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Spiegel have an amazing interview with the Bangkok governor that must rank as a must read. Im not sure a link is appropriate

Yes, agreed Hammered. It is an excellent article! Very refreshing to hear a Thai politician as candid. And yes, it should not be posted here, lol.

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Spiegel have an amazing interview with the Bangkok governor that must rank as a must read. Im not sure a link is appropriate

Yes, agreed Hammered. It is an excellent article! Very refreshing to hear a Thai politician as candid. And yes, it should not be posted here, lol.

It is one of the few times I have ever read an interview with a politician and thought that every answer was honest and unspun

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There's a quote on the mentioned article his supporters going "berserk" if he were to return and face trial. I guess we'll find out soon if that will be the case:

Thaksin still in UAE and will face arrest via Interpol: police spokesman

The Royal Thai Police has asked the cooperation of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to arrest fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who is believed to remain in his hideaway inside the United Arab Emirates.

"From the latest check, there is no record to confirm that Thaksin has left the UAE," police spokesman Lt General Watcharaphol Prasanratchakit said.

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There's a quote on the mentioned article his supporters going "berserk" if he were to return and face trial. I guess we'll find out soon if that will be the case:
Thaksin still in UAE and will face arrest via Interpol: police spokesman

The Royal Thai Police has asked the cooperation of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to arrest fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who is believed to remain in his hideaway inside the United Arab Emirates.

"From the latest check, there is no record to confirm that Thaksin has left the UAE," police spokesman Lt General Watcharaphol Prasanratchakit said.

Too many players in this game. We wont find out soon. The Abhisit wing of the Dems arent going to stupidly put themselves at the mercy of mobs and the security forces again anytime soon if they can avoid it and Sukhumband assuming he is in the Abhisit wing makes it quite clear he understands the situation. They are planning a more "normal" way ahead imho. Now quite why the police would announce this is interesting

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Thaksin still in UAE : police spokesman

The Royal Thai Police has asked the cooperation of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to arrest fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who is believed to remain in his hideaway inside the United Arab Emirates.

"From the latest check, there is no record to confirm that Thaksin has left the UAE," police spokesman Lt General Watcharaphol Prasanratchakit said.

Watcharaphol said police have already contacted the Interpol counterpart in the UAE to idetify Thaksin's whereabouts and arrest him.

He also confirmed that the police review was close to complete for the recommendation to strip Thaksin's police rank of Lieutenant-Colonel since he was a criminal convict for conflict of interest.

- The Nation / 2009-04-21

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Thaksin still in UAE : police spokesman

The Royal Thai Police has asked the cooperation of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to arrest fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who is believed to remain in his hideaway inside the United Arab Emirates.

"From the latest check, there is no record to confirm that Thaksin has left the UAE," police spokesman Lt General Watcharaphol Prasanratchakit said.

Watcharaphol said police have already contacted the Interpol counterpart in the UAE to idetify Thaksin's whereabouts and arrest him.

He also confirmed that the police review was close to complete for the recommendation to strip Thaksin's police rank of Lieutenant-Colonel since he was a criminal convict for conflict of interest.

- The Nation / 2009-04-21

Sounds like the Police are about to open up a can of whup' ass on the ex PM.

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I am copying part of an interview in Der Spiegel with MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra

4/20/2009 03:36 PM

A DIVIDED NATION

'In Thailand, the Law of the Jungle Prevails'

In a SPIEGEL interview, Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the governor of Bangkok and a cousin of the king, condemns former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and criticizes the Thai Army. He says he is deeply concerned about the state of Thailand.

SPIEGEL: Thailand doesn't seem to be able to return to normal, as the latest uprising in Bangkok proves. The riots we saw last week were the worst ones witnessed in years.

Sukhumbhand Paribatra: In terms of how widespread it was geographically, it was the worst the city has ever experienced. During the unrest of 1973, 1976 and 1992, there were more deaths …

SPIEGEL: … but in 1973 and 1976 we were primarily dealing with student protests.

0,1020,1498695,00.jpg

DPA

Chaos in Bangkok: "The worst the city has ever experienced."

Sukhumbhand: This time there was senseless violence in many parts of the city. People set fires and attacked each other.

SPIEGEL: Everything began the weekend before last, when the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship -- as the supporters of deposed ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra call themselves -- succeeded in halting the Asia summit in the coastal resort of Pattaya. Doesn't that indicate a total failure of your military and police forces?

Sukhumbhand: We have to admit that. The conference hotel is located on a hill and only three narrow roads lead to it. They should never have permitted this venue to be stormed. The police leadership downright refused to intervene and the armed forces only came to help at the last minute. By then Prime Minister Abhisit was trapped.

SPIEGEL: His car was attacked and his driver was hit. In other countries, bodyguards would have reached for their weapons. Why didn't they in Thailand?

Sukhumbhand: The instructions were not there to shoot. There was a vacuum, which allowed the protesters to do what we saw.

SPIEGEL: Earlier, Thailand was considered the epitome of a Buddhist tropical paradise. But today the country is mentioned in the same breath as civil war and chaos. How do you explain the polarization of your society?

Sukhumbhand: There has always been a division between the rich and the poor in Thai society, and there always was an extreme gap between the urban and the rural masses. But that has always been kept under control by an unstated consensus on the part of all political leaders that certain things should not be touched. There was a consensus that political leaders may quarrel among themselves, but they may not take their quarrel to the extent that it would have any impact on the monarchy or to the extent that it would aggravate these fractions in society.

SPIEGEL: But Thaksin suddenly did not play to the rules of the old political elites.

Sukhumbhand: What happened during the Thaksin period was that he didn't play according to that rule anymore. In fact, he tried to impose his own rules. That might have been for good reasons, I don't doubt that. But there was a rule that there are certain things that you don't do. It might partially be due to his personality and partially due to the extent of his three election victories. The consensus in our society broke down and there is no mechanism to put it back in place right now.

SPIEGEL: The Red Shirts complain that there is no democracy and no justice in Thailand because their leaders have been arrested, but the Yellow Shirt leaders who blockaded Bangkok's international airport last year go free.

Sukhumbhand: The facts are obvious. There has always been injustice in Thai society. But under Thaksin, was there justice? This is one of the problems in Thailand -- there has been always the law of the jungle. Between 2002 and 2005, when Thaksin ruled, thousands of alleged drug traffickers and terrorists were killed. I don't say that Thaksin ordered that killings. But thousands were murdered. They disappeared and the media was silenced. What is better, that people who blocked an airport are not punished or that innocent people are murdered? I cannot condone any act of injustice. The sad truth is that in Thailand the law of the jungle prevails. It's also a fact that Thaksin's followers are no angels, and we Democrats aren't either.

SPIEGEL: In retrospect, was the military putsch that toppled Thaksin on Sept. 19, 2006 a failure?

Sukhumbhand: I don't condone military coups, and I was not in favor of that coup, either. But if the coup leader felt there has to be a coup, they should have carried it to its logical conclusion.

SPIEGEL: What do you mean?

Sukhumbhand: They weren't forceful enough. Ironically, first the coup leaders broke the most important law of the land, the constitution, and then they didn't dare to break the little laws. If the generals had smashed Thaksin's network right at the beginning, and if they would have confiscated his properties straightaway, we wouldn't be confronted with the chaos that we have today.

SPIEGEL: Why did the generals mess it up?

Sukhumbhand: Stupid, they are stupid. Thaksin's popularity was on the way down, anyway.

SPIEGEL: Thaksin's passport was only recently revoked. What would his supporters do if he were extradited to Bangkok to stand trial for corruption and inciting the uprising?

Sukhumbhand: They would go completely berserk.

SPIEGEL: Wouldn't new elections be the best solution for restoring peace?

Sukhumbhand: No. The outcome would be the same as before. We will be confronted with equally large blocs opposing each other. I think it will be better if the government stays in power to the end of this term. Then the voters should decide, but not on the streets. But no one has any magical solutions right now.

Edited by ubonjoe
Deleted reference to HRH ubonjoe
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I have read Nick's account and I just can't see where the Red shirts turned from democracy heroes into animals (when Nick was himself was shouting at them).

I also can only chuckle when Nick stresses overwhelming local support for Reds at every opportunity and describes locals confronthing all over the town them as thugs and PAD guards.

Still, it doesn't come quite up to Nick's own standard of writing fluffy pieces about extreme violence, the standard set after Udon lynch mob.

I wonder how he'd cover pogroms and extermination of Jews if he was around in those days. I think he'd do extremely well.

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I am copying part of an interview in Der Spiegel with MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra

4/20/2009 03:36 PM

A DIVIDED NATION

'In Thailand, the Law of the Jungle Prevails'

In a SPIEGEL interview, Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the governor of Bangkok and a cousin of the king, condemns former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and criticizes the Thai Army. He says he is deeply concerned about the state of Thailand.

SPIEGEL: Thailand doesn't seem to be able to return to normal, as the latest uprising in Bangkok proves. The riots we saw last week were the worst ones witnessed in years.

Sukhumbhand Paribatra: In terms of how widespread it was geographically, it was the worst the city has ever experienced. During the unrest of 1973, 1976 and 1992, there were more deaths …

SPIEGEL: … but in 1973 and 1976 we were primarily dealing with student protests.

0,1020,1498695,00.jpg

DPA

Chaos in Bangkok: "The worst the city has ever experienced."

Sukhumbhand: This time there was senseless violence in many parts of the city. People set fires and attacked each other.

SPIEGEL: Everything began the weekend before last, when the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship -- as the supporters of deposed ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra call themselves -- succeeded in halting the Asia summit in the coastal resort of Pattaya. Doesn't that indicate a total failure of your military and police forces?

Sukhumbhand: We have to admit that. The conference hotel is located on a hill and only three narrow roads lead to it. They should never have permitted this venue to be stormed. The police leadership downright refused to intervene and the armed forces only came to help at the last minute. By then Prime Minister Abhisit was trapped.

SPIEGEL: His car was attacked and his driver was hit. In other countries, bodyguards would have reached for their weapons. Why didn't they in Thailand?

Sukhumbhand: The instructions were not there to shoot. There was a vacuum, which allowed the protesters to do what we saw.

SPIEGEL: Earlier, Thailand was considered the epitome of a Buddhist tropical paradise. But today the country is mentioned in the same breath as civil war and chaos. How do you explain the polarization of your society?

Sukhumbhand: There has always been a division between the rich and the poor in Thai society, and there always was an extreme gap between the urban and the rural masses. But that has always been kept under control by an unstated consensus on the part of all political leaders that certain things should not be touched. There was a consensus that political leaders may quarrel among themselves, but they may not take their quarrel to the extent that it would have any impact on the monarchy or to the extent that it would aggravate these fractions in society.

SPIEGEL: But Thaksin suddenly did not play to the rules of the old political elites.

Sukhumbhand: What happened during the Thaksin period was that he didn't play according to that rule anymore. In fact, he tried to impose his own rules. That might have been for good reasons, I don't doubt that. But there was a rule that there are certain things that you don't do. It might partially be due to his personality and partially due to the extent of his three election victories. The consensus in our society broke down and there is no mechanism to put it back in place right now.

SPIEGEL: The Red Shirts complain that there is no democracy and no justice in Thailand because their leaders have been arrested, but the Yellow Shirt leaders who blockaded Bangkok's international airport last year go free.

Sukhumbhand: The facts are obvious. There has always been injustice in Thai society. But under Thaksin, was there justice? This is one of the problems in Thailand -- there has been always the law of the jungle. Between 2002 and 2005, when Thaksin ruled, thousands of alleged drug traffickers and terrorists were killed. I don't say that Thaksin ordered that killings. But thousands were murdered. They disappeared and the media was silenced. What is better, that people who blocked an airport are not punished or that innocent people are murdered? I cannot condone any act of injustice. The sad truth is that in Thailand the law of the jungle prevails. It's also a fact that Thaksin's followers are no angels, and we Democrats aren't either.

SPIEGEL: In retrospect, was the military putsch that toppled Thaksin on Sept. 19, 2006 a failure?

Sukhumbhand: I don't condone military coups, and I was not in favor of that coup, either. But if the coup leader felt there has to be a coup, they should have carried it to its logical conclusion.

SPIEGEL: What do you mean?

Sukhumbhand: They weren't forceful enough. Ironically, first the coup leaders broke the most important law of the land, the constitution, and then they didn't dare to break the little laws. If the generals had smashed Thaksin's network right at the beginning, and if they would have confiscated his properties straightaway, we wouldn't be confronted with the chaos that we have today.

SPIEGEL: Why did the generals mess it up?

Sukhumbhand: Stupid, they are stupid. Thaksin's popularity was on the way down, anyway.

SPIEGEL: Thaksin's passport was only recently revoked. What would his supporters do if he were extradited to Bangkok to stand trial for corruption and inciting the uprising?

Sukhumbhand: They would go completely berserk.

SPIEGEL: Wouldn't new elections be the best solution for restoring peace?

Sukhumbhand: No. The outcome would be the same as before. We will be confronted with equally large blocs opposing each other. I think it will be better if the government stays in power to the end of this term. Then the voters should decide, but not on the streets. But no one has any magical solutions right now.

This is a truly amazing and obviously honest interview with someone who is a leading democrat and shows a pretty good understanding of the realities imho. Although the references to being afraid for the situation are worrying, if there a few more people around like him there may actually be some hope.

It also shows there are at least some in the Dem party not necessarily aligned with those they get lumped with in simplistic analysis.

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I am copying part of an interview in Der Spiegel with MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra

4/20/2009 03:36 PM

A DIVIDED NATION

'In Thailand, the Law of the Jungle Prevails'

In a SPIEGEL interview, Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the governor of Bangkok and a cousin of the king, condemns former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and criticizes the Thai Army. He says he is deeply concerned about the state of Thailand.

SPIEGEL: Thailand doesn't seem to be able to return to normal, as the latest uprising in Bangkok proves. The riots we saw last week were the worst ones witnessed in years.

Sukhumbhand Paribatra: In terms of how widespread it was geographically, it was the worst the city has ever experienced. During the unrest of 1973, 1976 and 1992, there were more deaths …

SPIEGEL: … but in 1973 and 1976 we were primarily dealing with student protests.

0,1020,1498695,00.jpg

DPA

Chaos in Bangkok: "The worst the city has ever experienced."

Sukhumbhand: This time there was senseless violence in many parts of the city. People set fires and attacked each other.

SPIEGEL: Everything began the weekend before last, when the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship -- as the supporters of deposed ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra call themselves -- succeeded in halting the Asia summit in the coastal resort of Pattaya. Doesn't that indicate a total failure of your military and police forces?

Sukhumbhand: We have to admit that. The conference hotel is located on a hill and only three narrow roads lead to it. They should never have permitted this venue to be stormed. The police leadership downright refused to intervene and the armed forces only came to help at the last minute. By then Prime Minister Abhisit was trapped.

SPIEGEL: His car was attacked and his driver was hit. In other countries, bodyguards would have reached for their weapons. Why didn't they in Thailand?

Sukhumbhand: The instructions were not there to shoot. There was a vacuum, which allowed the protesters to do what we saw.

SPIEGEL: Earlier, Thailand was considered the epitome of a Buddhist tropical paradise. But today the country is mentioned in the same breath as civil war and chaos. How do you explain the polarization of your society?

Sukhumbhand: There has always been a division between the rich and the poor in Thai society, and there always was an extreme gap between the urban and the rural masses. But that has always been kept under control by an unstated consensus on the part of all political leaders that certain things should not be touched. There was a consensus that political leaders may quarrel among themselves, but they may not take their quarrel to the extent that it would have any impact on the monarchy or to the extent that it would aggravate these fractions in society.

SPIEGEL: But Thaksin suddenly did not play to the rules of the old political elites.

Sukhumbhand: What happened during the Thaksin period was that he didn't play according to that rule anymore. In fact, he tried to impose his own rules. That might have been for good reasons, I don't doubt that. But there was a rule that there are certain things that you don't do. It might partially be due to his personality and partially due to the extent of his three election victories. The consensus in our society broke down and there is no mechanism to put it back in place right now.

SPIEGEL: The Red Shirts complain that there is no democracy and no justice in Thailand because their leaders have been arrested, but the Yellow Shirt leaders who blockaded Bangkok's international airport last year go free.

Sukhumbhand: The facts are obvious. There has always been injustice in Thai society. But under Thaksin, was there justice? This is one of the problems in Thailand -- there has been always the law of the jungle. Between 2002 and 2005, when Thaksin ruled, thousands of alleged drug traffickers and terrorists were killed. I don't say that Thaksin ordered that killings. But thousands were murdered. They disappeared and the media was silenced. What is better, that people who blocked an airport are not punished or that innocent people are murdered? I cannot condone any act of injustice. The sad truth is that in Thailand the law of the jungle prevails. It's also a fact that Thaksin's followers are no angels, and we Democrats aren't either.

SPIEGEL: In retrospect, was the military putsch that toppled Thaksin on Sept. 19, 2006 a failure?

Sukhumbhand: I don't condone military coups, and I was not in favor of that coup, either. But if the coup leader felt there has to be a coup, they should have carried it to its logical conclusion.

SPIEGEL: What do you mean?

Sukhumbhand: They weren't forceful enough. Ironically, first the coup leaders broke the most important law of the land, the constitution, and then they didn't dare to break the little laws. If the generals had smashed Thaksin's network right at the beginning, and if they would have confiscated his properties straightaway, we wouldn't be confronted with the chaos that we have today.

SPIEGEL: Why did the generals mess it up?

Sukhumbhand: Stupid, they are stupid. Thaksin's popularity was on the way down, anyway.

SPIEGEL: Thaksin's passport was only recently revoked. What would his supporters do if he were extradited to Bangkok to stand trial for corruption and inciting the uprising?

Sukhumbhand: They would go completely berserk.

SPIEGEL: Wouldn't new elections be the best solution for restoring peace?

Sukhumbhand: No. The outcome would be the same as before. We will be confronted with equally large blocs opposing each other. I think it will be better if the government stays in power to the end of this term. Then the voters should decide, but not on the streets. But no one has any magical solutions right now.

After reading hundreds of comments and opinion, probably one of the most smart and honest so far.

Then I have two question.

1/ Why do we have to deal with Abhi when we have this guy ?

2/ It was published in a German magazine. Why not in the Thai press? Would K. Sukhumbhand answers be so direct and honest if it was for a Thai magazine ?

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'I'm Like a Rat'

SPIEGEL: Officially, two people died in the latest riots and 123 were injured. Do you dispute these figures?

Thaksin: It is an absolute lie.

SPIEGEL: Do you have proof of that?

Thaksin: After they said there were only two dead, we found two Red Shirts who had been tied with their hands behind their backs and were found in the Chao Praya River. We are still looking for others.

I haven't seen this allegation before, about the 2 bodies in the river, does anyone know did it appear elsewhere ?

Red-shirts' Claim on Bus Driver's Death Proven False

An unlucky bus driver whom the red-shirts claimed was shot dead by Army officials was confirmed by his supervisor as alive and well today, saying the incident in which he was hit on the head was a misunderstanding between red-shirts and Army officials.

Core members of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, or DAAD, said during a press conference yesterday that bus-driver Tienchai Sakuntaharn was killed by military officers during the crackdown on anti-government protesters last week. However, Tienchai's supervisors today revealed that he is still alive.

Yesterday, the DAAD members showed video footage taken in front of the Region 1 Army head office during the crackdown on anti-government protesters, claiming that a man in a red-shirt was shot dead by Army officials.

In response, local news agencies reviewed footage from the same location, but from different angles, to verify the red-shirt group's claims. News footage of the same incident indicated that the man was not shot but was hit on the head by a soldier before falling to the ground.

The man was later identified as Tienchai Sakuntaharn, the driver of bus number 64. Tienchai said his bus was stolen by red-shirt protesters on Samsen Road on April 13 and was driven to Rajchadumneon Avenue and positioned to block the Army's path to the major rally site.

Tienchai said he was afraid his bus would be burnt by the protesters. He then put on a red-shirt, pretending to be a protester, and tried to drive his bus away from the conflict.

However, soldiers believed he was a protester intent on driving the bus into a line of soldiers, so he was hit on the head and arrested.

Tienchai will hold a press conference tomorrow to explain what happened.

- TOC / 2009-04-21

Edited by sriracha john
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Red-shirts' Claim on Bus Driver's Death Proven False

An unlucky bus driver whom the red-shirts claimed was shot dead by Army officials was confirmed by his supervisor as alive and well today, saying the incident in which he was hit on the head was a misunderstanding between red-shirts and Army officials.

Core members of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, or DAAD, said during a press conference yesterday that bus-driver Tienchai Sakuntaharn was killed by military officers during the crackdown on anti-government protesters last week. However, Tienchai's supervisors today revealed that he is still alive.

<snip for brevity>

The man was later identified as Tienchai Sakuntaharn, the driver of bus number 64. Tienchai said his bus was stolen by red-shirt protesters on Samsen Road on April 13 and was driven to Rajchadumneon Avenue and positioned to block the Army's path to the major rally site.

Tienchai said he was afraid his bus would be burnt by the protesters. He then put on a red-shirt, pretending to be a protester, and tried to drive his bus away from the conflict.

However, soldiers believed he was a protester intent on driving the bus into a line of soldiers, so he was hit on the head and arrested.

Tienchai will hold a press conference tomorrow to explain what happened.

- TOC / 2009-04-21

This guy deserves a bonus, from his employers, for having tried to save his bus in the middle of the riots, IMHO. :o

The report also shows how easily mistakes can be made by onlookers or those involved, in the heat of the moment, in reporting or interpreting what actually happened.

The good news is ... the man is alive & OK ! :D

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Red-shirts' Claim on Bus Driver's Death Proven False

An unlucky bus driver whom the red-shirts claimed was shot dead by Army officials was confirmed by his supervisor as alive and well today, saying the incident in which he was hit on the head was a misunderstanding between red-shirts and Army officials.

Core members of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, or DAAD, said during a press conference yesterday that bus-driver Tienchai Sakuntaharn was killed by military officers during the crackdown on anti-government protesters last week. However, Tienchai's supervisors today revealed that he is still alive.

<snip for brevity>

The man was later identified as Tienchai Sakuntaharn, the driver of bus number 64. Tienchai said his bus was stolen by red-shirt protesters on Samsen Road on April 13 and was driven to Rajchadumneon Avenue and positioned to block the Army's path to the major rally site.

Tienchai said he was afraid his bus would be burnt by the protesters. He then put on a red-shirt, pretending to be a protester, and tried to drive his bus away from the conflict.

However, soldiers believed he was a protester intent on driving the bus into a line of soldiers, so he was hit on the head and arrested.

Tienchai will hold a press conference tomorrow to explain what happened.

- TOC / 2009-04-21

This guy deserves a bonus, from his employers, for having tried to save his bus in the middle of the riots, IMHO. :D

The report also shows how easily mistakes can be made by onlookers or those involved, in the heat of the moment, in reporting or interpreting what actually happened.

The good news is ... the man is alive & OK ! :D

While I'm glad the man is alive and well, the likelihood of a Thai bus driver donning a red shirt and going to save his bus from rioting protesters, is about as probable as Thaksin announcing he is going to give all his money to charity and become a wandering sadhu. Guess I've just been brainwashed by reading too many "Bus driver flees the scene" headlines over the years. :o

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There is nothing wrong to see a country divided into 2 groups. Apart from a handful (Singapore, Brunei, Bhutan, etc) Most county are split into 2 (like UK, US, etc). That's why there is a government, and there is an opposition group checking on the government.

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There is nothing wrong to see a country divided into 2 groups. Apart from a handful (Singapore, Brunei, Bhutan, etc) Most county are split into 2 (like UK, US, etc). That's why there is a government, and there is an opposition group checking on the government.

Now let's get this straight - you see nothing wrong in seeing a country divided to the point of open violence on the street between colour coded sides; where ordinary people are paid to protest and cowards pulling strings from abroad to foment insurrection?

And you see no difference between the present situation in Thailand, and the political divide in UK and US?

So, you seem to be quite content with the divisions caused by Reds and Yellow partisanship and lack of a rational process of settling differences beyond street politics and violence? :o

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Anyone else noticing this we seem to be just about as devided a Thai scociety on this one. If we can't find a mid ground are we expecting a bit much of the people we are commenting about?

I for one came here because it was different, not all the differences will be positive.

Sometimes I think we forget thi is a very young democracy, it's going through growing pains just like mine did a 150 years ago.

I believe when this is done this won't be the same Thailand I came to. It may be better it may not be. So far they have left me completly out of it. So still have the little peice of Thailand that I created the way I wanted it. So be patient these things are not going to be settled quickly.

I'm afraid there will be more violence before that happens, also that Thailand will suffer more before this is over.

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30100989-01.jpg

Witness denies red shirt was shot by soldiers

The video clip released by pro-Thaksin Shinawatra protesters on Monday, of a red-shirt protester being attacked, did not show the correct situation, said Nation TV cameraman Anucha Sakdaukosakul, who was also filming at the scene.

The red-shirt protester, later identified as Tienchai Sakultaharn, was the driver of Nonthaburi-based Supanyarnyon company's bus No 64.

"He is still alive," said a member of the bus company, who asked not to be named.

Anucha said as the man was being hit on the head with a baton, a soldier shot into the air to warn the other red shirts to stay away. Protesters, who witnessed the incident on April 13 in front of the First Army area, tried approaching the spot and started throwing bottles at the soldiers, Anucha recounted.

"The man was not shot and was later taken into the First Army compound. It is a coincidence that the man was hit at the same time as another soldier fired into the air," Anucha said.

On Monday, red-shirt leaders released a video clip of what they claimed to be a close-range shooting of a protester. The one-minute clip, which is very unclear and shaky, shows a red-clad man being taken off a No 64 bus by soldiers. He is then shown collapsing as a gunshot is heard and is then seen being taken away to an undisclosed location by soldiers.

The clip also shows a TV cameraman at the scene, who was later identified as Anucha. The footage caught by Anucha clearly shows the man being hit by just a police baton.

The bus company officer said that Tienchai had never taken part in the red-shirt protest because he had never missed work. Apparently, he said, Tienchai had put on a red shirt to drive his bus away after it was seized by the anti-government protesters. However, he said, the company did not acknowledge any of these actions.

The Thai Association of Private Buses will be holding a press conference today, at which Tienchai and representatives of the bus company will also be present.

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the clip released by the anti-government protesters was misleading and reiterated that soldiers had not shot Tienchai.

He also quoted Tienchai as saying that his bus had been hijacked by protesters at the Rajaphat Suansunandra University and driven by them to the First Army area. Since Tienchai was afraid his bus would be set on fire, he put on a red shirt so he could drive the bus safely out of the area.

However, since the army was blocking all exits, he ended up driving in circles, which made soldiers believe that he was trying to run them over. That is why the soldiers captured Tienchai, Sansern said, adding that indeed there had been a bit of a clash, which is inevitable in a serious event.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party MP Jatuporn Prompan, who is also a core red-shirt leader and faces arrest, said he would be showing a previously undisclosed footage during the joint Parliamentary session, which began today.

"This clip will only be an appetiser of what is to come. Some corpses haven't even been cremated and some MPs may bring these bodies to Parliament," Jatuporn said.

- The Nation / 2009-04-22

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Witness denies red shirt was shot by soldiers

i tried doing a quick search on youtube for this footage but couldnt find it.

had a look at the nation website .... they have the Thaksin rap video , but not this video.

perhaps someone could post it if they know.

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This guy deserves a bonus, from his employers, for having tried to save his bus in the middle of the riots, IMHO. :D

The report also shows how easily mistakes can be made by onlookers or those involved, in the heat of the moment, in reporting or interpreting what actually happened.

The good news is ... the man is alive & OK ! :D

While I'm glad the man is alive and well, the likelihood of a Thai bus driver donning a red shirt and going to save his bus from rioting protesters, is about as probable as Thaksin announcing he is going to give all his money to charity and become a wandering sadhu. Guess I've just been brainwashed by reading too many "Bus driver flees the scene" headlines over the years. :o

Agreed, that was my first reaction too, but then I thought about it.

If he were a normal Thai bus-driver, he might well have done a runner, but surely when his vehicle was first being bus-napped ?

If this was simply a good story to give the soldiers, after his arrest by them, as to why he was driving the bus & wearing a red-shirt, then he is a P.R. genius who will go far, probably too far eventually !

Or maybe he is for real ?

Whatever, someone who was reported to be shot dead by the troops, is clearly not so, his friends and family at least will be very pleased to learn. A small piece of good news. :D

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