BANGKOK, April 1 — The United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), Thailands’s red shirts group, will hold a mass rally Saturday in Aksa Road in Nakhon Pathom’s Buddhamonthon and the gathering is expected to last 2-3 days, according to UDD chariman Jatuporn Prompan.
Mr Jatuporn said that more than 500,000 red shirts are expected to turn up at the group’s Saturday mass rally to show that the UDD has more supporters than the anti-government protesters, the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
He urged the pro-government UDD to prepare to continue their demonstration for at least several days.
Thida Thavornseth, former chairwoman of the UDD, said that the group has chosen to hold mass rally at Aksa Road near Buddhamonthon because the venue is an expansive area and would not cause any trouble or difficulties to the general public.
Ms Thida claimed that the April 5 rally was considered a rehearsal because the group has not held a major gathering for a long time. It would definitely not be the last fight because the fight for the people will not be final.
“We do not fight for any particular person but we fight for the benefit of the general public,” she said.
Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters that she worried about the mass rallies and has assigned CAPO, the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO), to closely monitor the situation and provide safety equally to all groups.
She instructed CAPO to prevent any confrontation between the rival groups and ensure the safety of the general public.
PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban earlier announced that a major assembly of protest leaders nationwide will be held this Saturday to map out a new offensive strategy and set a date for what he is calling the “big battle.”
