No end in sight to "red shirt" protest, Thaksin video link скачать в хорошем качестве

No end in sight to "red shirt" protest, Thaksin video link

(19 Mar 2010) SHOTLIST 19 March 2010 1. Wide of stage at red shirt rally 2. Various of red shirt protesters cheering 3. Close-up of protester wearing red T-shirt with picture of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on front 4. Close-up of woman blowing whistle 5. Protesters walking to rally site 6. Red shirts security guards partly blocking street 7. Riot police standing in line 8. Close-up pull focus of police officers'' hands holding shields 9. Close-up of riot police wearing helmets 18 March 2010 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 10. Wide of audience of red shirt protesters watching big screen showing Thaksin addressing them 11. Screen showing Thaksin speaking to crowd via videolink 12. Wide of crowd cheering and waving clackers 13. Wide of crowd watching screen 14. Various of crowd watching STORYLINE Tens of thousands of demonstrators remained encamped in the heart of the Thai capital on Friday, vowing to wage a "class war" until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolves parliament and calls fresh elections - a demand he has repeatedly rejected. The so-called "red shirts" largely consist of supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup for alleged corruption, and pro-democracy activists who opposed the army takeover. Four days of mass demonstrations by the protesters this week paralysed parts of Bangkok but avoided violence, which was widely feared. More than 100-thousand demonstrators converged on the capital on Sunday, and organisers boasted that they would topple the government within days. But the crowd shrank on Wednesday to around 40-thousand, according to Major General Vichai Sangparpai, a metropolitan police commander. Leaders of the movement, which is formally known as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, say a two-thousand-vehicle protest through the streets of the capital is planned for Saturday. The rallies this week featured shock tactics like splattering jugs of protesters'' own blood at the private home of Abhisit on Wednesday and at the government headquarters a day earlier. The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday offered to mediate between the protestors and the government, raising hopes that an end to the protest could be negotiated. But on Thursday night Thaksin rejected the watchdog''s role, according to Thai media reports. He spoke to thousands of his supporters via videolink from an undisclosed location. Thaksin is popular among the rural poor for his populist policies. His supporters believe Abhisit came to power illegitimately with the connivance of the military and other parts of the traditional ruling class and that only new elections can restore integrity to Thai democracy. The protesters say they will stay camped out in Bangkok until Abhisit dissolves parliament and calls new elections. For the past week, Abhisit has been sleeping at an army base outside Bangkok to avoid the demonstrations. He said on Thursday that the government was ready to hold talks with protesters, but only if they stop throwing blood and blocking government offices, and remain peaceful. Thaksin was ousted by the military in 2006 amid allegations of massive corruption and cronyism. In February, a Thai court ruled that Thaksin abused his power to enrich himself and his family while in office and ordered the seizure of 1.4 (b) billion US dollars worth of his assets. Thaksin also faces a two-year jail term from an earlier conviction. He fled abroad to avoid arrest. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...