keepsamuiclean

I like the report and while reading it put a smile on my face. A young trainee who writes how he/she feels about this colonel who did a great job during very difficult times. He/she can be proud that the report of the visit made it to the headlines - with a very good last sentence.

Thanks - only sorry for the willing victims who do not understand this pattern.

According to Jatuporn (tulsathit on twitter, 21.15): "death is not as important as our human dignity" . Having big problems to figure out his human dignity!!

If I wouldn't be here in Thailand, then I'd really have a good laugh about the current situation.

It's sad that (even while I assume that 95% on this forum has half a brain and more) when the reds ask Suthep to surrender to the DSI and he gives in to that, they then recognize their mistake (if there was one in the first place) and change their demands again and then see people actually defend that mistake.

The fun part is that you don't see Cheguevara and the likes respond to the post regarding the 2007 charges against 'Terrorist Red Shirts' being on bail and then talking about double standards..

Amazing. If that's not a Red-Shirt trait, I don't know one...

Bail conditions? Being on bail mostly means that there IS a court case which gets followed up. It should end with aquittance or with a final charge of a jail term or fee. Slowly I doubt the judicary system of Thailand too...

Could we get back on-topic please?

The UDD asked for Suthep to surrender to the police, but he's surrendering to the DSI instead.

And why should he surrender to anyone? Because terrorists ask for it....Surely I'm going to wake up from this nightmare !

because terrorists normallly surrender to the police .

Suthep ordered the killing of civilians he is one of them

Correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that the red leaders filed a case against him with DSI - which was at first refused and then taken. Perhaps at this time they were not aware of any "conflict of intrest"...

Might the nightmare be over soon!

"Prisoners in Paradise" (Europe) could become my favorite song.. Yes, I feel very trapped and it's not only a feeling but a fact.

After 10 years in India - at first for a MNC then with my own travel company the then government was so right wing that it was not possible for me to "sell" the country to foreigners and to stay as a foreigner. The tourism minister saw foreigners as potential cultural polluters...

Where to go? Back to Germany? No chance for a 50 + economist and for the 27 old son with high school and experience in the own comp.

In 2000 Thailand seemed to be the right place. Especially as we read a quote of one of the cultural ministers that influences from outside are welcome as the Thai people could freely decide to adapt the good things and would refuse the bad influences. Yes, this was 10 years ago!!

We had bookings for Samui and we did a research with people we knew.

We took over a backpacker resort with a 30-years contract, keymoney and fixed rents after 2 years.

Already after 9 months I stated that we would be able to pay the rent only with 300 % occupancy..., unfortunately I did not talk about it to the landlord but improved the resort with my money and the money of a friend who joined me.

We should have sold the contract in 2005 when the prices were high but at that time 3 years of construction at the neighboring plot started and we thought nobody would take it. That this construction ruined the business is another fact - but we had to pay the rent.

Today I am telling the landlord, that he got already X Mio baht, a swimming pool, 10 AC's, nice furniture, changed bungalows and bathrooms (when we took it over we had even to buy toilet seats...) etc. and that I am working for him, my staff, my beer and cigarettes, my food and dog food. And that's it! He might consider a change of the registered contract regarding the rent because now I could only gift the contract away, getting just the keymoney back.

Abhisit just tries to safe his $ss, because he know's wen he resigns, his life is over.

Stupid "vision"! Get real.

This sounds very nice and finally unlock the situation. Also it makes really govt look like the good guys willing to compromise while the other side... Reds would be crazy to refuse after the bad days they had. However, with terrorists charges threatening and no mention of amnesty in his 5 points program, they might ask to have amnesty added as a number 6 prior to give in.

Where's the compromise?

This sounds just government BS "we're here to help you"

Abhisit is going to have to get real and act like a real leader!

Elections are due in 18 months --- Abhisit is offering 6 months and doing so publicly. That is over a year EARLY. If he acted the way MANY people wanted him to there would be a lot of blood .... (The Reds want blood and so do many of the locals in BKK and then there is the more extreme in the PAD that want it. --- Thankfully the PAD is a minority as are the reds ... and while Abhisit may lose a little support in BKK he will likely gain support upcountry.)

Funny - Abhisit said he would NEVER do this - anyhow I don't like some of this but it should be grasped as Abhisit has capitulated and reds should concentrate on trouncing him at the election - he's finished

Finished??? He is just starting! And this with a mixture between the famous "Thai way" and the knowledge of other "cultures".

The Tourism and Sports Ministry is seeking Bt1.6 billion to stimulate tourism in both domestic and international markets, with plans for joint promotional packages in cooperation with foreign airlines and travel agencies.

The spawn of Banharn is clever in seeking 1.6 billion at this time. Like a good little politician, I am sure he will profit from the situation and ensure that the money goes to the right hands/pockets.

What a joke !

Drop that 800,000 baht retirement extension requirement down around 300,000-500,000 and no doubt the influx would be noticeable probably putting 300-500,000 per fur'ner into economy instead of sitting in Thai banks, personally I'd land in Phuket for longtime-longtime stay ASAP no matter red shirt, yellow shirt whatever shirts <deleted> over? Its not any fur'ners concern nor should any fur'ner make it so, the Thais have to work it out, sadly it may take a lot more lives, many more years before something finally works out.

The *ONLY* thing I no like about Thailand is they have no lemons only limes

Please peace be sooner rather than later to the Thai people ...

MaiThaiMai

Come to Samui - here you get lemons.

Anyhow it's a very sour situation..

meant ths sentence:" hate to say it, but if it means he must resign to stop the country spiralling out of control that is a decision he should take."

And then???

" a new generation of honest men and women of genuine conviction and integrety." You are getting 99 points! Abhisit is the new generation! A man who is not interested in money.

Is that why he as the party chairman and his Democrats are currently on trial for corruption charges? Because he's a honest man? A new generation? Not interested in money? (Except for the 258 million Baht in donations they took illegally).

The trial will show - better wait for it.

I'm a little sick of hearing the redshirts this and the redshirts that. This is democracy in motion. If a ruling party refuses to openly compromise then the outcome can be violent. People here are passionate about their country. I admire them for that. They are willing to give their life for what they believe in. You whiners that think your opinion matters are just adding to the problem. The Thai people have a leader they believe is illegitimate and they are acting as such.

Many years ago our countries did the same thing the Thai are doing now. GIVE THEM SOME SLACK!!! Your opinion as a farang means nothing but your trivial rhetoric may create discontent that isn't needed. We are bystanders. Pay some respect and allow the process to come to it's conclusion. It is coming soon. I believe we will have a better country that we are visiting than the one that exists now.

I couldn't agree with you more - and before the rest of you start with your nonsense about my maiden posting let me say that I have been reading this website for a considerable time and been appalled by the political naivete (and the grammar/spelling) of an apparently European/American/Australian website. I am not in any way an expert in Thai politics or history but it is obvious that we are witnessing a similar uprising (led by equally suspect demagogues) to that in Tsarist Russia where the people merely wanted a more equal society and the Bolsheviks claimed to want social revolution. Everyone knows how the Russian experiment with Socialism failed because of the corrupt politicians that too little democracy allows; what I believe could happen in Thailand is that somewhere down the line when the people realise that most politicians are not really interested in their concerns then they will wake up to the idea that universal suffrage means that they have a right to choose. At that point, as in our older democracies and with the same failings, a new political movement may arise led by a new generation of honest men and women of genuine conviction and integrity.

" a new generation of honest men and women of genuine conviction and integrety." You are getting 99 points! Abhisit is the new generation! A man who is not interested in money. Do you think that Thaksin would have left his bank card lying around with the safety no. so that the maid could steal money? No, but T. transferred millions to a secretary by share transfer on paper. I could go on and on - but it's your maiden post...

If I had a vote I don't think I would vote for Democratic Party simply because of its pathetic inaction to allow this to continue for so long. Happy my new job in Beijing starts soon.Now there's a place where this wouldnt have lasted half a day never mind 2 months.

Good luck for the new job in Beijing. It's a place where even car robbers get excecuted... After 19 years in Asia (more than ten in India and then here) I learned a little bit about different mentalities and learned too to have patience. Not all the time - I still can explode - but it's happening very rarely. Now my feelings are half/half. Admiring Abhisit for his patience which must have some background/insight and wishing that he cracks down immediateley. Only time will tell - much time is not left.

So,

Just coming back from my favourite issan village and some people presented to me the latest present from the Government for helping farming: a Kubota tractor 153 (15 horse power) with 3 disks, transmission by belt. cost 250,000TBT (for around 1000 houses/families)...a joke.

Really there is no policy for helping seriously ISSAN. It is the root of the problem, I have already written a lot about that... Instead to prepare the Civil war, the Government should defuse the situation by announcing a real policy for developing the Northern Country: 42% of the population with 13% of National income.....

Ok:

How about mandatory free schooling to 18 years old?

Not as good as 100k in everyone's bank today, but let's look to the future.

We use to say that a Government has 100 days to start implementing a policy and 6 months later must be passed through parliament...Abhisit has gotten 16 months....

1 Schooling is just talking, talking talking... good intention but hel_l is paved with good intentions (french proverb). In any case, too late and it is not the Primary issue.

2 The main issue is INCOME. price of rice, rubber, subsidising the Farming until it is modernised. Modernisation of Farming, with IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS. In the same time decentralisation of Industries to fix the population locally and condition for doing this successfully is INVESTMENTS in INFRASTRUCTURE IN NORTHERN REGION (NOT ONLY IN BANGKOK) RAILWAYS, HIGHWAYS, IRRIGATION.....

Which means drastic revision of the BUDGET, Reorientation of the INVESTMENTS.

This is the minimum to be credible....But probably this is not satisfactory for the Bankokians who want ALL for them.

In Summary, Abhisit except schooling intentions, peanuts for Northern Regions, nothing serious... Too late and very insuficient for defusing the situation.

Northern Regions need a SUPER PLAN to get them out of the ghetto bankokians are sending them...

Failure to understand this is driving to major turbulences, risk of a Civil war, because Northern people have nothing to loose.....

Sorry, but I was under the impression that Thaksin was so loved by the NE people as he DID something for them. Seems that he neither developed a SUPER PLAN which seems to be needed nor realized such kind of a plan within his 6 years in office.

Now to expect everything quickly from the Abhisit government which is 16 months in office of which almost half of the time got disrupted by the reds seems not fair to me.

House dissolution and National Govt. 23 %. 40,5 % - negotiations and crack down - quite some people want to keep the PM. Guess the 1269 people got asked via mobile phones and those are common all over Thailand...even that the no. is not too impressive.

Let me tell you that there is no "yellow Dictatorship" in Thailand!

Other than:

- Abhisit's father was on the board of directors of a company that heavily financed the yellow PAD.

- Abhisit made a yellow PAD his Foreign Minister.

- Abhisit only promises crackdowns on red protesters, not on yellow ones on the other side of the street, even though a state of emergency and prohibition of assembly of more than 5 people applies to all Thais.

And a few more ...but you get the point.

But you did not get the point what dictatorship is!

State of Emergency - yes, you are right, but: the people who came out to rally against dissolution of the house have a perfect excuse - the red protesters being there exceeded already 5 persons. Re. crack down - crack down on people who are more than 5 peacefully waving Thai flags, listening to some speeches, abusing sometimes reds or against more than 5 reds who have weapons, sharpened bamboo sticks, old tyres, petrol and are threatening people?

What would be your first choice?

(sorry for my english)

Stop pretending you're not just another reincarnation of the existing red PR machine.

i'm not red. just want to understand why yellow can govern the country when the lost democratic elections but doing it occupying the country in the same way as the reds are doing now, and call reds terrorist when they can't govern the country even the won elections.

tell me this is a yellow Dictatorship for Thailand own good, and i will understand and stop posting questions.

but don't tell me the yellow are holding on for the democracy.

Democracy has Greek root: Demo=people, Crat=rule

If people want Thaksin, give him to them. that is democracy

Your Greek seems to be better than your English...but your understanding of "democracy" is quite incorrect. Compared to dictatorship where one person decides and the others have to follow, democracy is simply a form where people can vote for a person/party thinking this person/party will do the best for the public while elected. It does not mean voting again and again if some voters are just not satisfied.

Let me tell you that there is no "yellow Dictatorship" in Thailand! As many before stated the current government offered to shorten the time to the next scheduled elections by one year. In a dictatorship there would have been a nicely hidden massmurder already. Hidden because there would no media been allowed except of their own. The former German Democratic Republic was a dictatorship. The people had only access to their propaganda and when they managed to get western channels they had to go to jail. Now do not tell me that the Thai government closed the red channel...Yes, they did to stop their dictatorial propaganda machine. If somebody could have stopped Goebbels perhaps there would not have been the second world war!

Told my absolutely loyal (to me - farang) red shirt employee already that Sunday the Thai world would look differently. He asked back "sure?" Hope I can be sure - Methi and the grenades coverage from Lumpini Park could do the work.

Closing Patpong looks to have rattled the Expat community up there.

Calling for death, war, killings of reds, all out attacks.

Looks like a massive army in the North could be gathering, fully armed, with army backing and certainly the Police in the country... apart from a few hi-so generals and colonels etc.

Forget your fantasy about the Muslims coming to you aid, they hate Bangkok and its decadent elite more than the Reds do.

What Irony, the Patpong, Nana expats hoping that the clean living Muslims of the south are going to come north and clear the reds away from their playgrounds.

What's the thread you are referring to??

LeavelHead - let it please get into your head: There was no violence created by the Yellows - there were deaths created by the then Somchai government who ordered fighting against peaceful demonstrators with 15 years old teargas containers. And if you think Chamlong Srimuang is a violent man - google the name.

What about the people killed by the Yellows at Don Muang airport ?

Man suspected of being under cover policeman KILLED by PAD guards.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255112100004

.

"People" are more than one man..supposedly killed by PAD guards. Don't know how long you have been living in Thailand - I quickly learnt that life is cheap.

At least you are not disputing the 15 years old teargas containers killing people while PM Somchai was in hiding in his Chiang Mai house together with his wife, a sister of the ousted PM.

LeavelHead - let it please get into your head: There was no violence created by the Yellows - there were deaths created by the then Somchai government who ordered fighting against peaceful demonstrators with 15 years old teargas containers. And if you think Chamlong Srimuang is a violent man - google the name.

the open letter of the redshirts

It's interesting to see the possible related posts under the text. Do we want Thailand to be like Venezuela and Chavez?

Redphanfa2day's Blog

April 16, 2010

Open letter to the Thai media from the red-shirt phrai

Filed under: UDD Statement — redphanfa2day @ 6:02 pm

Tags: red-shirts, Thai media, UDD

The following is an English translation of an open letter sent to Thai media organizations by the the red-shirt phrai (people)

An open letter to major Thai media

Stop supporting the tyrannical aristocratic government that abuses the people (phrais)

The governance of a country reflects (the liberty of expressing opinions and information of) the media in that country. Since April 8, 2010 the Abhisit Vejjajiva government has closed almost all channels for communicating among the red-shirts and Thai society, eg, the red shirt's television channel – the People's channel, almost 1,000 local radio stations, and dozens of web sites.

Furthermore, major Thai media have supported the Abhisit government by reporting half-truths to deceive people. This is not different to what has been done during previous political conflicts between the people and tyrant Thai governments, eg, the October 1973, October 1976, May 1992, and April 2009 events.

With advanced technology for communication, the intensity and magnitude of fabricating and painting the news to distort the facts seems to be more prevalent than in the past.

Currently most Thai media (government radio and television stations, free TV, and local radio stations and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) owned ASTV are acting as tools for propagandizing the right of the Abhisit government in its brutal mission to crush the red-shirt demonstrations at Phan Pha Bridge and on Radjadamneorn Road on April 10, 2010.

The propaganda by major Thai media has bombarded Thai society almost 24 hours a day through beautiful words but distorted information, such as suggesting the deaths of 19 red shirts and 4 soldiers (the latest report while writing this letter) may have been caused by a third party, the so-called "terrorists", retired soldiers who are red-shirts, or some red-shirts who masqueraded as soldiers.

These media have also claimed the crackdown against the red-shirts by Thai state security forces leading to the 23 deaths and more than 800 hundred injured was the fault of the leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), without mentioning the wrongdoings of the government and other parties involved in the political conflict.

The storm of misinformation through many communication channels under the complete control of the government is an attempt to deceive society – both locally and internationally – and avert responsibility for the violent crackdown against red-shirt demonstrators by the Ahbisit government, leading to the 23 deaths.

The formidable security forces that set upon the peacefully protesting red-shirts used water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammunition, and other forms of violence against the unarmed protestors at Khok Woa and Jor-Por-Ror intersections around noon on April 10.

The brutal mission increased in intensity in the late afternoon when tear gas and rubber bullets appeared to be ineffective in crushing the red-shirt protesters. The state security forces then used a helicopter to drop tear gas onto the hi-park stage located at Phan Pha Bridge and in front of the stage, which was surrounded mostly by elderly and children, who had gathered in peace to listen to speeches of some UDD leaders on the stage.

Heavy weapons, eg, M16 rifles with live ammunition were used; the guns shot toward the red-shirts standing up in the front lines at Khok Woa intersection. The noise of shooting did not cease until 10pm when the state security forces retreated because of serious injuries sustained by the force commander, Major General Walit Rotjanaphakdee) and his four aide – who were later reported killed.

The biased news reports and broadcasts by many Thai media about the demonstrations and movements of the red-shirts, who mostly support the previous Thaksin government, may result from various causes.

For instance: (1) the failure of logical thinking by some media who have been trapped in the matrix of the old traditional and conservative systems; (2) the ghost of Thaksin's system made up to scare Thai society these past four years by some people who considered themselves an elite and well-educated group (the yellow/white/pink shirts) with many Thai media and people being spooked by what they have fabricated themselves; (3) benefits gained from the invisible power that supports the Abhisit government through the image of super persons with high ethics and morality.

The negative attitudes and unconscious actions of the media towards the red-shirt movement has more or less increased the deep confrontation among people with different political opinions in Thai society and triggered the 23 deaths from the crackdown of red-shirts on April 10.

If the stepped-up dirty tactics of the Abhisit government are comparable to a tyrant who has robbed the parliament and abused the owners, ie, partly the red shirts, then the media have been followers in helping the tyrannical government abuse people. The media have used their weapons (press and propaganda broadcasts on TV) to stab the abused people with no discussion of the wrongs about which they complain.

As one of the red shirt phrais who has been affected by Abhisit's governance and the double standard, I would like to request (but not beg) the Thai media as follows:

1. Consider and improve your role and duty as media to be more professional about reporting news from both sides based on morality, ethics, and conscience than what you have been. Otherwise, you have no right to criticize, comment, or condemn the others wrongdoings because you are the same or even worse by using pen and ink to make money on the suffering of phrais. Do not forget that you are also phrais like us, although you have never thought about or listened to our voices for the past four years.

2. Stop looking down on the movement of the red-shirt phrais and thinking that they are fighting for an individual, ie, Dr. Thaksin Shinnawatra, or that they are brainwashed to sacrifice their lives for the movement leaders. In fact, all of us have been brainwashed under the patron-client Sakdina (Sakdina = a status in terms of land given by the sovereign to a nobleman in accordance with his rank) system that has been part of Thai society for generations. However, even under this system, no one would be happy to die for someone else.

The inconvenient truths that most Thai media cannot accept are: (1) there are large numbers of red shirt phrais – more than 14 million have registered to be UDD members and more are waiting to register across the country. About 20 percent of UDD supporters with higher education (Masters or PhD degrees) from leading universities inside the country or from abroad do not register to be the UDD members but stand on the same side; (2) the demand for the dissolution of parliament and the return of power to the Thai people to vote for their government is based on democratic principles and rights.

There is sound evidence to show that the Abhisit government is illegitimate and lacks authority to govern the country. The Abhisit government is heavily corrupt, not able to solve the critical crisis of the country, and recently became tyrannical by ordering the violent crackdown against the red-shirt phrais. Additionally, it is clear that the red-shirt phrais need a true democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people, not the current fake democracy controlled by the aristocratic group.

3. Stop indirectly or directly supporting the Abhisit government's use of double standards for administering phrais with different shirt colors. For example, most Thai media hardly criticized the PAD leaders after they took over Government House for more than three months in 2008 and seized Thailand's international airport for a week in late November of the same year. Additionally, the Abhisit government fails to use legal process for the violent actions instigated by PAD leaders. In contrast, legal measure have been immediately used by the Abhisit government to crush the demonstrations of the red-shirt phrais on Phan Pha Bridge and at the Rachaprasong intersection.

4. Stop propagandizing half-truths, or making false charges against the red-shirt phrais, unfairly calling them "criminals of society", while the real criminals are unhampered in their fake righteousness with obvious support from some academics, independent organizations, and most Thai media.

Finally, I believe that the four requests above are reasonable, and it is possible for the Thai media to reconsider their actions. Nevertheless, this depend on the accountability, conscience, and the standpoints of the media to choose either to be phrai media that acts as slaves of the aristocratic group forever, or to be phrai media that acts on democratic principles to report the truth with rightness and fairness for all phrais of whatever shirt color.

The red-shirt phrai

Below is the original Thai document:

จดหมายเปิดผนึกถึงสื่อมวลชนไทย (ส่วนใหญ่)

หยุดสนับสนุนรัฐบาลโจร (อำมาตย์) รุมโทรมประชาชน (ไพร่) เสียที

ไพร่เสื้อแดง

มีคำกล่าวไว้ว่า "การปกครองของรัฐบาลประเทศนั้นเป็นเช่นใด สะท้อนได้จาก(เสรีภาพในการนำเสนอข่าวสารของ) สื่อในประเทศนั้นๆ" การปิดกั้นช่องทางสื่อสารระหว่างกลุ่มคนเสื้อแดงและสังคมแทบทุกช่องทาง ไม่ว่าจะเป็นทีวีคนเสื้อแดง (People channel) วิทยุชุมชนเกือบ 1000 คลื่น และเว็บไซต์กว่า 36 เว็บไซต์ คือความจริงที่เป็นเผด็จการ ละเมิดสิทธิขั้นพื้นฐานของประชาชน ที่รัฐบาลนายอภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ กำลังกระทำอยู่ มิหนำซ้ำ ยังมีสื่อกระแสหลักจำนวนมากช่วยกระหน่ำ ซ้ำเติม ให้ข่าวที่เป็นความจริงเพียงด้านเดียวมอมเมาประชาชนอย่างบ้าคลั่งและไร้อารยะที่สุด มิได้ต่างจากสื่อเผด็จการในเดือนตุลาคม 2516 2519 พฤษภาคม 2535 และเมษายน 2552 แต่อย่างใด เผลอๆ อาจมีดีกรีความโหดเหี้ยมมากกว่าด้วยซ้ำ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นการสร้างข่าวบิดเบือนข้อเท็จจริงผ่านเทคโนโลยีการสื่อสารต่างๆ ที่มีมากกว่า เพื่อสร้างความชอบธรรมในการสั่งปราบปรามผู้ชุมนุมเสื้อแดงอย่างรุนแรงของนายอภิสิทธิ์ เมื่อวันที่ 10 เมษายน 2553 ที่ผ่านมา และไม่มีทีท่าจะหยุดกระพือโหมข้อมูลบิดเบือนที่สอดประสานกันอย่างต่อเนื่องระหว่างสื่อของรัฐบาล (ทั้งวิทยุและโทรทัศน์) ฟรีทีวีทุกช่อง (ที่อยู่ภายใต้การควบคุมเบ็ดเสร็จของรัฐบาล) และทีวีและวิทยุชุมชนของกลุ่มพันธมิตรประชาชนเพื่อประชาธิปไตย

การโหมกระหน่ำโฆษณาชวนเชื่อ ใช้วาทกรรมทางการเมืองบิดเบือนข้อเท็จจริงผ่านสื่อต่างๆ ว่า การตายของเสื้อแดง 17 คน และทหาร 4 นาย (ข้อมูลล่าสุด ขณะเขียนจดหมายฉบับนี้) อาจเป็นการกระทำของมือที่สาม ผู้ก่อการร้าย กลุ่มนายทหารที่ปลดเกษียณแล้วและเป็นเสื้อแดง หรือเสื้อแดงปลอมเป็นทหารไม่ทราบฝ่ายสร้างสถานการณ์ขึ้นมา ฯลฯ ตลอดจนโทษว่าเป็นความผิดของแกนนำแนวร่วมประชาธิปไตยแห่งชาติ (นปช.) เพียงฝ่ายเดียว ที่ทำให้มีการตายเกิดขึ้น เป็นต้น ล้วนเป็นความพยายามอย่างโจ่งแจ้งและต่อเนื่องของสื่อกระแสหลัก เพื่อทำให้สังคมหลงประเด็นและข้อเท็จจริงที่ว่า รัฐบาลนายอภิสิทธิ์เป็นผู้จุดชนวนแห่งโศกนาฎกรรม 21 ศพ ด้วยการสั่งสลายการชุมชนของคนเสื้อแดงอย่างรุนแรงและทุกรูปแบบ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นการกระหน่ำยิงกระสุนยางอย่างไม่ขาดสายบริเวณสี่แยกคอกวัว และถนนข้าวสาร ตลอดจนการปล่อยก๊าซน้ำตาจากเฮลิคอปเตอร์ลงบนเวทีและบริเวณหน้าเวทีปราศรัยตรงสะพานผ่านฟ้าของผู้ชุมนุมเสื้อแดง โดยไม่สนใจผู้ชุมชนที่เป็นคนแก่ ลูกเด็กเล็กแดง ซึ่งนั่งฟังการปราศรัยอยู่บริเวณนั้นอย่างสงบ ทั้งนี้ได้กระทำอย่างต่อเนื่องตั้งแต่ช่วงบ่ายจนถึงเย็น ตามด้วยการใช้อาวุธหนัก เช่น M16 ลั่นกระสุนปืนจริง ในแนววิถีกระสุนตรงเข้าใส่มวลชนเสื้อแดงบริเวณสี่แยกคอกวัวและสี่แยกจปร. อย่างไม่บันยะบันยัง จนประมาณ 4 ทุ่มของวันเดียวกัน ที่ปฏิบัติการอำมหิตของฝ่ายรัฐบาลได้ถอนกำลังออกไป หลังจากมีการยิง M79 จากบุคคลไม่ทราบฝ่ายสวนเข้าไปในแนวทหาร ส่งผลให้แม่ทัพผู้บัญชาการสลายผู้ชุมนุม (พลตรีวลิต โรจนภักดี) ได้รับบาดเจ็บสาหัส และทหารอีก 4 นาย เสียชีวิต ในเวลาต่อมา

การนำเสนอข่าวสารอย่างอคติ ขาดจรรยาบรรณของสื่อมวลชนไทยส่วนใหญ่เกี่ยวกับการชุมนุมและการเคลื่อนไหวของมวลชนไพร่เสื้อแดง ไม่ว่าจะมีสาเหตุมาจากความล้มเหลวของความคิดที่เป็นระบบ (The failure of system thinking) การติดอยู่ในกับดักของระบอบจารีต-อนุรักษ์นิยมล้าหลัง ภาพความน่ากลัวของระบอบทักษิณที่ถูกสร้างขึ้นมาหลอกหลอนสังคมไทยในช่วง 4 ปีที่ผ่านมา และส่งผลให้สื่อมวลชนไทยส่วนใหญ่และประชาชนอีกส่วนหนึ่ง (เสื้อเหลือง-ขาว-ชมพู?) กลัวระบอบนี้อย่างไร้สติจนถึงขั้นขี้ขึ้นสมอง หรือการยอมศิโรราบรับใช้อำนาจที่มองไม่เห็น ผ่านวาทะกรรม "เป็นคนดีเลิศ ประเสริฐจริยธรรม คุณธรรมสูงส่ง" เพื่อผลประโยชน์ต่างตอบแทนต่อเจ้าของสื่อ ฯลฯ พฤติกรรมเหล่านี้ ล้วนมีส่วนไม่มากก็น้อยในการสร้างความแตกแยกร้าวลึกของสังคมไทยในปัจจุบัน และการตายของประชาชนและทหารรวม 21 ศพ จากเหตุการณ์สลายการชุมชนเมื่อวันที่ 10 เมษายน ที่ผ่านมา หากเปรียบรัฐบาลนายอภิสิทธิ์เป็นโจรที่ปล้นอำนาจกลางสภา แล้วข่มขืนประชาชน (ไพร่เสื้อแดง) ผู้เป็นเจ้าของอำนาจ สื่อมวลชนเหล่านี้ ก็ไม่ต่างกับสมุนโจร ที่นอกจากจะยืนส่งเสียงเชียร์การรุมโทรมประชาชนที่ไม่มีทางสู้ แล้วยังใช้อาวุธ (ปากกาเปื้อนหมึก คำโฆษณาชวนเชื่อออกทีวี) ทิ่มแทง ซ้ำเติมให้ประชาชนเหล่านี้ตายอย่างไร้ความชอบธรรมในสังคม ทั้งๆ ที่เป็นผู้ถูกกระทำ

ในฐานะประชาชนไพร่เสื้อแดงคนหนึ่ง ที่ถูกกระทำจากรัฐบาลเผด็จการอำมาตย์ของนายอภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ และเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของไพร่ที่ได้รับการปฎิบัติที่เป็นสองมาตรฐานในสังคมไทยในปัจจุบัน ขอเรียกร้อง (แต่ไม่อ้อนวอน) สื่อมวลชนไทยที่มีพฤติกรรมดังกล่าวข้างต้น ดังนี้

1. พิจารณาและปรับปรุงบทบาท-หน้าที่การเป็นสื่อมวลชนของคุณ ให้มีความเป็นมืออาชีพ ในการนำเสนอข่าวสารอย่างรอบด้าน มีคุณธรรม จริยธรรม และจรรยาบรรณ มากกว่าที่เป็นอยู่ หากมิเช่นนั้นแล้ว คุณก็ไร้ความชอบธรรมที่จะตำหนิ ติติงสังคม หรือประนามว่าคนอื่นเลว เพราะพฤติกรรมของคุณก็ไม่ต่างกัน หรืออาจจะชั่วช้าต่ำทรามกว่าด้วยซ้ำ เพราะคุณกำลังใช้ปากกาเปื้อนหมึก ทำมาหากินบนหยาดน้ำตาของประชาชนชาวไพร่ด้วยกัน (อย่าลืมว่าพวกคุณก็คือไพร่เช่นเดียวกับเรา) แต่ไม่เคยเหลียวแล หรือรับฟังเสียงของพวกเราผ่านสื่อของพวกคุณเลยในช่วง 4 ปีที่ผ่านมา

2. หยุดดูถูกการเคลื่อนไหวของมวลชนไพร่เสื้อแดงและคิดแทนพวกเขาเสียที ว่าทำเพื่อคนใดคนหนึ่ง (ดร.ทักษิณ ชินวัตร) หรือถูกล้างสมองจนสามารถตายเพื่อแกนนำมวลชน เป็นต้น เพราะความจริงพวกเราทุกคนล้วนถูกล้างสมองภายใต้ระบอบอุปถัมภ์-ศักดินาที่คงอยู่กับประเทศไทยมาช้านาน แต่ก็ไม่เคยปรากฎว่าภายใต้ระบอบที่ว่านี้ มีคนยินดีวิ่งแอ่นอกไปรับลูกกระสุนปืน หรือตายแทนใครด้วยความเต็มใจ นอกจากนี้ ความจริงอันเจ็บปวดอีกด้านหนึ่งที่สื่อมวลชนไทยส่วนใหญ่รับไม่ได้ ยังตามความคิดของมวลชนไพร่เสื้อแดงไม่ทัน หรือหลอกตัวเองอยู่ ก็คือ ประการแรก ไพร่เสื้อแดงมีจำนวนมหาศาล เป็นเสียงส่วนใหญ่ของคนในประเทศนี้ มากกว่า 14 ล้านคน ลงทะเบียนและทำบัตรสมาชิก นปช. เรียบร้อยแล้ว ขณะที่ไพร่เสื้อแดงอีกจำนวนมากยังต่อคิวรอทำบัตรสมาชิก นปช.อยู่ทั่วประเทศ และไพร่เสื้อแดงอีกส่วนหนึ่งที่เป็นคนรุ่นใหม่ หัวก้าวหน้า จบการศึกษาไม่ต่ำกว่าปริญญาโท-เอก จากมหาวิทยาลัยชั้นนำทั้งในและต่างประเทศ ไม่ต่ำกว่า 20% ของคนประเทศนี้ ที่ไม่จำเป็นต้องมีบัตรนปช. แต่ยืนเคียงข้างไพร่สีเสื้อเดียวกัน ประการที่สอง ข้อเรียกร้องของมวลชนไพร่เสื้อแดงที่ย้ำแล้วย้ำอีกในการชุมนุมครั้งนี้ คือการให้รัฐบาลเผด็จการอำมาตย์ของนายอภิสิทธิ์ยุบสภา คืนอำนาจให้ประชาชนเจ้าของประเทศภายใต้เสื้อทุกสี ได้ใช้หนึ่งสิทธิ์หนึ่งเสียงของเขาเลือกรัฐบาลที่เขาต้องการนั้น เป็นสิ่งที่ถูกต้องบนหลักการประชาธิปไตยและมีความชอบธรรมในการเรียกร้อง นอกจากนี้ เป็นที่ชัดเจนว่า สำหรับมวลชนไพร่เสื้อแดงนั้น เราต้องการประชาธิปไตยที่แท้จริง ที่เป็นของประชาชน โดยประชาชน และเพื่อประชาชน

3. หยุดสนับสนุนหรือส่งเสริมรัฐบาลเผด็จการอำมาตย์ของนายอภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ ในการใช้สองมาตรฐานปกครองไพร่ภายใต้เสื้อต่างสี ไม่ว่าจะเป็นการกระทำทั้งทางตรงและทางอ้อม ที่ปรากฎให้เห็นเป็นที่ประจักษ์ในช่วงเวลาที่ผ่านมา เช่น สื่อมวลชนไทยส่วนใหญ่แทบจะไม่เคยตำหนิการยึดทำเนียบรัฐบาลกว่า 3 เดือนในปี 2551 และการยึดสนามบินนานาชาติเป็นเวลา 1 สัปดาห์ ในเดือนพฤศจิกายนของปีเดียวกันของกลุ่มพันธมิตรฯ อย่างจริงจัง ตลอดจนการดำเนินการทางกฎหมายต่อแกนนำพันธมิตรฯ ในการกระทำดังกล่าวที่ไม่มีความคืบหน้าใดๆ ทั้งที่เหตุการณ์ผ่านมาปีกว่าแล้ว ขณะที่การชุมนุมบนถนนบริเวณสี่แยกราชประสงค์และถนนราชดำเนิน-บริเวณสะพานผ่านฟ้าของกลุ่มมวลชนไพร่เสื้อแดงในปัจจุบัน กลับถูกสื่อมวลชนส่วนใหญ่ร่วมด้วยช่วยรัฐบาลนายอภิสิทธิ์โจมตีแทบไม่เว้นแต่ละวัน เป็นต้น

4. หยุดกระพือโหมข่าวที่เป็นความจริงเพียงครึ่งเดียว หรือการสุมเพลิงเติมเชื้อไฟใส่มวลชนไพร่เสื้อแดงให้เป็นผู้ร้ายและจำเลยของสังคมโดยไร้ความเป็นธรรม ขณะที่ผู้ร้ายตัวจริงลอยนวลอยู่บนความชอบธรรมจอมปลอมที่นักวิชาการ องค์กรอิสระ และสื่อไทยส่วนหนึ่งให้การสนับสนุนหลักอย่างเป็นทางการ (ออกหน้า ออกตา)

ท้ายสุดนี้ ข้าพเจ้ามีความเชื่อมั่นว่า ข้อเรียกร้องทั้ง 4 ข้อข้างต้น ไม่ได้เกินเลย หรือสุดวิสัยของสื่อมวลชนไทยจะกระทำได้ หากขึ้นอยู่กับวุฒิภาวะ ความรู้จักแยกแยะผิดชอบ-ชั่วดี หิริโอตปะ (ความอายและเกรงกลัวต่อการกระทำความชั่ว) และจุดยืนของสื่อมวลชนเองว่าจะเลือกข้างไหน ระหว่าง ข้างที่หนึ่ง "ขอเป็นสื่อมวลชนไพร่ ขี้ข้ารับใช้เผด็จการอำมาตย์ทุกชาติไป" หรือข้างที่สอง "ขอเป็นสื่อมวลชนไพร่ ยืนอยู่บนหลักการประชาธิปไตย เสนอข่าวสารที่ถูกต้อง เป็นจริง และเป็นธรรมต่อไพร่ทุกสีเสื้อ"

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Chavez Continues Nudging The Fairness Doctrine

This is the posted letter I am referring to - it's well worth an analisys.

Apologies accepted.

The open letter from UDD to Thai media, thankfully posted a few pages ago - translated and in the original - is too long for an ad hoc analisys. What stroke me was already the first sentence beginning with " Stop....." . Being here for 8 years with Thai staff I would never dare to start a sentence with "stop this" or "do this"! Seems that the red leaders do not have any clue about manners. Or was the signing "prai" perhaps Mr. T?

I remain astounded that farangs can/will/do post their support for the Red Shi*ts here. Most of us come from stable democracies that are not perfect but allow us to have an understanding of what democracy is and about basic standards of human behaviour. What we have here is not a movement for the oppressed or for democracy. In fact what we have is so transparent that anyone who cannot see immediately what is going on really need a little education. First of all this movement would not exist if it were not for Mr T. He has inspired it and funded it. Now everyone knows that this gentleman is dishonest, devious and manipulative. He is great at creating illusions - such as the illusion that he alone helped the poor of the north. Lets remember some of the things that he got up to - some quite laughable - during his tenure as Prime Minister.

He manipulated the 30baht health care scheme when in fact it wasn't his but his predecessor's, he got rid of political opponents during his so-called war on drugs when 2500 people were murdered through extra judicial means. He created the illusion that it was HIS personal money that paid for the new infrastructure around Chiang Mai, he wanted to spend government money on buying Liverpool FC, he stated that he would end poverty within five years (!) in Thailand whilst at the same time stealing money in increasing volumes from the Thai state. The story goes on and on.

And now he has his own well-paid militia creating mayhem in the centre of BKK. We can only speculate about the deaths that occurred - I have no evidence but if I were to take a guess, I believe that Mr T may well have had a hand in the what happened on that bloody night. Because that is precisely the kind of tactic and manipulation at which he excels.

This government on the other hand is run by a man who appears to be clean but certainly hamstrung by his bedfellows. He has been walking on hot coals and Mr T yet again knows exactly how and where to apply pressure.

My ex-Thai wife, of chinese descent like Mr T shares the same characteristics. She can look at you in the eye and tell the most outrageous lies and it is so frustrating because she won't back down. But that only affected my son and I (and a few others she's damaged along the way)

But this is on a far bigger scale. Oh Mr T revenge is so sweet is it not? You have unleashed something which requires you to pull the puppet strings on an ad hoc basis - see where it goes eh? Doesn't matter about the bloodshed, that's just a small sacrifice that your cannon fodder has to put up with and besides if they die, it only costs you 100 grand a pop.

You couldn't manage a football club (the staff you left behind at Manchester thought you were an idiot, some impression you made there) and I don't think you'll ever be able to manage Thailand, so just go and spend your remaining millions in Montenegro and leave poor Thailand alone, eh? As for your swooning farangs .......... better not say!

I campaigned against Pinochet in the 1970s, idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, the Marcos dynasty and so on. I cannot see any difference between those nasty people and Mr T - they were all cut from the same set of genes.

How the heck did you get the impression that I am supporting the red shirts???

The open letter from UDD to Thai media, thankfully posted a few pages ago - translated and in the original - is too long for an ad hoc analisys. What stroke me was already the first sentence beginning with " Stop....." . Being here for 8 years with Thai staff I would never dare to start a sentence with "stop this" or "do this"! Seems that the red leaders do not have any clue about manners. Or was the signing "prai" perhaps Mr. T?