Laulen

For those who are curious, the 'hotel' that Mr Flannagan and Mr Wilcox will be residing in for a very long time, was a place I walked past on a daily basis on my way to work in Nonthaburi.

For a look at 'The Bangkok Hilton' check out this BBC website

This World 'Inside The Bangkok Hilton'

Laulen

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." - Rudyard Kipling

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If you are listening in to what Thaksin might be saying on Thai TV, you might like to read this Eyewitness account from the BBC website.

Eyewitness: Thailand's deadly protest

Thailand is in shock after 78 arrested Muslims died in overloaded army trucks after a protest turned violent. The BBC's Tony Cheng has visited the camp where more than 1,000 survivors of the journey are still being held.

"We were tied up, our hands behind our backs," said one man, in his early 30s.

"They packed us into the trucks, face down, and when the floor was filled they stacked others on top. In my truck there were four layers. I heard that some trucks were seven layers deep," he said.

These were the allegations of one of the survivors of Monday's protest in the southern Thai province of Narathiwat.

The man had been one of 1,300 loaded into army trucks by the military after the demonstration turned violent.

Their destination was military headquarters in Pattani, several hours north. But 78 men were dead before they arrived, having been suffocated or crushed to death.

I had gained access to the military headquarters with a delegation of Thai senators who had come from Bangkok to investigate the deaths.

We had been taken to the holding room where 200 men sat on the bare concrete floor. Many had fresh scars and bruises, but looked otherwise in good health.

The people responsible for this must be brought to justice, by legal means

Kraisak Choonawan

Senate foreign relations committee

As soon as the man had told me this, I was escorted outside by a soldier carrying an M16 rifle.

But the senators remained. As they came out they told more harrowing tales.

Senator Jermsak Bintong said one man said they were stacked inside the trucks like sardines.

"They cried out for help, but the soldier told them 'Now you know what it is like in ######'," the senator said.

He said he had been told that the detained men were beaten.

"They didn't dare to resist. If they did they were hit with rifle butts," he said.

"The people responsible for this must be brought to justice, by legal means," he continued, his anger quite visible.

Official story

The army, however, had a different story.

A presentation to the delegation showed knives, machetes and grenades that had been recovered from the scene of the protest, a police station in the town of Takbai.

First-hand accounts from some of the soldiers were shown who said they heard bullets being fired and saw guns in the crowd.

The commander of the fourth army that controls the southern provinces, Lt General Pisan Wattanawongkiri, admitted some mistakes had been made when he briefed the senators.

He said that some soldiers had become violent, but they were afraid.

The crowd had been set on causing trouble, he said.

He did not know who had given the order to pile the men into the trucks. His hunched shoulders and trembling voice suggested a man under great stress.

Just outside the main body of the camp lay the bodies of some of the dead.

Twenty corpses, their limbs twisted by rigor mortis and their flesh swollen in the hot weather awaited cleansing by a group of Muslim men. They must have had strong stomachs because the smell from 50 yards was overpowering.

As these images and stories filter out, Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will find it increasingly difficult to maintain his hard line on the violence in the south.

Many ordinary Thais now feel that the bloodshed is too great to be ignored. If Mr Thaksin cannot find a peaceful solution, it may well threaten his position.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia...fic/3965241.stm

Published: 2004/10/29 12:19:13 GMT

© BBC MMIV

It sums up my feelings about Thai authority... somewhat ill-disciplined and prone to knee-jerk retribution for people who 'disturb the peace'.

Laulen

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If the authorities exercised proper governance of these places for adults, without taking '

kick backs' then both children, parents and those out for a good time could live happily together.

As it is, I expect that a big 'show' will happen for the next few weeks, and by the New Year celebrations 'normal service' will be resumed.

Good luck to those of you joining in the protest. Watch out for men in military uniforms, and scarper quickly!

Laulen

Time flies when you're having fun!

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And where did you get these "facts" from Laulen???

This information came from a reliable Thai woman in the United Kingdom, who has family at a high level in the Thai Police. Like everything here, you be the judge.

I did use the word 'apparently' several times. We will only know more when there is a Court Case.

It cannot, of course, bring back the dead.

Here's a leaf from my book!

Don't worry Huahin!

Try to put things into perspective.

My wife and I are planning the same thing of retiring to Thailand in a few years' time.

I have heard that there is more to the two murdered in Kanchanaburi last week. For instance, the girl was 'apparently' seeing the Thai policeman in a social capacity, even spending evenings with him and his family. Her male companion apparently was 'nowhere to be seen' at the time.

I know this sounds all rather far-fetched, but it does come from a 'high-ranking' policeman.

The key thing with this particular case is this:

If visitors sleep with Thai men, they assume that that person is 'exclusive' to them, and get very jealous with anyone who says otherwise. It is a cultural issue.

Of course, this in no way reduces the CRIME of murder for which this Thai policeman is accused. He apparently is now hiding in Burma, and unlikely to return.

Finally, one other point. When with the Thai Government make it illegal for any Thai policeman or military person to have any outside business interests, and to pay them all a proper salary, like most European and North American Police Forces?

Wishful thinking.......

Laulen

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How sad! Are there any other parallels in the animal world with 'Mick the Pom's' sordid behaviour, whether or not he is the murderer?

Amor ordinem nescit - Love does not know order.

What is the best way for four friends and me to learn Thai in Oxfordshire, England?

Our wives are all Thai and although we understand some of what they say, we cannot read or write Thai, and know little of the grammar or any new words.

Is there a book, CD-Rom, or some software that could help us? What about a local Thai teacher?

Hope you can help.

Many thanks in advance...

Laulen

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