I have always been curious as to who gave the go ahead to use extreme force, the Minister of Defense, General Chettha Thanajaro, General Prawit Wongsuwan Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, a local commander or civilian PM Thaksin Shinawatra. While Thaksin takes ultimate responsibility, a senior military figure must have informed forces on the ground to be ruthless. If you remember the famous red drum incidents in late 1972, it was the military.