Thailand's leader promised an independent probe into “all events” surrounding the Red Shirt anti-government protests and called Friday for reconciliation to heal deep political divisions that led to widespread violence and 83 deaths in two months. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, addressing the nation in a televised speech, made no mention of new elections, a key demand of the Red Shirts. “Fellow citizens, we all live in the same house. Now, our house has been damaged. We have to help each other,” Abhisit said. “We can certainly repair damaged infrastructure and buildings, but the important thing is to heal the emotional wounds and restore unity among the Thai people,” Abhisit said in an emotional speech. He said order had been restored in Bangkok, where soldiers overran a Red Shirt encampment Wednesday after a week of street fighting. The crackdown climaxed two months of violence in which 83 people died and more than 1,800 were injured. Abhisit acknowledged the “huge challenges” in overcoming the divisions, which he said can be achieved through a five-point reconciliation plan that he had announced earlier. “That plan is based on the principle of participation, democracy and justice,” he said. It includes economic and media reforms and aims to reduce social and economic divisions in Thai society, which the protesters, mostly the rural and urban poor, had railed against. Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said Abhisit's earlier offer to hold Nov. 14 elections was on hold until political passions have subsided and the security situation has stabilized. “We need to make sure that emotions have cooled to the extent that candidates from all parties can feel safe in campaigning anywhere in the country. Frankly we would not feel safe doing that today,” he told participants at a conference in Tokyo. Abhisit said the government will allow due process of law and parliamentary democracy to resolve the country's problems. “At the same time that plan will include an independent investigation of all the events that have taken place during the protests,” he said without elaborating. On Friday, security forces swept 10 high rises including two luxury hotels for explosives and weapons, possibly left behind by fleeing protesters. Soldiers also led a search of the elevated Skytrain tracks as the service remained closed for the seventh day. Sirijan Ngathong, a deputy spokeswoman for the army, said various explosive devices had been found in buildings and cars near the demonstration site. Meanwhile, anger among Red Shirts was simmering. The detained leaders of the movement had threatened more fight. A criminal court Friday refused to grant bail to 114 Red Shirt leaders and supporters who have been detained since Wednesday. Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, a second-tier Red Shirt leader, distributed a statement by the group Friday calling for Abhisit and his deputy to step down to pave the way for reconciliation. He announced plans for new mass meetings. However, a report on The Nation website said he was arrested later in the day.
