Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Tens of thousands of red-skirts took to the streets in Bangkok yesterday. Anti-government protesters who back ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra want the release of their movement’s leaders. They pledged to continue their struggle despite a decision of the International Criminal Court not to intervene against the Thai government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for violence against its critics and Thai dissidents.
According to police, about 27,000 people marched peacefully in the capital. They created a long human snake, going by the various venues of last year’s protest, when the city was brought to a standstill and 90 killed and thousands wounded. Protesters ended their march at the Democracy Monument.
Yesterday’s action was the second of its kind by red-skirts and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) since the government lifted the state of emergency on 22 December.
Nineteen of the group's leaders and dozens of supporters remain in detention after protests and clashes with security forces last year.
One of the UDD leaders, Jatuporn Prompan, said the group was trying "to make less trouble for people who live and work around the protest sites". For this reason, only one rally would be held a month as opposed to the two that had been announced earlier.
In the meantime, the International Criminal Court rejected an application by red-skirt leaders to try Prime Minister Abhisit and his government for violence against opponents. The court said it did not have jurisdiction over “political crimes” in Thailand.
Despite the setback, red-skirt leaders pledged to continue their fight for democracy in the country.
Tomorrow, nationalists will join yellow-skirt activists from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in a counter rally. Another day of tensions is likely to follow. In fact, police are concerned about possible clashes between red-skirt and yellow-skirt militants.