Suvarnabhumi PAD Protest Continues

[Koo82]

Don't be ignorant:

1) No-one was stopped from leaving the country. It was airplanes that was canceled by the airlines. The PAD didn't stop them.

2) Anyone is still able to leave, and return, to and from the country in other places.

3) The 'right' is generally in regards of citizen vs government.

4) Would you be oppose to a criminal being allowed to leave the country and citing this 'Right' in the police stopped him?

Can you stop your joke?

1) Who the heck can take off and land at airports having hooligans and terrorists like that?

2) They are not Thai elites. Hello!

[bulmercke]

I had to go to the bathroom a few minutes ago, and my wife was watching a Thai news program. I just saw the end of it but there were a couple of foreigners stuck in the airport with yellow headbands and clappers and a man was holding up some cardboard with something on it I could not read but which was obviously supportive of the PAD.

Probably not appropriate, but the term "Stockholm Syndrome" immediately came to mind.

[younghusband]

YH, your ideological stand has completely blinded you, just like it did with our late Colonel. Have you conveniently forgotten one VERY memorable Udon rally? Have you chosen to consciously ERASE that from your memory.

Being criticised by you of all people for an ideological stand had me momentarily reeling!

Seriously I'm trying hard to be even handed.I haven't forgotten Udon and the violence there was deplorable.What I had in mind were the UDD rallies in Bangkok where there does seem to have been restraint -up to now anyway.My basic concern however is that it's a mug's game to get caught up in critiquing thuggery on the streets from whatever side.There are obviously some unpleasant thugs operating on both sides of the line.

[IMA_FARANG]

Unfortunately the PAD aren't exactly peaceful, so Tropo does have a point!!!

Brit, you are a top bloke on ThaiVisa and a gentleman, but we disagree about violence. I agree the PAD aren't exactly peaceful, so Tropo does have a point. But PAD has been almost perfectly nonviolent. You seem to have been calling for weeks or years now for violent solution to this nearly perfectly peaceful protest. All of you who call for violence in Thailand have a double standard if you expect the honorable opposition to stand by and be slaughtered like the faithful Indians who followed Gandhi. This is not India in 1939. Takin's goons killed in cold blood in Chiang Mai this month, so the possible scaring away of armed policeman is simply an episode of the Keystone Cops. We have probably seen far more violence at a rock concert, than PAD has done against the bloody violent thugs who are on Taksin's side.

You cannot be serious.I have always respected your fairness and balance, but this is absurd.In all seriousness it's a losing game to try and distinguish between rival sets of street thugs.I have no doubt there are some UDD people in this category.Don't forget also -so far- the UDD rallies have been models of restraint.Of course one recognises that there are many good natured and rightly outraged PAD members, but at the same time there is a disgusting number of violent thugs.

I loathe the PAD leadership,which has disgraced the country - far worse than Thaksin, but never call for violence.Indeed I sincerely regret violence on all sides.

Incidentally you should learn some history.Gandhi's followers were never slaughtered in the independence struggle.That's because the colonial masters were the British who despite their hypocrisy and racialism were capable of being shamed, possessors of a basic decency.Imagine if the colonial masters had been the Japanese or Germans (or French for that matter).

YH while not wanting to get into a study on comparative street violence, it does have to be said that the red side/UDD/province defence groups have not exactly been a model of restraint at their rallies: Udon, Bangkok in the famous long march before the clash, and of course Chiang Mai this week. There are also lesser reported incidents of attacks on Santi Asoke buildings by the red side.

One thing that occasionally gets mentioned on the international reports is that consdiering th level of division, hatred, vitriol etc that the actual casualty figures remain relatively low, which we should be thankful for although the bomb attacks seem to be raising this right now.

One things that needs to be mentioned is that the "Bomb attacks" are decidedly one way. Haven't seen a PAD Granny hurling an M79 at the UDD yet. The PAD has also not unveiled their "Tossing a hand grenade dance".

That being said, the ineptness of the Thai police to handle this situation is amazing. Give me 100 guys, 10 fire trucks with hoses, and body armor, and I'll have that airport cleared out in an hour.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not meaning to be too critical here, but you can't "hurl a M-79". A M-79 is a 40 mm grenade launcher. It fires a 40mm projectile that explodes on contact. It is breech loaded (back by the trigger, it swings open) and fires a single round per shot.

It is a military weapon, which was commonly used by thw U.S. and South Vietnamese government in Vietnam. I remember it well. Must be opened to eject the fired round.

If there is anything "good" about using the M-79 it is "relatively" small in its explosive effect comapred to other possiblities. it definately throws much less shrapnel around than a hand grenade doies. And it has a lot less bang than the RPG (Rocket Propelled Granades) the VC used to love.

[PeaceBlondie]

You don't even attempt to answer my points.

It's a digression but perhaps you would indicate -since you have taught the subject of nonviolence- where and when Gandhi's followers were massacred by the British.It's relevant because your grasp of historical facts seems less than rigorous.No serious commentator quotes Wikipedia incidentally.

Well at least we can agree on the loathsome nature of the PAD leadership.

Maybe I was thinking of this massacre in India in 1930 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qissa_Khwani_bazaar_massacre As for wicked pedia and serious commentators, shucks, young husband - I ain't got no time in Chiang Mai and here on Thai Visa to reference entire volumes of original authors in an English language library. It is interesting, though, that these massacre victims of British soldiers in India were apparently Muslim. But Gandhi had lots of nonviolent Muslims in his campaign. Say, why don't you just view a copy of that British movie, Gandhi?

[Koo82]

The PM's resignation would do no good, because fresh elections would only turn up another winner that the people like but the soldiers do not, and the chaos starts all over again. Either the constitution will be rigged again, to tip the scales in favor of the powerful elites even more than they are now, or the grunts will completely dispense with the charade of elections and rule as a junta. A Crescent of Autocracy is complete, stretching from Bangladesh to Vietnam.

Don't forget that before another election can take place, Army and elites already set something in the system and the new elected party cannot do a thing if they're not strong like Khun Samak or Khun Thaksin.

[HankChinasky]

I had to go to the bathroom a few minutes ago, and my wife was watching a Thai news program. I just saw the end of it but there were a couple of foreigners stuck in the airport with yellow headbands and clappers and a man was holding up some cardboard with something on it I could not read but which was obviously supportive of the PAD.

Probably not appropriate, but the term "Stockholm Syndrome" immediately came to mind.

Thanks for that really important precision. It really helps us getting a clearer idea of the situation and reinforces the strength of your argument as well.

[animatic]

Great video Astute from CNN thanks. Shows the PAD have scruples and limits. It's only the few youngsters (as are always necessary in war) who are in the front lines who are acting aggressively - they have to because if they didn't they would be mowed down!

Pretty much.

In most riots this would have been totaly looted and or smashed.

This has been a surprisingly disciplined group. If they try to starve them out,

well then maybe the food courts get raided, or meals ready to eat etc.

If they attack shooting then much glass will be lost, and ticket areas trashed.

Negociation is better for salvaging the airport best as can be.

The lack of ANY security inside is clearly AOT's fault.

Just scared? In hindsight it looks like they just needed to stay at security check points

and say, please stay in public areas and protest, but let us maintain 'airplane security' please.

But that obviously is a moot point now.

Still seeing all that top shelf booze and such untouched,

is not what you expect from most street riots,

and certainly not from anarchy.

[paperback]

ALL of you out there look at these two videos and then tell me that PAD ARE WRONG... go on... one of you talk to me nah kha

In fact both videos show very clearly why it is very wrong to support a group like PAD: such incidents are best prevented when you live in a democracy which honours rule-of-law and human rights. PAD wants to abolish democracy, shows no respect for the law and is led by jingoistic hate preachers like Sondhi Limthongkul.

Edited November 30, 2008 by paperback

[Nampeung]

Watch the videos I marked, watch them all you out there making comments

[henryalleman]

Sondi says PAD will leave after Dec 2 if PPP is disbanded... then why is PAD doing what they are doing now? Why are they causing this chaos?

After the PPP is disbanded, Sondi will find a new reason to protest.

This domestic terrorist belongs in prison. Nothing less.

Behave

I don't think that one can (or should) use the word "terrorist" for Sondhi -- I think that his activities are certainly *criminal* and (questionably) "treasonable" ... but they are *not* terror-related.

He (and all his followers by sticking by him) is a terrorist by all means. Do you mean to say they haven't inflicted terror on anyone? I don't even want to elaborate.

You obviously have no idea what terrorism is... I have to think there is some shred of intelligence in you where you can research terror attacks in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism Apparently you have no idea.

LOL I have seen it... sorry... nothing new to me and nothing to convince me this is terroristic. But keep trying...

They not even come close to the definition of terrorist. Its not because I call my pussy-cat a tiger thats she is. Please stop to make a fool of yourself.

[robee]

Sondi says PAD will leave after Dec 2 if PPP is disbanded... then why is PAD doing what they are doing now? Why are they causing this chaos?

After the PPP is disbanded, Sondi will find a new reason to protest.

This domestic terrorist belongs in prison. Nothing less.

Behave

I don't think that one can (or should) use the word "terrorist" for Sondhi -- I think that his activities are certainly *criminal* and (questionably) "treasonable" ... but they are *not* terror-related.

He (and all his followers by sticking by him) is a terrorist by all means. Do you mean to say they haven't inflicted terror on anyone? I don't even want to elaborate.

You obviously have no idea what terrorism is... I have to think there is some shred of intelligence in you where you can research terror attacks in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism Apparently you have no idea.

LOL I have seen it... sorry... nothing new to me and nothing to convince me this is terroristic. But keep trying...

They not even come close to the definition of terrorist. Its not because I call my pussy-cat a tiger thats she is. Please stop to make a fool of yourself.

shall we call them demonstrators with knives and guns?

[KireB]

I am very sorry for the people who now are out-of-work because of the desier for power from a few people.

They are paying others to do thier dirty work to get the power.

The police or army have to end this madness.

Herman

Now Police said they don't have enough man power.

Army don't want to do a shesh.

Surprised no one has filed a court case to Army Chief General Anupong for not supporting the government to clear terrorists. Someone was excellent that they brought to court that Khun Samak cooked on tv as an employee. He was not an employee in that cooking show. Stupid people based on the dictionary to accuse he was an employee.

Its clear that you dont respect the Thai justice system. Samak was found guilty of cooking (TIT ) according to the law.

Let me get it straight: you call a group of old ladies terrorists, you call the judges in your country stupid people, but Samak and Thaksin are the saviours of the Thai Nation? Next thing you're gonna tell us that thes eyellow bandits deserve to be bombed all the time.

[animatic]

I had a thought this morning, what if someone, the police or a airport security officer, turned on all the water sprinklers in the ceiling at about 4 in the morning. Don't you think that would send a bunch of people outside the building, maybe all of them. All the Thai police I have ever seen, wear jump badges, so I am assuming they have all been on airplanes, how about landing a bunch on top of the airport building and send them down lobbing tear gas as they went. Just thoughts of something less deadly than bullets or grenades.

Water sprinklers turned on iside???

Well besides the 'great destruction INSIDE the airport', that has NOT happened so far,

the great great majority of protesters are OUTSIDE. So create water damage to the

whole place for no reason.

The top of the building is canvas and curved.

I can see para-troupers sliding down both sides of the building... splat.

I do like the something less deadly idea...

Edited November 30, 2008 by animatic

[jackr]

I had to go to the bathroom a few minutes ago, and my wife was watching a Thai news program. I just saw the end of it but there were a couple of foreigners stuck in the airport with yellow headbands and clappers and a man was holding up some cardboard with something on it I could not read but which was obviously supportive of the PAD.

Probably not appropriate, but the term "Stockholm Syndrome" immediately came to mind.

Great, that's all we need, foreigners getting in on it.

[Indo-Siam]

A lot of people (including the PAD themselves) seem to make the leap of logic that if a Thai is unhappy with the Thaksin-dominated PPP, then they automatically support the PAD.

It seems to me that this is nonsense. In any multi-party democracy, a significant portion of he electorate is not going to be pleased with a government run by the opposition. Thailand has a quite imperfect election process, and that process elected into office a quite imperfect government.

Well, as I look around the world, I see a world in which quite imperfect processes have elected into power a whole lot of imperfect governments. In fact - as I look around the world in late 2008 - I can't see a single government that really looks like it escaped the pattern - imperfect electoral process, binging into power an imperfect government.

But - democracies generally can withstand a lot of imperfection - without tearing themselves apart at the seams.

The PAD are not "protesters" involved in a protest. The PAD's activity constitutes an organized insurrection against the authority of an elected government. They are "rebels", not "protesters." If the government does not suppress the insurrection - then it certainly deserves to fall.

But - heaven help Thailand if the insurrection prevails and becomes the defacto leadership of the land.

What I think I am seeing is a nation is which a significant portion of the population has a low opinion of the government - but does not support the insurrection/rebellion, and does not respect the insurrectionists.

The PAD is an extremist fringe, and is not a legitimate voice of mainstream opposition to the elected government. It denies responsibility for the damage it causes - trying to shift the blame to the incumbent government. I don't think anyone outside their own cult is buying this faulty logic.

The real damage to Thai society will come if this sort of insurrection is adopted as a standard protest format in Thailand - if this becomes an accepted/acceptable precedent. The only way to avoid this outcome is to inflict harsh punishment upon the rebels - to deter future insurrections. Thus - one of the worst possible outcomes will be one in which the PAD is allowed to disperse with minor sanctions.

Edited November 30, 2008 by Indo-Siam

[PeaceBlondie]

You don't even attempt to answer my points.

It's a digression but perhaps you would indicate -since you have taught the subject of nonviolence- where and when Gandhi's followers were massacred by the British.It's relevant because your grasp of historical facts seems less than rigorous.No serious commentator quotes Wikipedia incidentally.

Well at least we can agree on the loathsome nature of the PAD leadership.

Actually, I was thinking of the Amritsar massacre of 1919, shortly after Gandhi started his campaigns. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amritsar_massacre Maybe that was in the Ben Kingsley movie.

[henryalleman]

Declaration of the European Unionon the situation in Thailand(Bangkok, 29 November 2008)

The European Union Ambassadors in Bangkok reiterate their serious concerns about the siege of the Bangkok airports, resulting in the disruption of international air traffic and already over 100 000 passengers being stranded. While respecting the right of protesting and without interfering in any way with the internal political debate in Thailand, the EU considers that these actions are totally inappropriate. They are seriously damaging the international image of Thailand.

We urge the protesters to evacuate the airports peacefully without delay in order to avoid a major consular crisis and its economic consequences for Thailand.

We call all parties in Thailand to takes steps to resolve the crisis and restore public order, respecting the rule of law and country's democratic institutions.

finish quote.

Never mind, its only the EU saying this so they can ignore it, not that they will ever read it in PADland. Not like Sondhi has spoken or anything is it!

This is a hoax, Can you give us the source of it. The EU did not give any statements like this.

[animatic]

Folks .. these BOMB attacks are terrorism ... sitting in at an airport are not! Sitting in at an airport is civil disobedience!

Talk about spitting in someone's face and then crying when he hits back with his fist.

But hitting with the fist is not eye for an eye. Hitting with the fist is not turning the other cheek. Bombs at government house are bombs, terrible, terrorist weapons exploded by terrorist Taksin supporters against folks who are conducting civil disobedience much more peacefully than their attackers are.

Can we cut out this double standard crap? Do you violent folks believe the PAD protesters have the right to as much self-defense as their opposition has? And, can we agree from what the biased news reports tell us, that the government goons are ten times as terroristic as the PAD mob is? Thank you. Now, go love your enemy.

PB I concur 100%.

The blood lust shown by some here is nausiating....

While I could agree with their aims, their advocated methods are reprehensible.

And is also the side most prone to flaming others too.

If you compare what's at this airport and whats in Mumbai,

or the 300 killed in Nigeria yesterday this is an almost bizarrely peaceful protest.

EXCEPT for the Thaksin side, fully ready to use deadly means by stealth,

to gain the upper hand. i.e. guerilla terrorism.

People of that ilk should NEVER be allowed to run a country.

[cmsally]

Assault on police - Forbes

Forbes

Assault on police shows Thai protesters' ugly side

11.29.08, 10:42 AM EST

pic

By Ed Cropley

BANGKOK, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The assault by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) was swift and savage, a head-on charge by a convoy of vehicles speeding down the wrong side of an expressway into scores of unarmed police.

As the terrified officers fled, some of them jumping through the open door of accelerating police vans, wild-eyed young men burst from the PAD vehicles, attacking with sling shots, fireworks, iron bars and wooden stakes.

The onslaught lasted no more than 15 seconds but left the five-lane highway, the main access route to Bangkok's besieged Suvarnabhumi airport, littered with broken glass and discarded police helmets and truncheons.

The police, who have orders not to retaliate against a movement backed by Bangkok's establishment grandees, had virtually no warning.

'The yellow people are coming,' one officer shouted, turning to run as the PAD vanguard, a large sound-truck blaring out anti-government vitriol, careered round the bend of the expressway exit.

Yellow is the 'birthday colour' of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in whose name the PAD conducts an airport siege that has stranded thousands of visitors and threatened billions of dollars of damage to the export- and tourism-dependent economy.

[permanent_disorder]

I vote for Permanent_disord's post 771 to be removed due to abuse of others - amongst other things how dare he use the terminology 'premenopausal and postmenopausal women'on this forum ???

Nampeung, I don't believe it was insulting, it described a view (albeit unorthodox) shown on TV of the PAD demonstrators at the Airport. ...

it's a FACT. open your eyes honey. just look the television footage and the scan trough the image galleries from the news agencies. why do you agitate here for somekind of censorship if that is the sad reality. the protestor or not more that mixeture from all part of society and all part of generations (and coming with kids to besiege the government builiding or the parliament is questionable anyway. and e.g. how children got used for PAD stage propaganda show i would call child abuse)

okay, if you feel abuse if someone use the terms premenopausal postmenopausal ( which are just medical terms to describe the biological age) i will snip them. but i can't not understand why all was written should removed or got a <snip> without out any remarks that this entry got edited.

that i had written (what got edited out):

...

there are only two main groups of PADs of the former from all walks of life left at the airport:

1). lot's of grannies and aunts, --BLEEP--(on request), collected in the south. they are having there a place to stay and free food. if nobody picked them up, they are just stucked there at the airport. holding placard into the air with slogans against killerfox somchai in the air. slogans, for sure not writen by themself and read them, no?

such bunch of only true believers can everybody collect and usw as demo crowd.

couple of older man and grandpas as well. very, very few younger women) country side= and 1 pickup load of limb amputees. the younger women probably with grandma there

a couple of nutcases, real mental(med.) the funny way.

if you want, you can demand that i bring evidence for my claim, i can do it and post here a couple of image, photographs from the airport. show exactly that what is written above.

all the creatives, the artist paint those so called "demo art" or the "art gallery" on the protest ground can not be seen anymore. it changed slowly from a colourful crowd to a funfair to a bazaar for thrashy plastic rattles. all that what looks alternative culture is gone and no kidding reduced to a pick up load of amputees carried from protest site to protest site to place them there on a spot press photgrapher are directed to, to take pictures of them.

what i don't understand is this "shut up" and "delete this" attitude and comments. if you think it's false or a lie, the best reaction and convincing method would be to prove the opposite.

if you have something to contribute, information to share, express and elaborate your own opinion do it. if you can not, just keep quiet. thank you, nampueng.

demanding remove of others and bickering onliner comments, that is abuse and harrasment of others. i feel violated.

if you felt abuse as woman, my apologies, but that was not my intention.

i am not proPAD for many reasons, and if your are so sensitive and an advocate for woman rights i recommend you to read this commentary by Sanitsuda Ekachai, outlock post editor in the BANGKOK POST: "Sexist logic of a 'progressive' movement"

read it maybe than you will understand why i dislike the PAD (next to many other reasons). i can bring you more examples that a woman as a woman should give cause for serious concern. but here in the mens world didn't get so much attention. you know how it is (that's why i hesitate to post the photos i am talking above, they could produce some nasty comments here, in the mens world)

if you want to discuss a feminist discourse on gender in the PAD. i am ready to do it. and maybe we can find here something, where we agree each other. (my approach would be one using postmodern feminism theories) your turn.

[dtarasin]

I am very sorry for the people who now are out-of-work because of the desier for power from a few people.

They are paying others to do thier dirty work to get the power.

The police or army have to end this madness.

Herman

Now Police said they don't have enough man power.

Army don't want to do a shesh.

Surprised no one has filed a court case to Army Chief General Anupong for not supporting the government to clear terrorists. Someone was excellent that they brought to court that Khun Samak cooked on tv as an employee. He was not an employee in that cooking show. Stupid people based on the dictionary to accuse he was an employee.

Its clear that you dont respect the Thai justice system. Samak was found guilty of cooking (TIT ) according to the law.

Let me get it straight: you call a group of old ladies terrorists, you call the judges in your country stupid people, but Samak and Thaksin are the saviours of the Thai Nation? Next thing you're gonna tell us that thes eyellow bandits deserve to be bombed all the time.

KireB... do you even read what you post? Do you realize how incredibly retarded you sound? You keep on bringing up "old ladies" like they're the ones running PAD. No one is saying Thaksin are saviours of Thailand, but let me ask you something. Has anything the PAD did make the country better? Last time I checked, Thaksin wasn't the one holding this country hostage.

[Plus]

I haven't forgotten Udon and the violence there was deplorable.What I had in mind were the UDD rallies in Bangkok where there does seem to have been restraint..

How about midnight march on smaller PAD camp at Makkawan?

How about attack on Prem's residence a year ago? 200 police injured, most of UDD leadership convicted for inciting violence?

How about the very frist PAD meeting at Thammasat when reds were flashing their genitals and throwing bags of piss and shit at passing PAD vehicles, the tactic they repeated on several other occasions?

"Models of restraint"....

[Plus]

Oh, and Koo,

According to polls most corrupted Thai entities are the police and politicians.

93% of Thai have trust in courts, on the other hand.

If reds have heard the opposite from their rally stages doesn't make it true - it makes is a shameless propaganda. Don't fall for it.

[BangkokBP]

I had a thought this morning, what if someone, the police or a airport security officer, turned on all the water sprinklers in the ceiling at about 4 in the morning. Don't you think that would send a bunch of people outside the building, maybe all of them.

Nah, it would be more like "Chaiyoo! Songkran comes early this year! Sanook!".

Probably the same as if they used water cannons.

/bbp

[Xangsamhua]

Assault on police - Forbes

Forbes

Assault on police shows Thai protesters' ugly side

11.29.08, 10:42 AM EST

pic

By Ed Cropley

BANGKOK, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The assault by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) was swift and savage, a head-on charge by a convoy of vehicles speeding down the wrong side of an expressway into scores of unarmed police.

As the terrified officers fled, some of them jumping through the open door of accelerating police vans, wild-eyed young men burst from the PAD vehicles, attacking with sling shots, fireworks, iron bars and wooden stakes.

The onslaught lasted no more than 15 seconds but left the five-lane highway, the main access route to Bangkok's besieged Suvarnabhumi airport, littered with broken glass and discarded police helmets and truncheons.

The police, who have orders not to retaliate against a movement backed by Bangkok's establishment grandees, had virtually no warning.

'The yellow people are coming,' one officer shouted, turning to run as the PAD vanguard, a large sound-truck blaring out anti-government vitriol, careered round the bend of the expressway exit.

Yellow is the 'birthday colour' of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in whose name the PAD conducts an airport siege that has stranded thousands of visitors and threatened billions of dollars of damage to the export- and tourism-dependent economy.

What a pathetic article. The police say they're going to deny access of food, medical assistance etc. to the people at the airports. They set up their roadblocks; there are reports of firing on the PAD. PAD guards descend on them (with their slingshots, etc); the police run away, apparently slipping in their own s**t, and this clown Cropley thinks it's just not cricket!

[animatic]

It is impossible to have a coherent discussion about the current events in this forum or any other public space. I hope the following short article from notthenation.com will inspire some posters to stop arguing about issues when some of the main components cannot even be mentioned. At least I hope it will make a few people out there smile. Cheers

Third Hand Seen Shaking Invisible Hand

BANGKOK – Newspapers in Thailand are reporting that a third hand was spotted firmly shaking the invisible hand last night.

The high-profile meeting of hands came at an Italian restaurant on Sukhumvit during a dinner hosted by top military brass.

At the end of the dinner, the mysterious invisible hand reportedly reached over the table and grasped an unidentified third hand.

We have no clue what this all means but we are reporting it anyway.

notthenation.com

It's a parody.

[tropo]

If you compare what's at this airport and whats in Mumbai,

or the 300 killed in Nigeria yesterday this is an almost bizarrely peaceful protest.

People always do this. They make comparisons with something worse to make the present situation seem minor.

The "party" has barely begun. Give it some time and then we can make comparisons when it's all over.

The body count does not compare to Mumbai or Nigeria (yet), but the economic loses have probably eclipsed them ten fold already.

Edited November 30, 2008 by tropo

[paperback]

This is a hoax, Can you give us the source of it. The EU did not give any statements like this.

I don't think it's a hoax. Although I didn't find an original source there are many reports confirming the content, e.g. here: www. beurs .nl/nieuws/artikel.php?id=278531&taal=US

[Jai Dee]

50 injured in explosion inside Government House

4 in serious condition, 3 more explosions heard at ASTV station and Don Mueang Airport

A grenade was launched into the Government House compound minutes late Saturday night, injuring 50 people.

The explosion occurred at 11:50 pm Saturday when the protesters were preparing to rest and leaders of the People's Alliance for the Democracy were about to stop the activities on the stage.

The bomb fell on the roof of a tent on the left side of the stage and fell onto the ground and exploded.

Kittichai Saisa-ard, chief of PAD guards, said 47 protesters were sent to the Ramathibodi Hospital, and four of them were severely injured. He said two other protesters were sent to Phra Mongkut Hospital and another to Vajira Hospital.

The bomb, believed by the PAD to be an M79 grenade, exploded just 200 metres away from the PAD's main stage inside the Government House. It was fired outside the rally ground from a similar direction of the recent attack at the site.

Suriyasai Katasila said guards saw a flash from the direction of the Benjamabophit Hospital so it was believed the grenade was launched from the direction.

PAD guards checked and concluded that the assailant fired the grenade from a building inside the Rajamangala Technology University.

Most of the injured were hit by shrapnel at their face and eyes. Most are women.

Four of the injured remained in the intensive care unit.

They were identified as Kanchana Muennoo, 27, Jitra Jintanatham, 57, Suphana, surname unknown and Pienjai, surname unknown. The four are women. Kanchana's left lung was torn by the bomb shrapnel and doctors had to resuscitate her.

A 60-year-old woman from Kanchanaburi recounted that she was sleeping and woken up with the explosion.

She saw her friends bleeding on their limps.

"The guards ordered us to lie low and I tried to crawl to safety. But I am not afraid. If it's not my time, I'll be all right," she added.

Two explosions were heard at ASTV station on Phra Arthit Road at 12:15 am Sunday morning, just around 20 minutes after the attack at Government House.

Witnesses also heard the gunfire lasting about 10 minutes. No injury was reported.

Later on at 3:55 am, a bomb exploded near a bunker made of tyres at the Don Mueang Airport.

The explosion occurred at the main entrance to the passenger terminal.

Before the explosion occurred, about 7 gunshots were heard from the direction of a warehouse deeper inside the airport compound.

No one was injured in the explosion.

The explosion prompted the PAD to resume its activities on the stage after the activities were ended at 2 am.

Source: The Nation - 30 November 2008