Four M-79 Grenades Fired Into A Battalion In Bangkok, Injuring 2 Soldiers

[ableguy]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

Tell me you think the government did this???????

[teacherpaul]

Yeah, you're absolutely right. Maybey it was the IRA.

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

[webfact]

Police Arrest M-79 Shooter

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting of an M-79 grenade at the 1st Infantry Regiment on Vipavadee-Rangsit Road that injured 2 soldiers earlier today.

The suspect was arrested while trying to drive away. The Tungmahamek police are interrogating him.

-- Tan Network 2010-03-15

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[hammered]

After a grenade was fired at the last PAD rally, it was interesting that Giles of Red Siam fame named someone as having been repossible for it. I think quite a few peop[le would be surprised who this was and what side of the divide they were on.

[CHINWA]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

Of course it might not be. But it's still worth differentiating between ordinary Red Shirts we see dancing on the streets, and other Thaksin-backed types who need to make something happen.

Finally, a comment that makes sense.

[FM505]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

True...

[neverdie]

Police Arrest M-79 Shooter

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting of an M-79 grenade at the 1st Infantry Regiment on Vipavadee-Rangsit Road that injured 2 soldiers earlier today.

The suspect was arrested while trying to drive away. The Tungmahamek police are interrogating him.

-- Tan Network 2010-03-15

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

I wonder how long it will take the beat obtain confessions out of him?

[Harcourt]

I think you misunderstood my meaning. Wasn't condoning this state of affairs, just telling it as it is.

What I'm saying is that citizens, even while rioting, do not automatically become "enemies of the state".

Rather doubt most of the people out there had any idea this was coming up and don't think they'd go for it if asked first.

Having the army go at them is foolishness.

Rioting may not constitute being an enemy of the state....but firing explosives at the military does.

Firing explosives at civilians does too.

Would you have hoped the army or police remained calm if Timothy McVeigh was just walking away from his pickup truck prior to it becoming the "Oklahama Bombing"? Tim was probably from the same province as most of the dead....the cops were too. What has blood, race, nationality, religion, etc go to do with it?

Nevermind, lets not digress from the thread.

[FunkyGuru]

I have a feeling that the red leadership, if I were to use the term, has forgotten to have something called 'Plan B'. Maybe it was just an overlook or it was seriously thought that a million plus would flood BKK and the government will simply give in to their demands.

Carefully observe the statments issued the them. Starting from continuing the agitation/rally to now absurd ideas like a million cc of blood to deface the government property? Funny I find it. Loss of word, no backup plan, no brains to prompt them what to say, heat of mid march, humiliation due to failure of tall claims, calmness of their 'enemy' ... indeed some edgy nerved lunatics in such mass hysteria may pull the trigger.

In my two satangs worth, Reds, never had a chance and now they are convincing those who thought they had a good cause that they don't. I see the red support fading away. Most unfortunate thing would be that in this stand off and mindless moves by some wrecked nerve lunatic with stash of weapons, many innocent will suffer. Finally it will be Thailand as a nation that will suffer not red shirt or yellow or brown or olive or .. whatever colour.

May GOD give them wisdom to see this.

[hammered]

It is good someone has been arrested

[wlcart]

The more I read post about politics in the Kingdom now days the more I realize many people have their minds already made up about events that have not even happened yet, and as soon as they do happen, before gathering any facts, some claim to know exactly what occurred, by who, and why.

I sure hope due process prevails. It is a pretty mixed up crazy world here in Thailand these days, I suggest not to assume anything!

Could it have been the reds?, of course, could it have not been the reds, yes, that is possible too. Stupid people do stupid things for stupid reasons, who knows what idiot decided to use violence and why. But that stupid idiot probably didn't take a moment to consider the possibility they were wrong in their thinking.

None of us should be stupid idiots in assuming we cannot be wrong ourselves. All I am saying is everyone should try to look past appearances and get to some hard facts before drawing a conclusions.

Let cooler heads prevail!

[Goattee]

They are losing. They didn't turn out. They are humiliated. They are FRUSTRATED and their face is badly damaged. This isn't crazy given the crowd we are dealing with (remember BLACK SONGKRAN), it is totally PREDICTABLE.

Also predictable, the pitiful red spin that is wasn't the reds who did this.

The phrase "plausible deniability" comes to mind. In the runup to these events, the "core leaders" of UDD have been saying essentially "pay no attention to Sae Daeng." But have all been flying into Dubai for multiple consultations for the past eight weeks or so. (Core leaders and Sae Daeng.)

The sad thing that rarely gets discussed is that the rural poor are not getting the fundamental attention they need. Sadder yet is the reality that they've been so disregarded that Thaksin's token gestures were enough to buy perpetual devotion. It's very hard to explain to my American friends that the red movement is a motley collection rural poor, a sprinkling of of ex-communist rebels, and academics seeking sociopolitical modernization-- all in the service of a corrupt opportunist multi-billionaire.

Both sides (red and yellow) have grains of truth. But it's laughable that Thaksin's henchmen decry the "elites."

[Jingthing]

Hmmm crazy move

Totally insane. It doesn't fit in with anything that has happened this weekend, now does it?

They are losing. They didn't turn out. They are humiliated. They are FRUSTRATED and their face is badly damaged. This isn't crazy given the crowd we are dealing with (remember BLACK SONGKRAN), it is totally PREDICTABLE.

Also predictable, the pitiful red spin that is wasn't the reds who did this.

another stupid yellow tainted comment - bet u even wear yellow pyjamas to bed -- what benefit would the reds get from doing this as there will be lots of stupid people just like yourself who immediately assume - that they did it -- assume -- make an ass of yourself --- talk about tunnel vision -- and they have not lost anything - getting world attention right now - major headlines on the BBC

Please keep your personal insults to yourself, OK?

I am not pro yellow, I am ANTI Thaksin. They are not the same thing. People who don't understand that basic fact have no understanding at all of current Thai politics.

Why would the reds start to get violent? Are you for real? They promised a million people. They failed miserably. They demanded Abhisit dissolve parliament. He refused, and rightly so. Again, they failed miserably. BTW, people who say negotiate are ridiculous because the red shirts offer only ONE firm demand. There is nothing to negotiate, you either cave to the red Thaksin mob, or you don't. With 100K people instead of a million, there is no real pressure to cave. However, Thaksin is very desperate and feels the need to win. What can he do now? Call it a loss? Of course not! Thus, the beginning of violence with the HOPE that the government will overreact and create a wave of public support for the reds that right now they do not have. There is your reason.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Jingthing

[Gary A]

Who would gain from a grenade attack? Take a long look at the southern insurgents. What a great time to take some pressure off their efforts to kill and destroy.

[TerraPosse]

Hmmm crazy move

Totally insane. It doesn't fit in with anything that has happened this weekend, now does it?

They are losing. They didn't turn out. They are humiliated. They are FRUSTRATED and their face is badly damaged. This isn't crazy given the crowd we are dealing with (remember BLACK SONGKRAN), it is totally PREDICTABLE.

Also predictable, the pitiful red spin that is wasn't the reds who did this.

Dude, take a chill pill! 

I don't know what or who you have been watching but the crowds I have seen all weekend don't appear frustrated nor humiliated.  I know it must gall some of the red-shirt haters on here that all passed rather peacefully and in an atmosphere not unlike a festival so far.  Or why else do you keep bringing up "Black Songkran" like some kind of mantra in every other post of yours? 

As for who fired a grenade, I rather not join the quick-draw-assumption-club.  I rather wait to see some evidence before pointing fingers but whoever has done it, it sure was neither clever nor brave.

[Ricardo]

Grenades wound two soldiers amid Thai protests:

BANGKOK: -- (AFP) - Grenade attacks on a Bangkok military base Monday wounded two soldiers as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters massed at another barracks in the Thai capital, a military spokesman said.

Four M-79 grenades exploded at the base in the centre of the capital at 1:30 pm (0630 GMT), injuring one soldier in the arm and the other in the stomach, army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said.

"Initially we suspect that the grenades were fired from a car," said Sunsern. "At the moment we have no information on the perpetrators."

The incident happened as crowds of red-shirted protesters massed in front of the 11th infantry army barracks on Bangkok's northern outskirts, where the government has been holed up, to press their demand for snap elections.

<img src=http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/pics/afplogo.jpg target="_blank">

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-03-15

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

The news article says an M79 grenade not 4. where does that 4 comes from??????????????????????? More Yellow shirt lies??????????

The source is AFP, just several posts up the page, so no, not "More Yellow shirt lies". But feel free to carry on throwing the red-herrings to the forum.

[IMA_FARANG]

Some people may be aware that the US launched an open war against North Vietnam due to an 'incident' in the Gulf of Tonkin in August 1964. It was later revealed the 'incident' had been engineered by the Americans. It's possible, in a similar, vein, that what seems obvious, isn't obvious especially in a land of smoke and mirrors such as Thailand. Skepticism is healthy. Due to this incident, a 'power' in this large chess game may gain an advantage. However, without question you could just believe it's the red shirts. Up to you.

No offense mate, but I have to challenge you on that statement.

For one thing I was alive and reading newspapers when the Gulf of Tonkin incident occured. Were you?

Yes, the contacts were only on radar...but the ships commander who determined he was being fired upon was an experienced commander and not a young kid who was likely to panic when a few rounds were fired in his direction. The incident occured at night, and in a fog...the only contacts were by intermitant radar returns. A lot of investigative effort was put into that event to determine what happened by honest men to establish what really happened. The best they could come up with was that the events were "uncertain" and "unclear". That there were certainly both North Vietnamese ships in the area (not to mention the Red Chinese Soviet made Osa class motor torpedo boats...which everyone seems to want to forget...the Chinese are our friends now, aren't they?) and others in the area.

So, with all due respect, unless you lnow some proof that over 1000 man hours of intensive searching of the available records of what happened second by second, by officers who were intimately familiar with the radar, and who had themselves been in combat and under fire couldn't find...the best the investigation could say was the events were "unclear"....I just don't accept your opinion without proof.

Or as Sherlock Homles once said,"The absence of evidence should never be interpreted as evidence of absence, Doctor Watson".

[Just1Voice]

Well, as long as we're "speculating", and that's all anyone can really do until, and unless, those who fired them can be caught and identified, let's "speculate" some more. PAD did it in an effort to discredit the Reds. Until there is actual proof, saying definitively that one group did it is both incorrect and slightly stupid. Let's get the facts before we start pinning the tail on the donkey.

[scotbeve]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

Yes they do realize this! The key word : poor, the unspoken key words: compassionate, caring, pro-active, and concerned. Khao Niow has pretty much questioned the govt. as a few other people have and will. Could've been a very bad-timed accident.

[Grey11]

I just had a very articulate Thai women in my store who is very anti-Thaksin and has never had anything good to say about the redshirts. She feels that the protesters in Bangkok have conducted themselves so well this weekend that they are making a real case for themselves with Thais that were against them before.

Let us hope that no one has ruined all of that.

The BBC is giving mostly a one-sided pro-Red coverage of the Reds intent to overthrow the government. It is surprising what the BBC is LEAVING OUT of the events. The BBC coverage is in essence saying that the Reds are seeking a vote and implying that Thailand's present government is a dictatorship. But, then what can we expect from a country that has given safe haven to every convicted Thai criminal who flees the country?

[OZEMADE]

The more I read post about politics in the Kingdom now days the more I realize many people have their minds already made up about events that have not even happened yet, and as soon as they do happen, before gathering any facts, some claim to know exactly what occurred, by who, and why.

I sure hope due process prevails. It is a pretty mixed up crazy world here in Thailand these days, I suggest not to assume anything!

Could it have been the reds?, of course, could it have not been the reds, yes, that is possible too. Stupid people do stupid things for stupid reasons, who knows what idiot decided to use violence and why. But that stupid idiot probably didn't take a moment to consider the possibility they were wrong in their thinking.

None of us should be stupid idiots in assuming we cannot be wrong ourselves. All I am saying is everyone should try to look past appearances and get to some hard facts before drawing a conclusions.

Let cooler heads prevail!

I think all should sit back and see what comes out of the interrogation. Was he a Red or a Yellow or just a sh*t stirrer trying to make trouble.

Obviously he was a person trained in handling an M79 grenade Launcher.

He could come from any faction.

He may also be a Terrorist trying to just stir up Thailand.

He may be a person that is not happy with his boss that was murdered down south by Terrorists, because they would not move him after he pleaded with them to be moved, because he had a price on his head and only had just over a year to retirement.

The list goes on.

[Jirapa]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

so did Hello Kitty or Mickey Mouse do it? Dude....c'mon

if it: looks, sounds, smells, and tastes red....betcha it is

Yeah let's just get rid of the justice system and put who we think did anything straight into prison. Could just have easily been a government supporter trying to stir up trouble. I'm not saying it's either or but with some of you fools we might as well just throw you a rope and let you get on with the hanging!

[connel707]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

Oh Yeah..!!!!!!!

[Loaded]

So, with all due respect, unless you lnow some proof that over 1000 man hours of intensive searching of the available records of what happened second by second, by officers who were intimately familiar with the radar, and who had themselves been in combat and under fire couldn't find...the best the investigation could say was the events were "unclear"....I just don't accept your opinion without proof.

Try Google if you want evidence. This is from an unbiased website:

"Subsequent research and declassified documents has essentially shown that the second attack did not happen. This was reinforced by statements by retired Vietnamese Defense Minister Vo Nguyen Giap who admitted to the August 2 attack, but denied ordering another two days later."

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietna...ulfoftonkin.htm

[neverdie]

I just had a very articulate Thai women in my store who is very anti-Thaksin and has never had anything good to say about the redshirts. She feels that the protesters in Bangkok have conducted themselves so well this weekend that they are making a real case for themselves with Thais that were against them before.

Let us hope that no one has ruined all of that.

articulate in you're store

just kidding, you and i both know it was only a matter of time before someone did something extremely stupid.

[tonywebster]

Can anyone point me to anything where the reds PROMISE or Guarantee one million people? it seems some on here keep clinging onto this like it actually makes any difference, I have said before the other numbers that matter will be on election day.

In any case, 100,000 people is not too shabby for a protest, this is massive compared to other protests worldwide.

As for the grenades, the fools on here that condemned the reds for the turd throwing should take heed and wait until there is evidence, save them from looking foolish again.

last week the drama queens were up in arms about grenades, 6000 guns being stolen etc etc etc etc etc etc, all we have seen this weekend is a large peaceful protest and that irks many of you, I know you are wanting to type the same old rhetoric 'see, we told you so blah blah bloody blah'

[thaiozy]

I hope the soldiers are OK.

I think "somebody" just made a serious mistake.

Not the smartest move "reds".....

And your evidence is what exactly?

have to agree, but i reckon there could be many parties responsible eg: for instance like all the trouble they are having in the south ect ect

[Trebelone]

Don't these idiots realize that most of the soldiers are just poor kids from the sticks?

That's probably why they were targeted. We shouldn't immediately assume this was the work of Red Shirts.

yes i agree.

[Grey11]

It's because of responses like Loaded's I hope the army have the sense to remain cool.

I didn't read Loaded's response.....but why should the army remain cool? I think this is the perfect opportunity for the army to show some spine and venture out. An army unit was just fired upon.....any other time or place, in any country, and the neighbourhood would have been locked down and the perps tracked down and killed. Justifiably so.

Imagine if a grenade had been fired into an Israeli barracks while Palestinians protested outside.

Certainly the Israelis would have opened fire with rockets, used tanks to disperse the crowd, used planes & helicopters to bomb a few blocks of what is left of Palestinian land and then bulldozed a couple of blocks of homes. The Thai military is not that violent but they certainly should have done something. The Reds again and again make the Thai military look like a bunch of school girls. As long as they get away with instigating and engaging in violence they will continue. It will be a long time before Thaksin runs out of money to pay these people to overthrow the government and put himself back as PM. Do as the Israelis do, don't worry about what the rest of the world thinks.

[Jingthing]

Can anyone point me to anything where the reds PROMISE or Guarantee one million people? it seems some on here keep clinging onto this like it actually makes any difference, I have said before the other numbers that matter will be on election day.

In any case, 100,000 people is not too shabby for a protest, this is massive compared to other protests worldwide.

As for the grenades, the fools on here that condemned the reds for the turd throwing should take heed and wait until there is evidence, save them from looking foolish again.

last week the drama queens were up in arms about grenades, 6000 guns being stolen etc etc etc etc etc etc, all we have seen this weekend is a large peaceful protest and that irks many of you, I know you are wanting to type the same old rhetoric 'see, we told you so blah blah bloody blah'

Bottom line, they failed. They made their demand. They offered no compromise position. They were denied (and rightly so). So, now what? If you really believe they (meaning THAKSIN) will just say, OK, I guess we lost, time to go home, well, believe that, but I truly believe events will prove you wrong. Simply based on the past behavior of Thaksin, his current behavior is PREDICTABLE.