October 17, 2009
BANGKOK (AFP) - About 2,000 "Red Shirt" supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra rallied in Bangkok Saturday to pressure the Thai government over their petition seeking a royal pardon for the fugitive former prime minister.
The protesters gathered in the capital's historic quarter in the afternoon and more were expected there later in the day, according to deputy national police spokesman Piya Utayo.
Thailand has invoked a harsh internal security law and deployed more than 2,000 police officers to ensure the demonstration does not turn violent. Piya said the situation so far was "normal".
The red-clad protesters want the government to speed up the process of their petition, which they say at least 3.5 million signed in support of Thaksin, who fled the kingdom last August to escape a two-year jail term for corruption.
The twice-elected billionaire, who will address his followers by phone late Saturday, was toppled in a military coup in 2006 and the nation is still deeply divided between his fans and foes.
Thaksin's backers forced the cancellation of a major Asian summit in April and then rioted for two days in Bangkok before a crackdown by the army. Two people were killed and 123 injured.
