State Of Emergency Declared For Bangkok

[h90]

This is so different. All the red shirts on the streets, all the taxi drivers. The army just can't turn up in their tanks and expect everyone to go away. Unless they demonstrate they are serious, the red shirts will just walk all over them, which they have already shown ....

I thought they are serious but obvious they are not....

Normally if you jump on a tank at emergency law, you got shot or?

You are right, normally you should fear for your life if you jump on an army tank in a state of emergency. The question you should be asking is why the red shirts know they can jump on army tanks and not get any "penalty".

You right....I didn't think of that, yet "why the red shirts know they can jump on army tanks and not get any "penalty"".

Beside that, it is not easy to jump on these monsters, they are huge. If they are moving it is impossible as well they are so noisy and big that normal people are afraid of tanks even on a army show.....

[oldmerlin]

BBC in UK has just shown a tank backing away from a demonstrator.Demonstrator was wearing a blue shirt, but appeared to be with others in red. Couldn't tell where it was.

Also said the the Foreign Office advice was for Brits to stay indoors. Standard sort of stuff.

Edited April 12, 2009 by oldmerlin

[Plus]

It takes time to disperse the rally by force. So far the army seems to have secured the important installations, took them a couple of hours, it seems.

Now they have to devise a strategy to attack the red camp at the govt house with minimum force and casualties. Even if basic plans are in place, they need special troops for that, not the policemen that have been hanging out there for weeks. Perhaps new units are being brought in, there's no rush, they might actually wait out until reds are exhausted and many of them leave for the night.

What is worrying is that they let reds to regroup and barricade themselves, but perhaps the govt didn't have the necessary troops on the ground at that time, in the late afternoon, they were busy elsewhere.

If the govt doesn't have power to disperse reds, the country is doomed - because it can't contain obvious insurrection, and it doesn't matter who leads the government - the state that doesn't have power to project force within its borders is going to be labelled as failed, with all that entails for economic and political relations with the rest of the world.

Edited April 12, 2009 by Plus

[Mosha]

Jonathon Head from the BBC reported that several members of the government have been attacked, and injured.

[Oberkommando]

I have just had a text from a mate on Koh Chang. He reckons Thaksin is there with some military figures.

[SpankyMcSpank]

Jonathon Head from the BBC reported that several members of the government have been attacked, and injured.

Yes, there is no "Democracy" in the red movement. Its just mob violence.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Yes CNN very neutral.

BBC saying how Thaksin is humliated and lost loads of face.

henryalleman is telling lies about the CNN coverage. Watch it yourself.

No thanks. I'll stick with AJE. They've had excellent, unbiassed coverage and insightful interviews.

what is AJE? al jazeera?

I could not find much on their page...

Al Jazeera English cable news, not internet

Just reported thousands more red shirts have arrived, but they seem to not be violent at this time

unlike this:

A cameraman of Channel 5 was attackd while shooting footage of protesters along the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal.

He rode at the back of a motorcycle during the shooting and when he arrived in front of the Makut Kasatayaram, a protester recognised him and shouted "Channel 5 cameraman" and the rest of protesters rushed towards him, trying to seize his camera.

He was hit at his head and body for several times before the motorcycle could flee the scene.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...d-by-protesters

[kimincm]

Friend in BKK say's 3 killed? 13 injured? this is going to get worse before better - for God's sake - step down!!! let elections come and IF you win Mr PM then fair enough

Its easy to say just step down. But if he simply steps down, then say he returned to power after an election, the cycle begins again and red shirts are on the streets again demanding he be removed. They will come up with any cause they can think of to justify this action.

But if he and the other political leaders agree that election will be held, say in 6 months, and all agree to abide by them it would defuse the situation - the Army/Police could then say whoever wins WE SUPPORT - the majority of Thais are angry, not with the PM so much, but because he IS PM without an election - don't you understand their feelings?

THe army and police could support whoever wins,ever heard about the law and sworn duty to uphold the same,quick, have another election in the name of democracy,try ask your Thai friends what Democracy is,,they don't know what it is (sorry that's not everybody of course) something you have never had will always be a mystery.My idea of Democracy is you decide who you support,you cast your vote,you hope,you win, get on it,you lose,you get on it and return in 3or 4 yrs.,to register your complaint again,

because they have never had it,it's thought the answer is to bring the country to it's knees if you don't get the result you desire.

[jeffer]

Was just out near Dreamworld. No tanks to be seen but a cavalcade of 17 cars whizzed passed headed towards Bangkok with all the usual police escort so presumably someone royal.

[henryalleman]

The current government is illegitimate.

The PAD LOST the last election.

Do they think they can ride rough shod over democracy and expect the voices of the people to be silent?

There will be blood............................

I think this is a serious point - they should hold an election with ALL sides declaring they will abide by the result - the only answer in my view as current is not elected by the people and has credibility problems - this will not change until they goback to the people whether they like the result or not.

I think this is a nonsense point. PAD did not contest the election (neither did the red shirts, by the way).

Thailand has a parliamentary form of government. This means that the members of Parliament are elected by the people. The MPs then elect a Prime Minister who can build his majority on a single party (as Thaksin did in his seccond period) or on a coalition (like Samak, Somchai and Abhisit have all done). This is the way parliamentary democracy works, in Thailand as in e.g. most European countries.

Since the Abhisit government has a majority in Parliament, it is from a constitutional point of view just as legitimate as the previous two. (The Surayud government, of course, was not legitimate.) Whether the dissolutions of the TRT and PPP parties were legitimate is a different, though of course related, question.

I get a feeling that many posters here are from the US, which has a completely different kind of democratic system with a (semi-)directly elected head of government.

/ Priceless

I tried to explained to them many times but they don't seems to comprehend it, thats why I give up to do it time after time.

[colino]

The Army, Navy and Air Force will deploy 56 companies of soldiers to help police protect key government offices in the provinces, which are under the state of emergency.

The Nation

colino

[Plus]

Some people are calling for elections!

Duh!

How about a prison time for those who declared an all out war on the government? What's the point in talking about elections in essentially a lawless country under the state of emergency that can't even be enforced?

First the govt needs to subdue the insurgency, make sure that emergency situation passes, then talk about elections.

[kimincm]

I have just had a text from a mate on Koh Chang. He reckons Thaksin is there with some military figures.

Nice try, are you telling us he's on Thai soil.

[northend_boyz]

The Nation is reporting that Abhisit was injured slightly during the Red's storming of the Interior Ministry.

There is no defense for these actions. There is no rationalization for these actions. These protestors must be stopped, and order must be restored. They are not fighting for democracy. They are a mob, and must be dispersed.

I have seen PM Abhisit appear on TV 3 times in the past hour. He is not running or hiding (aka Thakin, Somchai, Etc).  He is leading his country, and I am very proud of him.

Brave indeed, because if he calls new elections he won't be PM again. The courts would have to throw out another 50 or so MPs to give his coalition space to rule. When are you Abhisit nuts going to realize he's just a puppet anyway? Yes, he's got an unblemished record and he speaks well... he has a good education. But why has his party consistently lost major elections to TRT and it's offspring? Because the Thai people know that the big boys in the Democrat party are more corrupt than even old Thaksin the devil. Look it up. There are not politicians in Thailand that aren't scum. There are only those who were elected, and those who were legislated/put in place by court decree.

As long as you are looking down the rationale path... were you a PAD supporter? Do you hate Thaksin so much that you are blind to the evils of the other side? The reds enjoy popular support. The PAD enjoyed support of the paid and the middle class in Bangkok... they never represented the electorate. I knew yellows who protested and got paid and a few who didn't, and all the reds I know that have been protesting have earned nothing. With the local and international media ignoring them, and the local news printing absolute lies about them, it doesn't surprise me that they have turned somewhat violent. Mobs of any color have violent tendencies. Lets hope the reds continue to show as much restraint as they have. Let's hope Abhisit has the sense to call new elections, because it's clear he cannot enforce the rule of law on the reds... he didn't even try with the yellows (suspect, don't you think? nevermind that Sonthi gave a press conference early in the administration stating explicitly that Abhisit couldn't touch him because he was "made" by the PAD)

"But why has his party consistently lost major elections to TRT and it's offspring? Because the Thai people know that the big boys in the Democrat party are more corrupt than even old Thaksin the devil.

Please explain this statement! Cause' it doesn't make any sense.

But why has his party consistently lost major elections to TRT and it's offspring? Because the morally corrupt NORTHERN PEOPLE know that the big boys in the Democrat party are clean and not corrupt.......so there's no money to be had with them in power.

Edited April 12, 2009 by northend_boyz

[Oberkommando]

Some people are calling for elections!

Duh!

How about a prison time for those who declared an all out war on the government? What's the point in talking about elections in essentially a lawless country under the state of emergency that can't even be enforced?

First the govt needs to subdue the insurgency, make sure that emergency situation passes, then talk about elections.

How about prison time for those that took over the airport?

[ArtVandelay]

I was planning on heading to Khao San Road tomorrow.....should I cancel?

[kimincm]

The Army, Navy and Air Force will deploy 56 companies of soldiers to help police protect key government offices in the provinces, which are under the state of emergency.

The Nation

colino

So what they'll just wave them through,as they did at the Asean Summit

[SpankyMcSpank]

Some people are calling for elections!

Duh!

How about a prison time for those who declared an all out war on the government? What's the point in talking about elections in essentially a lawless country under the state of emergency that can't even be enforced?

First the govt needs to subdue the insurgency, make sure that emergency situation passes, then talk about elections.

Agreed Plus! This is the only way forward. With the deployment of 56 companies, it appears as if the Armed Forces are indeed behind the PM and the Government. If I was a red shirt, I would take this moment to "Tralalallala, out of town".

[Oberkommando]

I have just had a text from a mate on Koh Chang. He reckons Thaksin is there with some military figures.

Nice try, are you telling us he's on Thai soil.

No, I'm telling you I received a text message saying Thaksin was on Koh Chang.

Pretty self explanatory.

[rixalex]

Was just out near Dreamworld.

That's where a lot of posters on this forum seem to be living - dreamworld.

[SpankyMcSpank]

I was planning on heading to Khao San Road tomorrow.....should I cancel?

Check back in about.....5 hours.

[spidercat]

This reminds me of a shark feeding frenzy. Most people on this site are Farangs and with apparently bug-gar all to do. Why not turn off your computers and get out and get real. Politics have got nothing to do with us so by the time you get back. it will all be over.

We are guests in this country, something that apparently gets overlooked. Unless you have voting rights, let the people who do ,have their say, instead of peddling gossip on this site

Using yourself as an example for that comment are we?

Are we not allowed an opinion and opportunity to discuss it?

Thanks for your input and of course, feel free to heed your own advise.

[SpankyMcSpank]

I have just had a text from a mate on Koh Chang. He reckons Thaksin is there with some military figures.

Nice try, are you telling us he's on Thai soil.

No, I'm telling you I received a text message saying Thaksin was on Koh Chang.

Pretty self explanatory.

Yes, self explanatory. Complete bullocks, but very clear!

[stepenwolf1958]

This is not for underestimating. This is not even close to what yellows made. Majority of reds are poor and non educated as well and here are so many of them.

Young man as Abhisit is, can't handle so huge mass. I am not happy to hear some posters used to hard words, giving bold statements and disinformations.

All could go to civil war directly if any side made mistake. All is flamable right now. So different then was when yellows made a protests.

People are divided in opinions and brutality of some reds will not be well accepted from ordinary Thais. Rumours will just put the oil in fire.

It's hard to control mass on stadiums and this is huge number of reds.

I hope will be not civil war.

Some man posted here this was about the time and will be a chance for Thais to make some normal society. I disagree even i understand reds but violence of any kind will be very wrong because can make chain reaction.

I am sure this will be worst Songarn festival.

We should believe all will be finished soon but i have doubts about it.

To many hot heads both sides,

[h90]

It takes time to disperse the rally by force. So far the army seems to have secured the important installations, took them a couple of hours, it seems.

Now they have to devise a strategy to attack the red camp at the govt house with minimum force and casualties. Even if basic plans are in place, they need special troops for that, not the policemen that have been hanging out there for weeks. Perhaps new units are being brought in, there's no rush, they might actually wait out until reds are exhausted and many of them leave for the night.

What is worrying is that they let reds to regroup and barricade themselves, but perhaps the govt didn't have the necessary troops on the ground at that time, in the late afternoon, they were busy elsewhere.

If the govt doesn't have power to disperse reds, the country is doomed - because it can't contain obvious insurrection, and it doesn't matter who leads the government - the state that doesn't have power to project force within its borders is going to be labelled as failed, with all that entails for economic and political relations with the rest of the world.

I thought we are at Emergency law, meaning that there is an Emergency...Meaning you come with the Army. The Army has full Riot control gear, tanks to remove barricades, helicopters, special forces etc etc.

If Cambodia would attack Thailand they could walk till Bangkok till the Army is mobilized??? Considering the Demonstrations, Summit and Emergency law yesterday, all must be on standby already, or???

[ArtVandelay]

I was planning on heading to Khao San Road tomorrow.....should I cancel?

Check back in about.....5 hours.

Hopefully...cooler heads will prevail.

[Plus]

How about prison time for those that took over the airport?

Just about the same as a justice finally served on my traffic ticket - irrelevant.

We have a red mobs on a hunt to kill the Prime Minister - that's as treasonous as it gets, and it's happening right now.

[h90]

I have just had a text from a mate on Koh Chang. He reckons Thaksin is there with some military figures.

Nice try, are you telling us he's on Thai soil.

It is not improbable! Koh Chang is close to Cambodia, he can escape easily.

[LevelHead]

How about prison time for those that took over the airport?

Just about the same as a justice finally served on my traffic ticket - irrelevant.

We have a red mobs on a hunt to kill the Prime Minister - that's as treasonous as it gets, and it's happening right now.

Please show me the evidence where they say "Kill the Prime Minister"

Or stop posting your nonsense.

[SpankyMcSpank]

I hope and pray that the evening will see a peaceful resolution to the impass. I have no idea what that will be, or who it will favor, etc. But we don' t need another 1992, or 1973.