Red-shirts return to Ratchaprasong

BANGKOK NOVEMBER 19, 2010: An estimated 5,000 red-shirt supporters gathered at the Ratachaprasong intersection on November 19, 2010 to mark the six month anniversary of the brutal government crack-down that saw more than 98 pro-democracy protesters killed by Thailand military forces in May.

Those who gathered lit candles, strung bunting and exchanged information on those killed and the hundreds more who currently languish in jails across the country charged with a range of offenses and for which exceptionally high bail amounts have been set for.

Thailand's red-shirt pro-democracy supporters unified response to the latest edict from Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES)

The gathering came despite an ongoing state-of-emergency decree covering Bangkok and a handful of other provinces remains in place and in the wake of an announcement by the  Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) that goods that “provokes, incites, agitates, or causes disunity in the general populace” were banned with those caught wearing, displaying, or selling such items subject to penalties of up to two years jail, a Bt40,000 ($US 1,334) fine, or both.

In a further erosion of the democratic rights to free political expression the CRES announcement said: “Individuals are forbidden to have in their possession, or possess with intent to sell or otherwise distribute, products, clothing, consumer goods, or any other objects that contain printing, writing, drawing, photography, or any other method that conveys a meaning which provokes, incites, agitates, or causes disunity in the general populace, or acts or supports acts which cause a state of emergency.”

This decree by the CRES covers a wide range of items popular with protesters including, T-shirts, sandals, and floor mats generally sold at such protests.

ENDS:

The below photographs are uploaded as high-resolution 300dpi 10×8-inch images and can be immediately downloaded and used by anyone provided attribution to RedPhanFa2Day is provided.

Sombat Boonngam-anong at the red-shirt remembrance gathering

Candles for the dead - Thailand pro-democracy protesters remember those killed by the Thailand military in April and May of 2010

Thailand red-shirt pro-democracy supporters show the dead remain in their hearts