Thousands of Red Shirt supporters rallied at a concert in the Thailand seaside resort city of Pattaya on September 4, in what was one the biggest mobilisations since the military bloodily dispersed their mass protest camp in Bangkok on May 19, 2010, killing 91 and injuring thousands more.
Red Shirt leader and Puea Thai party MP Jatuporn Prompan called on people to place red roses outside prisons around the country on September 17. Hundreds of Red Shirt leaders and activists continue to be detained. On September 18-19, actions marking four months since the massacre will be held all over the country as well as overseas.
鈥淭oday is the beginning of our campaign to open the prison doors to let our Red Shirts brothers and sisters free鈥, Jutaporn told the concert.
Jutaporn disputed suggestions that the Red Shirts were giving up their fight in the name of 鈥渞econciliation鈥. There would be no reconciliation without justice, he said. 鈥淲e need to get justice for the dead and fairness for those still alive, but today the murderers still free. The killers got promoted while the victims were killed or were locked up. We cannot accept this kind of nation.鈥
Jutaporn said that the government had accused him of refusing offers of reconciliation, of 鈥減utting out his feet鈥 to its offers of a 鈥渉andshake鈥. But how can the reconciliation happen, he asked, when the government was 鈥渙ffering its feet by giving bullets to us first鈥? See the a video of Jutaporn's speech at the concert .
One of the participants in the Pattaya rally, 鈥淕unn鈥 (not his real name for security reasons) sent 麻豆传媒 photographs of a 鈥渄ie-in鈥 action the following day on the beach organised by the 鈥淩ed Sunday鈥 group around outspoken activist Sombat Boonngamanong, who has serially defied the emergency laws prohibiting protests.
In the September 5 beach action, Sombat organised games and street theatre on the beach and then a big beach cleanup. About 1000 people participated. A group of 10 uniformed police turned up at the end but just stood around with nothing to do!
On May 21, Sombat and friends organised a gathering at a park on Lat Phrao Road in Bangkok to exhibit photos of dead protesters and stage a small performance. A large number of armed police arrived and dispersed them. On June 26, Sombat was arrested when he tied a large red ribbon at the Ratchaprasong intersection to commemorate the people killed by the military in that area on May 19.
On July 11, just two days after he was released from detention, Sombat repeated his red ribbon protest on a signpost at Ratchaprasong intersection, together with hundreds of supporters (watch .). Several of these protesters painted their arms red and lay on the ground next to posters reading: "People died here".
On August 7, Sombat staged another symbolic protest by tying a red banner at the City Tower Clock of Chiang Rai province in order to denounce the authorities' harassment against five students who earlier staged a protest against the emergency decree in Chiang Rai. According to an August report in the Nation, one of the five students is just 16 years old. He was forced to have a check-up at a mental hospital by the authorities.
Since then the Red Sunday group has organised numerous other symbolic actions, including mass exercise routines by red-shirted participants, dance competitions, die-ins and attempts to break through stifling internet censorship the Thai government has imposed.
鈥淭his is eighth time I have protested with Khun Sombat鈥, Gunn proudly told 麻豆传媒. 鈥淪ome Red Shirts don't think it's safe enough to come out and choose to `wait and see'. But our group is not waiting. There are no fixed tactics for fighting for democracy... Our group's current tactic is to organise symbolic actions in the form of the ordinary things that people do, like doing exercise or going to the beach,鈥 Gunn explained. 鈥淭his way the government cannot accuse us of doing something illegal.鈥
鈥淥ver the previous two weeks Khun Sombat has been in Chiang Mai to carry out many activities together with the local Red Shirts. Most Red Shirts at the first fought for democracy and because their popular vote for former deposed PM Thaksin Shinawatra was denied by the military [which installed the current government led by PM Abhisit Vejjajiva]. But now they fight for more reasons! They fight the old power which has run Thailand for many, many years. They fight for those who died in struggle for democracy.鈥
The people in the Red Sunday group are not pawns of Thaksin, said Gunn. 鈥淲e have a commitment between us to a bigger purpose, democracy, and this commitment telling us to keep fighting.鈥
The Abhisit regime has begun trying some of the Red Shirt leaders on charges of committing terrorist acts, inciting unrest and holding illegal gatherings. Others remain in detention and some are still being denied access to lawyers.
Sombat has promised to gather other Red Shirts to visit lesser-known Red Shirts activists in detention. Sombat doubted the willingness of the Law Society of Thailand to assist Red Shirts, adding that the society has a history of bias against Red Shirts.
, imposed in May, are still in force in Bangkok and in six other provinces. They have been lifted in some of the most popular tourist areas.
On September 17-19, the Red Shirts will be protesting yet again.
Thanks to several Red Shirt comrades, who must remain anonymous, for their assistance in writing this article.
As part of the international day of solidarity commemorating four months since the bloody military crushing of the Red Shirt protest in Bangkok on May 19, Thai Red Australia will be holding an action, with street theatre, 1-4pm, Sunday September 19, in front of Sydney Town Hall. Please come and show your support - perhaps bring some red roses as they will be doing in Thailand outside the jails where Red Shirt activists are being held. For more information email thairedaustralia@hotmail.com