By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Supporters and opponents to the government’s move to amend the 2007 Constitution confronted each other in rallies held in central Bangkok on Sunday amid tight security.
Several thousand people joined the rally organized by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Sunday at the Democracy Monument in central Bangkok which began on Sunday afternoon. This is the first street rally held by the PAD since the group declared its resurrection of operations in February.
The PAD was the leading force in organizing mass street rallies and marches in Bangkok more than two years ago, demonstrating against the government led by then premier Thaksin Shinawatra and putting great pressure on his administration.
The PAD ceased operation after Thaksin was toppled in a military coup in September, 2006, but reactivated after the pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP) won the Dec. 31 election and formed a coalition government.
The PAD had threatened to demonstrate against the PPP-led government if it insisted on pushing forward amending the 2007 Constitution, drafted by a junta-appointed committee last year .
A PAD leader Somsak Kosaisuk earlier said he expected some 30,000 people to join the rally, but the actual number that turned out fell short of that expectation.
They were confronted with a smaller group of pro-government demonstrators.
Skirmishes broke out soon after the PAD rally began, with people throwing plastic water bottles and curses at each other, which continued for a few minutes before police stepped in to stop them.
Security was reinforced in the capital on Sunday as they prepared for any possible clash between the two camps.
Several hundred uniformed police officers and an unknown number of plainclothes police stood by around the Democracy Monument.
Members of the PAD collected identification cards from people joining the rally in a bid to submit to the Senate Speaker to oust members of parliament and senators who had submitted a motion to rewrite the 2007 constitution.
Key PAD leaders met only hours before the rally began said that they would move to either in front of Government House or the Parliament building Monday morning to submit names of supporters wishing to oust MPs and senators who had submitted the motion last week.
At the same time at Sanam Luang (Royal Field), near the Democracy Monument, two groups supporting the government to rewrite the constitution held rallies. They pledged to disperse the same time the PAD ends its demonstration.