Red shirts spoil Democrat rally in Si Sa Ket

Red shirts spoil Democrat rally in Si Sa Ket

A Democrat Party rally scheduled to take place at Sisaket Rajabhat University in the northeastern province of Si Sa Ket Saturday evening had to be relocated after being disrupted by a large group of red shirt demonstrators.

Red shirts confront Democrat Party organisers at the event in Si Sa Ket, eventually forcing leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to move the rally.

About 500 demonstrators blocked the access roads to the university, forcing the Democrats to move the event to a field in front of Thesaban 7 School about two kilometres away.

Despite the move, protesters continued to interrupt the event.

They followed the Democrats to the new location and used loud hailers to deliver verbal attacks on the speakers, many of them key figures from within the Democrat Party.

One red shirt demonstrator even approached the stage in a bid to disturb the proceedings.

In the meantime, Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban urged his supporters to remain calm.

The actions of the people were those of hooligans and did not reflect democracy, Mr Suthep.

He blamed the government for letting the disturbances happen against the Democrat Party.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was able to visit the South without a protest, even though it is the political stronghold of the Democrats, he said.

Mr Suthep said the Democrats would continue to conduct nationwide rallies to oppose the government's plan to grant an amnesty to the terrorists who killed 91 people during the previous Democrat-led administration.

Also, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the government planned to borrow two trillion baht for road and railway projects but would not spend a single baht from the borrowing for the development of public health and education.

Mr Abhisit also responded to verbal attacks from red shirt protesters at Saturday's event.

He said his Democrat Party did not cause former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to leave the country but that Thaksin had escaped a jail sentence issued by the Supreme Court.

Thaksin was given a jail sentence five years ago for his involvement in his ex-wife's purchase of state-owned land in Bangkok.

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