Thailand, April 12: Thailand’s prime minister has accused “terrorists” of inciting deadly weekend violence as defiant “Red Shirts” paraded the bodies of protesters and empty coffins through the tense streets.
The demonstrators said the time for negotiations was over and vowed to press on with their bid to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva following the bloodiest political unrest in Bangkok in 18 years.
“From the overall picture we clearly found that terrorists used pro-democracy protesters to incite the unrest, hoping for total change in our country,” Mr Abhisit said in a nationally televised address.
“We have to differentiate innocent people from terrorists,” he said, adding that peaceful protesters’ demands for democracy should be addressed in the political arena.
The Red Shirts, who hail from mainly poor and rural areas of Thailand, insist they will not end their campaign until the government calls fresh polls and Mr Abhisit stands down and leaves the country.
“There will be no talks with the government. We will not talk with killers,” said Reds leader Jatuporn Prompan.
“What else is there to talk about?”
Seventeen civilians, including a Japanese cameraman, and four soldiers were killed Saturday after the army launched a crackdown on the supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, following weeks of mass demonstrations.
Pick-up trucks carrying two bodies of protesters and 14 empty caskets draped with Thai flags led a procession through central Bangkok. Thousands of protesters later massed outside Mr Abhisit’s house, guarded by hundreds of police.
“We want people in Bangkok to know what happened to the Red Shirts because the government and the army control the news,” said Chakkricth Kadeeluck, a 34-year-old watch seller from Chonburi, east of Bangkok.
“The Red Shirts want the people to know the truth.”
Mr Abhisit offered last month to hold elections by the end of 2010 – one year ahead of schedule – to end the stand-off, but protest leaders rejected the proposal.
The government on Monday also played down local media reports that Mr Abhisit might offer to bring forward the polls to October.
“There was no talk of elections in October yet,” said government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn.
Thousands of Reds, who accuse the current government of being elitist and army-backed, have refused to end a month of mass rallies that have dealt a heavy blow to the country’s vital tourist sector.
Deepening fears about the impact of the crisis on the economy sent Thai stocks plunging more than five per cent in early afternoon trade on Monday as Thailand’s neighbours voiced their concern about the turmoil.
—Agencies