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Red revolt

Timeline: How the red-shirt protest developed and ended

Published: 14/04/2009 at 07:44 PM
Online news:

March 26: Thousands of Thaksin supporters in trademark red shirts begin rallying in Bangkok, calling on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his government to resign and allow fresh elections.

They are spurred on by Thaksin Shinawatra, who starts a series of almost nightly addresses to the crowd by telephone and video link.

March 27: Thaksin accuses Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, privy councillors Surayud Chulanond and Charnchai Likitjitta of being behind the 2006 military coup that toppled him.

March 28: Gen Surayud rejects Thaksin's claim, saying privy councillors are not involved in politics.

April 2: Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan says a mass rally planned for April 8 is aimed at pressuring Mr Abhisit, Gen Prem and the privy councillors to resign.

April 3: Thaksin refuses an invitation by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to negotiate with the government, and calls on his supporters to come out in force for a mass rally on April 8.

April 7: Mr Abhisit's car is attacked by red-shirts in Pattaya as he heads back to Bangkok after a cabinet meeting. Thaksin's three children and ex-wife leave Thailand.

April 8: More than 30,000 red-shirts rally at Government House, their main protest site.

April 9: Taxi drivers block main roads and Victory Monument, bringing the city to a halt. Mr Abhisit vows tough action against red-shirts who break the law, but no action is taken.

April 10: Thaksin's supporters, already spread out across Bangkok, launch a separate protest in the beach resort of Pattaya, where 16 Asian leaders are to meet for a major Asean-sponsored summit, with Asean chairman Thailand as the host.

April 11: Thousands of protesters storm the venue of the summit, forcing its cancellation. A state of emergency is declared as foreign leaders are evacuated - some by helicopter from the hotel roof.

April 12: A state of emergency is declared in Bangkok and surrounding areas as new anti-government demonstrations spring up. Pattaya protest leader Arisman Pongruangrong arrested in Bangkok. About 50 protesters force their way into the Interior Ministry grounds while Mr Abhisit is inside. He escapes. Thaksin says he will lead an uprising if there is a coup.

April 13: Army cracks down on protesters in Bangkok. Two people die and 123 treated for injuries in army assaults on groups of protesters and several ugly confrontations between red shirts and local people who formed neighbourhood militias.

April 14: Thousands of demonstrators who had retreated to their main camp outside Government House agree to disperse in the face of an overwhelming military operation to close down days of protests.

Government extends the three-day Songkran holiday for two more days.

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Haha

Discussion 30 : 02/05/2010 at 05:59 PM30
Do you have any suggestion for them to solve this problem?
Khoo Eng Theng

Discussion 29 : 03/05/2009 at 03:18 PM29
Thailand is make trouble to themselves.I am wondering why they can't sit down and talk? or settle everything by voting!why every time must go to street and protest? worse, why they were occupying the airport and made their country in trouble?...when these guys are going to STOP?? I really feel sad whenever there were news about fightings again!!
SPICEMAN

Discussion 28 : 29/04/2009 at 03:00 PM28
HWWW83, if you avoid staying in Bangkok, you should have no problems any where else in the country. And Thailand has plenty of food so we will be OK, don't you worry?
Hwww83

Discussion 27 : 29/04/2009 at 10:23 AM27
Wats wrong with Thailand?.. i planned to go last year... it was cancelled due to YElloW protestors... i hope this REd protestors will end soon and i can go there by end of May.... I thought Thailand suppose to be the Tourism country... WHAT HAPPENED???!!!!..... Without Tourism for Thailand .. Thailand can't survive!.. THink about that!!!....
SPICEMAN

Discussion 26 : 29/04/2009 at 08:09 AM26
SPARTACUS, I don't disagree with what you said, however, poor people, who make up more than half of Thailand, do like Thaksin a lot and will vote overwhelmingly for him again, directly or indirectly. So are you telling them that voting for Thaksin may be good for their wallets but bad for Thailand? I think that's an extremely tough sale!
Spartacus

Discussion 25 : 28/04/2009 at 11:48 AM25
supporters of Mr Thaksin had tried to create confusion and trouble to the Kingdom. This shows that Mr Taksin is not a clean person but a destroyer of the Thai kingdom. He must stop his propaganda actions form inside or outside Thailand.
As Australian, we do not trust this type of leader who is so revengful.
Another thing about Mr Thaksin is that when he was the PM he went around countries in Asia to learning how to profit a government and indirectly he will also benefit. A greedy guy and wanting to be a create a dynasty for himself like some pm of other countries. The Thai must open up their eyes and prevent destruction from Mr Thaksin and his group. Get rid of Mr Thaksin once and for all.
SPICEMAN

Discussion 24 : 27/04/2009 at 04:52 AM24
PORCHE, can you come up with a better reason of your disapproval of the Red Shirts' on-going protest, given that the Yellow Shirts were kind of "been there & done that" themselves? When rules of law fails, each side naturally falls back into Mob's Rule mentality. "If my side can put up more protesters on the street, my side must be right." The only difference I saw was government's reaction toward the Red Shirts was much milder than what it did to the Yellow Ones previously with major loss of limbs and lives. Major political instability translates into severe economic hardship for everybody on top of whatever the worldwide meltdown is inflicting. Unless peace and stability return to Thailand in terms of meaningful compromises, we are in for a long and painful economic pain & suffering!
Porche

Discussion 23 : 26/04/2009 at 04:33 AM23
"Bangkok is rioted by Red shirt"

I disagree with the Red shirt group riot and it should be banned for 3 reasons. However, I think the Red shirt group calling for democracy is wrong in the law.
First, the traffic problem in government is caused from the protest. The government
is pressured by the Red shirt group. The red shirt used to obstruct main roads in Bangkok. Second, the Red shirt group overstepped the law. This results in the fact that the government enforced emergency. The government wants to make the protesters disband. Finally, Bangkok has been damaged by the protest. There are 123 persons wounded. The assets worth 9,490,630 baht are damaged.
In conclusion, because the Red shirt group calls for democracy wrongly, and makes Thailand damage, I disagree with the Red shirt group riot. What do you think about the Red shirt in Thailand?
SPICEMAN

Discussion 22 : 19/04/2009 at 10:21 AM22
PUNYACHON, what do you suggest Apisit should do,if not declaring a state of emergency to allow the Army to come in and take control of the situation? He is the bloody PM, isn't he? What do you think the Red Shirts should have done other than destroying public & private properties as well as killing innocent people?
Thaicomplex

Discussion 21 : 19/04/2009 at 09:43 AM21
I will have it short this time (to get publish):

It works like a Mc Do’s franchising system (Mc Do scenario):
Army = Mc Do’s US headquarter
Privy Council = CEO of Mc Do
Army/Gov Heads = Continental/Regional directors
Gov staffs = Country’s office staffs
Gov. Dealer (Mgr) = Master franchisor
Ministers = Counter girls
Reps = Delivery boys
PM = Ronald
Thais = A driver lost on a freeway left with no other choices, but eating there.