THAILAND: Yellow shirts commemorate three-year anniversary of bloody protest in Bangkok

Record ID: 575132

  • Title: THAILAND: Yellow shirts commemorate three-year anniversary of bloody protest in Bangkok
  • Date: 8th October 2011
  • Summary: PHOTOGRAPHS OF YELLOW SHIRTS WHO DIED IN PROTESTS
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand, Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6J1H2120H4CQM3ZUROZY6RKIR
  • Story Text: Thailand's yellow shirts commemorated the three-year anniversary of their 2008 violent clash with Thai police on Friday (October 7) with a Buddhist ceremony.
    Around 300 yellow shirts gathered at Royal Plaza to hand out food to 85 Buddhist monks and took part in the early morning prayers to remember the event which left two dead and many more injured.
    Sonthi Limthongkul, a leader of the People's Alliance of Democracy (PAD) said the annual event serves to remember those who lost their lives in the October 7 protest.
    "This event is held every year on October 7 so that society will remember the sacrifice we made. They died as a result of a peaceful protest, by the weapons of the Thai officials," said Sonthi.
    Another prominent PAD leader, Chanmlong Srimuang, also paid his respects to those who died in numerous violent protests against the government that was backed by ousted ex Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
    Yellow shirt Thanya Kunkaew lost his leg in the 2008 protest.
    "It's not worth it. It is very painful because I've lost my leg due to the unreasonable force of the government," he said.
    Thousands of protesters had surrounded the Parliament in Bangkok back in 2008, demanding then-Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who was backed by Thaksin, to resign.
    The police crackdown that followed resulted in the death of two yellow shirts and dozens injured.
    The yellow shirts continued their protests in Bangkok, notably at the airports, and they were instrumental in bringing down the former pro-Thaksin government.
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