Red shirt group aborts plan to besiege TPBS in Chiang Mai

A group of over 100 red-shirt members of the progovernment camp on Monday laid siege to the TPBS after the TV station reported that some government supporters were paid to join the November 1 rally at Bangkok's Rajamangkala stadium.

The TPBS director, Thepchai Yong, went on a TPBS programme late Monday night to apologise to the angry protesters.

"I apologise for causing innocent people troubles," he said. The protesters then dispersed peacefully.

However, the group later demanded that the TV director apologise to them according to the script they had agreed earlier. It threatened to surround the station again if this was not done.

This prompted the station to evacuate its staff yesterday morning. But in the afternoon, the group changed its mind, saying it would no longer surround the station. However, it insisted that nobody had paid them to protest.

Petchawat Wattanapongsirikul, leader of the Love Chinag Mai 51 the protesters, said the group had reviewed Thepchai's apology in video and felt satisfied. The group then agreed not to surround the office again. However, it was the group's own decision, not by an order of anyone.

TPBS news division director Takerng Somsup and a group of news anchors went to the temporary government seat at the Don Mueang Airport to petition Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to protect the media from intimidation.

Government Spokesman Natthawut Saikua received the petition.

Takerng said TPBS had worked constitutionally but was threatened by the progovernment group. Natthawut said TPBS's apology to the angry public was respectable. The media and the public should be able to find peaceful resolution.