Minus red shirts, hard-core 500 refuse to quit

The atmosphere was tense as distraught protesters tried to convince one another not to give up their cause of overthrowing what they believed to be the elite-bureaucratic control over politics and the poor. They removed their red shirts because they had become enemies of not only the state, but also some Bangkok residents, who were outraged at the fires and attacks unleashed by some reds since Sunday.

Most are distrustful of strangers whom they do not recognise. They rant against the Thai media, which they believe to be on the government side, and harbour a deep sense of injustice against what they believe to be double-standard treatment of them vis-a-vis the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy protests last year.

"Do ask around and see if there's anyone who does not hate this government," one protester told The Nation.

"No, I don't hate them, but I dislike the fact there's no justice in this land," a woman answered.

A man who claimed to be a red-shirt off-duty police officer showed his bulletproof vest with a bullet lodged in it, claiming he was shot at on Monday by a soldier.

"The government kills people!" shouts another man, as some examine pictures of what appeared to be seriously if not fatally injured red protesters covered in blood.

Although protesters believe many were killed and their bodies taken away by the Army, the government insists nobody was killed by the troops and that the two deaths on Monday night resulted from the reds killing two residents.

A group of political activists and the Student Federation of Thailand are investigating the claim about the alleged deaths at the hands of the authorities.

The Phan Fah Bridge protesters, numbering about 200, were chased away by soldiers who marched past Democracy Monument after the group began to gather more people.

Sanam Luang, their last major gathering place, became tense as 100 anti-riot police officers arrived to carry out a mopping-up operation. Police told them they were breaking the emergency decree, which bars political gatherings of five or more persons.

Shortly before 6pm, many people gathered around a foreign journalist who was interviewing Army Lieutenant Sunisa Lertpakawat, who arrived to record the scene on video.

"[The Thai media] don't broadcast all the scenes of the incidents," said Sunisa, better known as Muad Jeab and famous for her controversial books about Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sunisa shed tears as she said bullets "bought by people's tax money [were used] to kill the people".

Upon learning the foreign journalist was also president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, Sunisa leaned on his left shoulder, wept and said: "Many people need your help."

"Muad Jeab is our heroine!" shouted one person.

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said smaller groups of protesters held noisy gatherings at a few locations in the city centre, such as Sanam Luang. They no longer wore red and told passers-by that troops taking part in Monday's crackdown had used live bullets, a claim that was untrue, he said.

Sansern said the military would be on alert in all districts of Bangkok following intelligence reports of possible acts of sabotage.