P A D Protest Ends In Bloodshed

[LaoPo]

PAD protest ends in bloodshed

GOVT DECLARES MARTIAL LAW AS VILLAGERS, POLICE CLASH WITH PAD; YELLOW SHIRTS TO READ SOVEREIGNTY DECLARATION

Writer: KING-OUA LAOHONG

Published: 20/09/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

SI SA KET : Dozens of protesters, police and villagers were injured in fiery clashes near the border with Cambodia yesterday as a protest by the People's Alliance for Democracy spun out of control.

The government declared martial law as PAD supporters, in a protest over sovereignty, met unexpected resistance from hundreds of Si Sa Ket villagers who blocked their path.

The PAD was trying to march to a disputed border area close to Preah Vihear temple. Stick-wielding protesters clashed repeatedly with riot police and villagers who were trying to keep them out.

Nearby, soldiers set up barricades to stop the PAD reaching the border area disputed with Cambodia.

Article continues here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2415...ds-in-bloodshed

-- Bangkok Post Sunday, September 20, 2009

LaoPo

[Scott]

Oh boy, I wonder what direction this thread will head.

[KevinBloodyWilson]

Interesting to note the subdued coverage by the English-language press. If it had been the other way around and the yellow protest was peaceful while the red protest turned violent, I wager the coverage would have been rather different.

[Ulysses G.]

Ain't that the truth!

[LaoPo]

Interesting to note the subdued coverage by the English-language press. If it had been the other way around and the yellow protest was peaceful while the red protest turned violent, I wager the coverage would have been rather different.

Indeed........Thailand's Lady Justitia is in a most difficult position...not to be envied.

LaoPo

[Jingthing]

They are pesky but they are nowhere near Bangkok and nowhere near government house.

[LaoPo]

Sep 19, 2009

Dozens wounded in PAD clash

BANGKOK - DOZENS of people were wounded as Thai 'Yellow Shirt' protesters clashed with local police and villagers on Saturday near a disputed temple on the Cambodian border, the army said.

Demonstrators broke through barricades and were gathered at the foot of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, the scene of several deadly battles between Thai and Cambodian troops over the past year, an army spokesman said.

The army said around 5,000 protesters from the yellow-clad People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) had turned up in cars, buses and vans near the temple and around 3,000 villagers had set up their own barricades.

'The PAD are negotiating with the commander of the local task force now at the foot of Preah Vihear,' Colonel Prawit Hookaew, a spokesman for the army's north-eastern region, told AFP.

Several dozen villagers trying to keep the protesters away from the temple were injured in two rounds of clashes with about 200 PAD guards, the military said, without giving an exact figure.

One villager was shot in the neck and four people were hospitalised, Kantharalak district hospital said.

The protesters have demanded that the government push Cambodian forces out of the disputed area around the temple, where tensions have been high since the ruins were granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

The temple clashes came as thousands of rival 'Red Shirts' rallied in Bangkok on the third anniversary of a coup that toppled then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The PAD helped topple Thaksin in 2006 and then blockaded Bangkok's airports in December to bring down the previous, pro-Thaksin government, but have recently turned their fire on Mr Abhisit's administration. -- AFP

The STRAITS TIMES

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_431988.html

LaoPo

[mauGR1]

Anybody correct me if i'm wrong,but the "yellow shirts" are not wearing yellow shirts.

And it seems the PAD leader Chamlong is keeping distance from these thugs.

[Credo]

The color of the shirt doesn't necessarily count.

Hopefully the rats are deserting the sinking ship.

[britmaveric]

Yeah noticed that - seem to be black shirts and hiding their faces. Hmmm wonder why?

[miatai]

Oh boy, I wonder what direction this thread will head.

don't you know the thai english language press owners are mostly yellows ......??????

Edited September 20, 2009 by miatai

[miatai]

Sep 19, 2009

Dozens wounded in PAD clash

BANGKOK - DOZENS of people were wounded as Thai 'Yellow Shirt' protesters clashed with local police and villagers on Saturday near a disputed temple on the Cambodian border, the army said.

Demonstrators broke through barricades and were gathered at the foot of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, the scene of several deadly battles between Thai and Cambodian troops over the past year, an army spokesman said.

The army said around 5,000 protesters from the yellow-clad People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) had turned up in cars, buses and vans near the temple and around 3,000 villagers had set up their own barricades.

'The PAD are negotiating with the commander of the local task force now at the foot of Preah Vihear,' Colonel Prawit Hookaew, a spokesman for the army's north-eastern region, told AFP.

Several dozen villagers trying to keep the protesters away from the temple were injured in two rounds of clashes with about 200 PAD guards, the military said, without giving an exact figure.

One villager was shot in the neck and four people were hospitalised, Kantharalak district hospital said.

The protesters have demanded that the government push Cambodian forces out of the disputed area around the temple, where tensions have been high since the ruins were granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

The temple clashes came as thousands of rival 'Red Shirts' rallied in Bangkok on the third anniversary of a coup that toppled then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The PAD helped topple Thaksin in 2006 and then blockaded Bangkok's airports in December to bring down the previous, pro-Thaksin government, but have recently turned their fire on Mr Abhisit's administration. -- AFP

The STRAITS TIMES

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_431988.html

LaoPo

not a reliable newspaper, this one here.....

believe it is from singapore, this newspaper feed......

it is like fox news channel of the usa.......

or even des spiegel of germany.......

inter alia.........et.al.

[Credo]

Before heading off to give the Cambodians the boot, they might want to clean up their own backyard. Plenty of problems beside that little 4.something Km bit of nothingness.

[geriatrickid]

So much for PAD having the interests of "poor villagers" at heart.

According to the yellowshirts supporters on TV, PAD knows what's best for the dirty uneducated peasants.

Edited September 20, 2009 by geriatrickid

[pete_r]

So the self-proclaimed peaceful protesters of last year start to show their true colors?

[LaoPo]

Sep 19, 2009

Dozens wounded in PAD clash

The STRAITS TIMES

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_431988.html

LaoPo

not a reliable newspaper, this one here.....

believe it is from singapore, this newspaper feed......

it is like fox news channel of the usa.......

or even des spiegel of germany.......

inter alia.........et.al.

What's not reliable in the article ?

Besides that, are you comparing Fox News in the US with Der Spiegel in Germany ? Do you read/write/speak German ?

LaoPo

Edited September 20, 2009 by LaoPo

[Jingthing]

A reminder. Most of the foreigners posting here with anti-Thakin anti-red shirt views are not pro PAD. Also, Abhisit is not a member of PAD. Things are not as simple as red v. yellow.

[EffectiveAnger]

Anybody correct me if i'm wrong,but the "yellow shirts" are not wearing yellow shirts.

And it seems the PAD leader Chamlong is keeping distance from these thugs.

Internal rift going on? The party does seem split on several issues. Chamlong has a long military background and he was the one to act as a buffer between the military and the PAD when degotiations were needed. He's still on good terms with the military and I'm sure he plans to keep it that way. His best tactic is defense, not offense.

[lannarebirth]

A reminder. Most of the foreigners posting here with anti-Thakin anti-red shirt views are not pro PAD. Also, Abhisit is not a member of PAD. Things are not as simple as red v. yellow.

That's true but if Abhisit doesn't direct his government to deal as strongly with these Yellow protesters as they do with the Reds he will look complicit in their actions. Then it's the beginning of the end.

Edited September 20, 2009 by lannarebirth

[timonase]

not a reliable newspaper, this one here.....

believe it is from singapore, this newspaper feed......

it is like fox news channel of the usa.......

or even des spiegel of germany.......

inter alia.........et.al.

oh my, sorry off topic....but to compare fox news und DER SPIEGEL...., DER Spiegel happens to be one of the most renowned political magazin in the world.

sorry ´, but could not let that one slip through

regards

Timo

Edited September 20, 2009 by timonase

[david96]

It was reported on the Australian SBS-TV news progamme at 1830 AEST. Sunday 20/09/2009.

There was mention of Thailand possibly becoming a "failed state".

[flying]

A reminder. Most of the foreigners posting here with anti-Thakin anti-red shirt views are not pro PAD. Also, Abhisit is not a member of PAD. Things are not as simple as red v. yellow.

That's true but if Abhisit doesn't direct his government to deal as strongly with these Yellow protesters as they do with the Reds he will look complicit in their actions. Then it's the beginning of the end.

That is the truth of it & it will be interesting to see how Abhisit deals with it.

As for most anti Thaksin/red shirts not being pro yellow/blue/black I have only ever encountered 1 that claims that here

Edited September 21, 2009 by flying

[Chunkton]

They are pesky but they are nowhere near Bangkok and nowhere near government house.

No doubt the family of the villager that was shot and in critical condition also thought they were pesky. Just had to be you defending the indefensible didn't it? It is all a misunderstanding, bad reporting, a covert Taksin plot.

Wrong is wrong and should be labeled as such despite who propagates it, or I believe the term is spin. Shame on you.

[Chunkton]

Maybe this is just a taste of how a PAD government would deal with ignorant, uneducated villagers that don't support their higher ideals. See the PAD guards had a great old time, been a while since they handed out a good beating and shooting, ah just like old times.

[Denim]

A reminder. Most of the foreigners posting here with anti-Thakin anti-red shirt views are not pro PAD. Also, Abhisit is not a member of PAD. Things are not as simple as red v. yellow.

This reminds me of posts I have read by other forum members :

" Just because we are anti PAD and the Democrats doesn't mean we are pro Thaksin "

Nonetheless, plenty of anti Thaksin posters have not managed to digest the fact.

[christcourt]

So much for PAD having the interests of "poor villagers" at heart.

According to the yellowshirts supporters on TV, PAD knows what's best for the dirty uneducated peasants.

Errr!! PAD "Yellow shirts" Only have the Support in and around Bangkok City and the South.

The Villagers are mainly "Redshirt" people who want to protect there small businesses.

I would suggest they pull back to the Bangkok City Gutter where they belong as for sure they'll never win this battle and they

don't have the support of the Army either.

Time to lock some more of the Yellow idiots up.

[Credo]

Well, I am anti-PAD, pro-Red, but anti-Thaksin.

I find the antics of the PAD to be self-serving and their arrogance beyond belief. What they want and what they stand for is archaic. The red shirts by and large represent a large swath of society that needs to be acknowledged and be a part of the political process.

Thaksin has not been treated in a fair manner nor have those that were around him. He was a scary person when he was in power and seemed to be getting more power than is good in a democracy. His actions since he has been gone tend to reinforce my belief that he is narcissistic. He also may be a revengeful person; not a welcomed characteristic in these times.

I have no comment on the Democratic party--seems fine to me. Abhisit is a nice guy, a competent leader, who lacks the power and probably expertise to deal with many of the countries problems.

[TAWP]

Wow, those protesters are clearly morons.

And nice to come back to the forum after being sick for 2 days and see a full thread with not very much related to the topic at hand but arguments on what other posters presumable will or should post.

If you are going to be this childish as displayed in this thread, atleast make it more on topic. (And yes, I couldn't help but to notice it was kicked off by a mod, nonetheless. Nice.)

[Plus]

Well, I am anti-PAD, pro-Red, but anti-Thaksin.

...The red shirts by and large represent a large swath of society that needs to be acknowledged and be a part of the political process.

This is confusing.

Anti-Thaksin reds are fringe elements with zero credibility and no following, and the only attention they attract is security agencies for their alleged anti-monarchy stance.

Pro-Thaksin reds need to be acknowledged, but pro-Thaksin agenda should NOT be part of the political process - politically he's gone, finished, and irrelevant to Thailand's future.

How PAD's antics are self-serving? More like self-inflicting wounds.

As for archaic - it's the villagers with their "leave us in our ignorance and don't ask uncomfortable questions" who are archaic.

Issues that PAD raised about KPV should be discussed openly and freely by society at large, not decided in fist fights, as per villagers wishes.

Edited September 22, 2009 by Plus

[Meridian007]

Well, I am anti-PAD, pro-Red, but anti-Thaksin.

I was about to write the same thing.

The PAD lost the plot a long time ago when their backer's interests changed. They went from being a group of democratic intellectuals promoting a movement away from the former oligarchy, to a group trying to move back the hands of time to an earlier form of rule (two forms in particular, and hence the divide within the pad). They lost their legitimacy once their goals were known, and this protest was just an attempt to grab attention and to "prove" their relevancy.

The red leaders have all shown themselves to be promoting Thaksin more than democracy or class rights. The Red-shirted people who are actually trying to improve the rights and living conditions of the poor and rural are the only ones I'm sympathetic towards in this big mess, but they seem to have a problem with mob control when their leaders try to use them as a tool. The leadership of the reds and most of the PAD should be locked in a stadium together with some weapons for an afternoon, and I'm sure this would sort itself out.

As to the comments about failed state, this is a worrisome possibility because there are only 2 groups that would come in to fill the vacuum, and neither would be democratic. If I were one of the reds, this would be my greatest fear as the mandate of both the red leaders and the followers (as well as the current government) would be strongly removed. Both groups that would fill the void still have a lot of power here, and they have a history of using it when things become too chaotic. Anyone remember October 6, 1976? This would be a great step backwards in a country with so much potential, and I think the government and the reds both need to think about this when dealing with each other and the PAD. Does this mean that the government should then bow to the demands of the red leaders? I don't think so as I think that would lead to another form of non-democratic government in the future if someone returned. If the government could co-operate with the Red-shirted people instead of their leaders, there would be a chance of avoiding these other bleak futures.

***Edited for clarity***

Edited September 22, 2009 by Meridian007