The red shirts will organise a motorcade rally from Bangkok to Chiang Mai along with other activities to mark the fourth anniversary of the September 19 military coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra.

Other events include a gathering at the Rajprasong intersection in Bangkok to commemorate both the fourth anniversary of the coup and the fourth month since the May 19 military crackdown on the red-shirt protesters.

The motorcade rally will leave Bangkok on September 18 from Imperial World Lat Phrao, and is scheduled to arrive in Chiang Mai the following day. About 50 vehicles are expected to take part. In Bangkok, red shirts led by Sombat Boon-ngam-anong, leader of the Red Sunday group, will tie dozens of red cloth pieces at the Rajprasong intersection.

Meanwhile in London, a group of red shirts led by exiled activist Ji Ungpakorn is expected to hold a rally on the same day.

At a press conference yesterday, Suwit Lertkraimaethee, a former member of the now-defunct 19 September Network against the Coup d'Etat and a key member of the July 24 Democracy group - a leftist faction of the red shirts - said the September 19 coup marked the beginning of the declaration of war against the people by the amataya, or bureaucratic elite.

"We know whom we are fighting against. The [incident] unveiled the dark force as never before. People have opened their eyes and crossed that darkness that shrouded their thoughts as never before," Suwit told a press conference in front of Red Power magazine's editorial office at Imperial World Lat Phrao. "People are now brave enough to be willing to bring down this system."

Suwit said the struggle would be long and September 19 this year would mark the launch of the "eye-opening campaign" against the old elite. He said the deaths of red shirts in April and May had made more people aware of the current political problems.

Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, editor of Red Power and leader of the July 24 Democracy Group, urged the government to release all red-shirt "political prisoners" immediately to foster the right climate for reconciliation. He said his group would push for economic reforms such as the introduction of progressive income tax and land and inheritance taxes.

Somyos, whose magazine was threatened this week with a closure order by the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) after being accused of attacking a senior general and the monarchy, said he would move the printing of the publication to another province such as Chiang Mai, which is currently not under emergency rule. If the CRES continues to insist on closing down Red Power elsewhere, Somyos said he would then organise a mobile rally to discuss political problems in all provinces.

Somyos warned the government not to resort to assassinating key red-shirt members. He said many people believed a red-shirt guard was recently shot to death, allegedly by the military.

"Assassination cannot stop the movement [of the reds]. Let me remind the government that we come with good intentions and want to reform this country. I thank [PM's Office minister in charge of the media] Ong-art Klampaiboon for saying he doesn't think [Red Power] should be shut down yet."