caused by police checks would create a bad public image for the PAD. He accused the police of discriminating against the PAD, while letting red-shirt locals and Khon Rak Udon supporters through checkpoints without checking them.

About 1,500 red-shirted people gathered at the local airport in the morning to check on incoming passengers for PAD supporters.

Another group of red-shirted people tried to stop a four-bus motorcade of PAD supporters from using a road and almost attacked the vehicles, before they were separated by local policemen, and the motorcade agreed to use another route.

A team of PAD guards had earlier argued with police who manned a small checkpoint, which was set up at a 100-metre distance from a major checkpoint. The guards accused police of deliberately setting up the small checkpoint to create traffic congestion to make the PAD look bad in the eyes of the local public. The small checkpoint was later removed following negotiations between PAD coordinators and a senior policeman.

Police earlier arrested two PAD supporters on charge of possessing fire-arms. One suspect, a Nakhon Sawan native, said he was given an 11-mm pistol and seven bullets by PAD coordinators for self-protection for his duty as a PAD guard. Another suspect, a Chanthaburi woman, said she found 17 pistol bullets abandoned and was about to hand them over to PAD coordinators.

The Nation wrote:A team of PAD guards had earlier argued with police who manned a small checkpoint, which was set up at a 100-metre distance from a major checkpoint. The guards accused police of deliberately setting up the small checkpoint to create traffic congestion to make the PAD look bad in the eyes of the local public. The small checkpoint was later removed following negotiations between PAD coordinators and a senior policeman.

Bangsean_girl wrote:well I don't know why everywhere they go has to be closed even Nongprajak ! I have a poem of how I feel toward them, feel free to critic

PAD said, "We fight for Thailand"
I praised.
PAD said , “Government is corrupt”
I nodded.
PAD said, “come out to save the country”
I listened.
PAD said, "prepare yellow symbols"
I saw.
PAD said, “we would make a mob ”
Their right.
PAD said, "Our mob is not violence"
I doubted.
PAD said, "nobody listens to us, we need a progress"
I objected.

Does this mean you thought they were being listened to and they should have just gone home?

PAD said, Let's move our mob inside the parliament
I scowled.
Pad said, " Let’s go to Donmuang and Suwanbhumi too"
I hated.
PAD said, " if you not one of us you don’t want monarchy"
I disagreed
Pad said, " Believe us and the country will get better"
They lied.

Techland wrote:Where does it say that the 'major checkpoint' had been operated by the yellows?

BKKSTAN wrote:Yes,I think you read it different than me westerby!
As I understand it the PAD were complaining that the police were setting up extra checkpoints to cause disruption and congestion for PAD!

And in the Taksin reign when we think there would not be any coup