Thailand: Red shirts hold prison demonstration
Anti-government red-shirt activists gather outside a prison in Bangkok Tuesday to protest the detention of eleven of their leaders facing terrorism charges.
Officially called the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, the red shirts movement is made up of mostly urban and rural working-class people. They believe the current government is illegitimate and that its royalist and military backers have undermined democracy. This red shirts leader expressed solidarity with the incarcerated leaders.
Red Shirts Leader from Northeastern Thailand, Vichien Sinthuprai said, I am here to represent our brothers in the northeastern provinces, and to convey their message of concern to our 11 leaders who are being detained here. We are still giving full support to our leaders and we are continuing our peaceful movement as we have been.
A paralysing 10-week red shirt protest from mid-March to May aimed to force an immediate election. That demand was not met and protests spiraled into bloody clashes with troops, leaving 91 people dead.
Last week, the Thai government extended a controversial security law, saying the country’s situation remains volatile. But the red-shirts activists have started gathering again despite the decree and some analysts believe anti-government sentiment could become even more entrenched as a result of the crackdowns.
24 killed in Daghestan suicide attack
A suicide bomber blew himself up in the republic of Daghestan, killing at least 24 people, including several police officers.
The bomber broke through a police cordon in the capital, Makhachkala, where security officers were battling militia fighters. At least two Islamist rebels were killed in that incident. On September 24, at least five suspected Islamist terrorists, including a woman, were killed in Daghestan. Daghestan has been the scene of bloody clashes between forces loyal to Moscow, criminal gangs, and Islamists striving for independence from Russia. The region is plagued by almost daily violence.
US Drone Strike in N Waziristan, 3 killed
MIRANSHAH, Pakistan News: A pilotless US drone aircraft attacked a suspected militant target in North Waziristan tribal region on Saturday, killing three people, officials said.
Two missiles hit a house in Sedgae village and Babar Raghzai area of North Waziristan in the attack. Two people were wounded, the officials said.
The U.S. has launched numerous missile strikes inside Pakistan’s territory, killing hundreds of civilians and dozens of suspected militants as well. Pakistan publicly protests the strikes but is believed to secretly aid them.
Earlier today, at least 10 people were killed in an exchange of fire between militants from the Ansarul Islam and Lashkar-i-Islam organisations in the Khyber agency.
Armed supporters of the two groups had taken positions and were using heavy weapons in order to target rival hideouts in the Tirrah Valley.
At least two houses were also destroyed in the clashes. Hundreds have been killed in bloody clashes between the two groups in the past five years.
Meanwhile, in Mohmand, 10 militants were killed and several injured during an exchange of fire with security forces in the Safi tehsil.
US Drone Strike in N Waziristan, 3 killed was first posted on December 26, 2009 at 9:32 pm.
