DESPITE 55 people being injured in clashes outside Parliament yesterday, the joint session will today (Nov. 18) be casting voice votes for all seven constitution amendment drafts including that of Internet Dialogue on Law Reform (iLaw), Siam Rath newspaper report.
Another round of fighting between People’s Party vocational students and the yellow-shirt protesters took place at Kiak Kai intersection outside the Parliament at 8.30 p.m. last night leading to six people getting injured.
Both groups had started jeering at each other over the barrier separating them, and then the yellow-shirt group stood up which led to both sides throwing bottles at each other. Cracker bombs were set off intermittently for 30 minutes, after which the vocational students crossed over to the yellow-shirt side, prompting them to run away.
Erawan Emergency Medical Service Centre said of the 55 people injured in clashes between People’s Party protesters and the police and later with yellow-shirt demonstrators yesterday, 32 were injured by tear gas, six were shot, four of them fell ill during the gathering, while 13 others were injured in other ways.
They have been admitted to the following hospitals:
– Vajira Hospital, 37 people;
– Phra Mongkut Hospital, 5 persons;
– Rama IX Hospital, 4 persons;
– Rajavithi Hospital, 4 persons;
– Ramathibodi Hospital, 1 person;
– Petcharavej Hospital, 1 person;
– Klang Hospital, 1 person;
– Lerdsin Hospital, 1 person;
– Mission Hospital, 1 person.
Meanwhile Parliament President Chuan Leekpai this morning urged MPs and senators to only declare how they are going to vote for each of the seven constitution amendment drafts and not saying anything more because there are 700 of them and voting is time consuming.
Asked whether he is worried about today’s voting because yesterday some MPs and senators left early when clashes broke out outside the complex, Chuan replied that rallies and parliamentary meetings must be kept separate.
Asked what would happen if iLaw’s constitution amendment draft is not accepted in principle, Chuan replied that it would be dropped and cannot be submitted again this session but it can be proposed again at the next one.
CAPTION:
The clashes yesterday and some of those who got injured. Photos: Siam Rath
