RIDING WITH THE RED SHIRTS

       Only six buses headed from Chiang Mai for the protest By Piyaporn Wongruang
       On Friday night, construction sub-contractor Sathaporn was travelling in a white doubledecker bus on the Asia Highway headed towards Bangkok.Like most other red shirts making their way from Chiang Mai - the hometown and political stronghold of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra - he was dressed casually,in a brown T-shirt and jeans, to avoid any confrontation if the half-filled bus was stopped along the way.
       Come sunrise yesterday morning,when the bus stopped at a petrol station near Ayutthaya, he and his fellow travellers changed into their red shirts for the final section of the trip to the Royal Plaza in Bangkok.
       Despite refusing to show his true colours while on the journey, he has heated exchanges about his views on the political impasse dividing the country.
       "I love democracy, you know, but I don't really know how we can get it or whether we can ever get it," said Mr Sathaporn.
       He was part of an anticipated red tide which headed to Bangkok for yesterday's rally to mark the third anniversary of the coup which ousted Thaksin, since convicted of corruption and now a fugitive from justice.
       The red shirts see it as the anniversary of the day democracy was snatched from Thailand.
       But the bus Mr Sathaporn was travelling on was only half full, and far from being a unified front, Chiang Mai's red shirts are split into three separate groups.
       Only six other buses headed from Chiang Mai on Friday, three of those containing "hardcore" protesters prepared to get their message across via violent action if necessary, the others "moderates" who are even talking about reconciliation meetings with the yellow shirts.
       Leaders of red shirt groups said some of their supporters felt it was unnecessary to join events such as the rally, partly because they lacked adequate financial support for their travels and also because they believed it was a waste of time.
       They had now embarked on a new strategy, preferring to work from their home bases instead, one leader said.
       He said in Chiang Mai, the red shirts were split into three main groups using different approaches.
       The hardcore group preferred public gatherings where violence is often involved, while two groups of moderates were trying to get their message of social change across via community radio or community gatherings.
       "We were asked to get our people to join the trip, but several weren't eager to go," said one leader from the moderates.
       Despite falling interest in the rally,travel arrangements were made for those still keen, such as Mr Sathaporn.At least six buses were arranged for the red shirts from downtown Chiang Mai as well as from distant districts such as Sankampaeng, Fang and Chai Prakarn.
       The same leader said the groups received about half the funding for hiring a bus, which cost about 30,000 baht, from supporters.
       About 300 baht had to be collected from each traveller to make up the shortfall.
       Mr Sathaporn's group almost didn't come up with the cash needed to hire the bus, but they eventually made up the shortfall themselves.
       He is convinced it is necessary to keep on attending protests to demonstrate the red shirts' strength and their discontent with the government,which they have urged to resign in favour of fresh elections.
       Mr Sathaporn said the red shirts felt there was a double standard in the country's governance and administration, particularly when it came to charges being laid against their leaders and not the leaders of the opposing yellow shirts.
       In addition, they also feel they have not benefited from the economic cures of the Abhisit administration, which he argues is why they want Thaksin back for the greater economic good.
       "I don't know whether the rally can improve anything, but at least we can demonstrate our strength and discontent to the public.
       "We are not under real democratic rule as some groups of people still take advantage of us," he said.