Thai red-shirts give blood for anti-govt protest

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INDIA : US television talkshow Queen Oprah Winfrey speaks during an interview at Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in Jaipur Sunday. — AFP

Thailand's red-shirt demonstrators are donating blood to throw at government offices in a symbolic protest against a leadership they say is illegitimate, reports BBC.
The protests are now in their third day, in a jovial but determined mood.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Monday rejected a demand from protesters to quit and call elections.
The stand-off is the latest in a deep political schism in the country linked to the 2006 military coup which deposed former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
Tens of thousands of security forces remain on stand-by and army leaders say they plan to be flexible and gentle with the demonstrators as their protests continue.
Local newspapers have reported that protests were also being held in several northern provinces to coincide with the Bangkok actions.
In Bangkok, red-shirt leader Veera Musikapong was the first to donate.
"This blood is a sacrificial offering. To show our love for the nation, to show our sincerity," he said.
He and other leaders said their blood would be spilled at the entrance to Government House in Bangkok's historic quarter later in the day if Mr Abhisit continued to refuse their demands to dissolve parliament.
Health officials, the Red Cross and even the protesters' figurehead, Mr Thaksin, have expressed concern about how hygienic the mass blood donation is.
But the protesters, including several monks, brushed off the concerns.
"We have three tents for blood donations. All people who conduct the blood drawing will be doctors, nurses or other qualified people who came here voluntarily," said senior red shirt leader, Dr Weng Tojilakarn, who normally runs his own medical practice. The red shirts have set a target of collecting 1,000 litres of blood, and say they will guard against any protester getting weak or dizzy in the heat.