The war is back

Nattawut Saikuao, deputy commerce minister and a red-shirt core leader, tells Matichon Daily that "the war is back."

He was referring to the emergence of the Pitak Siam Group led by retired Gen Boonlert Kaewprasit who has called a new rally for Nov 24, declaring that he expected "one million people" to turn up at this second gathering.

Nattawut doesn't believe Gen Boonlert is the real man behind the move. He says this new protest should have been led by Sondhi Limthongkul or Chamlong Srimuang of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) "but they are still bickering...that's why, they have to rely on Gen Boonlert."

The red-shirt leader insists that the "old mechanism" of the anti-Thaksin movement is still in place.

"A new war is imminent. We are ready for it," he declared.

In a column published in the same newspaper today, Vasit Dejkunchorn, a retired former deputy national police chief, asks: "Do we want to see another Day of Great Sorrow again?"

Police Gen Vasit has been writing columns against Thaksin in the past years.