Jatuporn vows to take to the streets again if two projects implemented
Former red shirt leader raises the red flag on government’s casinos and 99-year land lease plans
Former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan vowed on Saturday he would lead protesters on the streets again if the Pheu Thai-led government went ahead with its plan to legalise casinos and allow foreign investors to lease land for 99 years.
Jatuporn was giving a speech at an event held at the Peace TV satellite TV station on Ram-Indra Road.
Jatuporn, a former leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), was speaking to mark his 59th birthday. The event was organised by the Khana Lomruam Prachachon (Melting Pot Group), which vowed to unite people of all colour groups, including the red and yellow shirts.
The event was attended by many former supporters of the red-shirt and yellow-shirt groups and student activists from Ramkhamhaeng University.
Jatuporn claimed that he had learned the government would allow investors to build eight casino complexes in Thailand and would allow a giant foreign conglomerate to lease some 300,000 rai (48,000 hectares) of land in Ranong and Chumphon provinces to build and operate the ambitious southern land bridge project.
Jatuporn said once the government gives the green light for building the casinos and leasing 300,000 rai of land for 99 years, he would lead protesters to occupy Bangkok streets.
Jatuporn used to lead red-shirt protesters against the Democrat-led government of then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for months, shutting down the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok, before a crackdown by the military in April and May 2010.
On Sunday, former senator Wanchai Sornsiri said on his YouTube channel that Jatuporn would not be able to rally massive numbers of protesters like he used to in the past.
Wanchai explained that the current government was not involved in scandals that could provoke protests. Besides, he said several former leaders of the UDD and the People’s Democratic Reform Committee – yellow-shirt group – are now working for the government, so their supporters would not join the Jatuporn-led protest.
