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Thaksin urges supporters not to give up movement

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-28 11:19

BANGKOK: Amid the peaceful renewed anti-government rally in capital Bangkok on Saturday night, ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra urged his red-shirted supporters to keep up their anti-government movement.

An anti-government demonstrator holds a portrait of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during a rally in Bangkok June 27, 2009. Thaksin will make a phone-in address to his supporters on Saturday. [Agencies]

Thaksin phoned in to the cheering protestors at around 21:30 pm, local time, postponing from an earlier plan of making the phone in at 20:30 pm, local time, due to the heavy rain.

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The anti-government protestors, who are led by the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), have started re-gathering at Sanam Luang in the center of Bangkok from late Saturday afternoon.

By the time of his phone in, the number of the anti-government protestors was at around 20,000, the website by Bangkok Post reported.

"Brothers, sisters, you keep up your fighting, please do not let me alone, I would like to return to home (Thailand)," Thaksin said to his supporters.

Thaksin also attacked the current coalition government concerning its economic measures to tackle the economic crisis.

Thaksin said amid the economic crisis he has doubted if the government will be able to solve the problems as he cited that the current government has too much debt borrowing and tax hikes.

Thaksin was ousted by the military coup in September, 2006, in accusation of corruption, and kept in exile since then. Thaksin returned to Thailand in February, 2008 to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.

The latest move of the red-shirted people is the first time since they staged the scattered anti-government rioting in capital Bangkok in April. After the rioting ended, on April 15, the government said two died and other 133 people from both sides - the security forces and anti-government protestors -- were injured during the clashes amid the scattered rioting.

Earlier, core leaders of the renewed anti-government rally said their protest will be peaceful as they are demanding the coalition government to dissolve the House of Representatives and hold a general election.

The protestors will remain at Sanam Luang for the whole night, but will not march to rally at the Government House tonight, said UDD core leader Jatuporn Promphan.

Several red-shirted people are from the countryside and could not return home at night, hence the rally will continue until 06:00 am local time, of Sunday, and after that they can travel to their hometown, said Jatuporn.