lazurus

I once saw a movie, cannot remember the name.

One US senator (cannot remember name) was supply RPG/ground to air missiles to the Taliban to shoot down Soviet airplane / helicopters for years.

So, are they freedom fighters of their mother land; or terrorist of the western world?

Probably Charlie Wilson's war

Barricades come down in front of Chulalongkorn Hospital earlier today, Barricades go back up this evening. Are we supposed to think that if you negotiate with these people that you can trust them to follow through? Who's running the show? Maybe it's Seh Daeng and his men in black after all.

Natthawut claimed they returned at 9 p.m. so the group decided to raid the building.

He also said soldiers in the hospital building opened fire at protesters when they entered.

Someone please shut off his microphone before he embarrasses himself any further with false claims.

*Natthawaut may not appear as pictured, artist's depiction used.

Reds in Bangkok storm a hospital looking for soldiers.

Reds in Khon Kaen blockade an Airport looking for a doctor.

Red leader storms a McDonald's and attacks a Big Mac.

A horse walks into a bar, the bartender says "why the long face"

Only one is a joke.

How can five people looking around a hospital in the company of staff be a terrorist act? The nation headline is hysterical nonsense and the event is being used as crude propaganda against the UDD, the place was not stormed,we are not talking about the bastille, hardy a big deal. Pic of people being evacuated is the result of an over reaction from the Hospital, but it looks good in the media, evil reds force closure of Hospital, utter crap.

Because they were intimidated into letting five in and when they opened the gates 200 rushed in.

From the article in the Nation

More than 200 red shirts protesters stormed into the hospital, which is located next to their rally site, on Thursday night, claiming that there were troops hiding inside.

Although only five red-shirt guards, Payap Panket, a leader, and reporters were allowed to come in, scores of other red-shirt guards poured into the hospital buildings as soon as the door was opened. The Nation

Makes you wonder if they are capable of living up to their end of any negotiation.

today he is considering a proposal to step aside for a neutral replacement to allow elections and constitutional reform.

Seen on national TV, a tired looking premier said: "It is a good proposal, and I am considering this." But he quickly added: "This does not mean that I would bow to mob rule.

"I will disclose my decision only when the time is right and the decision will be based on the benefit of the country, not influenced by the demands of those losers,"

This article doesn't refer to PM Abhisit. It is quoting PM Thaksin and was written in 2006.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1...ister-says.html

Person(s) whose interests have been affected are using mob rule, but no one is enforcing the law. Finally, this has resulted in the creation of disorder and problems. We still lack respect for the democratic system [and] the issue of one person, one vote. Some people believe that they are more important than the majority. Thus, their voice (or vote) must be louder [than others] and have a greater importance than others. [They] don’t respect the decisions of the people.

Speech by Thaksin in 2006

Guess the shoe is on the other foot now.

I can't rember the details leading up to the 2006 coup.

Look at Wiki, it's not bad ...

I was here during the all "tenure" of Thaksin, the country had become a

"banana Republic" ...

Which has now turned into a "Rotten Banana Republic".

.......... since Thaksin has decided to come back.... in force.

Most people can't even remember the details leading up to the current protests.

The English-language newspaper the B Post reported Thaksin as saying, "I cannot allow mob rule to supersede the law," and citing intelligence reports of "instigators of violence" seeking to exploit the divisive situation as a reason for dissolving the House of Representatives. The country could not suffer a new round of "bruises" when it was still suffering from the violent events of May 1992, with relatives of victims still to be healed, Thaksin said.

Thaksin also cited the impact on the economy of the political situation, pointing to the questions it had raised about the future of megaprojects and the ups and downs on the stock market. "I am ready to accept the decisions of the people. But I will never accept those outside the system who claim to be deciding for the people," he said.

From wikipedia, on Thaksin's decision to hold elections in 2006 which were boycotted by the other main opposition parties. People were outraged at the circumstances of his sale of Shincorp to Singapore for which he paid almost no taxes.

New Elections New Elections New Elections New Elections

Democracy Democracy Democracy Democracy Democracy Democracy

Desolve Parliment Desolve Parliment Desolve Parliment Desolve Parliment

storm more . . .

search more . . .

block more . . .

sorry, I am really sick :-(

A taste of things to come if the reds prevail. And yet we still have foreigners in sympathy with this lawless insurgency. Talk about sickening. I am sure there were also pro-Nazi expats in Weimer Berlin too.

Of course there always hardcore extremist that supports the undemocratic side. This board is full of them.

elections, who can they dare...

I'm confused who are you saying are the undemocratic side? The democratically elected MP's in the Democrat party, or the band of roving thugs using intimidation and violence to force unscheduled elections?

TAN Network: Reds surround Khon Kean airport in hopes of trapping multi-shirt leader Dr. Tul Sittisomwong

And what do they plan to do if they find him? They aren't the police, they have no authority. Are they planning on lynching him or something? If he's a doctor maybe they should check the hospitals in Khon Kean.

yeah right but now he is in his new country changed his name and spoke to the world that montnegro now is his home forget takky senagare he aint coming back

How gives a ...? Only small minded people think that is all about the Montenegrin.

Hey calling the red protesters small minded is uncalled for.

Well the Red faced protesters have cleared the street in front of Chulalongkorn hospital. No need to stop there, keep moving back till you reach Isaan. They are finally seeing that public opinion is against them and the backlash is growing.

Tomorrow we can expect another photo of Thaksin from the waist up set in a Ugandan locale. He's definitely alive, only live people can twitter. Montenegro, Uganda, Russia, he must be competing in the amazing race or something.

Seh Daeng

In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery—In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy—You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee.For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,I am the very model of a modern Major-General.

yeah, the ugly and corrupt side of new Thai politics is such an improvement. Abhisit is about 26 years late, but I guess double-speak and thought police are better late than never. How does elimination of freedom of press and speech equate to democratic?

Abhisit is the best thing thailand has going for it and you are retarded

100% agree with you, and it upsets me when I see so many people trying to distroy this very decent man. What wrong with these reds cant they see Abhisit is a very good PM. "What a shame for Thailand"

A good PM spends his time doubling his personal fortune. That's what earns the respect of the Red Faced protesters.

After storming a hospital they don't need red shirts, just look for red faces.

I think Payap needs a Big Mac break too.

There's a kindergarten near Lumphini Park, maybe today the reds can search it too. I'm sure they are even more defenseless than a hospital.

คอรัปชั่น, do you know this Thai word. Kor-rap-chan. What does it say about Thailand that they don't even have their own word for corruption, they just use the English word. Makes you realize that they don't think about corruption in the same way westerners do. Until Thais see corruption as a fundamental problem nothing will be done to root it out.

I find it interesting that at the start of all this many red supporters were saying that Abhisit was a puppet of the army and the elite and that he didn't make any decisions anyway.

Now, all of them are saying it's ALL Abhisit's fault and he has blood on HIS hands.

So, which way is it?

I go for born with a silver spoon in his mouth Ammart puppet, no idea of the life poor people in Thailand have to suffer and probably no interest, interested at staying in power while the nation goes down the pan. Self centred, incompetent and like most toffs highly unpleasant. and smug, don't forget smug.

Amen. For a leader people should have someone who gets what it's like being poor. Know any billionaires that might want the job?

As usual when things go bad the other red leaders deny any responsibility and even condemn the storming of the hospital. This is why the protests have to end. They are angry mobs who are not accountable to anyone. The red leaders do not have control over what their people are doing. They are not only harassing innocent citizens, but harassing citizens who are ill and bedridden. Can you pick a more helpless group of people to attack? It's shameful. What will be next do they want to storm temples and churches?

The PM needs to invoke martial law. With the police selling grenades maybe it is the right time to begin firing and suspending police who are red sympathizers who are either guilty of dereliction of duty or arms trafficking.

yesterday in parliament session, Chalerm said it was pointless to grill Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as "he led the only democratic government in the world tainted by bloodshed".

i thought the reds said the government weren't DEMOCRATIC??

now Phua Thai MP Chalerm says they are??

wasn't that democracy thing something that the reds were fighting for ?

now Chalerm says they already have it?

is it time for the reds to to go home then?

oh sorry, for a moment, i forgot that the red version of democracy is much different to the regular version of democracy

Glad to know that Chalerm and his murderous sons have clean hands!

I think for the record I would like to state that one of Chalerm's sons shot and killed a policeman in a night club. Chalerm's wealth and corruption assured that his son was not tried and imprisoned for murder. As for Chavalit, he oversaw quite recently the use of military teargas against the yellow shirts. The canisters exploded ripping of limbs of protesters and killing a young lady. Both Chalerm and Chavalit have blood on their dirty hands and represent the ugly and corrupt side of old Thai politics.

If Chavalit shows up at the 11th infantry today he should be charged with treason and arrested. Red leaders need to be taken out of circulation instead of being allowed to cause more damage to the country.

Thailand need law and order before peaceful elections can be held. The reds have to be dispersed before the government is dissolved. The police and army should be responsible for law enforcement, not red thugs. The PM may be willing to let the reds continue to embarrass themselves and look like fools by storming hospitals, but enough is enough. I suggest that Chulalongkorn hospital lock its gates and keep them locked even if a crackdown occurs. You shouldn't terrorize a hospital and then expect them to help you.

The reds have no business inspecting hospitals. I hope they didn't bring guards infected with H1n1 to do it. Soldiers don't need to hide in the hospital, they are all over downtown openly. How long do we have to put up with reds intimidating doctors, business people, politicians and anyone who dares to walk down a street or drive on a highway? They do not represent all of Thailand, and no one has appointed them to inspect anything. I'm tired of their self righteous attitude and their total disrespect for their fellow citizens. Time they went home, were sent home, or were put in prison.

Very interesting. I was just reading the report from the ANFREL Group who were contracted to observe the 2007 elections. Evidently the present constitution has removed the need of a university degree to hold an MP position. I wasn't aware of this.

As the table below shows, many more parties and candidates contested the election in 2007 as

compared with 2005, despite the fact that fewer seats were available. This is particularly true

for constituency list seats. This is due to a number of factors, including the withdrawal of the

demand that candidates hold a Bachelor’s degree (over 30% of candidates did not hold one),

as well as the fact that the law required parties to field a full team of candidates in any given

constituency. In some cases, this lead to parties enlisting the candidacy of individuals who

were not viable candidates, simply to fulfill the requirements of the law.

http://www.anfrel.org/report/2007.asp

The quote is from page 13 of the pdf version of the report.

The last thing Thais need are more parties in each election. There can be 30 or more parties vying for the peoples votes. In USA there are 2 real parties, Canada 4 or 5 main parties. But in Thailand having several dozen just seems counter productive.

I also like the idea of decentralised power to Regions (But not the current administrative division of Thailand, larger regions...something like 10 or 12 regions- Example Issan as a block). I have understood also that it was a key factor in the origin of the Southern unrest.

The decentralised (limited) power brings the democracy closer to People, eases their involvement in the surveillance of Politics and gives better results for the local infrastructure investment decisions.

If you give the regions more power who will bear the responsibility for funding the regions? It seems to me that the largest source of revenue must be the Bangkok area. If you grant regions more autonomy will Bangkok have to pay their way? You see this is one of the problems with the 30 baht health scheme, it gives cheap health care to the outer provinces. But for anything more than Tylenol 30 baht doesn't cover the cost. That means someone else is picking up the cost. Probably the middle class in places like Bangkok. So the TRT gave cheap health care to the rural people to get votes, and then stuck the middle class with the bill.

To be fair the middle and upper classes in most countries pay for the safety net and social services for the citizens, including the poor. Thailand is not too different from the rest of the world in that the rich get unfair advantage through tax loopholes that aren't available to the middle class.

That's why starting a class war is such a bad idea. If you rise up and destroy the middle class everyone loses out in the long run. But using those social services to buy voter loyalty isn't right. Let's say the democrats promised everyone in the north a new pickup if they get elected. Then to pay for that promise they use the budget and take the money from the middle class. Same principle.