Worsening Crisis Pushes Thailand Towards Anarchy

[animatic]

News of the day: Reds block BTS, highways. Soldiers just stand by after all that talk of restoring order and the rule of law. The Red have realized that they could do pretty much anything they want with impunity.

Pretty much sums it up.

The other comments are myopic or biased, in my opinion.

Anarchy is happening in several area.

And much of the commentary by the Nation is rather soberly thought out.

Red Leaders: We Didn't Order the BTS Blockage

Reporters are revealing that red leaders claiming that BTS blockage was not ordered and that protesters are acting on their own accord.

This indicates that they are losing central control over their creation.

The zealotry has taken on a life of it's own,

and that dear friends IS anarchy.

THE NATION: Weng is telling reds to listen to orders from stage. Some well-intentioned people are taking things into own hands, he said.

Weng attempts to reassert control. Can he?

So many mixed messages from the stage and so little ABSOLUTE 'top leader' control.

Where is Veera? He has been quite silent, or silenced lately...

Edited April 27, 2010 by animatic

[vicco]

......and I have'nt even had my cornflakes yet.

I allways drink fresh coconut water as a starter in the morning,,aaaaaaa Aroi.What a miracle nut

Now here's a couple of guys in full crisis mode....

[RussellHantz]

A totally biased yellow piece from the usual offender, Sopon Onkgara.

Sure it is "opinion" section but it really is biased trash. Shame on them.

Because YOU are not biased at all, of course !

Have a look at my avatar. What colour shirt am I wearing ?

[cmsally]

it is clear that:

1- Yellow Shirts having been protected by Abhisit, abhisit has no more credibility to act against the Red Shirts.

2- Only somebody OUTSIDE RED and YELLOW SHIRTS can bring Normalcy. Abhisit has to resign as soon as possible in order to open this option. Standing as PM can only deepen the situation.

I don't think it's accurate to say the PM protects the yellows, more along the lines of the yellows being a leverage to be used when govt. won.t act. PM is caught between a rock and a hard place hence the speech with Anupong. Saying they will act and then Anupong says they follow orders of the govt only (ie passing the buck). The only way out for them is violence and neither wants to have blood on their hands. There is a bit of unfinished business going on from April of last year. I'm sure it was no accident that the army commander that directed last years crackdown died in the crackdown of April 10.

[Motoon]

There are a couple of posters here who take any chance to bring every thread into the same direction. There is no point to react to their red propaganda and provocations, there is always the ignore option. The above stated opinion piece by Sompon shows a high degree of frustration, anger and analogue to the government an apparent, complete helplessness. Obviously they decided that it is a solution to drop to the level of the Red shirt propaganda machine and to accuse without proof, to report assumptions as facts, to speak rudely and in probably short time to use violence as a legit tool.

It was pure anarchy when the Yellow shirts took over the airport, it is anarchy now. The difference though is that now some factions are willing to push it to a war (or the revolution for a new Thai state, as they call it). By now it seems also clear what the real agenda is...

[ozzieman05]

Wake up and open your eyes

Thailand is now in a state of absolute chaos

The Police no longer have control

The army sit by helpless and afraid to move

The PM is unable to govern the country

The Red shirts are a bunch of lawless thugs that have no concern about Thai people, t the loss of life for them ever

For the first time in 5 years I am hearing Thai ladies would do now want to return to Thailand from overseas

And my wife friends pleeding with her to please help them get out of Thailand

No matter what happens now the deed is done

and for the next 10 years we will hear it was okay for the reds so why not us

Thankyou all TV members who have for weeks now supported the Red shirts right to protest and do what they want

You have turned a beautiful country in to the worst place on earth

[Motoon]

A totally biased yellow piece from the usual offender, Sopon Onkgara.

Sure it is "opinion" section but it really is biased trash. Shame on them.

Because YOU are not biased at all, of course !

Have a look at my avatar. What colour shirt am I wearing ?

Looks deep red to me

[nongbee59]

A totally biased yellow piece from the usual offender, Sopon Onkgara.

Sure it is "opinion" section but it really is biased trash. Shame on them.

Because YOU are not biased at all, of course !

Have a look at my avatar. What colour shirt am I wearing ?

Looks deep red to me

and what khun avatar no coulour would recommend to end this chaos? any opinion what to do to stop this chaos

[animatic]

A totally biased yellow piece from the usual offender, Sopon Onkgara.

Sure it is "opinion" section but it really is biased trash. Shame on them.

Because YOU are not biased at all, of course !

Have a look at my avatar. What colour shirt am I wearing ?

Celulite?

[craigt3365]

Wake up and open your eyes

Thailand is now in a state of absolute chaos

The Police no longer have control

The army sit by helpless and afraid to move

The PM is unable to govern the country

The Red shirts are a bunch of lawless thugs that have no concern about Thai people, t the loss of life for them ever

For the first time in 5 years I am hearing Thai ladies would do now want to return to Thailand from overseas

And my wife friends pleeding with her to please help them get out of Thailand

No matter what happens now the deed is done

and for the next 10 years we will hear it was okay for the reds so why not us

Thankyou all TV members who have for weeks now supported the Red shirts right to protest and do what they want

You have turned a beautiful country in to the worst place on earth

Your last comment really rang home to me. How true. My wife said yesterday she was embarrassed by what is happening here. Thailand is the laughing stock of the world...

[rabo]

OPINION

Seems there is growing denial by some as the Kingdom continues to sink further into chaos at the hands of the "reds".

However, I would not want to see red supporters abandoned

their support for a just cause. Perhaps a mid course correction is needed where

red champions separate in their own mind the difference between the rural red

and the dark red forces who harm the country for their own benefit.

I see two new colors.

white/red-stripes - farang expressing their natural support for the needy.

white/black-stripes - farang who want to tear down what they can't understand to feel whole.

[animatic]

it is clear that:

1- Yellow Shirts having been protected by Abhisit, abhisit has no more credibility to act against the Red Shirts.

2- Only somebody OUTSIDE RED and YELLOW SHIRTS can bring Normalcy. Abhisit has to resign as soon as possible in order to open this option. Standing as PM can only deepen the situation.

I don't think it's accurate to say the PM protects the yellows, more along the lines of the yellows being a leverage to be used when govt. won.t act. PM is caught between a rock and a hard place hence the speech with Anupong. Saying they will act and then Anupong says they follow orders of the govt only (ie passing the buck). The only way out for them is violence and neither wants to have blood on their hands. There is a bit of unfinished business going on from April of last year. I'm sure it was no accident that the army commander that directed last years crackdown died in the crackdown of April 10.

I agree.

We rarely do, but this is one of your most unbiased

and even handed posts. IMO.

[clockworkorange]

That's really surpising to read!

Ah, another quote from The Nation, that bastion of neutrality that has recently taken to quoting anonymous web posters as sources of scientific expertise in its latest propaganda push. How unusual that it should now write this article blaming the reds for everything, even though the yellows started all this mob rule mess.

Thais just want their democracy back - the one that was stolen by the present government. Thais deserve a say in their political process, without all this meddling by the corrupt yellow lot. Why can't Abhisit hold an election, win, and then the reds will lose face and have absolutely no argument whatsoever? A decisive election victory would propel Abhisit to hero status on the local and world stage. He would be lauded as a man who called the bluff of his opponents (buffaloes that would never get elected), beat them at their own game and restored peace to Thailand, as it teetered on the brink, with no further loss of life.

What is Abhisit afraid of? This is his chance to go down in history, one way or the other. One wonders. Does Abhisit think that the Thai people don't like him and that he would not get the election victory that he says in all the propaganda that he is worthy of, as the true representative of the Thai public?

Edited April 27, 2010 by clockworkorange

[Mario2008]

1 post deleted for discussion of moderation. If you have questions about moderation contact support or the moderator in question.

[animatic]

Wake up and open your eyes

Thailand is now in a state of absolute chaos

The Police no longer have control

The army sit by helpless and afraid to move

The PM is unable to govern the country

The Red shirts are a bunch of lawless thugs that have no concern about Thai people, t the loss of life for them ever

For the first time in 5 years I am hearing Thai ladies would do now want to return to Thailand from overseas

And my wife friends pleeding with her to please help them get out of Thailand

No matter what happens now the deed is done

and for the next 10 years we will hear it was okay for the reds so why not us

Thankyou all TV members who have for weeks now supported the Red shirts right to protest and do what they want

You have turned a beautiful country in to the worst place on earth

Your last comment really rang home to me. How true. My wife said yesterday she was embarrassed by what is happening here. Thailand is the laughing stock of the world...

Not quite so fast. There are so far MANY worse places to be, Somalia comes instantly to mind.

Pakistan and Kasmir are no picnics. Try spending a week in Bagdad for a relaxing time.

Several states in the old CCCP are rather rough daily.

While there IS an abrupt about face in tranquility so far, it is not as bad as many places.

When bombs kill 50 souls at a time once a month then they get in the running for worse places on earth.

Right now we need to pull it back from this slope into hel_l we are headed on.

Edited April 27, 2010 by animatic

[jayjay0]

Wow..another gem of objective reporting. Red thugs terrorizing law abiding citizens almost nation wide no less.

It was just a few short weeks ago when all the self proclaimed experts were predicting that the UDD protest was a "total failure"

They are not getting the numbers....they will run off home when the sticky rice runs out...or when the police crack down on them blah blah blah

Now we are told they are bringing the whole country to its knees....how did this remarkable transition happen?

I see crowds of reds almost daily (outside Bankok) and have never been threatened or felt in any danger. Of course if you just hate flag waving

mulam music and the smell of fermented fish.....you would probably feel terrorized. Good job Nation....nothing like the unbiased truth in journalism.

Well said reporting like that helps no one and makes Thailand look worse than it is. With all the troubles we are having Thailand is still one of the nicer countries to live in. We we some times over look that fact.

On the North America Continent The news paper would be called the National Enquirer.

[Mario2008]

1 off topic comment deleted, and watch the language pease.

[animatic]

That's really surpising to read!

Ah, another quote from The Nation, that bastion of neutrality that has recently taken to quoting anaonymous web posters as scientific expertise in its latest propaganda push. How unusual that it should now write this article blaming the reds for everything even though the yellows started all this mob rule mess.

Thais just want their democracy back - the one that was stolen by the present government. Thais deserve a say in their political process, without all this meddling by the corrupt yellow lot. Why can't Abhisit hold an election, win, and then the reds will lose face and have absolutely no argument whatsoever? A decisive election victory would propel Abhisit to hero status on the local and world stage. He would be lauded as a man who called the bluff of his opponents (buffaloes that would never get elected), beat them at their own game and restored peace to Thailand, as it teetered on the brink, with no further loss of life.

What is Abhisit afraid of? This is his chance to go down in history, one way or the other. Does he think that the Thai people don't like him and that he would not get the election victory that he says he is worthy of?

Preferred choice?

A forced election that will solve no fundamental problems

And perpetuate the problems indefinitely?

or

A little more Ultra Violence until one side WINS...

and destroys the country trying?

or

Negotiated settlement without pressure applied,

and some form of agreement on election rules,

and all allowed free and fair discourse...?

Only your hair dresser knows for sure.

Edited April 27, 2010 by animatic

[stevotoo]

Take a look at the front pages of both English language newspapers- one says that the reds aim to overthrow the monarchy and the other claims that the pictures of Thaksin are doctored which 'proves' that he must be seriously ill- were they written to provide us with valuable news or to add fuel to divisive rumours ?

It sounds like desparation to me

[sammycic]

Wake up and open your eyes

Thailand is now in a state of absolute chaos

The Police no longer have control

The army sit by helpless and afraid to move

The PM is unable to govern the country

The Red shirts are a bunch of lawless thugs that have no concern about Thai people, t the loss of life for them ever

For the first time in 5 years I am hearing Thai ladies would do now want to return to Thailand from overseas

And my wife friends pleeding with her to please help them get out of Thailand

No matter what happens now the deed is done

and for the next 10 years we will hear it was okay for the reds so why not us

Thankyou all TV members who have for weeks now supported the Red shirts right to protest and do what they want

You have turned a beautiful country in to the worst place on earth

nice here in Issan

[animatic]

This is increasingly looking more and more like an insurgency similar to the Maoist one in Nepal which removed the Monarchy. For the love of god people stand up for what you believe in.

Hear hear!

[OzMick]

......and I have'nt even had my cornflakes yet.

I allways drink fresh coconut water as a starter in the morning,,aaaaaaa Aroi.What a miracle nut

according to Tom Hanks' character in Castaway, a natural laxative. good health to you!

[pkspeaker]

Easy to ignor the reality that the voting process in the rural areas is currently in shambles with 'red shirt guards' all over the place and vote buying and intimidation out of control in a 'snap' election which would have people going to polls within weeks.. there needs to be a short period of calm so that a new election has legitimacy and is monitored for transparency; when villagers are being paid to vote or when there is any type of indiscrepancy it needs to come to light otherwise the other side will think election was stolen by a mob and we'll be right back to yellow shirt day1. IMO six months should be a good timeframe, allows the government more than enough time to pass the budget-giving government agency's some breathing space atleast.. and gives enough time to diffuse tensions

That's really surpising to read!

Ah, another quote from The Nation, that bastion of neutrality that has recently taken to quoting anaonymous web posters as scientific expertise in its latest propaganda push. How unusual that it should now write this article blaming the reds for everything even though the yellows started all this mob rule mess.

Thais just want their democracy back - the one that was stolen by the present government. Thais deserve a say in their political process, without all this meddling by the corrupt yellow lot. Why can't Abhisit hold an election, win, and then the reds will lose face and have absolutely no argument whatsoever? A decisive election victory would propel Abhisit to hero status on the local and world stage. He would be lauded as a man who called the bluff of his opponents (buffaloes that would never get elected), beat them at their own game and restored peace to Thailand, as it teetered on the brink, with no further loss of life.

What is Abhisit afraid of? This is his chance to go down in history, one way or the other. Does he think that the Thai people don't like him and that he would not get the election victory that he says he is worthy of?

Edited April 27, 2010 by pkspeaker

[SomTumTiger]

I know that there is trouble in the capital - but anarchy? Don't see it. Sitting in my house, cartoons are on for my son. Gardener is watering my plants, True internet and TV working as normal. Aircon is on, so electricity is working. The only anarchy I see at the moment is TV posters battling back and forth. I prefer my world to yours - out.

[andrewbkk]

Does anyone have an explanation as to why the police and the army are simply doing nothing?

Is is true they are all water melons or tomatoes?

Is the government just incredibly weak and indecisive?

Or is something bigger being planned?

I've just read that the skytrain authorities at Chidlom are negotiating with the red shirts to get their station entrance unblocked.

Imagine that a bunch of us went and blocked the entrance to the White House. Imagine that the police and the army just stood around and did nothing. Imagine that Obama had to come out and negotiate with us to get out the way.

Hard to imagine, isn't it.

So what is REALLY going on?

[jayjay0]

the only result of such a partisan opinion is to divide more deeply and to drive more certainly to Civil War.

The situation is now far more difficult to handle.

1- A conscrit army is not a block without cracks. I have told from day one that the law enforcement was a Police operation more specifically Anti-Riot Forces.

2- The fact of double standards (PAD Airports) has destroyed a fair utilisation of Police and Army

3- Abhisit is acting as a Partisan Leader not as a Stateman: he failed to adress directly to root people and fix their issues, defusing the situation at the roots: it is a well known tactic to defuse a social unrest by adressing directly the issues, overpassing the leaders.

4- Now we are on the verge of the insurrection. If there is a bloody crackdown, the risk is the Civil war, just waiting than some Army sections join the insurrection. IMHO, Anupong has well understood the danger and this is why he cannot act as Abhisit want.

Very well said. If Abhist when coming into power had taken immediate steps to punish the Yellow shirts by prosecuting the leaders and making them responsible for the half a billion baht worth of damage they did at government house the red shirts would have found them selves with a lot less public support.

[rabo]

A totally biased yellow piece from the usual offender, Sopon Onkgara.

Sure it is "opinion" section but it really is biased trash. Shame on them.

Because YOU are not biased at all, of course !

Have a look at my avatar. What colour shirt am I wearing ?

Hmm, remove shirt, hold sharpened stick, slightly piercing hand.

[LomSak27]

Yes, what would one really expect from the "unofficial" voice of the Democratic party? I wonder, its been so long ago now, did they advocate martial law when the Yellow Shirts occupied Government house for, gee how long was it, 193 days (WooHoo) and then the3 airport shutdown?

This is just the corn you get from highly biased sources Thaivisa seems to like.

[whybother]

I don't know how any westerner can actually support the red protestors with how they are acting now.

Red supporters condemn the government, the army, the elite and the yellows. There are some good reasons to condemn these groups for their actions in the past.

But you support the lawlessness of the reds.

You support them shutting down a city of 10 million people.

You support them searching individuals going about their daily lives.

You support them shutting down roads around the country.

You support them bringing down the economy which will affect all Thais, and especially the poorer ones, for years to come.

Is this the sort of country that you want to live in?

A country where a small minority can do anything that they want? I am not talking about the grass roots red supporters, the poor farmers, the factory workers, the construction workers.

I am talking about the thugs searching people, searching cars, blockading highways. If they can do this now, what will they be able to do if their leaders control the government, the police and the army?

Support the poor. Condemn the elite.

But don't support the thugs ruining the country.

[clockworkorange]

Easy to ignor the reality that the voting process in the rural areas is currently in shambles

Well it's the same dodgy voting process that supports Abhisit's coalition partners - Newin and Banharn's lot for example.

And what would you replace it with - your voting process?

Democracy is not a perfect system, we are dealing with human beings after all, but it's the best of a bad lot. Any other system that takes away the right of people to choose their leaders involves big brothers in kahki garb that are impossible to get rid of if they turn nasty - the history books are littered with them.