<div>The pro-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) or red-shirt protesters have rallied since Saturday on Aksa Road on the western outskirts of Bangkok, vowing to protect the government against an upcoming charter court ruling that could see caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra toppled within weeks.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The red shirts’ 3-day-long rally also aimed to counter the anti-government protesters who have been protesting for five months. </div>

<div>Prachatai talked to Prajak Kongkirati on the anti-democratic movement and the prospects for a peaceful solution to this conflict. &nbsp;</div> <div> </div>

<div>Dear fellow Thai citizens,</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Are you fed up with and hopeless about politics yet?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>I wouldn't be surprised if you feel despair and smell political hatred in the air.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On Monday the group of six independent organisations gave both caretaker PM Yingluck Shinawatra and anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban seven days to nominate 10 possible mediators to facilitate negotiations to end the prolonged political impasse. </div>

<div><strong>2 Victims of Hatred: Reds assaulted in Bangkok</strong></div> <div>Prachatai talked to 2 red-shirts who were assaulted by alleged PDRC guards.</div> <div> </div>

<div>Thailand’s Democrat Party decided to boycott the February 2 general election. This is not the first time that the party has boycotted general election. Why have the Democrats, the oldest political party in the kingdom, repeated their decision? Will the boycott lead to yet another coup d’état? Prachatai talked to Prajak Kogkirati, a political scientist from Thammasat University.</div> <div> </div>

<p>So how are we going to shut down the whole of Bangkok?</p> <p>It’s easy.&nbsp; Like Khun Suthep said, everyone will come out onto the streets and no one will be able to go anywhere, especially the Thaksin clique and corrupt politicians.</p> <p></p>

<p>It is not the first time Thailand has seen anti-Thaksin demonstrations at least twice before: once in 2006 and again in 2008 &nbsp;Still, it is an open secret that Thaksin administers the country from overseas. The leader protest himself admitted on the stage that the Thaksin regime would return despite a fresh election. The question for the demonstrators is obvious: What do they hope for from their rally? How can they literally eliminate the Thaksin regime? Is coup d'etat an option? Prachatai talked with four people who have joined the whistle-blowing demonstrations to explore their thoughts and desires.</p> <p> </p>