Thai Government Hangs By A Thread

[pimay11]

Reds Head to ThaiCom

Five Pua Thai Bangkok Members of Parliament have lead 500 anti-government Red Shirt protesters to ThaiCom station early Sunday morning. The atmosphere around the station is tense as the MPs attempt to negotiate with Division 5 police to enter the compound to prepare the broadcast of the People's Channel.

The group at the same time are waiting for 3,000 more Red Shirt protesters to join their forces from Klong 4 and Phan Fa. Together the protesters plan to force their entrance into the ThaiCom compound if negotiations fail.

Evidently the life of a fellow Thai means nothing to these "Members of Parliament". Eighteen people have died already. Maybe the term "as you sow so shall you reap" will come true today to the leaders who are putting the lives of all the followers at risk. Some of these followers are from my village and are my friends. They are good people but are being led like sheep to the slaughter. What a shame.

[jdinasia]

Reds Head to ThaiCom

Five Pua Thai Bangkok Members of Parliament have lead 500 anti-government Red Shirt protesters to ThaiCom station early Sunday morning. The atmosphere around the station is tense as the MPs attempt to negotiate with Division 5 police to enter the compound to prepare the broadcast of the People's Channel.

The group at the same time are waiting for 3,000 more Red Shirt protesters to join their forces from Klong 4 and Phan Fa. Together the protesters plan to force their entrance into the ThaiCom compound if negotiations fail.

Evidently the life of a fellow Thai means nothing to these "Members of Parliament". Eighteen people have died already. Maybe the term "as you sow so shall you reap" will come true today to the leaders who are putting the lives of all the followers at risk. Some of these followers are from my village and are my friends. They are good people but are being led like sheep to the slaughter. What a shame.

The PTP MP's are counting on parliamentary immunity to protect them from arrest. That may not be a reasonable assumption because if they enter the property they will be directly contravening the SoE decree and can be immediately subjected to arrest.

[Abrak]

Spot on BKjohn. Thaksin and his minions are now backed into a corner. A corner they created by spewing hatred and lies continously to the paid mob. Now the red leaders are facing an extended stay in the Bangkok Hilton and rightly so. They realize this and will fight to the finish. One thing I do not understand is why the police have not arrested these leaders. If they are silent the reds will go back home. end of story.

Actually Thaksin has some interesting opportunities now.

He is perhaps one of only a couple of people who can defuse the situation. if he was to send his supporters back home (to spare further bloodshed) he would probably enhance his political presence in Thailand. If he condones the violence or further encourages it, then he will cease to be a credible political force.

[rixalex]

Actually Thaksin has some interesting opportunities now.

He is perhaps one of only a couple of people who can defuse the situation. if he was to send his supporters back home (to spare further bloodshed) he would probably enhance his political presence in Thailand. If he condones the violence or further encourages it, then he will cease to be a credible political force.

Thaksin has already stated this morning that he is leaving it to the red shirts on the ground to decide their next move (or should i say "their fate"?).

What i think this means is that he is happy for the bloodshed to continue, but obviously can't be seen to be saying that. He has the power as you say to put an end to this - all it would take is word from him that he wants them to stop fighting, go home, and mourn those who paid with their lives.

[BKjohn]

Considering that the demonstrations and subsequent riots are all bases on false facts - there is no dictatorship in Thailand and wanting more money does not fly as a reason to riot - the best move the government can make is to deny them any broadcasting tools.

There seem to be some red shirt supporters here that simply are unable to understand what is going on - perhaps they have been in Isaan too long and may be drunk too much lau kao and now have the same mental capacity as the red shirts.

The army did not start yesterday, the rioters did - that is well documented fact

The army defended itself and used none lethal methods - rubber bullets - tear-gas

The rioters used life ammo - lit gas cylinders and threw them at the soldiers - used pointed bamboo spears and wounded a soldier by piercing his throat

Now the red shirt leaders once again refused to negotiate with the government

Again they are going to attack the TV station even though they have been told of the consequences

Everything they are doing and have been doing is provocative and aimed at gaining propaganda material

They threaten to set shopping malls ablaze - a sign of true peaceful intentions

Turn it, twist it, no matter what, the red shirts are to blame for all and will hopefully pay for their crimes

The last thing Thaksin will do is to try and end the conflict because if he wants to come back he has to succeed in toppling the government to get his supporters into some government after a bought election. Remember, we are talking billions of $ at stake here plus future earnings if he gets back and power of course.

Saying that both sides are to blame is like saying that the bank was at fault too that the gangster tried to rob it because it was there - defies all logic

Edited April 11, 2010 by BKjohn

[jdinasia]

One thing that strikes me as a bit strange ------ during the PAD airport rally people spoke out vociferously about the police (plain clothes) that was held for a brief time then released.

Yet none of the people that screamed about that are now screaming about members of the Thai Army being held by the reds!

[midas]

One thing that strikes me as a bit strange ------ during the PAD airport rally people spoke out vociferously about the police (plain clothes) that was held for a brief time then released.

Yet none of the people that screamed about that are now screaming about members of the Thai Army being held by the reds!

Oh get real !

Being held indeed

Last I heard they were all enjoying Som Tam together .

[neverdie]

For those of you in Bangkok that might want to help.

THE NATION: Blood needed at King Mongkut Hospital - especially group O and B. Donation at Chalermprakiat Bldg.

[rixalex]

They have been interviewed by the Reds and as expected, most of them are reds at heart anyway.

You think that people being held captive are going to give honest answers, or the answers that give them the best shot of escaping with their lives?

[Jingthing]

For those of you in Bangkok that might want to help.

THE NATION: Blood needed at King Mongkut Hospital - especially group O and B. Donation at Chalermprakiat Bldg.

Blood needed? Oh, the irony.

[geriatrickid]

For those of you in Bangkok that might want to help.

THE NATION: Blood needed at King Mongkut Hospital - especially group O and B. Donation at Chalermprakiat Bldg.

Blood needed? Oh, the irony.

No. Just the consequence of the army killing civilians. Suggest you pick up a copy of the Bangkok P*** and read the reports. Not very good.

[midas]

Ahhh. Good to see the newspeak generator is up and running this morning.

With all the trails that lead to yesterdays violence.

Can you actually and honestly say ONLY one side holds any blame?

Blood is on a lot of hands.

Failure to see that is incredibly myopic.

I defer to your (obviously superior) knowledge of 'newspeak generators'.

The Red-Shirts have had over three weeks of fairly-peaceful protest, the government & military have been at pains to permit this, and eventually sat down to negotiate, offering to hold elections in 9 months (rather than 21 months) which would have allowed the UDD-leaders to retire claiming a victory.

Instead they gave not one inch, then broke into Government House for a few hours, and continued their rabble-rousing rhetoric.

Can you honestly still claim they are NOT chiefly to blame, for the very sad events, of yesterday ?

Even after declaring a State of Emergency, the government did relatively-little, until yesterday. Fair warning had been given, the grenades and sharpened-bamboo javelins continued to fly, and STILL the army only used water-canon & tear-gas & rubber-bullets. Amazingly-restrained and a credit to them.

I would agree that blood is on a lot of hands, all the Red-Shirt leaders for a start, for continuing to raise tempers even after the SoE had been declared, and I don't forget Thaksin (wherever he may be) for failing to call for calm amongst his supporters or condemn the violence from his side. Perhaps he was/is too busy, discussing future-deals with Russian billionaires, or drinking coffee in air-conditioned comfort ?

PM-Abhisit may well lose his job, over the next few weeks, but he deserves credit for his intelligent and calm approach in recent weeks, to the problem of an unrepresentative rabble on the streets of Bangkok. He certainly shouldn't get the blame for yesterday's events, let's hope that the Red-Shirts now calm down & return home, and that no more blood is spilled.

Ricardo unless you are a Thai citizen I think it is quite inappropriate for you to be calling

these people " unrepresentative rabble "?

These Thai citizens are fighting for the future of their children and families and how else

do you expect them to get the message across ? After all it has 5 years since their properly

elected government was stolen from them ?

[jdinasia]

Ricardo unless you are a Thai citizen I think it is quite inappropriate for you to be calling

these people " unrepresentative rabble "?

These Thai citizens are fighting for the future of their children and families and how else

do you expect them to get the message across ? After all it has 5 years since their properly

elected government was stolen from them ?

No properly elected government has been "stolen" from the people of Thailand in a long time. I think you mean the non-elected caretaker government that was extra-constitutional in nature that was removed for cause.

That same government that was led by a now convicted criminal on the run from justice and fomenting insurrection from overseas!

[SiangDeeMahk]

Spot on BKjohn. Thaksin and his minions are now backed into a corner. A corner they created by spewing hatred and lies continously to the paid mob. Now the red leaders are facing an extended stay in the Bangkok Hilton and rightly so. They realize this and will fight to the finish. One thing I do not understand is why the police have not arrested these leaders. If they are silent the reds will go back home. end of story.

Actually Thaksin has some interesting opportunities now.

He is perhaps one of only a couple of people who can defuse the situation. if he was to send his supporters back home (to spare further bloodshed) he would probably enhance his political presence in Thailand. If he condones the violence or further encourages it, then he will cease to be a credible political force.

As if he was EVER credible? A few hundred years ago, there'd be a fitting title that would be used to describe him: An Evil Fueding Warlord. That psychopathic megalomaniac will never send anyone home. Clearly, he's the type that after emptying an entire clip of ammo, will continue to sqeeze the trigger again and again, oblivious to the fact that it's empty, until someone ELSE comes along and forcefully removes the spent weapon from his cluchting hands. (or, as is the way with rich fat f_cks; cowardly pay someone else to pull the trigger endlessly, for him)

[BKjohn]

Are you enjoying the spectacle of the red shirts writhing in pain? Do the scenes excite you, make you feel all giddy inside? If so, you may wish to use your general discharge papers to seek counseling at the VA facility. If not, then please refrain from your attempts to justify the PAD actions.

[/quot

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emergency law has been declared and the army is doing their job like any army would do in any country where over 100,000 mindless rioters take the capital hostage and use weapons and violence to blackmail the government to do as they want. This is pure terrorism.

The actions taken by the government are according to UN rules and have been extremely restraint so far. No government can allow this kind of behavior to take place. They have the legal obligation towards their normal citizen to end this a.s.a.p.

All the Thai's I know are fat up with this BS and hope the government will put a swift end to it. They feel sorry for the soldiers who got killed or hurt but when I asked them about the dead or hurt rioters they said "som nam naa" and that exactly is what it is self inflicted punishment. The army did not ask them to riot - they did not ask them to shoot at the army or throw lit gas bottles at them with the clear intend to kill

And most important of all - they have no legitimate reason for what they are doing!!!!

n

Edited April 11, 2010 by BKjohn

[rixalex]

These Thai citizens are fighting for the future of their children and families and how else

do you expect them to get the message across ?

Whatever they think they are fighting for, everybody knows the goals of the red movement. They revolve around one man.

As for how they get their message across - however they do it, sharpened bamboo is never the answer.

Edited April 11, 2010 by rixalex

[jdinasia]

Some people's claims that the military should not be used to quell civil unrest certainly fly in the face of the way the military is used the world over. Not to mention reccomendations from respected groups throughout the world.

Yes, ideally you do not use the military in domestic situations but that is certainly not the "rule" it is just the "ideal".

In fact, recent reports from the US War College certainly suggest that it may even be needed there.

A recent report produced by the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Institute warns that the United States may experience massive civil unrest in the wake of a series of crises which it has termed "strategic shock."

The report, titled Known Unknowns: Unconventional Strategic Shocks in Defense Strategy Development, also suggests that the military may have to be used to quell domestic disorder.

http://infowars.net/articles/december2008/161208Unrest.htm

Military troops were used in 1988 in the Soviet Union, 2000 in Nigeria, South Africa has an Internal Stability Force as part of the army,

So basically ... not only is there no police force in Thailand that is really trained to quell civil strife, there is also precedent for use of military troops to deal with civil unrest.

Additionally ---- if you consider current events to be sedition, insurrection, treason, etc --- the use of the military is certainly a legitimate and pretty much universally accepted response.

edit --- typo

Edited April 11, 2010 by jdinasia

[Oberkommando]

No properly elected government has been "stolen" from the people of Thailand in a long time. I think you mean the non-elected caretaker government that was extra-constitutional in nature that was removed for cause.

Quite simply, the military should never be involved in politics, and military coups are never acceptable, whatever the reason.

It is precisely the Thai military's continued interference in politics to serve the interests of a few, that is the reason why we have been taken to the brink.

Your continual accusation of Thaksin being some sort of evil genius pushing buttons from his Volcanic lair while people are dying on the street conveniently ignores the real issues and is disrespectful to those who have died, on both sides, IMO.

[Jingthing]

For those of you in Bangkok that might want to help.

THE NATION: Blood needed at King Mongkut Hospital - especially group O and B. Donation at Chalermprakiat Bldg.

Blood needed? Oh, the irony.

No. Just the consequence of the army killing civilians. Suggest you pick up a copy of the Bangkok P*** and read the reports. Not very good.

More like the result of the reds refusing to negotiate, refusing to follow the law, and then attacking the army with lethal weapons. They were literally asking for this, poking poking poking for a month. The red shirt leaders needed their martyrs to further their propaganda causes. All of this blood is on the hands on the red leaders.

[jdinasia]

No properly elected government has been "stolen" from the people of Thailand in a long time. I think you mean the non-elected caretaker government that was extra-constitutional in nature that was removed for cause.

Quite simply, the military should never be involved in politics, and military coups are never acceptable, whatever the reason.

It is precisely the Thai military's continued interference in politics to serve the interests of a few, that is the reason why we have been taken to the brink.

Your continual accusation of Thaksin being some sort of evil genius pushing buttons from his Volcanic lair while people are dying on the street conveniently ignores the real issues and is disrespectful to those who have died, on both sides, IMO.

You are entitled to your opinion IMO ... even when it is wrong.

Thaksin has been involved in this from the beginning. In an ideal world perhaps a coup is never acceptable to you. Thailand isn't an ideal world and Thaksin is the proximal cause for the coup and everything that has happened afterwards. The fact that he is still funding the reds and making call-ins etc certainly shows this to be true.

[pimay11]

US condemns violence in Thailand

The US condemned fierce street clashes between Thai troops and anti-government protesters that left at least 19 dead and hundreds injured.

State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said the US "deeply regrets the violence on the streets of Bangkok April 10, and the loss of life."

"Violence is not an acceptable means of resolving political differences. We call on the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) and the Thai security forces to show restraint going forward," he said in a statement, calling for negotiation between the sides.

At least 19 people were killed and 825 injured in street clashes between Thai troops and the red-shirted protestors in the heart of the old section of Bangkok, government sources confirmed Sunday.

Among the dead were 14 civilians, including one Japanese photographer for working for Thomson-Reuters, and four soldiers, according to the latest report from the government's Narenthorn Medical Centre.

A tense standoff between government troops and demonstrators continued Sunday in the two main protest sites, Phan Fa Bridge in the old part of the capital, and at Ratchaprasong, a posh shopping and hotel district in modern Bangkok.

"The United States firmly believes both sides can and should work out disagreements peacefully through earnest negotiation," Crowley said. "We once again stress the importance of all players in Thailand working to resolve differences in a way that strengthens democracy and rule of law. We strongly support the Thai nation and its people during this difficult period."

If my memory serves me correctly and it does, the government tried to negotiate in good faith and offered an early election after nine months. But the reds after an sms (from an unknown source of course ) refused. Flexibility is the key to any negotiations. The government was flexible but of course Mr. T was not. Thus the ongoing results.

[chantorn]

IMHO, The RED should capture the airports so that no want will get hurt, because the Thai court allows anyone (at least the PAD) to shut it down.

[chantorn]

Ahhh. Good to see the newspeak generator is up and running this morning.

With all the trails that lead to yesterdays violence.

Can you actually and honestly say ONLY one side holds any blame?

Blood is on a lot of hands.

Failure to see that is incredibly myopic.

I defer to your (obviously superior) knowledge of 'newspeak generators'.

The Red-Shirts have had over three weeks of fairly-peaceful protest, the government & military have been at pains to permit this, and eventually sat down to negotiate, offering to hold elections in 9 months (rather than 21 months) which would have allowed the UDD-leaders to retire claiming a victory.

Instead they gave not one inch, then broke into Government House for a few hours, and continued their rabble-rousing rhetoric.

Can you honestly still claim they are NOT chiefly to blame, for the very sad events, of yesterday ?

Even after declaring a State of Emergency, the government did relatively-little, until yesterday. Fair warning had been given, the grenades and sharpened-bamboo javelins continued to fly, and STILL the army only used water-canon & tear-gas & rubber-bullets. Amazingly-restrained and a credit to them.

I would agree that blood is on a lot of hands, all the Red-Shirt leaders for a start, for continuing to raise tempers even after the SoE had been declared, and I don't forget Thaksin (wherever he may be) for failing to call for calm amongst his supporters or condemn the violence from his side. Perhaps he was/is too busy, discussing future-deals with Russian billionaires, or drinking coffee in air-conditioned comfort ?

PM-Abhisit may well lose his job, over the next few weeks, but he deserves credit for his intelligent and calm approach in recent weeks, to the problem of an unrepresentative rabble on the streets of Bangkok. He certainly shouldn't get the blame for yesterday's events, let's hope that the Red-Shirts now calm down & return home, and that no more blood is spilled.

15 days in at least 7 1/2 inches to me.

[midas]

These Thai citizens are fighting for the future of their children and families and how else

do you expect them to get the message across ?

Whatever they think they are fighting for, everybody knows the goals of the red movement. They revolve around one man.

As for how they get their message across - however they do it, sharpened bamboo is never the answer.

And neither is clinging onto power the answer either when all Abisit had to do was call an election

[TiredTeacher]

IMHO, The RED should capture the airports so that no want will get hurt, because the Thai court allows anyone (at least the PAD) to shut it down.

Come on... I need to go home next week, for a holiday! No!!!! They cannot close the airport now! If they must, wait till I am back in May!

[neverdie]

15 days in at least 7 1/2 inches to me.

Sorry, no posting about your sex life in here, thanks

Edited April 11, 2010 by neverdie

[jdinasia]

IMHO, The RED should capture the airports so that no want will get hurt, because the Thai court allows anyone (at least the PAD) to shut it down.

Come on... I need to go home next week, for a holiday! No!!!! They cannot close the airport now! If they must, wait till I am back in May!

Won't happen --- and the court had nothing to do with the closure of Swampy --- the AoT did that.

[jdinasia]

These Thai citizens are fighting for the future of their children and families and how else

do you expect them to get the message across ?

Whatever they think they are fighting for, everybody knows the goals of the red movement. They revolve around one man.

As for how they get their message across - however they do it, sharpened bamboo is never the answer.

And neither is clinging onto power the answer either when all Abisit had to do was call an election

I know that you don't like the fact that Abhisit was elected by parliament --- but he IS the legally elected PM of Thailand. He has shown that he is patient AND willing to compromise. The reds have shown they are willing to tear Thailand apart. I think I will stick with the reasonable one

[somo]

An oblective viewpoint

In its 2010 report, Human Rights Watch praised Abhisit's rhetoric but dismissed his record, noting, "The government continually undermined respect for human rights and due process of law in Thailand."

His record on censorship is not too hot either.

Think the reds have a point!

[siampolee]

Think the reds have a point!

Remember Thaksins free press policy ?

Sue the hel_l out of reporters and newspapers for obscene amounts of money for publishing the truth

No cracks in airport runway springs to mind as one case which the whole world knew about.