Protesters' funeral parade turns Bangkok into sea of red
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
BANGKOK, Apr 12 (AFP): Waving flags and shouting 'Abhisit get out', thousands of anti-government 'Red Shirts' paraded through the Thai capital Monday bearing the bodies of two dead protesters and empty coffins.
In cars, trucks and even tuk tuks, the Reds flooded the streets of Bangkok to mourn comrades killed after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government ordered a crackdown on month-long protests.
Pick-up trucks bore the bodies of two slain protesters as well as 14 empty caskets draped with Thai flags and festooned with flowers at the head of the procession that snaked its way through the city.
Protesters held up pictures of other dead demonstrators whose bodies had been sent for autopsy.
"We need to show the people the government are murderers. They shot people who had no guns," said 45-year-old Pradit Yomma, describing himself as a businessman from Bangkok.
Seventeen civilians, including a Japanese cameraman, and four soldiers were killed Saturday after the army launched a crackdown on supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, following weeks of mass demonstrations.
Authorities appeared to surrender Bangkok to the protesters Monday, as Red Shirts in their disjointed motorcade shielded themselves with umbrellas from the afternoon sun, occasionally spraying water and passing out drinks.
Meanwhile, Thailand's embattled premier Monday accused 'terrorists' of inciting the country's bloodiest civil violence in almost two decades as protesters paraded their dead through the tense streets of Bangkok.
With no sign of an end to the deep political turmoil, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted the government remained united in how to tackle the crisis but the defiant 'Red Shirt' protesters said the time for negotiation was over.
In cars, trucks and even tuk tuks, the Reds flooded the streets of Bangkok to mourn comrades killed after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government ordered a crackdown on month-long protests.
Pick-up trucks bore the bodies of two slain protesters as well as 14 empty caskets draped with Thai flags and festooned with flowers at the head of the procession that snaked its way through the city.
Protesters held up pictures of other dead demonstrators whose bodies had been sent for autopsy.
"We need to show the people the government are murderers. They shot people who had no guns," said 45-year-old Pradit Yomma, describing himself as a businessman from Bangkok.
Seventeen civilians, including a Japanese cameraman, and four soldiers were killed Saturday after the army launched a crackdown on supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, following weeks of mass demonstrations.
Authorities appeared to surrender Bangkok to the protesters Monday, as Red Shirts in their disjointed motorcade shielded themselves with umbrellas from the afternoon sun, occasionally spraying water and passing out drinks.
Meanwhile, Thailand's embattled premier Monday accused 'terrorists' of inciting the country's bloodiest civil violence in almost two decades as protesters paraded their dead through the tense streets of Bangkok.
With no sign of an end to the deep political turmoil, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted the government remained united in how to tackle the crisis but the defiant 'Red Shirt' protesters said the time for negotiation was over.