Saturday, March 20, 2010

Thai govt and 'Red Shirts' to hold talks:: senator

Asian Defense News: BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) - – A Thai government minister is to meet a representative of the "Red Shirt" protesters holding mass anti-government rallies in Bangkok, a senator said Saturday.

Satit Wonghnongtaey, the minister attached to the prime minister's office, and Weng Tojirakarn, considered a second-tier leader of the protest movement, will meet at midday on Monday, Senator Lertrat Ratanavanich told AFP.

The protesters, who back former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, had previously refused the government's offer of talks unless current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva agreed to their demand to call snap elections.

Thai govt and 'Red Shirts' to hold talks:: senator

"Satit and Weng Tojirakarn from the Red Shirt protesters agreed to meet on Monday noon," Lertrat said, declining to disclose the venue.

"The first meeting will be to set up a framework of talks," he said.

The Red Shirts, who are mainly from the poor and rural north and northeast of Thailand, have not yet commented on the meeting but it was also confirmed by a government spokesman.

Their so-far peaceful anti-government rally drew more than 100,000 when it began last weekend, and they went on to use attention-grabbing tactics such as splattering Abhisit's home and offices with their own blood.

The rally has since appeared to wane, but on Saturday they packed trucks, cars and motorbikes in a carnival-like convoy aimed at winning over the capital's residents, in what they have dubbed their "class war".

The Reds believe the government is elitist and illegitimate, as it came to power with army support via a parliamentary vote in December 2008 after a controversial court ruling removed Thaksin's allies.

Earlier Saturday, Abhisit said that Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption, was an "obstacle to negotiation" between the government and the Red Shirts.

Thaksin himself has regularly egged on the protesters from exile via videolink this week.

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