BANGKOK – Supporters of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra rally in front of Thai Rath newspaper headquarters today to protest its cartoonist who compared her to a prostitute.
"Chai Ratchawat", a well-known cartoonist and political commentator, wrote on his Facebook that "Please understand. Prostitutes are not evil. They just sell their bodies. But an evil woman sells her country", echoing many Yingluck critics who accused her of "betraying Thailand" by delivering a confrontational speech in Mongolia recently.
The remark quickly went viral, and today at 13.00, approximately 100 Redshirts – led by Ms. Ladawan Wongsriwong, former Minister of Prime Minister Office – arrived at Thai Rath and laid down a funeral wreath bearing the cartoonist′s name to express their anger. A company of police officers stood nearby to maintain order.
The Redshirts then handed a complaint letter to Mr. Prakit Limsakul, adviser to Thai Rath editorial board. The letter demands Thai Rath correspondents to "refrain from making statements that violates journalistic ethics."
Some Redshirts also demanded an apology from "Chai Ratchawatra", and it was not immediately clear whether he issued any statement on the matter.
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