way2muchcoffee

Here's an example of why Dem's might not feel particularly safe up north.

Stations in Chiang Mai may be shut before visit

Community radio stations in Chiang Mai are being closely monitored and could face closure after reportedly threatening to kill Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva during his planned visit to the province next weekend.

PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said authorities are keeping track of community radio broadcasts in Chiang Mai, which he said have repeatedly incited red shirt supporters to protest against Mr Abhisit's visit to the province on Nov 29 where he will attend a meeting of the chambers of commerce.

Some community radio stations are said to have threatened to kill Mr Abhisit in a bomb attack during his visit.

Mr Sathit said the PM's Office had sent warnings to the stations several times telling them to refrain from any unlawful activity.

"When there is clear evidence that they have violated criminal law and community radio regulations, the stations will be shut down and face legal action," he said.

The minister said he has instructed the authorities concerned to record the broadcasts of the anti-government community radio stations in question.

Mr Sathit said precautions are being taken because the prime minister is being targeted by some elements.

His comments came as Democrat MP for Bangkok Boonyod Sukthinthai lodged a complaint with Crime Suppression Division police against the host of a programme broadcast on FM 92.5 community radio in Chiang Mai.

The complaint demanded an investigation into Phetchawat Wattanapongsirikul, host of the Sapha Kafae (Coffee Council) programme, and his co-host, who was not identified.

Both were accused of encouraging their audience to come out to protest violently against Mr Abhisit.

Mr Boonyod also handed over audio clips of the programme broadcasts to the CSD for further investigation.

But Mr Abhisit yesterday said he would travel to Chiang Mai next weekend as planned. He expressed confidence in the security authorities.

"Nothing has changed yet because I have confidence in the authorities in charge of providing security," he said.

Extra-tight security is being planned. Twenty companies of police and another 20 companies of troops from the 3rd Army will be deployed during the prime minister's visit.

Mr Abhisit also warned the radio stations that they faced possible legal action for making death threats and told the authorities to keep a close watch on the stations' broadcasts.

Mr Abhisit will travel to Chiang Mai, the political stronghold of the opposition Puea Thai Party, to attend a seminar at the invitation of the Thai chambers of commerce around the country.

He will give a lecture to northern businessmen on economic affairs.

The prime minister warned Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters in Chiang Mai to stop their hostile action, saying they should work with the government to bring about peace and reconciliation in the province.

"Frankly speaking, Chiang Mai has lost a lot of opportunities because of political conflicts despite the fact that the government gives full backing to every area," he said.

Wittaya Krongsap, secretary-general of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, expressed concern that the event would be exploited by interest groups.

Mr Abhisit also said the cabinet would also consider whether to implement the Internal Security Act during the cabinet meeting on Tuesday to control a planned red shirt rally in Bangkok.

The pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship is calling a major rally on Nov 28 in Bangkok.

"The government cannot surrender (to the red shirt protesters), if they do anything illegal," Mr Abhisit said.

He asked the red shirts to stop their planned protest because he would not submit to their demands to dissolve the House and call a general election.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the government needs to assess the situation before it decides whether to invoke the security law.

"We are considering invoking the security law because they say that they are going to bring down the government. I am still haunted by the Songkran riots," Mr Suthep said.

what is to stop the yellows going to Khon Kaen and winning the hearts and minds of the people there?

The yellows already have all the TV stations! (much of the army, and much of the police (well in theory anyway))

Maybe the yellows dont have a local representative that is 'in' with the voters there... why not??? Maybe they are all in Bangkok!?

Lazy arse excuses more like it! if they want Issan, then buy it, or win it... sour grapes from the junta apologists.

"The end is nigh if the popularly elected respresentatives get elected!" - you saw the same in the UK last time the conservatives got booted out.."there will be blood on the streets (if labour win)" was the headline. <deleted>.

Well here are a couple of reasons why anti-reds don't feel welcome up north:

PAD supporter killed, 20 others in political violence in Udon Thani

Udon Thani - A supporter of the People's Alliance for Democracy was killed and 20 others were injured when PAD-led protesters clashed with their opponents in this northeastern province Thursday afternoon.

Police said about 1,000 anti-PAD people armed with sticks, machetes and iron bars, stormed into try to demolish the stage of the PAD at about 1:30 pm.

PAD guards tried to fight back and the man was killed in the clash.

The injured people were sent to the provincial hospital.

The Nation

PAD guard killed as 700 opponents storm rally

UDON THANI : A PAD supporter was killed and 17 others injured yesterday when a large mob armed with knives and clubs attacked a People's Alliance for Democracy rally. The clash occurred at Nong Prachak Silapakhom public park in the municipal area, where around 150 PAD supporters were gathering.

About 700 anti-PAD demonstrators armed with machetes, axes, iron bars and wooden sticks stormed the rally site in the afternoon, attacking the PAD supporters and pulling down the stage.

The anti-PAD group was led by Uthai Saenkaew, brother of Deputy Agriculture Minister Theerachai Saenkaew, and Kwanchai Praipana. Mr Uthai allegedly urged his men to kill the PAD guards.

The attackers, in a group calling themselves Khon Rak Udon (We Love Udon), gathered at Thung Sri Muang before marching to Nong Prachak Silapakhom.

Following the attack on the PAD, they paraded around the town and walked back to Thung Sri Muang to celebrate.

The injured were sent to Udon Thani Hospital. The man who died was a PAD security guard. He had suffered an axe blow to the head, according to Veera Somkwamkid, a PAD ally.

Thaikorn Polsuwan, also a PAD ally, lashed out at police yesterday for failing to stop the Khon Rak Udon demonstrators from mounting their attack.

''Police allowed the Khon Rak Udon group in and simply watched them attack us. Khon Rak Udon also stopped ambulances from taking the injured to hospital,'' said Mr Thaikorn.

The clash took place despite extra security measures deployed by the combined 450 forces of provincial police and border patrol police volunteers.

Mr Veera said Mr Kwanchai and police must be held liable for the bloodshed.

But Pol Maj-Gen Permsak Paradasak, chief of Udon Thani police, said officers did their best to prevent violence.

Governor Supoj Laowansiri instructed police to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

The clash came less than 24 hours after a skirmish between PAD supporters and opponents in Maha Sarakham's Muang district on Wednesday night.

The incident on Wednesday night left dozens injured, including former senator for Buri Ram Karun Saingam, who suffered a mild head injury after being hit by a missile from a slingshot.

In Buri Ram, a PAD rally was scrapped yesterday when anti-PAD demonstrators stormed the rally site and demolished the stage set up in front of a railway station in Muang district.

PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila demanded the government and the Interior Ministry accept responsibility for failing to stop the violence.

He had asked PAD allies nationwide to join the rally in Bangkok if they believed it was unsafe to demonstrate in their own areas.

Air force commander ACM Chalit Phukpasuk called on both sides to refrain from violence.

Pro-government activist admits on TV he led protests to beat up PAD protesters in Udon Thani

Kwanchai Praiphana, leader of the Udon Thani Guard Group, admitted during an interview on Channel 3 that he let his supporters to beat up protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy.

Kwanchai vowed to lead his supporters to beat PAD protesters again if they hold another rally in the northeastern province.

On Thursday, Kwanchai led hundreds of protesters demolish PAD's stage and beat up PAD protesters, seriously injuring two of them.

Kwanchai said he had warned local PAD supporters several times not to organise a rally in the province, because he regarded that anti-government rallies damaged the province's reputation.

"Yes, I did it and I am not afraid of legal action because I will be charged only public brawl charges," Kwanchai said.

"I've warned them several times that they must not come here."

The Nation

February 12, 2009 — The 2009 recipient of the (Harvard JFK School of Government) Shorenstein Prize for Reporting on Asia is Seth Mydans, who covers Southeast Asia for the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune from his base in Bangkok, Thailand.

Since taking up the post in 1996 he has covered the fall of Suharto and rise of democracy in Indonesia; the death of Pol Pot, the demise of the Khmer Rouge and the trauma and slow rebirth of Cambodia; repeated attempts at People Power in the Philippines; the idiosyncracies of Singapore and Malaysia; the long-running political crisis in Thailand and the seemingly endless troubles of Myanmar.

In the 1980s he covered the fall of Marcos and struggles of Corazon Aquino in the Philippines and was in Burma for the massacres that led to the emergence of Aung San Suu Kyi and the current junta. He worked for a construction company in Vietnam during the war after graduating from Harvard, and has followed the Vietnam story since then, through the exodus of refugees, to their resettlement in the United States, to the shaping of a new postwar Vietnam.

see also:

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference...dans/index.html

His articles are decent. He is pretty even-handed in his reporting style and attempts to tell all sides to a conflict without letting his own bias show through.

The NYT has another Asia correspondent named Thomas Fuller. His articles show a bit more bias and his writing is not as good as Seth Mydan's.

....the army wrote the present constitution to try to prevent Thaksin-policy supporters from gaining power

I've hear this stated numerous times, but I've never seen any evidence to suggest it.

Would you please explain precisely which clauses in the 1997 constitution were removed, and which clauses were added to the new constitution that were specifically aimed at preventing Thaksin-policy supporters from gaining power? Please show the connection between the changes to a deliberate attempt to weaken Thaksin-policy supporters.

No, but I would suggest :

Team Yellow army commanders allowed troops to use live ammo on protestors on April 10th, before getting shot themselves.

Team Yellow is likely behind the Silom BTS attack.

Team Yellow is likely behind this McD's attack.

amongst many other things which will not be listed here.

Do you have any evidence to support these beliefs? You are certainly welcome to your beliefs. We all are, but what is your reasoning?

MCOTEnglishnews: Red Shirt leaders order guards to dismantle blockage at entrance of Chula Hospital, the order is rejected by Maj Gen Khattiya who obstructs removal

Infighting among the reds. They are crumbling internally. This is both good and bad. Good because the end may be near, but bad because the hard core clearly won't give up without a major fight.

Maybe the reds think McDonalds is "AMART" ....

I think the McDonalds logo is a symbol of unity : RED background with YELLOW "m" .... both red and yellow form a symbol of a delicious meal

If they think McD's is Ammart then they are mistaken. They really need to target Starbucks instead. I mean 220 bt for a cup of coffee?

"French this, French that. Your post of detailed events in 1958 in France is not what this thread is about. Because I point this out to you I am therefore a propagandist. Wake up Jerry. Thailand is not France, and this thread is not about France. If you want to talk about France maybe you should find a French forum" Quote.

I do not accuse you to be a propagandist but obviously opening a serie of threads on minor incidents (which after appear to be fully distorted information= example the grenades found on a motorcyclist in dong muang - in fact a smuggling not link to Red shirts...) can be qualified as very directive propagandist operations.

Today the Silom Mc Donald thread is another example in plus of Dr Tul thread. (For Mc Do, we will discover maybe later that the glasses have been broken by a stone or other ways...) Jumping directly to conclusions (that we discover fakes later on), creating an atmosphere leading to more passion, these are obviously propaganda operations of which i give you credit, you are not at the origin.Most (not all) of those incidents are blown out of proportion. In this volatile atmosphere, we have to cool down. My French example is cited because the situation is very parallel to the Thai situation. I support and I find some interest in reading a lot of posts giving examples from USA or UK and I have never objected to. Everybody with a positive will trying to solve the situation is welcome. We have to minimise the propaganda from both sides and keep cool.

IMHO, the only correct way to get out of this mess is a third way, as I have explained several times

Jerry, forgive my frustration. As you know I live and work near to this anarchic wasteland formerly known as the Bangkok central business district. I am tired of the talk that is going nowhere, seemingly. This situation has gone way past the bounds of protest and it needs to be ended, preferably through negotiation, but if not then force will have to suffice. If I have taken out my general frustration toward you I apologize. I have been reading your posts for weeks and it is clear that you have a deep love for Thais and Thailand, coupled with a strong moral code valuing egalitarian principles and justice. Those are laudable attributes in a person.

Last I checked this thread is about a PAD spokesman who had to flee an airport that was blocked by a red caravan. This thread is not about France. This thread is not about various democratic systems. Please stick to the topic guys.

PAD spokesman or multi-colour spokesman? I wasn't aware of his links to the PAD.

edit: sorry for going off topic

Perhaps I was mistaken. The only thing I could find with a 10 minute search was a reader comment on BP that directly linked him. Perhaps that is what I was remembering.

Last I checked this thread is about a PAD spokesman who had to flee an airport that was blocked by a red caravan. This thread is not about France. This thread is not about various democratic systems. Please stick to the topic guys.

we are on the topic;

Dr Tul has taken a wise decision because we are now in a passionate atmosphere which is spinning out of control.

More and more similar incidents, I am afraid, will occur.

The research for getting out of the current situation and solve the crisis is a higher priority for people of good will.

often it appears that the description of the incident is exagerrated: so cool down fortunately the incident is over and nobody has been hurted.

However, the fact to blow out of proportion such an incident by opening a thread and to want to stick on the track may demonstrate a propaganda operation.

Let us interpret this incident and raise up the dialog.

French this, French that. Your post of detailed events in 1958 in France is not what this thread is about. Because I point this out to you I am therefore a propagandist. Wake up Jerry. Thailand is not France, and this thread is not about France. If you want to talk about France maybe you should find a French forum.

Last I checked this thread is about a PAD spokesman who had to flee an airport that was blocked by a red caravan. This thread is not about France. This thread is not about various democratic systems. Please stick to the topic guys.

Let us also not forget that school is set to open soon. Will the children be able to safely get to school? Will the traffic be so bad in downtown BKK that kids have to get up at 3:00 am in order to get to school? Will parents have to leave their houses by 4:00 so they can get their kids to school by 7:30 and then make it over to their places of employment?

These demonstrations are hurting many people. They are not democratic, they are criminal. There is no justification for what the red shirt demonstrators are doing, no matter their grievances. This is not the way to solve the problems in Thai society.

I live in an area near the demonstrations and I work at a school near the demonstrations. My family is living in fear. The high anxiety is taking its toll on our lives. We, and many others, are victims of this criminal mob. There is no resolution to this situation on the horizon. We long for a return to normalcy so that we can simply live our lives in relative peace.

Up until today I have only advocated political solutions. Honest negotiation and compromise has been my position. But this does not seem to be happening. The divisions are apparently too great. Rational minds have not prevailed. We are tired, weary of the anarchy, stressed and oppressed. Sadly, and with a heavy heart, I am forced to change my position.

The government and security forces need to clear these hooligans, thugs, freedom fighters, insurrectionists, terrorists, and 'democracy' advocates from the streets. They have no right to be there and they must be removed, now, today, in broad daylight and with the media present. The government has the moral and legal authority to act. And this is what they must do.

I ask all TV viewers to read the closed forum that is dominated by The Nation.

This forum is clearly not a news forum anymore. It is an editorial forum for The Nation and should be designated as such. There is not longer any need to keep this forum closed under the guise of news.

I find very little news there now. It is full of opinions and rumors from the Nation Reporters and government propaganda..

Further I hope that when this conflict is resolved and a legitimate government comes to power that appropriate action will be taken to denounce the The Nation as a propaganda arm of the existing government and consideration be given th revoke their right to operate a public broadcast organization via licensing restrictions. I further hope that invsetigation of the reporters postings be examined for violation of Thai laws. It appears to me that several of The Nations postings in recent days of rumors and false statements may very well be in violation of the current operating Thai law at the present.

In earlier postings I have consistently requested that TV rein in these renegade reporters and remove all editorial and opinion postings from the "Closed News Forum". The question must be asked. Is TV in a conspiracy with the Nation by permitting this postings. Under Thai internet precedence is would appear that they are at least culpable. These postings remove any sembance of neutrality.

Or, it is a news forum, but you cannot see the forest for the trees because you are so stuck on you preconceived notions. Additionally, you cannot seem to tell the difference between an opinion piece, a tweet, a news update, breaking news, or an article. The question must be asked. Have your red blinders prevented you from seeing and accepting what is actually going on in the streets of Bankok?

Sorry mods. I couldn't resist. Delete if inappropriate.

Yeah! And your kettle is black too!

Really? I live in BKK in an area near the demonstrations. I see what's going on every day. I have fears that my family could be caught in the crossfire every time we exit our house. If there were to be a crackdown are our homes even safe? Wouldn't demonstrators run for cover wherever they can find it, including in people's private residences? My neighbor's car was 'tagged' with red spray paint. Friends have been badgered and assaulted. There is no law. There is no order. There is no safety. There is no freedom. There is no recourse. So please excuse me for being upset at the present situation.

So what you think about Weng seems clear, but would you agree with the jingthing interpretation too?

How it comes that member Hawk tells us something else? What is true?

Recap: The whole point started with member jingthing who wanted to frame and blame the red shirts for the October 76 tragedy with finger-pointing at Samak. mass murder of innocent peaceful non violent students, he said.

Unfortunately he refused to become more elaborate. Busy typing so many entries per day he had no time leftover to do it.

I said it is necessary to keep the things in context and look at the source of his information.

because it is mostly a version of the history that Dr. Weng and Prof. Giles Ji Ungpakorn opine. who are not exactly leading figures of the anti-red movement, right.

Actually is that what Jingthing called "common knowledge- google it" the history written & published by and according to Ungpakorn and former CPT like Weng and nobody else. A version recognised and accepted by the so called 'western liberal view'. And too detailed books about it are banned in Thailand. A reduced wiki version seems to be jungthings common "knowledge". In thai context something like 'wengen'.

Than in Thailand that version far from established, that explained Samaks reaction in the Al Jazeera interview "only one died". Only strange for western eyes. Samak was loyal to the constitution and a staunch anti-communist just like the Democrats Party for example, the Chuan Leekpai government wanted to honour Dictator Thanom Kittikachorn. And the evil-communist card or the blame game to label someone as anti-monarchist is still a tactic today, used against an anti-government protest.

You cannot one day rant again the unconstitutional students protests and claim they wanted to overthrow the monarchy and are all thuggish Maoist and a Marxist and so on. And three pages later suddenly start to to say they are all innocent and take Samak as bogeyman who represents the evil force. It is to complex and pretty complicated and cannot be reduce into two lines of hate comment. this way you will repeatedly commit a fallacy after fallacy.

I don't want to defend Marxism or claim that Samak is a good guy.

But you cannot say October massacre=peaceful students vs.Samak=PPP=Red Shirts

or October massacre=communist/maoist revolt=Weng/Giles=Red Shirts

Put and keep the things in context or you are nothing else than a dishonest demagogue, telling half truths and lies.

Good post mazeltov. I'm being genuine here, without any hidden sarcasm or digs.

Nobody is denying that the red shirts entered the hospital. But they didn't harm any patients. If they wanted to harm patients, they could harm them at the new location too, so the move was pointless and effectively a PR stunt. I'm sorry.

You don't get it. When 100 loud redshirts carrying staffs and poles break into a hospital it is harmful to patients who are recovering from their ailments. They do not need to attack them to cause harm. The simple fact of causing terror to patients is potentially enough to cause pain, or arrest or slow their recovery.

Yup, the PAD have a long history of using war weapons in their campaign unlike the UDD....oh, hang on a minute. I seem to have go my acronyms the wrong way round...

You think so? Find me one, just one, reference to an incident in which the PAD was implicated in that involved their use of an RPG or M79.

That goes for you too monkfish. Find me one.

I reverse the question as well!

Like I said if he were delivering to the the 63 M79 grenades to the Reds it would be all over the NEWS PAPERS! already

I tend to think they copped themselves?

Reverse the question? What do you mean? The red shirts/black shirts have been implicated in the use of M79 grenade launchers in numerous articles. However, I never once stated or suggested that the arrest of the man with the 63 grenades on his motorcycle was delivering them to red shirt leaders.

I ask all TV viewers to read the closed forum that is dominated by The Nation.

This forum is clearly not a news forum anymore. It is an editorial forum for The Nation and should be designated as such. There is not longer any need to keep this forum closed under the guise of news.

I find very little news there now. It is full of opinions and rumors from the Nation Reporters and government propaganda..

Further I hope that when this conflict is resolved and a legitimate government comes to power that appropriate action will be taken to denounce the The Nation as a propaganda arm of the existing government and consideration be given th revoke their right to operate a public broadcast organization via licensing restrictions. I further hope that invsetigation of the reporters postings be examined for violation of Thai laws. It appears to me that several of The Nations postings in recent days of rumors and false statements may very well be in violation of the current operating Thai law at the present.

In earlier postings I have consistently requested that TV rein in these renegade reporters and remove all editorial and opinion postings from the "Closed News Forum". The question must be asked. Is TV in a conspiracy with the Nation by permitting this postings. Under Thai internet precedence is would appear that they are at least culpable. These postings remove any sembance of neutrality.

Or, it is a news forum, but you cannot see the forest for the trees because you are so stuck on you preconceived notions. Additionally, you cannot seem to tell the difference between an opinion piece, a tweet, a news update, breaking news, or an article. The question must be asked. Have your red blinders prevented you from seeing and accepting what is actually going on in the streets of Bankok?

Sorry mods. I couldn't resist. Delete if inappropriate.

Yup, the PAD have a long history of using war weapons in their campaign unlike the UDD....oh, hang on a minute. I seem to have go my acronyms the wrong way round...

You think so? Find me one, just one, reference to an incident in which the PAD was implicated in that involved and RPG or M79.

too much coffee again waytomuch, read it again, slower this time, particulary the bit after 'Oh hang on a minute...'

Well shit howdy. I'm half drunk, eating my dinner, and reading TV at the same time. Missed it. Apologies.

Yup, the PAD have a long history of using war weapons in their campaign unlike the UDD....oh, hang on a minute. I seem to have go my acronyms the wrong way round...

You think so? Find me one, just one, reference to an incident in which the PAD was implicated in that involved their use of an RPG or M79.

That goes for you too monkfish. Find me one.

Why don't you people wake up and smell the coffee? The government lost control when they allowed the yellow shirts to seize and loot the government house. Had the government cracked down on the mob at that point, Thailand would not be looking at this situation today.

That was a different government. The government at that time was controlled by the same people in league with the present red shirt movement.

Paranoia fueled by testosterone and Red Bull, and MSG and alcohol make for a jittery person who can't sleep at night, and sees ghosts in every shadow.

Interesting to note. My wife wanted to check out the Ratchaprasong demonstrations 2 nights ago. She was curious, being from Surin. The red guards would not let her and her friends bring in any alcohol. No alcohol allowed, especially anywhere near the stages.

When the red guards got H1N1 flu they were happy to use Bangkok's hospitals. Now they are interfering with the public's right to have the same sort of access. Taking down the barricades earlier must have been an attempt to smooth over public relations, maybe CNN and BBC went home for the evening so the barricades went back up.

Was there ever any UDD confirmation that there were really guards that had H1N1? Not just a 'scare-tactic'?

Yes.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/...u-30127934.html

Man from Phichit asks Democrat to help send him, 24 friends home

BANGKOK: -- A man from Phichit went to the Democrat Party head office Friday and asked the party to help send him and 24 friends back home.

Add a few more people to the list of Isaan non-red supporters.

Mr. Expert, Phichit isn't exactly in Isaan, but keep on going with your stereotyping and simplifying if it helps your agenda.

Fair enough. My mistake. I was wrong. I apologize. I can admit when I am wrong or mistaken.

Do you know who Dr. Weng and Prof. Giles Ji Ungpakorn are?

And your fact taken from wikipedia might be coming from a book that is banned in Thailand. Guess why.

I don't say Samak was a good guy but you should better studies all the circumstances and the historical context too before you start throwing mud at the reds.

Ummm Dr Weng --- Senior Core member of the Reds --- known Maoist --- spokesman for the Red shirts when they met with the government --- has openly called for violence against the legal sitting government.

Giles U ... had to run from Thailand back to the UK. Wrote the Red Siam Manifesto. There was a Red Siam stage not too long ago. Giles is an outspoken red that has appeared on red stages along side red core leaders. Giles has spoken out against the monarchy. Giles was turned in for his crimes apparently by his coworkers.

So, we have Dr Weng --- core leader of the Reds and violent, and Giles U. who has appeared on red stages and is no longer welcome in Thailand (without having to answer for L.M. charges). A Maoist and a Marxist that are openly associated with , or are directly red shirt core leaders ---

Now --- what is your point?

I think his point was that it is understood by all and sundry that maoist and marxist philpsophies fully endorse the choice of a constitutional monarchy as an appropriate form of political structure for a country.

Thaksin killed nobody. And the number of 2600+ Thai killed in the war of drug exaggerated and outdated and not conform with the latest investigation.

Prove it. Your statement is at odds with almost every report by domestic and international journalists.

What latest investigation? Got a source for that latest investigation?

What was exaggerated about the deaths? Got a source for that one too?

Enlighten us please mazeltov

An independent committee probing drug-related killings during the first Thaksin Shinawatra government has found no concrete evidence linking senior figures with the murders, a Justice Ministry source said yesterday.

After five months of inquiries, the panel, led by former attorney general Khanit na Nakhon, has obtained only statistical details about the number and nature of the murders.

But no conclusion that would implicate police or Thaksin as the instigator of the shoot-to-kill policy has been reached.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/01/16...al_30062378.php

a lot of the death were just "normal homicides" that would had occurred without war on drugs or not.

Have you read the article? Let me quote in full:

An independent committee probing drug-related killings during the first Thaksin Shinawatra government has found no concrete evidence linking senior figures with the murders, a Justice Ministry source said yesterday.

Published on January 16, 2008

After five months of inquiries, the panel, led by former attorney general Khanit na Nakhon, has obtained only statistical details about the number and nature of the murders.

But no conclusion that would implicate police or Thaksin as the instigator of the shoot-to-kill policy has been reached.

The panel's report will be submitted to the Cabinet today. It's main content is facts and government records showing how Thaksin's order was carried out from top to bottom through the bureaucracy.

One of the most potent pieces of evidence is that an anti-narcotics centre under the Interior Ministry was ordered to issue a blacklist naming drug dealers and users nationwide, as well as an appraisal measure to show a "decline" in the number of people blacklisted.

But the report contained no conclusion that may subject an individual to criminal liability.

The outcome is likely to be considered by many as a failure, because the panel's objective was to bring those responsible for the murders to justice - be they police officers or anyone in higher authority who encouraged extrajudicial killings.

The Khanit na Nakhon panel is said to have opted not to name at least three political office-holders involved in administering Thaksin's highly controversial policy, despite discovering their involvement.

The report said 2,819 people were killed in 2,559 murder cases between February and April in 2003. Of those killed, 1,370 were related to drug dealing, while 878 of them were not. Another 571 people were killed without apparent reason.

Some 54 people were killed in shootouts with police officers, 41 with known drug-related links but two without any known ties. Another 11 people were killed but it is not known how they were involved in the shootouts.

The overall murder rate two years before and two years after the three-month 'War on Drugs' was 454 cases a month, or a third of the number killed between February and April 2003.

1) So nearly 1000 people were murdered in the war on drugs who did not have any relation to drug dealing.

2) Almost 600 people were murdered without any reason whatsoever.

3) No individuals were found to be guilty of this atrocity.

Comment: You really should read the articles you present as proof for your claims.