Reds stage protest at 'Nation'

Reds stage protest at 'Nation'

A red-shirt group from Samut Prakan rallied at the Nation Multimedia Group Plc's offices in Bang Na yesterday to protest a news report that the movement owes a department store 15 million baht in unpaid electricity bills.

About 30 red shirts from Samut Prakan handed a protest letter to a Nation Group representative voicing frustration at what they said was unfair reporting.

The group said if the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) owed the Imperial World Lat Phrao department store any money, it was a matter for the movement's senior figures to deal with, not the members.

The UDD has used the department store as one of its main rallying points in Bangkok. It occupies the fifth floor of the store where it runs its office and the movement's Asia Update satellite television station. The UDD has also turned the sixth floor into a press conference centre.

In the protest letter, the Samut Prakan group criticised the Nation Group for biased and distorted reporting as it said the article could give the red shirts in general a bad name. The protesters dispersed after they presented the letter.

Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) governor Athon Sinsawat said his agency delayed cutting off electricity after the store asked if the overdue payment could be paid at a later date.

Mr Athon said an immediate electricity cut has been halted as it might inconvenience tenants' shops at the store.

Imperial World's representative, who negotiated with the MEA on Monday, said the department store puts up a bank guarantee which allows the MEA to collect money from a bank to settle any overdue payments.

"But Imperial World has become a target and is linked to politics," said the representative, who declined to be named.

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