helvetian

Honestly, if you're too dumb to understand how a rubber bullet works you don't have to take my word- just look it up, ok? Rubber bullets are propelled by gunpowder the same as regular bullets. Get it?!

jucel looked it up for you. You're wrong. Rubber bullets are NOT propelled by gunpowder and they DON'T cause an explosion.

from wiki -

Non-lethal or less-lethal rounds are firearm rounds which are designed to incapacitate, but not kill, a target. The rounds rely on the transfer of kinetic energy to accomplish this incapacitation. Rubber bullets, wax bullets, plastic bullets, beanbag rounds, and rubber bullets with electroshock effect (e.g. Taser XREP rounds) are less lethal than conventional metal bullets, and are also propelled at lower speed. (Gunpowder is not used, only a percussion cap.)

I guess officially that would be when Taksin killed several thousand people????

Why hasn't the Abhisit government done anything to bring those of the extrajudicial killings to justice, in the 16 months in office?

Since when was the government handed a carte-blanche to kill Thai civilians? If they are doing something against the law, they should be arrested and brought into court in front of a judge. Not just shot on the streets.

what rock do you live under? did you somehow miss the publicly televised negotiations that went on for several days between the government and red shirts? problem is, the red shirt leaders care about one thing only and it's certainly NOT the poor or the farmers. The government didn't crack down on the protesters in order to stay in power but rather to liberate Bangkok from a paid mob that has caused massive disruptions in the capitol of the nation. Calling the PM a dictator really makes you look quite ignorant- the legitimacy of this government has been verified as nauseum. No one had to die today- the red mob had plenty of time and warnings to leave. They chose to stay and fight and die while their fugitive criminal leader relaxes in Dubai. I feel sorry for these gullible pawns who have wasted their lives for something they don't even understand.

Since when was the government handed a carte-blanche to kill Thai civilians? If they are doing something against the law, they should be arrested and brought into court in front of a judge. Not just shot on the streets.

The government's legitimacy has not been verified. That's however precisely what the people are asking for. If you are a legitimate government, hold elections and legitimize yourself. Abhisit should have nothing to fear if the people are behind him.

Nobody is being paid to come demonstrate. Either provide proof or stop lying. All they have been given is money to pay for gas to drive to Bangkok.

All except the below, which are facts:

- Abhisit hasn't addressed the concerns of the poor.

- Abhisit has ordered force to be used against protesters, including live ammunition, as shown in the video above.

- Abhisit's actions have killed 15 Thais so far, injuring nearly 600.

Other than that, it's one sided, yes.

What concerns??? I only remember hearing "DISSOLVE THE HOUSE" "WE WANT REELECTION" during the negotiation

How bad is an election when Abhisit is so sure that he has the majority of the people backing him?

To me it looks like it was the protesters that used REAL bullets, not the troops.

Does the guy at the end of this video look like a protester or like a soldier? Note the fire coming out of his gun. No rubber bullets.

All except the below, which are facts:

- Abhisit hasn't addressed the concerns of the poor.

- Abhisit has ordered force to be used against protesters, including live ammunition, as shown in the video above.

- Abhisit's actions have killed 15 Thais so far, injuring nearly 600.

Other than that, it's one sided, yes.

Here is the proof that government forces have shot live bullets at the red shirts, not into the air as claimed by Abhisit:

Video Link

Abhisit is a madman. Instead of negotiating with the red shirts (farmers, Thailand's poor, etc), addressing their problems and concerns, he decided to use violence and force to break up their protests and ends up killing them, in a sad and desperate attempt to hold onto power at all cost.

This is no democracy, this is a dictatorship trying to hold on at all cost, no matter how many Thais die.

Abhisit has 162,000 Facebook members from what I can see, yes.

Well done. Do you agree it's in any way indicative of current support for him?

First, most of them are underage teenage girls. Second, Facebook followers can be easily inflated. That aside, it doesn't mean that all Facebook followers are Thais. And just because they're members following Abhisit, doesn't mean that they support him or his ideas. They are following so that they can read what he blogs. You need to go and find out how Facebook works, buddy.

Abhisit has 162,000 Facebook members from what I can see, yes.

Abhisit's popularity is still growing and them some on Facebook.

Wasn't aware that a PM's popularity and approval rating is now being measured by the amount of Facebook members, instead of public satisfaction, but thanks for the information.

No problem, any time. Where are you posting from again?

Central Bangkok, with view of the red shirt barricades. You?

Abhisit's popularity is still growing and them some on Facebook.

Wasn't aware that a PM's popularity and approval rating is now being measured by the amount of Facebook members, instead of public satisfaction, but thanks for the information.

People who say the reds were only doing a sit in may be professional red propagandists. It is not imaginable that a normal person would actually believe that. Don't forget, there are professional pols posting here. I don't know why they care what foreigners think though.

Here are your terrorists

I see a female suicide bomber there. No wonder some people on this forum want to see them massacred.

Matichon reporting 12 dead now.

Not sure if anyone has noticed yet, but it looks like a Civil War has just broken out in Thailand

The army says they only shot live ammunition "into the air". Do they really think that the bullets stay up there? Or do they come down somewhere? If someone is hit by the bullets falling back down onto earth, aren't the army responsible for this?

Do rubber bullets do this?

<snip>

Hiro Muramoto, a Japanese national who worked for Thomson Reuters in Tokyo, was shot in the chest and arrived at Klang Hospital without a pulse, said the hospital's director, Dr. Pichaya Nakwatchara.

"I am dreadfully saddened to have lost our colleague Hiro Muramoto in the Bangkok clashes," said David Schlesinger, Reuters Editor-in-Chief.

Just saw Abhisit on TV. Impressive how much self control he shows.

Wondering if such a balanced PM is not showing too early in Thai history.

Facing him, shameless Zimbabwe-style red shirts leaders fooling innocent people to clash with the army for the sake of a billionaire hiding in Dubai.

Not enough for them to excite them to risk their lives for an agenda they're not aware of, they then go drag their bodies from the hospital to parade them to excite other ones to get hurt for their master on the run.

Sickening!

Did anybody else notice the smirk on his face?

Probably a sign of pleasure because of the 9 farmers that died.

Abhisit has now joined an elite club of Thai leaders that have ordered the army and police to shoot on their own Thai people.

The truth is that Abhisit lost face yesterday and had to regain it somehow today. His "strong response" and attempts to take back the rally sites have resulted in the deaths of Thai people

Why is there no more live updates on the Saturday updates thread?

I think Abhisit was just on television 5 mins ago.

He basically said that it was impossible that his army killed the people that died. And he would "investigate" into what happened. Basically taking no responsibility for the Thai people that died by the army using live ammunition.

Hospitals have determined that 9 killed were red shirts (shot with live ammunition), 2 were army (pierced with bamboo sticks), according to TNN news.

Without any doubt, Abhisit's time to go has come.

ok i'll bite

why is that then?

her looks stronger than ever to me

You don't look strong when you kill your own people just to stay in power. It could all have been avoided by calling new elections. If he is indeed backed by the majority of Thais as he claims, he should have no problem winning an election and proving his mandate.

Abhisit now has the blood of Thais on his hands, and the Thai people will not forgive him.

Without any doubt, Abhisit's time to go has come.