Yellow shirts active in Phuket

CAPE PANWA, PHUKET: Around 100 yellow shirted members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) gathered at the navy base at Cape Panwa yesterday to deliver a letter to the military demanding tough action against the red shirt protesters in Bangkok.

PAD members led by Somnuk Tuito and Ms Aparat Chartchutikumjorn gave the letter to Vice Admiral Chumnum Ajwong of the Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Area Command Base.

The letter listed three demands:

That the government declare more clearly its policy on how to stop the unrest caused by the red shirts;

That the government consider declaring martial law to use force against red shirts in any province where they are gathering illegally;

That commanders of the armed forces across the country consider the actions of the red shirts to be terrorism.

“The PAD is ready to support the defense of the country and maintain peace,” Ms Aparat said.

“We can’t stand to see more people die,” said Mr Somnuk.

The letter was accepted by Commodore Suchart Tammapitakwaech, director of the Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Area Command Base’s Civil Affairs Division.

Commodore Suchart said, “Thank you to the people who care about and love this country. I will report these demands to the commanders soon.”

The visit follows by less than three months a similar visit to the base by a handful of red shirt supporters, ostensibly to urge the military not to stage a coup against the government of PM Abhisit Vejajiva.

The visit was aborted when the flower-bearing red shirts were attacked by a group of angry local residents.

— Sitthipong Nongkaew