Red-Shirts Blamed For Gunfights, Bomb Attacks

[JacknDanny]

The red shirts want power. They don't want to change anything else.

yes, they do - through the ballot box, not the bullets.

So why are they armed?

Why did they have guns and bombs?

Or I suppose they were false reds!!!! Typical red view....... totally illogical and full of hatred!!

Sad though the loss of life is, mob rule cannot succeed. Once the red leaders are arrested and tried for murder and incitement, this will all stop.

Negotiation does not work. You cannot negotiate with the reds. You cannot and should not negotiate with terrorists and anarchists.

I believe the red leaders should have been arrested days ago.............. Once the Hydras head is cut off, everything will go back to normal. And please dont go giving those red leaders Bail. They should all do a lot of hard time.

[Meridian007]

Nuttawut:

" M79's were fired at the soldiers, but not by us.

Bangkok police chief: Man in black fired grenade launcher and troops then fled scene."

More of their "fake reds"? This particular lie is becoming more and more tiresome.

[noel2499rk]

Nuttawut:

" M79's were fired at the soldiers, but not by us.

Bangkok police chief: Man in black fired grenade launcher and troops then fled scene."

More of their "fake reds"? This particular lie is becoming more and more tiresome.

Two different stories being told, who to believe? This is where an independent media can step in and fill in some facts unfortunately we don't have that here.

[anotherpeter]

If the government did allow the protester to stay at Phan Fha,

why did they attack them there and not in Rachaprasong? It does

not make any sense, are the militars listening to Abhisit words?!?

Most of the people at Ratchaprasong were the farmers and women and children.

[saintofsilence]

Nuttawut:

" M79's were fired at the soldiers, but not by us.

Bangkok police chief: Man in black fired grenade launcher and troops then fled scene."

More of their "fake reds"? This particular lie is becoming more and more tiresome.

Two different stories being told, who to believe? This is where an independent media can step in and fill in some facts unfortunately we don't have that here.

I notice you don't speak about all the other weapons that they had '

[sawadeeken]

There are a FEW that "hang with the (Communist?) Reds"......... and are blind to the fact that they are nothing more than "Taksin's Puppets" (probably brain-washed by some "red-sympathizer")......... If the reds win an earlier election, they have it all figured out that with their money they will be able to buy their "Red PM" into office the way Taksin and his sucessors did. Taksin is a very smart man, in so far as that he has found that he can USE THE POOR PEOPLE for very little money, and since the poor are the MAJORITY, it is a cheap way to buy your way in to office and control the country and multiply his personal "billions"............ Taksin surely has it all figured out that once his people are in control, they will be able reverse any graft charges against him and then he can come back a free man and never have to pay his debt to society............ Him and his red leaders have already calculated that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so if they have to "sacrafice" a few of their peasant workers, so be it -- as long as it helps them win............ Sorry for my hot reply, but I am just so sad and angry that a number of lives have been lost for his selfish goals.......

[anotherpeter]

There is little connection between

1) Thailand and N.Ireland

2) Respective Britsh and Thai armies.

3) N.Ireland in the 70's and Thailand 30 years later.

No connection at all.

Signed

just a boy.............................Who also thinks that the Royal Thai Army should take full responsibility for all the deaths.

They had many alternatives to live ammo.

pillock

They had tried many alternatives. The reds kept pushing. The reds started throwing petrol bombs. The reds were also armed.

We don't know who started the firing. But these situations get out of hand very quickly when everyone is tense.

[philw]

It's understandable that events get out of hand very fast, that is why the army should never have been issued live ammo................

[Tolley]

All this vitriol against the reds and Thaksin misses the point completely.

It is the system itself and its institutions that have brought about this sort of outcome.

Until the entrenched corruption throughout the military, police, judiciary, civil service, and political system are tackled Thailand will be doomed to continue its pattern of coups and uprisings and military dictatorships.

If it wasn't Thaksin and reds it would be someone else. Shouting and screaming and decrying the reds or the yellows entirely misses the point. They are merely the end result of a failed political state.

[ozzieman05]

I have said many many times

Thailand is their country and we being Farlang should keep our mouth shut

Had to go to the Temple early this morning with the Thai wife as ther was special ceremony giving ice to the Monks before Songkran

This in its self is nothing

But I can hear in he whispers that they do not know I understand they are saying in Lao

This is not the fault of the red shirts

This is Farang money causing all the problems

Asking my Thai wife what was going on later and she clams up like a tight shell

Are we seeing the start of something that will effect all Farlang's living here in Thailand

I can never forget Thai Love Thai when a Farang is involved even if the thais hate each other

[LuckyLew]

It's understandable that events get out of hand very fast, that is why the army should never have been issued live ammo................

You gotta be kidding???

Stand there and be pelted with stones, petrol bombs and and grenades

Sounds like a good plan, reds declare war .... and you want army to

stand there defenseless?

I guess you have never served your country

[Old Man River]

There is little connection between

1) Thailand and N.Ireland

2) Respective Britsh and Thai armies.

3) N.Ireland in the 70's and Thailand 30 years later.

No connection at all.

Signed

just a boy.............................Who also thinks that the Royal Thai Army should take full responsibility for all the deaths.

They had many alternatives to live ammo.

pillock

They had tried many alternatives. The reds kept pushing. The reds started throwing petrol bombs. The reds were also armed.

We don't know who started the firing. But these situations get out of hand very quickly when everyone is tense.

Let's see. It all got kicked off when the peaceful demonstrators stormed the Army's First Army Division compound and from there, the day got worse and worse. I don't know if it was the aggressors who started firing first or the Army defending themselves. But then again, according to the Red's leaders, these were fake Reds.

In any event, what a shame for Thailand. I pity the tourists who have been caught in this mess. I am sure they will have a lot of stories to tell anyone who will listen when they return to their countries.

[noel2499rk]

BBC is showing footage of red armed with AK-47.

[sawadeeken]

It's understandable that events get out of hand very fast, that is why the army should never have been issued live ammo................

You gotta be kidding???

Stand there and be pelted with stones, petrol bombs and and grenades

Sounds like a good plan, reds declare war .... and you want army to

stand there defenseless?

I guess you have never served your country

Well said...............

[Tingnongnoi]

Nuttawut:

" M79's were fired at the soldiers, but not by us.

Bangkok police chief: Man in black fired grenade launcher and troops then fled scene."

More of their "fake reds"? This particular lie is becoming more and more tiresome.

Two different stories being told, who to believe? This is where an independent media can step in and fill in some facts unfortunately we don't have that here.

and what exactly would the government gain by firing it?

[Dodobird]

Can a bullet fired into the air kill someone when it comes down?

[lannarebirth]

Nuttawut:

" M79's were fired at the soldiers, but not by us.

Bangkok police chief: Man in black fired grenade launcher and troops then fled scene."

More of their "fake reds"? This particular lie is becoming more and more tiresome.

Two different stories being told, who to believe? This is where an independent media can step in and fill in some facts unfortunately we don't have that here.

This much you can believe: Nuuttawut: "We take no responsibility."

[tigermonkey]

It's understandable that events get out of hand very fast, that is why the army should never have been issued live ammo................

All of the army were using 'live' ammo -- I am shocked by the lack of knowledge here about ' rubber ' bullets. 'Rubber' bullets which can be used in standard issue firearms are not rubber at all -- they are steel with a thin coating of rubber -- they can kill and they do kill if you hit your opponent in the right place or from close range. They are not foam rubber -- they are a "less lethal" alternative.

I am shocked that the Thai army have not been trained how to discharge these bullets, or perhaps they do not care ? A 'rubber' bullet is designed for ricochet -- it should be shot at the ground a short distance in front of the opponent, so that the projectile hits him/her by bouncing into the lower parts of the body at reduced velocity. The soldiers were all aiming directly at the protestors ( or a few into the air). I have seen none of thie proper technique used -- maybe they bought the rubber bullets from the same supplier as the bomb detectors.

A true rubber bullet, made of 100% rubber, and discharged by a percussion cap only, can only be used in s specially made riot gun. I have seen none of these in Thailand. These guns have lugs on the inside of the barrel to slow the muzzle speed of the projectile, and they are almost a "non-lethal" alternative.

...and why use guns at all ? Water cannons were working, and they never did use the very effective sound generator .

[JacknDanny]

It's understandable that events get out of hand very fast, that is why the army should never have been issued live ammo................

Its like sending a man to a gunfight with a banana!! Get real!!

[tigermonkey]

Can a bullet fired into the air kill someone when it comes down?

Yes, most definitely -- not a high probability, but defintiely possible.

[JacknDanny]

Can a bullet fired into the air kill someone when it comes down?

Yes

[philw]

It's understandable that events get out of hand very fast, that is why the army should never have been issued live ammo................

You gotta be kidding???

Stand there and be pelted with stones, petrol bombs and and grenades

Sounds like a good plan, reds declare war .... and you want army to

stand there defenseless?

I guess you have never served your country

Guess wrong.

Send 500 baht to any charity you prefer...............

[Damaz6052]

4 soldiers dead and hundreds wounded....

If thailand had a professional police, with anti riot force to front the insurgents, special forces to quickly and clean arrest the red leaders, they had no needs for the intervention of the Thai Army.

But cops are too busy to count the baht made with their corrupted activities and to scared to face to face a mob.

100% correct.

[tigermonkey]

I have said many many times

Thailand is their country and we being Farlang should keep our mouth shut

Had to go to the Temple early this morning with the Thai wife as ther was special ceremony giving ice to the Monks before Songkran

This in its self is nothing

But I can hear in he whispers that they do not know I understand they are saying in Lao

This is not the fault of the red shirts

This is Farang money causing all the problems

Asking my Thai wife what was going on later and she clams up like a tight shell

Are we seeing the start of something that will effect all Farlang's living here in Thailand

I can never forget Thai Love Thai when a Farang is involved even if the thais hate each other

Your post makes me laugh very much -- it is so true -- the thinking inside the Thai mind and soul . My wife likes to say that " Abhisit can never be a good PM -- he was born and raised in Britain -- he thinks like a farang -- he acts like a farang in many things -- we do not want to be farang copies -- his soul is not Thai "

[hammered]

Who knows whether it was reds, third hands or some combination of both who fired the greendes etc from red lines. However, one thing is for sure the number of soldiers shot means the army will likely be considering a coup. It will be very unstable in the poltical echelons today

[noel2499rk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJt8K8Scalk...feature=channel

Al jazzera interview with Sean Boonpracong

[vicco]

4 soldiers dead and hundreds wounded....

If thailand had a professional police, with anti riot force to front the insurgents, special forces to quickly and clean arrest the red leaders, they had no needs for the intervention of the Thai Army.

But cops are too busy to count the baht made with their corrupted activities and to scared to face to face a mob.

In France the Anti Riot Forces (named CRS) are recruited amidst Police and professional soldiers at the end of their contract with Army: all the CRS are experienced, no young conscrit. They have a special training. It will not take so long to create such a Force in Thailand.

It is particularly important that People doing this kind of work are mature, responsible, well informed about laws, consequences of their acts.

It is amateurism to engage the Army.

Right on. There are many ways to break up a gathering like this without direct confrontation. You can use loud noise, water, CS gas, deprive them of sleep. and wear them down....all kinds of things. It takes time and patience but If you sent armed and inexperienced soldiers (most of them are probably just kids) to confront a huge hostile crowd...this is what happens. And it is (or should be) a police function, not army.

A state of emergency was declared, so it should be the Army that sorts this out. The Reds were warned and offered peace talks many times but they refused to negotiate and we all know why. The Red leaders were inciting violence the whole day even to the point of derailing passenger trains. Previous video footage of the red leaders asking their supporters to take a bottle of gasoline to Bangkok is available on Youtube.

The Government in my opinion are doing the right thing to protect the residents of Bangkok who just want to get on with their daily lives. This is not about one man one vote or democracy because they already have that. It is about Thaksin and his desire to return as a dictator. Get real!

Cheers, Rick

Just because a "state of emergency" gives authority to use the army does not mean that it is the right thing to do!! Confronting a large hostile civilian group (or mob--call it whatever you like) is almost a guarantee of death and destruction.

[bendejo]

Can a bullet fired into the air kill someone when it comes down?

Yes, but very slim possibility of it coming down anywhere near where it was fired from, especially from a military rifle.

Have a look at all that news footage of the Palestinian lads firing into the air, something they enjoy very much. If the bullets came back down to within 100 meters of where they were fired from there would be a lot less Palestinians in existence today. Even the Israelis don't have the audacity to make such a claim.

And then there was Taksin explaining away the deaths at Tak Bai with this one.

[Neurath]

There is little connection between

1) Thailand and N.Ireland

2) Respective Britsh and Thai armies.

3) N.Ireland in the 70's and Thailand 30 years later.

No connection at all.

Signed

just a boy.............................Who also thinks that the Royal Thai Army should take full responsibility for all the deaths.

They had many alternatives to live ammo.

pillock

They had tried many alternatives. The reds kept pushing. The reds started throwing petrol bombs. The reds were also armed.

We don't know who started the firing. But these situations get out of hand very quickly when everyone is tense.

Today's New York Times has a picture of Red Guard with what looks very much like an AK47. He seems intent on using it. Balaclava covered he is.

[janderton]

Protesters blamed for gunfights, bomb attacks

By The Nation on Sunday