Thai Government, Military Seen In Discord Over Protests

[Thai at Heart]

EC recommends Democrat dissolution, PAD to rally on the 18th, final decision in the hands of the Constitutional Court.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, Thailand has come the full circle.

Oh well, I look forward to their new clean reincarnation.

It seems Newin's problems are infectious. Every he touches dissolves.

[mccw]

^well who will you support when Abhisit is gone w/cohorts?

I'll look at what the policies of all parties are and decide which is best.

This is the big problem with most thai politics- patronage rather than ideology or policy

[mccw]

^well who will you support when Abhisit is gone w/cohorts?

I'll look at what the policies of all parties are and decide which is best.

This is the big problem with most thai politics- patronage rather than ideology or policy

In a country where votes can be bought and a large section of the country has no real education, the idea of the new politics party to have an appointed upper house of accedemics, bussiness leaders, experts etc, is a sound one i think. Even in western democracy its good to have some ballance against the whims of the governmant of the day; like the house of lords in england for example; currently the monarchy is the final ballancer for thailand luckaly, if it was not there thailand would be like cambodia or burma subject to the greed of powerful bastards

[grandpops]

If you want democracy and don't want military coups, do you really want to see the military marching down the streets? In my country (US) and most of yours, if demonstrations get out of hand the police step in and end it. Why aren't the police doing their jobs?

You suggesting the american revolution was a pack of criminal thugs? The British at the time did! These days, the US seems to celebrate this criminal band of brigands (backed by the French, who really were paid back big time in their revolution) some date in July.... was it the forth!

I wish some of you keyboard heros could actually learn something about Thai mentality and face in general.

Thais are pragmatic a will resolve this eventually and everybody will have fought on the winning side, apart from a few criminals (who will be decided by the winning team) who will be thrown under the bus.

[lannarebirth]

If you want democracy and don't want military coups, do you really want to see the military marching down the streets? In my country (US) and most of yours, if demonstrations get out of hand the police step in and end it. Why aren't the police doing their jobs?

You suggesting the american revolution was a pack of criminal thugs? The British at the time did! These days, the US seems to celebrate this criminal band of brigands (backed by the French, who really were paid back big time in their revolution) some date in July.... was it the forth!

I wish some of you keyboard heros could actually learn something about Thai mentality and face in general.

Thais are pragmatic a will resolve this eventually and everybody will have fought on the winning side, apart from a few criminals (who will be decided by the winning team) who will be thrown under the bus.

Maybe we can do a miix and match. Can you match a Red Shirt Leader to Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Hamilton? That would go a long way toward me feeling sympathy for what appears to be merely criminals in charge.

[Old Man River]

If you want democracy and don't want military coups, do you really want to see the military marching down the streets? In my country (US) and most of yours, if demonstrations get out of hand the police step in and end it. Why aren't the police doing their jobs?

You suggesting the american revolution was a pack of criminal thugs? The British at the time did! These days, the US seems to celebrate this criminal band of brigands (backed by the French, who really were paid back big time in their revolution) some date in July.... was it the forth!

I wish some of you keyboard heros could actually learn something about Thai mentality and face in general.

Thais are pragmatic a will resolve this eventually and everybody will have fought on the winning side, apart from a few criminals (who will be decided by the winning team) who will be thrown under the bus.

I repeat, do you really want to see the military marching down the streets to settle this? Please, try not to go back too many hundreds of years to support your view. In the here and now (this millennium), is it the job of the military to settle civil disputes?

[ozzieman05]

If you want democracy and don't want military coups, do you really want to see the military marching down the streets? In my country (US) and most of yours, if demonstrations get out of hand the police step in and end it. Why aren't the police doing their jobs?

You suggesting the american revolution was a pack of criminal thugs? The British at the time did! These days, the US seems to celebrate this criminal band of brigands (backed by the French, who really were paid back big time in their revolution) some date in July.... was it the forth!

I wish some of you keyboard heros could actually learn something about Thai mentality and face in general.

Thais are pragmatic a will resolve this eventually and everybody will have fought on the winning side, apart from a few criminals (who will be decided by the winning team) who will be thrown under the bus.

I repeat, do you really want to see the military marching down the streets to settle this? Please, try not to go back too many hundreds of years to support your view. In the here and now (this millennium), is it the job of the military to settle civil disputes?

Okay I agree

But if they can not

who will

Or do you want the country to be set back 1000 years where survival of the strong is the law

[BSJ]

Call them terrorists if you want, but many of the Reds are just ordinary people hoping for a better future. Whether a new democracy coming from fair & honest elections gives them a chance for a better future is still unclear. Afterall, democracy isn't enough on it's own. There has to be substance from those elected to serve, otherwise democracy means no more than the fact it's an entry in the Collins Concise Dictionary!

Those elected need to put the citizen's of the country before themselves.....and that's a big ask!

[way2muchcoffee]

Do you really want to see more fighting? The reds are armed with Ak47s and hand grenades. If there is another crackdown, thousands will could perish.

It could also result in terrorist attacks.

These problems cannot be solved with violence. Look what is going on in the South of Thailand.

There already are terrorist attacks almost daily. I suspect you mean terrorist attacks aimed at killing people instead of just instilling terror by random grenade launches at mostly unpopulated areas.

[way2muchcoffee]

Do you really want to see more fighting? The reds are armed with Ak47s and hand grenades. If there is another crackdown, thousands will could perish.

It could also result in terrorist attacks.

These problems cannot be solved with violence. Look what is going on in the South of Thailand.

There already are terrorist attacks almost daily. I suspect you mean terrorist attacks aimed at killing people instead of just instilling terror by random grenade launches at mostly unpopulated areas.

There was another terrorist attack withing the last hour:

M79 was fired at the residence of deputy director of TV Ch.5 but it missed the target and felt at a singer home.

[way2muchcoffee]

I am so tired of the bullshit and lies

Then stop speaking.

(Sorry moresomekl. A bit of a joke. Not intended to offend.)

Edited April 12, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[way2muchcoffee]

^well who will you support when Abhisit is gone w/cohorts?

Good question. Can't think of anyone off the top of my head. Korn? Or will he be banned too?

[britmaveric]

^well who will you support when Abhisit is gone w/cohorts?

Good question. Can't think of anyone off the top of my head. Korn? Or will he be banned too?

Prob done too....

Funny thing is all they had to do was wait this out........sure would have been an inconvenience, but far better than the political suicide route. How long were the yellows protesting for?

[bankokcrazy]

^well who will you support when Abhisit is gone w/cohorts?

Gandhi.

[JohnLeech]

..... Armies are trained to fight armies not civilian protesters....that is the function of a police force (The BIB in this case). .....

Not strictly correct. In many cases when a state of emergency (or similar) is declared it is the Army's role to counter this type of demonstration, not the Police - the British Army in Norther Ireland was a typical case, and they certainly were specifically trained for this role.

[Teddy3943]

Exactly what I stated a few days ago. There are too many divided powers in Thailand. Almost everyone in a powerful position creates his/her own small kingdom, which gives benefits and opportunities to some supporters. This practice is woven in the Thai community and very hard to stop and clean. Open your eyes; just look what's happening in the public area: a very inactive police, a majority of the public ignores laws and rules and there is no correctional force to influence this behavior. So it's going to be worse and worse until the chaos is complete and we have a form of anarchy here. Then only the law of the strongest, biggest and ruthlessest will rule this beautiful country.

[moresomekl]

Do you really want to see more fighting? The reds are armed with Ak47s and hand grenades. If there is another crackdown, thousands will could perish.

It could also result in terrorist attacks.

These problems cannot be solved with violence. Look what is going on in the South of Thailand.

There already are terrorist attacks almost daily. I suspect you mean terrorist attacks aimed at killing people instead of just instilling terror by random grenade launches at mostly unpopulated areas.

There was another terrorist attack withing the last hour:

M79 was fired at the residence of deputy director of TV Ch.5 but it missed the target and felt at a singer home.

Yes there are grenades which by the way never hurt anyone (except during the shooting Saturday) .

I dont think its from the red shirt

[moresomekl]

I am so tired of the bullshit and lies

Then stop speaking.

(Sorry moresomekl. A bit of a joke. Not intended to offend.)

[moresomekl]

I seldom would support the military but Gen Anupong knows what he is talking about

A great cheer for the man .

As for Abhisit he did a big mistake to call them in .

And the reds were mistaken as well to try to enter an army compound .

Lets hope both have learned

[hammered]

Exactly what I stated a few days ago. There are too many divided powers in Thailand. Almost everyone in a powerful position creates his/her own small kingdom, which gives benefits and opportunities to some supporters. This practice is woven in the Thai community and very hard to stop and clean. Open your eyes; just look what's happening in the public area: a very inactive police, a majority of the public ignores laws and rules and there is no correctional force to influence this behavior. So it's going to be worse and worse until the chaos is complete and we have a form of anarchy here. Then only the law of the strongest, biggest and ruthlessest will rule this beautiful country.

Behind all of the groups are some pretty scary people and this is starting to be exposed more and more. There is a lot at stake here.A lot more than most realise. Poltics is power and power is money. And people are expendable. Real politik

[bankokcrazy]

These grenades that are being used cannot be the actual thing, they have to be flash-bangs or something else. I saw one on a video that exploded in front of a crowd of 5 military personal, only one of them hobbled away. A proper grenade would have done more damage than that surely.

[tigerbalm]

Exactly what I stated a few days ago. There are too many divided powers in Thailand. Almost everyone in a powerful position creates his/her own small kingdom, which gives benefits and opportunities to some supporters. This practice is woven in the Thai community and very hard to stop and clean. Open your eyes; just look what's happening in the public area: a very inactive police, a majority of the public ignores laws and rules and there is no correctional force to influence this behavior. So it's going to be worse and worse until the chaos is complete and we have a form of anarchy here. Then only the law of the strongest, biggest and ruthlessest will rule this beautiful country.

The police in Thailand realy do not hold any power it is the army that holds it, rightly or wrongly, when ever the military gets involved, like in the case of a coup, the police have been told to go home, from my understanding the Army is funded by the government and the Police is funded by how many people they can catch by not wearing a Helmet

[bendejo]

So, what are the rules of the charade at this point?

- Taksin has nothing to do with anything

- the thugs in black have nothing to do with the reds, are not Taksin's private army, and are actually terrorists from some nebulous, sinister source

- these people have not been sitting under the hot sun the past month listening to oratories of how they will burn and bomb various buildings, this is a peaceful civil disobedience

- neither side admits to using weapons of modern warfare, yet pictures of both proving otherwise exits: are these the work of The Mad Photoshopper?

IMO when they blew the takeover of the television station on Friday that was the beginning of the end.

I have nothing against Abhisit, but I think he's proven to be not up to the job. I would hate to see that mo-fo on the TV screen get things going to his advantage.

I see all this happening at this time the Thai equivalent of "p_iss on Christmas," something certain Republican presidents in the US were fond of doing, sending out a message of fear during the holiday season. He (Taksin, that's what all of this is about, don't forget) has <deleted> up Songkran for so many people. But maybe that's part of their lesson: they'll think back to the holiday when they were camped out in Bangkok and maybe got a few bones broken or lost a relative, some years down the road and ask "what good did it do for us?"

[johnno2]

This is ridiculous and pure red bashing .

Have yu seen the videos , red protesters shaking hands with soldiers ,

and dancing on the music provided by the army .

I am so tired of the bullshit and lies

i think you must have confused the fighting with the karaoke they had beforehand. all i could see was the reds fighting with the soldiers. maybe you should try opening both eyes next time.

[johnno2]

and the Police is funded by how many people they can catch by not wearing a Helmet

[anotherpeter]

These grenades that are being used cannot be the actual thing, they have to be flash-bangs or something else. I saw one on a video that exploded in front of a crowd of 5 military personal, only one of them hobbled away. A proper grenade would have done more damage than that surely.

I think I saw the same video (Jap journalist) ... The video showed one hobbling away. The article indicated that two hobbled away, one was badly injured and a one was dead.

[glinx01]

Thaksin may remain a motivating figure for the red shirts who are asking for a democratic vote.Its ok to say 'let the people vote'.BUT... who for? Thaksin/ Absihit?Both now accused of corruption. I would fear for Thaksin should he ever manage to return to Thailand, powers that be would secure his demise.Absihit?Lost all control over his Country and his military.so who or what is the option?

[kissdani]

I think one important thing also failed, intelligence service. If they had a proper intelligence service, worth the name. The army would have know that they where going to face live rounds granades, molotiv coctails etc. But the intellegence service seems to be as poor as rest of army and police.

Well the man caught the grenade attacs on video. What else does he needs?

[kissdani]

"Mr Jatuporn said he believes the Red Shirt death toll is not just 21, but that more corpses were hidden."

Who hide them in that case? His own people, the hospital? the army had enough job taking care of their on dead and wounded.

Don't you think the army and the govt have interest to keep the list of the killed red shirts "low"`?

Do they show news reports with video evidence of dead protestors at television or is the army/govt busy with repeating the clip of the grenade attack on the soldiers over and over again?

[thailien8]

From a Wall Street Journal article, OPINION ASIA APRIL 8, 2010, 11:02 A.M. ET

Thailand's New Normal

The country's rural poor want a voice, with or without Mr. Thaksin.

"The protesters, known as the "red shirts," are comprised mostly of the rural poor who want a democratic voice. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra showered them with attention and populist handouts during his time in office, and when he was ousted in a military coup in 2006 these voters felt disenfranchised. The red shirts want Mr. Abhisit to dissolve parliament and hold new elections as soon as possible. Many have told journalists they are willing to die for their cause."

How pathetic is that? As it stands now, "their cause" that many reds are supposedly willing to die for, is to restore Thaksin to his power, wealth and glory, again.

Die for Thaksin ...???