Protest forces Thaksin to pull out of US talk

Protest forces Thaksin to pull out of US talk

Yellow shirts block entrance at LA venue

Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to cancel a dinner and talk with red shirts on Sunday night in Los Angeles after 2,000 yellow-shirts blocked his entrance.

A view of the anti-Thaksin demonstration in Thaitown, Los Angeles. (Photos from SiamTownUS Facebook wall)

A report at www.siamtownus.com said the ex-premier was supposed to meet his supporters at Thailand Plaza on Hollywood Boulevard at 6pm.

Thaksin was to give a press interview at 6.30pm, have a private dinner with supporters and take to a stage to address them at 8pm.

A makeshift stage was prepared in the car park of Thailand Plaza.

However, about 300 yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters started gathering near the plaza to block Thaksin's entry about 5.30pm.

The red shirts, led by Darunee Kritboonyalai, who was wearing a wig in the colours of the Thai flag, parked their cars outside and walked to the venue. By 7pm, the number of yellow-shirt protesters had grown to 2,000.

A car which was believed to be carrying Thaksin was seen driving around the neighbourhood.

However, by 9pm there was no sign of Thaksin at the venue.

It was reported that he finally made a phone call to apologise to his supporters for his absence, saying he could not gain access to Thailand Plaza.

The website quoted Chao Suetae, a red shirt coordinator, as saying that the event was organised by "Red USA".

The event had two parts - a private dinner with Thaksin and a talk show by the ex-premier.

Twenty people received invitations to the dinner while 65 others had purchased tickets. The talk was planned for two hours before an estimated crowd of 500 people.

Meanwhile, Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the Green Politics Group, yesterday hailed the yellow shirts' US protest.

He said the gathering also served to denounce the US which had failed to honour its extradition treaty with Thailand and instead granted Thaksin a visa.

He said his group will lodge a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission this week against a number of individuals and agencies for dereliction of duty for failing to seek the extradition of Thaksin while in the US to stand trial in Thailand. On the list are Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, the Office of the Attorney General and police.

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