The red shirts' threat to stage a rally at Chulalongkorn University today to counter an emerging movement calling for political peace forced the latter to switch the venue for its gathering to Lumpini Park and prompted the university to shut itself down for three days.
Political volatility yesterday shifted to Chulalongkorn as it seemed the "pro-peace" demonstrators might have to hold a rally a few metres away from the visiting supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
The red shirts, frustrated and under pressure following failed negotiations with the government, vowed to visit the university's campus in the afternoon to demand the same right to demonstrate there as the growing anti-red network calling themselves pro-peace.
The university, concerned about the safety of students and its personnel, announced yesterday evening that the campus would be closed from last night through to Monday morning. This led to anxiety that the anti-red and red-shirt demonstrators might be only a few metres apart this afternoon.
CAUSING JITTERS
Red-shirt leader Natthawut Saikua said the protesters going to Chulalongkorn today would be a group of "medium size, neither big nor small", but the red shirts' plan to stage their first-ever demonstration at an academic institution immediately caused jitters.
Moreover, the red shirts made it clear yesterday that they regarded the other side as being "a government tool" created to weaken or discredit them.
"Pink" leaders told The Nation last night that their demonstration would go ahead, even if that meant the demonstrators would have to gather outside Chulalongkorn's main gates on Phya Thai Road.
"Of course, we are concerned," said a "pink" leader, Tri-dao Apaiwong, an Arts Faculty lecturer at the university. "But we have resolved to go ahead with the plan. We can't let fear keep us from getting up and doing something about this situation."
The "pink" movement, however, decided late last night to have its members gather at Lumpini Park to join a parallel assembly of hundreds of businessmen affected by the ongoing political crisis.
Hundreds of policemen and soldiers were about to be deployed inside the campus last night after the red-shirt leaders pulled no punches in attacking the institution as the "servant of the elite".
Despite the red shirts' criticism, the "pink" movement seemed to be gaining momentum in its efforts to seek support from academics, businessmen and civic-society organisations. The movement's proclaimed mission of seeking an immediate and peaceful end to the political confrontation has considerably resonated with a lot of Bangkokians frustrated with the red shirts.
The red shirts' scepticism about the "pink" movement was somewhat ironical, considering their major complaint was that they were regarded as Thaksin's "tools" rather than a pure political force yearning for democracy.
"We would like to make a plea to the red shirts," said Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd, Army spokesman and also spokesman of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, which is in charge of coping with the red-shirt protests. "Nobody has tried to stop you from voicing your opinions. You are demanding democracy, so you must first learn to respect other people's rights and not to intimidate others who want to exercise their rights in the same way as you."
He said the government would do its best to prevent confrontation today.
The "pink" campaign will be taking place on the eve of another red "D-day", when another massive red gathering is expected although it remains a secret what the protest leaders are planning to do.
The red shirts' suspicion of the "pink" movement may have a lot to do with a prevailing sentiment in the latter group that the government should not dissolve the House of Representatives now as demanded by the pro-Thaksin protesters. The no-dissolution advocates have cited the risk of denting investor confidence as well as the unresolved Map Ta Phut issue as reasons.
Thaksin, meanwhile, did not make his usual phone-in yesterday. Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan said Thaksin was ill again. Earlier in the day, Thaksin tweeted that he was in Dubai and in good health and spirits.
"It's funny to read news stories about me having cancer and getting bald," Thaksin said in one tweet.
His phone-ins have revolved around the same old issues over the past few days, as he kept calling on his supporters not to give up, while attacking the government for being insincere.
