Thai ‘Red Shirts’ fortify base in fear of crackdown

Thailand's Red Shirt protesters fortified their rally base with home-made barricades,saying they were braced for a brutal crackdown on their anti-government campaign.

Thailand’s Red Shirt protesters on Wednesday fortified their rally base with home-made barricades,saying they were braced for a brutal crackdown on their anti-government campaign.

Entrances to the vast encampment,which has engulfed Bangkok’s upscale retail district,were blocked with barriers made from bamboo poles and car tyres draped with plastic sheeting.

Piles of sharpened bamboo sticks and broken paving stones have been stockpiled,triggering fears of new confrontations with the security forces,which have warned they will respond with tear gas and live weapons fire.

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Tensions are still high after April 10 clashes,sparked by a failed attempt to dislodge the protesters,which left 25 people dead and 800 wounded in Thailand’s worst civil unrest in nearly two decades.

Red leaders denied allegations they are hoarding weapons,and hit out at army warnings that troops are authorised to use lethal force against them if necessary.

“The government is subtly preparing for a brutal crackdown on us. Please stop trying to find a reason to kill innocent people,” said senior Red figure Nattawut Saikuar.

“Anyone with common sense can see that we cannot fight against assault rifles like M16s armed only with sharpened bamboo,” he said. “We are not terrorists but have come here empty-handed to call for democracy.”