Red-shirt villages to join up

Residents of red-shirt villages are planning to create a national federation to boost unity and facilitate expansion nationwide.

Anon Saennan, secretary of the Udon Thani red-shirt movement who initiated the creation of these villages, said yesterday that the chiefs of these villages would meet at a hotel in the northeastern province on October 5. At the meeting, they will elect the chairman and members of the federation's board, which will be formally announced later.

He said the federation's headquarters will be located in the same building that houses the 111 Thai Rak Thai Foundation formed by executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, including former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

"The formation of the federation will help enhance unity within the movement," Anon explained. He added that after the first red-shirt village was set up in Udon Thani last December, more than 3,000 of them have sprouted across the country. He expressed confidence that in two years, many more villages in all provinces of the country will become part of the red-shirt movement.

Anon said at a meeting in Cambodia last Sunday, Thaksin told him personally that he had never told the ruling Pheu Thai Party to dissolve red-shirt villages.

"The former prime minister said that in addition to strengthening the red-shirt movement, he wants these red-shirt villages to create jobs for residents. He also wants us to work with the Interior Ministry to keep these villages free of drugs," Anon said.

Hundreds of Thaksin supporters have been crossing the border from Si Sa Ket province into Cambodia to watch a friendly football match between red-shirt politicians and members of the Cambodian cabinet, which is scheduled to take place today at the Olympics Stadium in Phnom Penh.

Sompoj Prasartthai, a red-shirt leader from Nakhon Ratchasima, said he expected the football match to boost ties between the two countries. However, many red-shirt from the North chose not to travel to Cambodia after hearing that Thaksin had left the country and would not be present at the match.