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Now It's Red Side's Turn

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 29, 2008

BANGKOK - Thousands of supporters of Thailand's exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra began converging on Parliament on Sunday, vowing to stage demonstrations until the new government holds elections.

But the group said it would not block lawmakers from entering Parliament today, easing fears that the country was in for a repeat of the mass demonstrations that paralyzed the government for months and culminated in an eight-day seizure of the capital's airports by yellow-clad protesters.

This time, it was Thaksin loyalists instead of his opponents who took to the streets.

"Yes, we will move to Parliament. But we will allow MPs to go in and out tomorrow," protest leader Korkaew Pikunthong said. The alliance - dubbed the "red shirts" for its favored protest attire - says the new Prime Minister Abhisit and his Democrat Party came to power this month through a virtual coup d'etat.

The group - calling itself the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship - says the court ruling that dissolved the previous government, which was packed with Thaksin allies and led to Abhisit's selection as prime minister, came under pressure from the military and other powerful forces.

The Associated Press

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