Udd Stages March Around Old Chiang Mai City

[Plus]

I believe CM 51 is different from Love Chiang Mai, the thugs that set up road blocks, beat and kill people, and disrupt political meetings by anyone they don't like, but they are all red, aren't they?

[JetsetBkk]

I believe CM 51 is different from Love Chiang Mai, the thugs that set up road blocks, beat and kill people, and disrupt political meetings by anyone they don't like, but they are all red, aren't they?

[h90]

Why is a red-shirt rally in CM news?

That was my point... It WASN'T in the news. Is it akin to the other week when the reds had the rally at Sanam Luang and it was reported that there were only 20,000 protesters when, in fact, there was a much larger number? Is someone afraid to print more accurate info (or the truth)??

It read everywhere 30.000 and Sanam Luang half full.

But it doesn't mean much, as everyone can pay such a demonstration....

When PAD took government house you could find in the media between 5000 and 500.000 (reuters, ASTV reported of course even more) it seems all the news are bs.

[jdinasia]

I believe CM 51 is different from Love Chiang Mai, the thugs that set up road blocks, beat and kill people, and disrupt political meetings by anyone they don't like, but they are all red, aren't they?

Rak Chiang mai 51 is that group I think, but are they mainstream UDD?

[jumnien]

...the thugs that set up road blocks, beat and kill people, and disrupt political meetings = PAD

[Ricardo]

...the thugs that set up road blocks, beat and kill people, and disrupt political meetings = PAD

Not up here in Chiang Mai. That's the local reds.

But this one did go peacefully, and did get reported, good for democracy.

[jdinasia]

...the thugs that set up road blocks, beat and kill people, and disrupt political meetings = PAD

Not up here in Chiang Mai. That's the local reds.

But this one did go peacefully, and did get reported, good for democracy.

and reported accurately no less!

[cmsally]

Rak Chiang Mai 51 group are the same group and they are mainstream UDD.

As for violence, blockades, and disruption,: well I think both sides are involved in that.

Just as an interesting little side note for some who like to go into things in a little more depth, there is the following.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to bring this up with the right people to get really to the bottom of things, but the following is interesting.

Regarding the Wihok Radio which was a great supporter of PAD, and it was the radio station's owner's father who was beaten and killed by Red Shirt protestors outside Raming Niwet Housing Complex. A lot of the red shirt protesters I spoke to mentioned the words "huk lang" when discussing this subject. I didn't think much about it at the time but a quick search on the internet brought up the following which I thought was interesting.

Look at this CPJ article and it says that Wihok radio were one of the first to get affected after the coup due to being great supporters of Thaksin.

Quote from the owner of Wihok radio

"They thought in the past my station cheered Thaksin, so I was ordered to change or close down," Thardsak said from his station, situated along a back alley in Chiang Mai.

Thailand at a Crossroads

Hmm. change or close down; well they didn't close down.....

Well, lo and behold after that they became the mouthpiece of the PAD.

Below link is the night they surrounded his house and tried to stop them from entering Raming Niwet (half way down page)

Wihok Radio - beating and murder of station owner's father

So in the space of two years this radio station (same owner) goes from great Thaksin supporter to being completely on the other side. Interesting isn't it. The plot thickens! Maybe leopards really do change their spots or maybe they just get an expensive makeover!

Edited February 10, 2009 by cmsally

[sriracha john]

Interesting, but dead is dead, and that didn't happen during the post-coup time, it was during Somchai's premiership.

Any progress on getting the Red Shirts who murdered him into the criminal justice system?

[jdinasia]

I am still waiting for a coherent answer to the question about the different Red groups in Chiang Mai (and which are UDD centrist groups and which are fringe?

[cmsally]

I am still waiting for a coherent answer to the question about the different Red groups in Chiang Mai (and which are UDD centrist groups and which are fringe?

Answer given above - Rak Chiang Mai 51 is the Chiang Mai branch of UDD. There is no centrist and fringe branches.

I would of thought that was quite clear from above.

As you can see from my post above issues have been somewhat complicated by personal rivalries and switching of sides, so sometimes on a local level you have to look beyond a red/yellow divide.

If you are not familiar with Chiang Mai local politics then it would be somewhat difficult for you to discuss in further detail.

I hope that you are not going to ask the same boring question again.

[jdinasia]

I am still waiting for a coherent answer to the question about the different Red groups in Chiang Mai (and which are UDD centrist groups and which are fringe?

Answer given above - Rak Chiang Mai 51 is the Chiang Mai branch of UDD. There is no centrist and fringe branches.

I would of thought that was quite clear from above.

As you can see from my post above issues have been somewhat complicated by personal rivalries and switching of sides, so sometimes on a local level you have to look beyond a red/yellow divide.

If you are not familiar with Chiang Mai local politics then it would be somewhat difficult for you to discuss in further detail.

I hope that you are not going to ask the same boring question again.

Hmmm I am only familiar with it from the papers and a few Thai friends that live there. So you are saying that there is only one group of reds in Chiang mai, the group that killed the guy and that they are standard UDD people. I see .....

[cmsally]

As a political/pressure group they are only one.

But you also need to be aware that political persuasion cannot always be determined by shirt colour.

Just because someone is wearing a red shirt does not mean they are UDD, life is never that simple.

If you are implying that it was the core members of UDD that killed the father of the radio station, no it wasn't.

But it was people wearing red shirts. As a political interest group the UDD are not splintered but as a group with an easily indentifiable colour scheme, it wouldn't be hard for someone to don the colours to settle personal differences; would it?

[jdinasia]

As a political/pressure group they are only one.

But you also need to be aware that political persuasion cannot always be determined by shirt colour.

Just because someone is wearing a red shirt does not mean they are UDD, life is never that simple.

If you are implying that it was the core members of UDD that killed the father of the radio station, no it wasn't.

But it was people wearing red shirts. As a political interest group the UDD are not splintered but as a group with an easily indentifiable colour scheme, it wouldn't be hard for someone to don the colours to settle personal differences; would it?

huh?

The group in question has been disavowed by CM51? CM51 said that they were not members? CM51 members still active in rallies were not present when the murder took place?

[justanothercybertosser]

Rak Chiang Mai 51 group are the same group and they are mainstream UDD.

As for violence, blockades, and disruption,: well I think both sides are involved in that.

Actually, i would disagree with this statement.

Rak Chiang Mai 51 has only been founded last year (therefore '51'), and is modeled on the "Udon Lovers Club". They have not been part of UDD. UDD has been founded shortly after the coup in Bangkok by mostly Bangkok based groups. They "Rak Chiang Mai 51"are one of the many independent Red Shirt groups. UDD as a group is not existing anymore as it did not anymore represent the additional upcountry groups and was basically an anti coup alliance of groups that comprised both opponents and supporters of Thaksin. The UDD has now morphed into the umbrella "Red Shirts", which comprised of independent groups.

There are other groups in Chiang Mai, such as an off-shot of the Bangkok based 24th June Group with the same name, and another smaller group that completely rejects violence.

Rak Chiang Mai can be classified as one of the more violent groups, as are the Udon Lovers Club.

But yes, who still calls the PAD nonviolent is delusional.

[jdinasia]

I think you are leaving out the "Saturday People" and other groups as well as DAAD that came before the UDD.

[justanothercybertosser]

I think you are leaving out the "Saturday People" and other groups as well as DAAD that came before the UDD.

No i don't.

The question was where the "Rak Chiang Mai 51" fit in, and not a list of all groups.

The "Saturday Group against Dictatorship" is still existing, is though headless as their leader moved underground. DAAD did not come before UDD, only the Nation and the Bangkok Post had different names for one and the same group, in Thai called Nor Por Kor. The first organized anti-coup group, the "Sept. 19th Anti Coup Network", which was part of the founding groups of the UDD/DAAD together with PTV (dissolved, now called Truth Today group, maybe even now again changed to DTV) has been dissolved, and there are many other groups, dissolved, or dormant, such as the "White Dove".

The whole is rather confusing, and only lately got easier with the collective name of "Red Shirts" - the same in Thai and English translation. The orginal confusion about the name UDD/DAAD was also partly fault of the leadership council who called in English the same group different names.

Edited February 11, 2009 by justanothercybertosser

[yabaaaa]

Sounds to me like they should all join the "Judean Peoples Party" a.k.a "THE LIFE OF BRIAN"!!