14 Arrested Over Political Violence In Buri Ram

[george]

14 arrested over political violence in Buri Ram

BURIRAM: -- Police have arrested 14 men after 100 men stormed in to destroy a stage of the People's Alliance for Democracy here Thursday evening, injuring 14 policemen.

Buri Ram police chief Pol Maj-Gen Prasit Thamdee said ten of the 14 belong to the Buri Ram Guard Group and the rest to PAD.

They were charged with obstructing officers' operations and vandalism.

About 100 Buri Ram Guard members stormed in and clashed with police and PAD supporters to demolish the stage of PAD.

-- The Nation 2008-07-25

[Thaddeus]

Incredible ..... if this was in News Clippings there would have been at least a dozen follow up posts by now..... In Isaan it's pretty much a non-event.

[Thai Chi]

...and i am suprised it even happened, considering the number of police on the ground and the location.

at 3 pm there where at least 200 police there. As well as more busloads arriving. The "rally" was held across from the train staion, in a small area bordered on 3 sides by shops.

People where coming into town from the villages most of the afternoon. It was quite obvious that the opponents to the rally were (well) organised.

And Thaddeus is right..... the talk of the town the next day was....petrol prices going down and when is it going to rain again.....!!!!

Oh well, this is Buriram

[chiang mai]

Issan village folks don't like any political entities who don't own phone companies and football teams and who come round periodically to hand out thousand baht notes.

[Bryan in Isaan]

Issan village folks don't like any political entities who don't own phone companies and football teams and who come round periodically to hand out thousand baht notes.

Pure ignorance. Not even worth wasting my time composing a reply - assuming you're serious.

[Thaddeus]

Pure ignorance. Not even worth wasting my time composing a reply - assuming you're serious.

Please, waste some time...... I'm curious.

[Bryan in Isaan]

Pure ignorance. Not even worth wasting my time composing a reply - assuming you're serious.

Please, waste some time...... I'm curious.

Obviously he is describing Thaksin and implying that the villagers only support him because he and his party come around handing out 1000B bills. That is insulting, one sided and inaccurate. When I was in the village I never heard of either the TRT or the PPP passing out money. The villagers voted for them and still support them because they want to.

In fact, the only money being passed around the time of the coup was from the PAD. They paid daily wages for villagers who would travel to Bangkok to protest.

[Thaddeus]

Agree to a degree. In this area both PPP and the rest were handing out money, and paying for people to attend rallies ...... but they voted PPP anyway, would have done without any financial incentive.

[Bryan in Isaan]

Agree to a degree. In this area both PPP and the rest were handing out money, and paying for people to attend rallies ...... but they voted PPP anyway, would have done without any financial incentive.

I don't get around to many of the other Isaan provinces, so maybe more of that could be going on. I only hear from the inlaws and folks around the village and what I glean from the news. From the results of the last few elections I infer that the majority if the Isaan villages lean the same way politically.

The villagers are frustrated. I suspect it is because they are politically powerless - effectively their vote doesn't count. For a few people, this has led to violence, as we have heard.

[Chaimai]

Agree to a degree. In this area both PPP and the rest were handing out money, and paying for people to attend rallies ...... but they voted PPP anyway, would have done without any financial incentive.

I don't get around to many of the other Isaan provinces, so maybe more of that could be going on. I only hear from the inlaws and folks around the village and what I glean from the news. From the results of the last few elections I infer that the majority if the Isaan villages lean the same way politically.

The villagers are frustrated. I suspect it is because they are politically powerless - effectively their vote doesn't count. For a few people, this has led to violence, as we have heard.

So maybe you were hasty in accusing Chang Mai of ignorance ?

Whilst it did not happen in the latest election, my girlfriend's family in Buriram cetainly received payments in the past. Although these only cemented their support for Taksin who the villagers believed did a lot of good for the country (this is not the time or place to debate that one!)

[Bryan in Isaan]

Maybe it wasn't ignorance that prompted Chiang's stereotypical statement. Maybe it was a grudge. It might have been a troll or joke. So, I was probably hasty in my judgement.

[WISteve]

Votes must be cheaper up in Nong Bhua Lamphu than in Buriram!

According to teelack they were only handing out 100 baht notes the day of and the day prior to the last election.

The village headsman was quite open about standing next to the PPP promoter it seems.......................

But in fact they probably wasted their money; most of the rural villagers can see no wrong with Mr T and his stand-ins.

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Back on topic.

Glad to see at least a few of the hooligans prosecuted.

It will be minor fines and walking away, but if the police make some effort at chastising them perhaps the locals will think twice before joining the paid trouble makers.

~WISteve

[NanLaew]

Another subscribing the the popular (in Bangkok) theory that the northeast is only home to the ignorant, the great unwashed. PAD can keep sending it's paid 'missionaries' into the Isaan wilderness but should keep in mind that in the old days, some missionaries were eaten.