Thai Forces Use Tear Gas, Water Cannon Against Protesters

[OccamsRazor]

THE NATION: Khaosod reports Reds have seized two buses.

They have form seizing buses.

Perhaps to use them to get back home, hopefully.

[TAWP]

Giles is proving he has a foggy understanding of reality as he sits in his room in the UK, trying to pretend he is in the 'know', and pushing out propaganda pieces from his little book of Marxism, and we are supposed to care?

Says more about the poster that posts it here and recommends it as a good reading than anything else.

[elcent]

now, lets not forget the real people with real sufferings and poverty. This should encourage them. No, they don't agree with the red leaders here. Listen carefully. What a wonderful voice.

[SantiSuk]

The red demo/party has finally spilled back from Ploenchit into Sukhumvit/Nana. One hour ago the reds were controlling all the traffic junctions in the Nana vicinity - all very good humoured for now and the girls from the bars (those that could make it to work) were gawping at the festivities on the junction.

The only police I saw were in a small convoy being cheered as it went past by the Reds towards Asoke - some of the police were wearing red scarves!

Looks like there will be a big party in that area tonight but I wonder how much regular business will be transacted tonight with the transport difficulties. Motorcycles are the only sure way of getting through.

Having seen the fringes of the demo and lots of the parades in the centre in the last few days I must say that I find it hard to believe that the Government ar going to be able to clear this lot without terrible risk of death or injury. The atmosphere on the fringes at least has been very relaxed and friendly but we could be heading for all that to change.

I hope the Government continues to make its priority the protection of property when threatened and the arrest of ringleaders rather than some large scale exercise in a crowded commercial and now tourist area. The latter has incredible risks for Abhisit - maybe more so than doing nothing.

Traffic elsewhere - eg Asoke and New Petchaburi is very light and the routes are fast.

Note: I have no allegiance to any colour or political creed so please do not comment with any such interpretation.

[yoshiwara]

BBC radio just reported petrol bombs being thrown.

[Harry2]

Pro democracy demonstrators in pickups are pouring down Sukhumvit past Phra Khanong now.

Clearly there are many ordinary people prepared to risk their lives in the battle against racism and fascism!

[TheItaliann]

Its simple.

If people feel the Reds are winning, they will come out.

If they feel they are losing, they will stay home/go home.

This attempt by the army was clearly all for show.

[yoshiwara]

Harry2

Pro democracy demonstrators in pickups are pouring down Sukhumvit past Phra Khanong now.

Clearly there are many ordinary people prepared to risk their lives in the battle against racism and fascism!

Thaksin apologist gets excited.

pro-Thaksin not pro-democracy.

Against fascism but attack the gays?

I don't think so.

Ant-racist?

hardly.

Schoolboy imagination.

Edited April 10, 2010 by yoshiwara

[LevelHead]

More and more people going to Bangkok. The Thai population is starting to stop being neutral or "silent" reds, now they are being real reds.

Well over a hundred thousand reds in central BKK and more flowing in it seems.

The closing of PTV and shutting down of opposition media was a grave mistake.

Firing "live" rounds was an even bigger one.

PTP MP's will be looking to impeach Abhisit and Suthep next week, if they have not fled the country by then perhaps ?

Edited April 10, 2010 by LevelHead

[yoshiwara]

More and more people going to Bangkok. The Thai population is starting to stop being neutral or "silent" reds, now they are being real reds.

Well over a hundred thousand reds in central BKK and more flowing in it seems.

The closing of PTV and shutting down of opposition media was a grave mistake.

Firing "live" rounds was an even bigger one.

PTP MP's will be looking to impeach Abhisit and Suthep next week, if they have not fled the country by then perhaps ?

Living in your own fantasy land again making up the numbers as you go along.

[LevelHead]

Yellow propaganda still bleating out "Thaksin" as the excuse for everything.

Its about real Democracy, true Democracy and thats why people now are pouring into central Bangkok to support real Democracy !

[Splatter]

^would not have happened if the govt didnt cut the signal to a media station. You may not like what they broadcast, but doesnt give you the right to shut them down. Bottom line govt made a mistake and backed themselves into a corner - end result they look stupid.

I agree they were backed into a corner. It isn't about liking or not liking what they broadcast. It is that what they broadcast was proven lies, inciting people to riot, and making death threats. That is neither legal nor acceptable in every western country. You are mistaken if you believe otherwise.

Then go and arrest those making the threats.

Do you suggest they should block youtube and/or google?

[saintofsilence]

Yellow propaganda still bleating out "Thaksin" as the excuse for everything.

Its about real Democracy, true Democracy and thats why people now are pouring into central Bangkok to support real Democracy !

Why don't you go join them also it seems that you would fit right in .

Edited April 10, 2010 by saintofsilence

[LevelHead]

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2...comment-page-1/

George // Apr 10, 2010 at 11:42 pm

7:30PM Bangkok April 1oth Saturday:

Report that well-known and internationally recognized Bangkok freelance photographer Vinai Dithajon was shot this afternon near Makawan Bridge. He’s still alive, waiting for doctors at the hospital………

[yoshiwara]

Yellow propaganda still bleating out "Thaksin" as the excuse for everything.

Its about real Democracy, true Democracy and thats why people now are pouring into central Bangkok to support real Democracy !

No its not and no they aren't.

For democracy read green light for Thaksin's electoral corruption.

And don't try to persuade anybody that Bangkok wants anything other than the reds to bugger off.

Thaksin isn't your excuse.

Thaksin is your raison d'etre.

[kittykittybangbang]

You are for sure not from Britain. There you can say whatever you like about whomever you like, insight riot, spread racisem demonstrate, But to qualify to do so you have to come from somewhere outside Europe

Sorry to say that this is untrue...I'm from Britain and, according to the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, it it illegal to incite racial hatred....

[Old Man River]

Yellow propaganda still bleating out "Thaksin" as the excuse for everything.

Its about real Democracy, true Democracy and thats why people now are pouring into central Bangkok to support real Democracy !

People are pouring in from Samut Prakhon. What is Samut Prakhon known for? Let me give you some help. It has nothing to do with democracy.

[rogerdee123]

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/...ants/index.html

After seeing this video clip by CNN.

I a begining to believe that this is a real clip.

Army shooting at RED.

Sure they were shooting at the Reds. But even CNN says on that clip title "Rubber bullets fired at Thai". OK rubber bullets hurt but they (usually) aren't lethal. That's why no one is dead. If they were using real bullets there would be a lot of bodies and CNN would be reporting that.

However having said the above ... some (maybe all) of the officers had real (lethal) bullets in their weapons and some of them were wearing ammo vests (I'm not talking about the shotgun shells which were mostly rubber bullets but the vests with magazine pockets) and they had lethal ammo in those vests. These officers are responsible for distributing that lethal ammo if necessary. Some of the officers were firing their pistols (with lethal ammo) in the air. One of the PTV vehicles' roofs was hit by one of these real bullets on it's downward trajectory and they were showing it on TV and they said it was one of the "fired in the air" shots. I only got a glance at the bullet but it looked like a pistol bullet to me, i.e. no pointed tip. BTW their vehicle was parked FAR from the confrontation. So it is true that some lethal bullets were fired. But I believe that most of those "bullet injuries" being reported are rubber bullet injuries and most were not serious injuries.

Edited April 10, 2010 by rogerdee123

[koosdeboer]

so now the reds are throwing handgranates? Against soldiers with rubber bullets. The war has started.

[saintofsilence]

so now the reds are throwing handgranates? Against soldiers with rubber bullets. The war has started.

If thats true this will be a disaster and the troops will have no option than to use live bullets.

[bangon04]

The red demo/party has finally spilled back from Ploenchit into Sukhumvit/Nana. One hour ago the reds were controlling all the traffic junctions in the Nana vicinity - all very good humoured for now and the girls from the bars (those that could make it to work) were gawping at the festivities on the junction.

The only police I saw were in a small convoy being cheered as it went past by the Reds towards Asoke - some of the police were wearing red scarves!

Looks like there will be a big party in that area tonight but I wonder how much regular business will be transacted tonight with the transport difficulties. Motorcycles are the only sure way of getting through.

I hope the Government continues to make its priority the protection of property when threatened and the arrest of ringleaders rather than some large scale exercise in a crowded commercial and now tourist area. The latter has incredible risks for Abhisit - maybe more so than doing nothing.

Note: I have no allegiance to any colour or political creed so please do not comment with any such interpretation.

The Thai Police continue to show themselves up as a national embarassment. They are at best incompetent and ineffective. They do not serve the elected goverment, and they don't even serve the people. The Police are a self-serving entity. Just imagine if a western democratic government like Italy decided to subcontract out the "business" of Law and Order to the Italian Mafia? Sure, you would have some form of "Order" in society, but it is unlikely that the "Law" would be upheld to the benefit of the majority. That is more or less what we see in Thailand. Reams of unenforced warrants and impotent court orders.

The Police are a hindrance to restoring the rule of law. Better to promote them all to inactive posts for a few weeks. IF the government is serious about enforcing the law they need better tools. On the other hand, if Thais are content with the Police disService they have in place, then let the chaos continue cheerfully without violence.

Next the Government is in danger of embarassing the army too - where else (in a civilised society at least) could protesters seize a truckload of M16s and parade them around the street as trophies? The army is supposed to be for one purpose Enforcement (with the emphasis on Force) . Don;t put them in a position where they can lose face by backing down. Better to keep them away from the trouble if you are not prepared to use their specific skills.

[Old Man River]

so now the reds are throwing handgranates? Against soldiers with rubber bullets. The war has started.

If thats true this will be a disaster and the troops will have no option than to use live bullets.

Or go back to the barracks and let Abhisit explain how he is following international standards for crowd control. Sooner or later he will realize this isn't a video game.

[granuaile]

Yellow propaganda still bleating out "Thaksin" as the excuse for everything.

Its about real Democracy, true Democracy and thats why people now are pouring into central Bangkok to support real Democracy !

It's about Thaksin and nothing more, while your post sounds like it is straight from the red propaganda machine.

Maybe abt Thaksin democracy with death squads and p-urchased elections (ohhh I keep forgetting the mob is purchased too)....

[koosdeboer]

so now the reds are throwing handgranates? Against soldiers with rubber bullets. The war has started.

If thats true this will be a disaster and the troops will have no option than to use live bullets.

Or go back to the barracks and let Abhisit explain how he is following international standards for crowd control. Sooner or later he will realize this isn't a video game.

This is not a normal crowd but a bunch of terrorists, that's what I see on TV

[bangon04]

so now the reds are throwing handgranates? Against soldiers with rubber bullets. The war has started.

If thats true this will be a disaster and the troops will have no option than to use live bullets.

If Security Forces are firing live ammo into the air in downtown Bangkok, then it is very lucky indeed that:

a) there are no high-rise buildings nearby which could get in the line of fire by being too slow to take cover

Thai bullets are so well manufactured that they never come back down inside the city limits, so there is no risk at all to innocent civilians

[rogerdee123]

so now the reds are throwing handgranates? Against soldiers with rubber bullets. The war has started.

If thats true this will be a disaster and the troops will have no option than to use live bullets.

Yes the Reds have truly opened Pandora's box now and it's going to be difficult for Abhisit or anyone to keep this situation from spiraling into a catastrophe.

I pray that the innocent (red, yellow, pink, or whatever) aren't harmed but in my opinion the Red leadership deserve whatever they get. Their selfish motives are responsible for taking this country to the brink and it could be a long time before it recovers.

[granuaile]

Nation reporters at the field said troops fired rubber bullets at protesters but protesters fired real bullets at troops, injuring several of them. The injured troops were rushed to hospitals.

If this is true that the protesters are using lethal weapons - against nearly unarmed soldiers - they have just provided the justification for coming at them with everything.

[saintofsilence]

One red shot dead tulsathit twitter

http://twitter.com/tulsathit

Edited April 10, 2010 by saintofsilence

[BigC]

suppose a watere cannon is quite approprate during son Khran

[way2muchcoffee]

One red shot dead tulsathit twitter

Terrible. One can only hope that his death would give everyone pause. Sadly I think this will not be the case. Arisman just declared war. They all need to stop this madness now. The reds need to cease all activity and give the order to head home. There are better ways to solve political problems.

Edited April 10, 2010 by way2muchcoffee