A red-shirt volunteer-based group set up to "protect democracy" launched its second workshop and training programme involving self-defence and hand-to-hand combat in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday, with 15,000 people claimed to be taking part.
Suporn Atthawong tells red-shirt supporters to prepare for battle against anti-government groups. (Photos by Prasit Tangprasert)
Members of the pro-government Democracy Protection Volunteers Group (DPVG) gathered in the Chalerm Phra Kiat Sports Stadium in Muang district on Sunday morning when red shirt co-leader Suporn Atthawong, the DPVG chairman, presided over the opening ceremony of the two-day training camp starting Sunday.
Mr Suporn called on the volunteers to love one another and be united and prepare to fight against all organisations that plan to overthrow democracy, especially the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) and independent agencies.
Training sessions on the first day would focus on academic issues and take place in classes only, while on the last day the volunteers would be involved in physical strength and outdoor activities. The event will end with a march as a show of force and the distribution of certificates to all participants, according to Mr Suporn.
Male volunteers would undergo training on self defence, bare-hands combat, prevention of untoward/emergency incidents at political rallies and military style discipline.
Woman volunteers would be trained on first aid, food supplies and handling of paperwork.
A mobile communications expert had also been invited to educate the participants and advise them on how to create an effective communications network among the DPVG membership, Mr Suporn said.
Mr Suporn claimed 15,000 volunteers, mostly supporters of the red shirt group and caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, had taken part in the second training activity and they were from all parts of the country including the South. The first training held in Udon Thani earlier this month drew about 1,000 people.
The DPVG chairman earlier insisted that the group would have nothing to do with separatism, would not use arms and would not be “a force to confront other sides”.
“The group’s ultimate goal is to protect democracy and democratically-elected government as well as to resist all types of coup and dictatorship," Mr Suporn said.
The group’s mission would depend on the future political situation. For example, it would mobilise volunteer members in the event of an independent organisation issuing an unfair ruling to overthrow a government or a military coup.
But if there were no attempts to overthrow democracy and a new government was set up by democratic election, the DPVG would serve as a network to promote democracy among communities nationwide.
Mr Suporn insisted the DPVG would protect every elected government from an unlawful overthrow including one led by the opposition Democrat Party.
He expects 70,000 people to register for the next training activities.
The DPVG's latest show-of-force is taking place ahead of the National Anti-Corruption Commission's expected decision next month on whether Ms Yingluck was derelict in her duty in addressing corruption in the goverment's rice pledging scheme. The Constitutional Court is also considering Ms Yingluck's role in the transfer of National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri in 2011, which a lower court overturned.
