Red shirts' rally now on Nov 28

Nattawut Saikua said red-shirt protesters would gather at Democracy Monument on Saturday week and stay there overnight before moving to Royal Plaza the following day when a rehearsal of the Trooping of the Colours was completed.

"We expect one million people to join the rally," he claimed. "And protesters will walk along important roads throughout Bangkok to show off our greatest power," he said.

Nattawut, formerly a government spokesman, said the red shirts would disperse temporarily on December 2 to make way for ceremonies to mark His Majesty the King's birthday on December 5, and would re-gather after that.

"If the government continues to resist calls by one million people for the House to be dissolved and a new general election, the red shirts will come back to rally again after December 5. More people will join and we will continue our protest until we win," he said.

Before the major rally, small protests would be staged in all regions of the country next week to drum up support to "overthrow" the government.

Another red-shirt leader Jatuporn Phrompan yesterday criticised the government for allowing banned politician Newin Chidchob to head a committee to organise celebrations for His Majesty the King's birthday.

Jatuporn, who is an MP from the opposition Pheu Thai Party, said the government should not allow a person with a "tainted reputation" to be involved with such an important task. He accused Newin of trying to clean up his questionable political record by getting involved with organising the celebrations.

Meanwhile, fugitive red-shirt leader Jakrapob Penkair had a video link with the red shirts yesterday, but denied he was involved in trying to incite an insurrection.

"I have never given an interview to the foreign press threatening to smuggle weapons into Thailand from a neighbouring country," he said.

Jakrapob, who is wanted by police for his involvement in the April riots, said the allegation was a frame-up against him for political reasons. He insisted he had no involvement should violence erupt at the upcoming rally.

He said he saw the red-shirt rally as "a good thing" in the struggle to advance democracy although he would not comment about attempts to bring down the government.

"I am not certain whether democracy would resume if the government is brought down."

He said his splinter group, known as Daeng Siam (Red Siam), may eventually reunite with mainstream red shirts in spite of tactical differences.

Jakrapob also admitted he met with fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra last week in Cambodia. But he refused to disclose his whereabouts.

In a related development, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday that Thaksin, now an economic adviser to the Cambodian government, would be arrested if he entered the Northeast as he has reportedly said.

Asked if the government would impose the Internal Security Act during the red shirts' rally, he said he would wait for further information and recommendations from security agencies.

A senior intelligence source said the red shirts' protest next week would be watched carefully as it could turn violent. He said Thaksin had shown that his only objective now was to destroy the Abhisit government.

"During his visit to Cambodia as an economic adviser last week, Thaksin attacked the government by all means which implied that he was seeking to spark a final war," the source said. And the ex-PM's latest Twitter messages also attacked the government fiercely and directly. Thus, the red shirts could resort to any means, particularly violence, to help Thaksin achieve his goal.