Thaindian News

Bangkok, April 3 (DPA) Tens of thousands of Thai protestors Saturday launched a march on the centre of Bangkok in a bid to force the government to dissolve parliament and hold new elections.
Leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) said they would stage both a march on Ratchprasong Road, a popular shopping area and hub for luxury hotels in Bangkok, and a caravan of vehicles on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, which leads to Don Muaeng Airport.

The UDD, also called the red shirts for their favoured colour of apparel, have been protesting in Bangkok since March 12, calling on Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and call for new elections.

“We will march holding hands and shouting, ‘Abhisit dissolve parliament,’” UDD leader Natthawut Saikua said before launching the march. “This will be a show of red shirt power.”

A “red caravan” of thousands of vehicles was simultaneously launched through the city to Vibhavadi Highway, but UDD leaders claimed they had no intention of seizing Don Muaeng Airport.

A similar protest of the so-called yellow shirts, who are on the opposite side of Thailand’s political divide from the red shirts, seized both Don Muaeng and Suvarnaphumi airports for a week in 2008, bringing passenger air traffic to Bangkok to a halt.

“If the government sees any red shirts invading the airports, they should arrest them,” Hatthawut said, claiming the government was planning a “dirty trick” to plant red-shirted pretenders at the airports to prompt a crackdown on the movement.

The UDD, which has given Abhisit until April 12 to dissolve parliament, has promised to hold more protests in Bangkok Sunday.