Thai protesters stay put but cancel ' offensive '
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Weng Tojirakarn  a key protest leader  said Tuesday night that the group was sticking to its demand that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva immediately dissolve Parliament and hold elections. But he canceled an earlier announced "offensive" against the army camp.
 Weng said the "Red Shirt" protesters would decide what step to take next after the end Friday of a raucous three-day celebration of Thai New Year  which doused some of the tension that have kept Bangkok on knife-edge since March 12.
 "This is such a great relief from politics " said Jetsada Pinyomongkol  brandishing a giant pink-and-yellow water gun. "I think many people get sick of it. Everywhere you turn to itit's Red Shirt this  government that. It's great that we could put the differences aside for at least today."
 At loggerheads in the yearslong struggle for power in Thailand are the rural supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- whose ouster in a 2006 coup exposed the country's deep political divisions -- and the traditional ruling elite represented by Abhisit and his allies. The Red Shirts claim Abhisit  whose supporters include business leaders  the military brass and members of the urban middle class  took power illegitimately.
Weng Tojirakarn  a key protest leader  said Tuesday night that the group was sticking to its demand that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva immediately dissolve Parliament and hold elections. But he canceled an earlier announced "offensive" against the army camp.
 Weng said the "Red Shirt" protesters would decide what step to take next after the end Friday of a raucous three-day celebration of Thai New Year  which doused some of the tension that have kept Bangkok on knife-edge since March 12.
 "This is such a great relief from politics " said Jetsada Pinyomongkol  brandishing a giant pink-and-yellow water gun. "I think many people get sick of it. Everywhere you turn to itit's Red Shirt this  government that. It's great that we could put the differences aside for at least today."
 At loggerheads in the yearslong struggle for power in Thailand are the rural supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- whose ouster in a 2006 coup exposed the country's deep political divisions -- and the traditional ruling elite represented by [TGT] and [TGT] allies. The Red Shirts claim Abhisit  whose supporters include business leaders  the military brass and members of the urban middle class  took power illegitimately.