Red shirts mark 2nd anniversary of Khok Wua clashes
The red shirts movement on Wednesday gathered near the Democracy Monument on Rajdamnoen Avenue to mark the second anniversary of their deadly protests against the then Abhisit Vejjajiva administration.
Its leader Thida Thavornseth, together with Pheu Thai MPs Natthawut Saikua, Jatuporn Prompan, Korkaew Pikulthong and Weng Tojirakarn, held a religious ceremony for red shirt protesters who died during the political demonstrations on April 10, 2010.
The families of the victims and reds members also attended the ceremony, which took place outside Satreewitthaya School, near the Democracy Monument.
Thida said the activity was to commemorate the Red Shirt protest at the Democracy Monument and Khok Wua intersection on Rachadamnoen Avenue two years ago, which claimed a number of lives.
Thida hailed the Yingluck government for the progress made in investigating the clashes. She also urged the government to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the UDD is prepared to ask it to investigate the crackdown on the protesters.
She wants a fair investigation process for all parties, regardless of whether they are members of the public or state officials.
On Tuesday, Korn Chatikavanich, deputy leader of the Democrat Party and some party members, gathered at Democracy Monument to lay a wreath marking the 2nd anniversary of the Khok Wua incident.
Korn said he hoped that truth would prevail and those who committed the wrongdoings would be brought to justice.
He would do everything possible to prevent any repetition of the incident.
The 2010 protests against Abhisit government turned violent with sporadic grenade attacks and shooting incidents. Both members of the red movement and military troopers were killed during the violence.
The Khok Wua incident was one of several major clashes in which 25 people were killed and more than 800 were wounded when the security forces tried to disperse the anti-government supporters from their protest site at Phan Fa bridge on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.
Among the dead were Col Romklao Thuwatham, deputy chief of staff of the 2nd Infantry Division, and Japanese cameraman Hiroyuki Muramoto who worked for Reuters news agency.
State officials however said the protest turned violent because of a group of unknown black-clad men who fired on soldiers and protesters.
The Red Shirt protest ended on May 19 when a government military operation forced them to end their protest at Ratchaprasong intersection.
More than 90 people, mainly civilians, were killed in the 10-week-long street clashes.
Riots in the protest areas were followed by arson attacks, which destroyed or damaged more than 30 buildings, including the high-end shopping mall CentralWorld.
