Thai anti-gov't protesters to mark clash anniversary

BANGKOK, May 14 -- The Anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will hold four days of speeches as well as a parade in Bangkok, starting from Friday, as there comes the 17 anniversary of bloodsheding clashes between the military and protesters in May, 1992, Thai News Agency reported.

The planned activities by UDD members in the four days include to destroy and burn deposit books of Bangkok Bank on Saturday, which the UDD charges has supported the present coalition government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

During the clashes in May 1992, referred to as "Bloody May" in Thai history, the military under the government of then prime minister Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon opened fire at demonstrators, who called for the resignation of the seize-power-by-coup prime minister. Hundreds of people were killed and many remain missing till now.

The bloody massacre ended after His Majesty the King intervened and Gen. Suchinda resigned from his short-lived premiership.

On Sunday morning, Buddhist religious rites will be held at the Democracy Monument, followed by a candle-lit event in memory of people who were killed during "Bloody May".

Also, UDD leaders are organizing a dinner event on May 23 to raise funds for their movement, and the group is launching a Thai-language weekly newspaper called the "Red News".

UDD, or red-shirts, is a political group that supports the ousted former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. A prolonged UDD rally kicked off on March 26 and developed into chaos when a flock of red-shirts managed to storm into the venue of 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits on April 11, forcing the summits to be cancelled. The rally dispersed after clashes broke out on April 13-14 between red-shirts and security forces and Bangkok residents, leaving more than 100 injured and two dead.

UDD later claimed the military used real bullets to shoot at protesters during the clash, though the government denied it.