Representatives of the Thai anti-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) announced Friday they have shifted the venue for a new anti-government rally planned on Saturday from Samut Sakorn Province near Bangkok to Sanam Luang

Representatives of the Thai anti-government group, United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), announce during a press conference in Bangkok on April 24, 2009 that they will hold a new anti-government rally in central Bangkok on April 25. The UDD announcement was made shortly after the Thai government officially announced the government had lifted the state of emergency imposed earlier on Bangkok and districts of five nearby provinces. (Xinhua/Thana Nuntavoranut)

“This rally will mark the beginning of the new (anti-government)movement of the UDD group after the April 13’s incident,” said Somyod Preuksakasemsuk, one of the UDD representatives.

The change of the rally venue occurred after the Thai government officially announced Friday the government had lifted the state of emergency imposed earlier in Bangkok and some districts of five nearby provinces, effective from 12:00 local time (0500 GMT), Friday.

The Thai government, led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, had viewed currently the government can control the overall situation and also can prevent any possible violence. The Prime Minister then decided to lift the state of emergency.

On Monday, amid the continued enforcement of the state of emergency in Bangkok, the UDD representatives announced they would stage the rally in Samut Sakorn province.

The new rally’s purpose was to demand the government to free all of UDD core leaders, who have been arrested and detained after the scattered rioting in Bangkok ended recently, said the UDD representatives.

Also, the government must stop immediately interrupting broadcast of DTV television and local community radios, which are the sources of information concerning the anti-government movements, said UDD representatives.

It was expected that at least 2,000 red-shirted people would participate in the rally on Saturday, said Somyod.

The state of emergency was declared by the government on Sunday afternoon, April 12, in capital Bangkok and some districts of five nearby provinces, citing the escalating violence due to the scattered anti-government rallies.

Prior to the state of emergency’s declaration, on April 11, the anti-government protestors stormed into the venue of the then-ongoing ASEAN summit at beach resort Pattaya bordering Bangkok and related summits, resulting in the cancellation of all of the summits.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet