Phuket Gazette Thailand News: White masks rally; Democrats win Don Mueang; Monks and supercars; Crime re-enactments under the gun

– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: Anti-government white-mask protesters gathered in many provinces yesterday despite opposition from red-shirt supporters of the government.

In Bangkok, about 1,000 people – many wearing white Guy Fawkes masks – gathered at the Central World shopping complex yesterday afternoon.

It was the third weekly gathering for the white maskers in the capital.

The demonstrators walked past the Royal Thai Police headquarters, located not far from Ratchaprasong shopping district. The walk was intended to protest against police “inaction” over red shirts’ acts of intimidation against white-mask people in Chiang Mai on Friday.

White maskers also gathered in other provinces to show solidarity with the Chiang Mai protesters, despite earlier physical abuse by red-shirt supporters of the government and ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

In Bangkok, the demonstrators shouted “Thaksin’s lackeys, get out!” when they walked past the police headquarters.

About 50 red shirts gathered at the nearby Gaysorn department centre, but there were no reports of clashes between the two groups.

Street demonstrations by the white-mask people were also held in other provinces. These included the northeastern provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram and Khon Kaen, and the southern provinces of Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The number of mask-wearing demonstrators was estimated at a few hundred in those provincial gatherings.

According to the Facebook page of ‘V for Thailand’, which releases information about the white mask movement, similar gatherings were held in more than 22 provinces in all regions.

Earlier yesterday, red shirts gathered in Khon Kaen in a show of support for the Yingluck government, lambasting the anti-administration white mask group and the Democrat Party. Around 200 red shirts gathered at the city shrine opposite the Central Department store, taking to a stage to attack the white mask group and the opposition party. They also issued a letter of protest to Central for allowing the white mask group to use its compound to stage anti-government protests on June 9.

Meanwhile, Phumjai Chaiya, a red-shirt leader known as DJ Tom from Chiang Mai, has called on red shirts via a “red” community radio from Lamphun, Lampang and Chiang Mai to travel to the Three Kings monument on Phra Pokklao Road in Chiang Mai for a show of force against the white mask protesters.

Phumjai said although there was a clash between the white masks and the red shirts during the anti-government protest at Chiang Mai University’s Health Park and Hillside Condominium on Friday, red shirts had been instructed not to resort to violence. They would gather peacefully so that their rally does not trouble members of the public and tourists.

Pheu Thai MP for Lamphun, Sanguan Pongmani, yesterday contested allegations that the red shirts resorted to violent suppression of the white-mask group. He said the red shirts did not start the assault as alleged, claiming that reds were enraged because “their leaders were killed during the protest at the Ratchaprasong intersection in 2010”. He said the red shirts were also challenged by white mask protesters holding placards lambasting Thaksin Shinawatra.

Green Politics coordinator Suriyasai Katasila demanded that the Yingluck government rein in the red shirts to prove that it does not support violence or intend to lead the country into anarchy so that it can stage a coup against its own government.

Suriyasai said the conflict between the red shirts and the white masks was intensifying and likely to spread to many provinces. The government and police must stop the red shirts, especially those in Chiang Mai carrying out illegal acts. The government camp had been acting like a hypocrite and police had been lax, he said.

“The government has not taken any action over the clash of protesters as it wants such reports to divert public attention or overshadow reports of rice pledging losses. The government’s failure in its major policies and its failed administration could trigger a repeat of ‘dark power’ taking control of the country as happened in 2006,” he said.

“The government is creating the conditions for a coup because not only should it have prevented the clashes, it has actually been pulling the strings behind them.”

Pheu Thai MP Prompong Nopparit denied the party’s MPs were behind the red shirts in instigating a violent clash against the white masks.

PHUKET: The opposition Democrat Party yesterday gained the upper hand in Don Muang district after its candidate Tankhun Jitt-itsara snatched a narrow victory over the ruling Pheu Thai Party’s Yuranunt Pamornmontri in the MP by-election for Constituency 12, according to unofficial results.

Tankhun was leading with 32,710 votes against Yuranunt’s 30,624 when 99 per cent of the ballots were counted. Constituency 12, which covers most of Don Muang district, has 108,495 eligible voters.

They showed up in force at polling stations, despite the downpours in many areas of the constituency.

Pumipat Damrongkiatisak, director of the Don Muang District Office, said that at least 70 per cent of eligible voters braved the weather to cast their ballots. The voter turnout was 72 per cent in past general elections.

The Election Commission is expected to release the official election results within seven days, he added.

Tankhun also won the advance voting on the previous Sunday. Of the 168 ballots cast, 102 went to No 8, Tankhun’s candidacy number, and 59 to Yuranunt’s No 9.

One vote each went to two candidates from little known parties. There were two spoiled ballots and three “no vote” ballots. The advance ballots were tallied at the Don Muang District Office.

In the July 2011 general election, Tankhun lost to Pheu Thai candidate Karun Hosakul. However, the Supreme Court, at the recommendation of the Election Commission, disqualified Karun for framing his closest rival Tankhun.

The EC then called the by-election to fill the House seat vacated by Karun, who was deprived of his electoral rights for five years.

PHUKET: Investigators had already gathered information on the suspected owners of six luxury cars that mysteriously caught fire on a transporter in Nakhon Ratchasima while en route to be registered as re-assembled vehicles in Si Sa Ket late May.

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tarit Pengdit said yesterday as forensic investigators worked to identify the burned cars’ registration numbers, the transporter owner, A-ngoon Jeungsaengmanee, had volunteered information about others involved in hiring her company to transport the cars, besides Nathee Rewthong.

However, Tarit declined to give any details about the alleged involvement of others, or whether they were the real owners of the cars in question.

As for the rumour that the owners of the luxury cars were linked to people with political clout, Tarit said the DSI would look into the claims and any wrongdoers would be

— Phuket Gazette Editors

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