ID :
32809
Fri, 11/28/2008 - 18:26
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/32809
The shortlink copeid
AIRPORT CLOSURE CAUSING HAVOC TO HAJ PLANS By D.Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Nov 28 (Bernama) -- Chamlong Srimuang, a key figure of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said a prominent person has asked the anti-government group to stop its protest and the closure of two Bangkok airports.
However, the Bangkok mayor told PAD supporters at the Don Muang Airport
Friday morning that he told that person that the six-month long protest, as well
as the airport shutdown since Monday would continue as long as Prime Minister
Somchai Wongsawat did not resign.
Without identifying the person, Chamlong, who led the anti-military
uprising in May 1992, said the current problem was not caused by the movement
but by the
government.
The closure of the Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports had left thousands
of passengers stranded and caused havoc to Muslims from Indochina nations
planning
to go on the annual haj pilgrimage.
While thousands of PAD supporters continued to block roads and occupy the
passenger terminals, with non-stop speeches and free flow of food and drinks,
3,000 to 5,000 Muslims from Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are racing
against time to board planes to Saudi Arabia before the Dec 2 deadline.
Areepen Uttasin, a member of parliament from Narathiwat, said 416 pilgrims
were stranded at the Suvarnabhumi Airport since Monday after their Iranian Air
plane which was scheduled to fly them to Jeddah had to be diverted to Kuala
Lumpur.
"After two days waiting in Kuala Lumpur, the plane returned to Iran. I have
talked to the Iranian Air manager here and he said the only way for the plane to
come back is for the Thai Foreign Ministry to give an assurance and the Iran
Foreign Ministry to request the airline to pick them," he said.
At the moment, he said, he was liaising with the ministry officials to get
the assurance as the Utapao Airport, located near Pattaya and about 140km from
here, has been cleared by Thai authorities to be used for commercial
flights.
He said that besides Thai Muslims, Haj pilgrims from Laos, Cambodia and
Vietnam also used Bangkok to fly to Saudi Arabia.
Areepen said that hundreds of Mecca-bound pilgrims are also stranded in
Narathiwat and Hatyai and that a special Thai Airways plane would fly about
200 pilgrims from Hatyai Friday.
"The haj is a very important religious matter for Muslims. We are doing our
best to help these pilgrims as they cannot go to Saudi Arabia after Dec 2," he
said.
-- BERNAMA
However, the Bangkok mayor told PAD supporters at the Don Muang Airport
Friday morning that he told that person that the six-month long protest, as well
as the airport shutdown since Monday would continue as long as Prime Minister
Somchai Wongsawat did not resign.
Without identifying the person, Chamlong, who led the anti-military
uprising in May 1992, said the current problem was not caused by the movement
but by the
government.
The closure of the Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports had left thousands
of passengers stranded and caused havoc to Muslims from Indochina nations
planning
to go on the annual haj pilgrimage.
While thousands of PAD supporters continued to block roads and occupy the
passenger terminals, with non-stop speeches and free flow of food and drinks,
3,000 to 5,000 Muslims from Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are racing
against time to board planes to Saudi Arabia before the Dec 2 deadline.
Areepen Uttasin, a member of parliament from Narathiwat, said 416 pilgrims
were stranded at the Suvarnabhumi Airport since Monday after their Iranian Air
plane which was scheduled to fly them to Jeddah had to be diverted to Kuala
Lumpur.
"After two days waiting in Kuala Lumpur, the plane returned to Iran. I have
talked to the Iranian Air manager here and he said the only way for the plane to
come back is for the Thai Foreign Ministry to give an assurance and the Iran
Foreign Ministry to request the airline to pick them," he said.
At the moment, he said, he was liaising with the ministry officials to get
the assurance as the Utapao Airport, located near Pattaya and about 140km from
here, has been cleared by Thai authorities to be used for commercial
flights.
He said that besides Thai Muslims, Haj pilgrims from Laos, Cambodia and
Vietnam also used Bangkok to fly to Saudi Arabia.
Areepen said that hundreds of Mecca-bound pilgrims are also stranded in
Narathiwat and Hatyai and that a special Thai Airways plane would fly about
200 pilgrims from Hatyai Friday.
"The haj is a very important religious matter for Muslims. We are doing our
best to help these pilgrims as they cannot go to Saudi Arabia after Dec 2," he
said.
-- BERNAMA
