Get the reds in order, PM tells Yingluck

Says Pheu Thai nominee doesn't deserve to be leader if she can't stop abusive mobs, after incidents in Samut Prakan

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva called on Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday to get red shirts to stop bullying him.

Abhisit made the demand after he cut short a campaign rally in Samut Prakan after a group of over 200 red shirts gathered to protest against him at a fresh market.

Abhisit said if Yingluck could not control the behaviour of the red shirts she would not deserve the prime minister's post.

The Democrat leader said he would not file a complaint yet with the Election Commission, as he did not want to see Pheu Thai cry foul that he was persecuting it.

Abhisit said the Pheu Thai supporters in Samut Prakan behaved in a way that ended with security officials asking him to stop campaigning. "I would like to call on Yingluck to express her stand to keep her supporters in control so that other parties can hold election campaigns," Abhisit said. "If she is unable to tell her supporters to stop, how can she run the country?"

Abhisit met several groups of red shirts holding signs and symbols to protest against him while he campaigned in Samut Prakan from 7.25am to 11:25am early yesterday.

Samut Prakan is known to be a red-shirt area with many ardent Pheu Thai supporters.

Abhisit kicked off the campaign in front of the Tambon Samrong Nua Municipality at 7.25 am. The PM and party-list candidate Alongkorn Pollabutr turned up to help Soracha Wirachartwattana campaign in Samut Prakan's Constituency 2.

His vehicle procession moved past the Imperial Samrong shopping mall to Soi Dan Samrong to campaign at the local community.

Then several red shirtsturned out to shout and cursed Abhisit. While his procession was heading deeper into the soi at the Likhit Fresh Market, local residents came out with red-shirt symbols and displayed banners attacking him.

His procession moved past a Pheu Thai campaign vehicle and a spokesman asked people not to show hostility against Abhisit. The prime minister waved to the Pheu Thai campaign team and smiled when hearing the spokesman speak.

At 10.30am, Abhisit campaigned at the Praeksa Market in Muang district. He thanked his supporters for showing support for the Democrats. He said he was not discouraged by the "welcome" of local red shirts.

At 11am, Abhisit arrived at the Eam Charone Market. Here, Democrat supporters tussled briefly with the red shirts, who came to protest against the prime minister.

A mob of 200 red shirts gathered, holding banners that criticised the prime minister and kept shouting at him.

Abhisit stopped the campaign at 11.25am before his group reached the spot where the 200 red shirts stood. He returned immediately to the Democrats' head office.

Yingluck said later her party had nothing to do with people showing opposition to the PM. She said the people had a right to explain their opinions, but they should do it peacefully.

Meanwhile, Abhisit said Pheu Thai should not be worried by the Democrats' plan to rally at Central World near Rajprasong. He said the rally would not block nearby roads.

"We won't incite anything but we will tell the people about the cause of problems which the country is facing," Abhisit said.

Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday that the Democrats were not worried about consequences of the rally.

"We can't be worried by anything," Suthep replied when reporters asked if the rally would fuel anger among red shirts. "We only think that Thais who own the country should hear information from all sides and use their own judgement instead of only listening to distorted information of the Pheu Thai every day."