Thailand To Consider Amnesty For Red-Shirts Leaders

[anon7867763]

That weird Aussie dude, Conor David Purcell, should have no amnesty either.

I think we all can agree on this.

What he did?

His crimes are far too heinous to be explained here.

His crime was being stupid

[deadsnoopy]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

[dominique355]

I am a bit confused about the Red Shirts. Did they come to AGAINST Double Standard or FOR Double Standard?

[shawndoc]

I am a bit confused about the Red Shirts. Did they come to AGAINST Double Standard or FOR Double Standard?

Yes

[Beardog]

Defending civil liberties and rights is not a crime but a duty for every citizen.

Abhisits abuse of power needs to be investigated and punished accordingly. That is it.

What civil liberties are you talking about? Even the ngo's know this is all about Taksin & his money.not even related to the poor red puppets who believe they are fighting for a cause & even at that when is enough -enough? Maybe a couple more malitovs or 1/2 dozen grenades will do hey there are always more hospitals to terrorize. Protesting -Not a crime acts of violence terrorism & not using your brain is. Besides how do you think they will get these civil liberties ? You may have guessed equal taxation for legal representation. When you pay no tax into the kitty you don't get <deleted> ,but I don't suppose those who think they are marching for liberation had a thought of what further sacrifices they will be asked to make.if you really believe you have any vision run for

Abhisits position & if your not Thai what the hel_l does it matter to you anyway as you are helpless in this situation albeit another armchair quarterback.

Civil liberties only for those who pay the most taxes?

You are a Farang USA, right?

And your a Thai Wrong. Yes civil liberties also include taxes. Best do some history research. Off to the web library with you. And if you are Thai why are you not running for office instead of running your mouth off. troll! I am an American & I did run for county office when I didn't like what they were doing in my city. I made a difference in my post. What are you doing? Besides stiring the pot.

[brahmburgers]

What about littering? .....or more realistically: ILLEGAL TRASH DUMPING

Before Reds leave for good, they should throroughly clean up the messes they've created in downtown Bkk. That should take at least a full day, if all is coordinated with trucks running to landfills (wishful thinking, I know), ....or could take several days if done in fits and starts.

It Bkk municipal workers do the clean up, the full bill should go to Red shirt leaders: Veera, Jatuporn, Nattawat, Arisman, Kittaya, Payap, Kwanchai and Suporn. If they don't pay their share of clean up, then a long stay in jail would be appropriate.

[ChiangMaiFun]

Elections and amnesty for all saves lives, creates a new coalition government and give us back the peaceful place we all love. What is not to like?

Because the nano second the next elections are over, the yellows will be out on the street with the motivation of 'anything you can do I can do bigger and better', and we are back at stage one. If the PM holds elections right now, it is effectively with a gun held to his head. Democracy?? Helloooo!

Amnesty for what? For inciting violence, corruption, murder, overthrow, stealing of weapons etc etc etc. You have to be kidding. All an amnesty does is make sure they can do it all again next time and believe me if a line is not drawn in the sand by Abshivit now, this country will go further down the tubes than it already is.

Amnesty for peace. Amnesty for the Generals who staged the coup in 2006 which started this mess. Amnesty for the yellows who first gave us the mass disruptions. Amnesty for Ahbist who allowed troops with live ammo to face off civilian protesters and ended up killing 20 of them. Amnesty for the Reds who have mad a mess of things lately but overall are not too bad considering they have been shat on for 500 years.

This chaos can be stopped but we are running out of time. The PM will have to make clear that all Thais have to respect the results of a new election - Yellow, Reds, multicolors. Any blocking of major centers of commerce after new elections should be cleared quickly with normal crowd control techniquies - no bullets.

I know what you will say. "Reds cheat at elections and buy votes, bla bla bal." All parties cheat - the Democrats, including Ahbist - are about to be disbanded by the election committee for illegal campaign donations. Let everybody who wants form a party, spend money and run. Let the best man(and vote buyer) win and let's get back to talking about women and sports!

Amnesty + new elections = peace.

hmmmmm you even start with an erroneous assumption .....

The military coup of 2006 was NOT the cause of the current political crisis. Thaksin was .. and yes, Thaksin is STILL the root problem politically.

lalala you're obsessed with Thaksin - it's not all about Thaksin - change the record pleeeeze...

[ThaiFelix]

That weird Aussie dude, Conor David Purcell, should have no amnesty either.

I think we all can agree on this.

What he did?

His crimes are far too heinous to be explained here.

His crime was being stupid

Interesting to note that interest dropped from 2304 views for part 1 to just 937 for part 2!! Says it all.

I suppose he was also in the SAS, FBI, CIA and now works as an undercover cop with the Thai narcs.....oh and SWAT.

Edited May 5, 2010 by ThaiFelix

[retarius]

FASCISM EMERGES IN THAILAND

It is high time that we face up to the fact that the UDD Red Shirt movement and its political brother the Puea Thai Party, represent an obvious expression of fascism. We should all stop “beating around the bush” and publicly recognize this overt threat to true Democracy.

Fascism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fascists believe that a nation is an organic community that requires strong leadership, singular collective identity, and the will and ability to commit violence and wage war in order to keep the nation strong.[15] They claim that culture is created by collective national society and its state, that cultural ideas are what give individuals identity, and thus rejects individualism.[15] In viewing the nation as an integrated collective community, they claim that pluralism is a dysfunctional aspect of society, and justify a totalitarian state as a means to represent the nation in its entirety.[16][17] They advocate the creation of a single-party state.[18] Fascist governments forbid and suppress openness and opposition to the fascist state and the fascist movement.[19] They identify violence and war as actions that create national regeneration, spirit and vitality.[20]

Fascists reject and resist autonomy of cultural or ethnic groups who are not considered part of the fascists' nation and who refuse to assimilate or are unable to be assimilated.[21] They consider attempts to create such autonomy as an affront and threat to the nation.[21]

History and common sense tells us that you cannot appease, negotiate, reconcile, or compromise with fascists because they do not respect other points of view and cannot be trusted to adhere to agreements that are contrary to their core beliefs (ie. allowing unimpeded electoral campaigning).

Those who are entrusted to preserving the democratic state need to remove all such threats to society. As such, the UDD and the Puea Thai Party should be banned, dissolved, and designated as illegal entities and their leaders should be arrested and put in jail for terrorist actions, and treason.

True Democracy must be vigorously defended! A minority of ill-intentioned individuals or organizations must not be allowed to break the law and use violence and threats to usurp the rights of all good law-abiding citizens.

Sounds like we need to replace 'UDD' and 'PTP' in the document with PAD (People Against Democracy) and the Democrat Party....then it will read much better....but delusion hyperbole all the same....

[retarius]

That weird Aussie dude, Conor David Purcell, should have no amnesty either.

I think we all can agree on this.

What he did?

I think he was a farang who had the audacity to support the red shirts and go on their stage...supporting redshirts is a hanging offense according to the yellow blind crowd here on TVF....

[Thai at Heart]

Breaking the law cannot be abided, pure and simple.

There must be a consequence for ones actions, be one the big guy or the little guy. Supposed moral right is no excuse for breaking the law and this has to be applied to all.

[retarius]

so when will PAD people be prosecuted for occupying govt house for over 100 days, and the airport for 7 days ?

Or are double-standards still to apply ?

Don't hold your breath, dude...how would the elite feel if double standards were reduced/eliminated? They'd suddenly start feeling less superior to those damned red shirted Isaan buffalos if they had to obey the same laws....it cannot be allowed to happen...

[retarius]

there's a big, big danger of considering amnesties. It automatically would give Thaksin the same rights for amnesty. Is it about that?

Very dangerous move.

the speculation probably is that the yellows also get amnesty, so there will be no counter revolt. This was exactly what the yellow - red tandem was/is after.

Very, very dangerous on the long term.

It could become Thugland and no more Thailand.

And coming on top of the amnesty provided for in the constitution for the leaders of the 2006 military coup it might seem like a pattern were being established....

[Thai at Heart]

so when will PAD people be prosecuted for occupying govt house for over 100 days, and the airport for 7 days ?

Or are double-standards still to apply ?

Don't hold your breath, dude...how would the elite feel if double standards were reduced/eliminated? They'd suddenly start feeling less superior to those damned red shirted Isaan buffalos if they had to obey the same laws....it cannot be allowed to happen...

I am not sure that the "elite" believe they are treated any differently from anyone else. This is maybe how ignorant they are about the situation and feeling in Thailand. The idea however, that some kind of supposed moral right gives your opinion greater weight than someone else's and thus makes you immune to the rule of law is ludicrous. Protests are part and parcel of a living breathing society, however, one should not expect one's actions to be without consequence.

The yellows and the reds who have broken the law should be treated completely equally under the law. The road to amnesty is a dangerous precedent for society.

[rabo]

That weird Aussie dude, Conor David Purcell, should have no amnesty either.

I think we all can agree on this.

What he did?

I think he was a farang who had the audacity to support the red shirts and go on their stage...supporting redshirts is a hanging offense according to the yellow blind crowd here on TVF....

His offense was joining and publicly supporting the armed overthrow of the government and institutions of Thailand......

.....without a visa.

Max fine 20,000 baht + hanging

[Steely Dan]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

Any Red leader who had parliamentary immunity will not need an amnesty, the same applies to anyone who took part in the PAD rallies who also had immunity. EVERYONE else will have to take their chances - and frankly I don't give the Reds much hope of getting off the hook here. Apart from invading a hospital blocking the BTS, setting up their own roadblocks they have been found repeatedly to be violent, I would guess overwhelmingly more violent than the yellows to a ratio of say 20 to 1, all backed up and incited by the hate spewing from the mouths of red shirt leaders. To think that the red leaders will be let off the hook in order to let yellow leaders off the hook is simply delusional when you examine the relative seriousness of the violence and intimidation they were responsible for.

[rabo]

so when will PAD people be prosecuted for occupying govt house for over 100 days, and the airport for 7 days ?

Or are double-standards still to apply ?

Don't hold your breath, dude...how would the elite feel if double standards were reduced/eliminated? They'd suddenly start feeling less superior to those damned red shirted Isaan buffalos if they had to obey the same laws....it cannot be allowed to happen...

Double standards for all!

[rabo]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

Any Red leader who had parliamentary immunity will not need an amnesty, the same applies to anyone who took part in the PAD rallies who also had immunity. EVERYONE else will have to take their chances - and frankly I don't give the Reds much hope of getting off the hook here. Apart from invading a hospital blocking the BTS, setting up their own roadblocks they have been found repeatedly to be violent, I would guess overwhelmingly more violent than the yellows to a ratio of say 20 to 1, all backed up and incited by the hate spewing from the mouths of red shirt leaders. To think that the red leaders will be let off the hook in order to let yellow leaders off the hook is simply delusional when you examine the relative seriousness of the violence and intimidation they were responsible for.

I agree. The desire of some to equate closing the airport as equal to an organized attempt to overthrow the government by violent means, would not hold much legal water.

However, both should be prosecuted for what they are.

An honest question. Did any of the yellow shirt leaders actually call for the closure of the airport? Or, was it a mass action of the protesters once they arrived there?

Edited May 5, 2010 by rabo

[ChiangMaiFun]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

Any Red leader who had parliamentary immunity will not need an amnesty, the same applies to anyone who took part in the PAD rallies who also had immunity. EVERYONE else will have to take their chances - and frankly I don't give the Reds much hope of getting off the hook here. Apart from invading a hospital blocking the BTS, setting up their own roadblocks they have been found repeatedly to be violent, I would guess overwhelmingly more violent than the yellows to a ratio of say 20 to 1, all backed up and incited by the hate spewing from the mouths of red shirt leaders. To think that the red leaders will be let off the hook in order to let yellow leaders off the hook is simply delusional when you examine the relative seriousness of the violence and intimidation they were responsible for.

I agree. The desire of some to equate closing the airport as equal to an organized attempt to overthrow the government by violent means, would not hold much legal water.

However, both should be prosecuted for what they are.

An honest question. Did any of the yellow shirt leaders actually call for the closure of the airport? Or, was it a mass action of the protesters once they arrived there?

The current, quiet Brilliant, Foreign Minister was there on stage at the airport - so arrest him for a start!

[jayboy]

An honest question. Did any of the yellow shirt leaders actually call for the closure of the airport? Or, was it a mass action of the protesters once they arrived there?

No it was the Airports Authority (AOT) that ordered the airport closed down.Clearly this was an irresposible and politically motivated action, probably the result of illicit payments from Thaksin.The small band yellow patriots were simply paying a quick courtesy call and quite infairly ended up being blamed by the red apologists for Thaksin.The AOT's pleas that the action was taken in line with international safety standards are just so much eyewash.And as for the suggestion that the yellow heroes contained numbers of brutish thugs should be dismissed for the lie it is.Similarly few travellers were put to any inconvenience and those detained for days and weeks enjoyed the unexpected opportunity to observe Thai democracy in action.

There, is that the answer you want?

[ChiangMaiFun]

An honest question. Did any of the yellow shirt leaders actually call for the closure of the airport? Or, was it a mass action of the protesters once they arrived there?

No it was the Airports Authority (AOT) that ordered the airport closed down.Clearly this was an irresposible and politically motivated action, probably the result of illicit payments from Thaksin.The small band yellow patriots were simply paying a quick courtesy call and quite infairly ended up being blamed by the red apologists for Thaksin.The AOT's pleas that the action was taken in line with international safety standards are just so much eyewash.And as for the suggestion that the yellow heroes contained numbers of brutish thugs should be dismissed for the lie it is.Similarly few travellers were put to any inconvenience and those detained for days and weeks enjoyed the unexpected opportunity to observe Thai democracy in action.

There, is that the answer you want?

[Thai at Heart]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

Any Red leader who had parliamentary immunity will not need an amnesty, the same applies to anyone who took part in the PAD rallies who also had immunity. EVERYONE else will have to take their chances - and frankly I don't give the Reds much hope of getting off the hook here. Apart from invading a hospital blocking the BTS, setting up their own roadblocks they have been found repeatedly to be violent, I would guess overwhelmingly more violent than the yellows to a ratio of say 20 to 1, all backed up and incited by the hate spewing from the mouths of red shirt leaders. To think that the red leaders will be let off the hook in order to let yellow leaders off the hook is simply delusional when you examine the relative seriousness of the violence and intimidation they were responsible for.

Very much depends on what the offences that that PAD have been accused of amount to.

If I we are sitting here and the offences of the leaders of the PAD total on average 5 years each, and the offences of the reds average 10, I don't suppose Sondhi or Chamlong fancy 5 years of jail one little bit. All of their calls of the "rule of law" being applied to Thailand etc will go out the window to save their own butts. They believed they had the moral high ground in their protests, (un)fortunately the laws of the land probably should jail them. Do you think they would have stood up on stage doing what they did if they believed they would actually end up behind bars?

I am not defending it, I am simply saying how I think they may see the situation.

I would prefer that all of them get the book thrown at them for what they have done over the last few years, I just don't see Sondhi in prison overalls for one second, and wouldn't bet against any of them on all sides absconding if it became apparent that they would actually have to suffer the will of the law.

I bet right now the leaders of the PAD are paying some pretty close attention to the outcome of any potential amnesty deal. As ridiculous as it may seem, people of this ilk tend NEVER to go to jail in Thailand. Let's see if anything has changed in Thailand under Abhisit.

Edited May 5, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[difos57]

so when will PAD people be prosecuted for occupying govt house for over 100 days, and the airport for 7 days ?

Or are double-standards still to apply ?

Don't hold your breath, dude...how would the elite feel if double standards were reduced/eliminated? They'd suddenly start feeling less superior to those damned red shirted Isaan buffalos if they had to obey the same laws....it cannot be allowed to happen...

You just wake up or is someone else doing the writing for you? Or did someone find an empty computer in the boiler room?

[SomTumTiger]

An honest question. Did any of the yellow shirt leaders actually call for the closure of the airport? Or, was it a mass action of the protesters once they arrived there?

No it was the Airports Authority (AOT) that ordered the airport closed down.Clearly this was an irresposible and politically motivated action, probably the result of illicit payments from Thaksin.The small band yellow patriots were simply paying a quick courtesy call and quite infairly ended up being blamed by the red apologists for Thaksin.The AOT's pleas that the action was taken in line with international safety standards are just so much eyewash.And as for the suggestion that the yellow heroes contained numbers of brutish thugs should be dismissed for the lie it is.Similarly few travellers were put to any inconvenience and those detained for days and weeks enjoyed the unexpected opportunity to observe Thai democracy in action.

There, is that the answer you want?

Been waiting for years for you to admit that JB lol.

[h90]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

Any Red leader who had parliamentary immunity will not need an amnesty, the same applies to anyone who took part in the PAD rallies who also had immunity. EVERYONE else will have to take their chances - and frankly I don't give the Reds much hope of getting off the hook here. Apart from invading a hospital blocking the BTS, setting up their own roadblocks they have been found repeatedly to be violent, I would guess overwhelmingly more violent than the yellows to a ratio of say 20 to 1, all backed up and incited by the hate spewing from the mouths of red shirt leaders. To think that the red leaders will be let off the hook in order to let yellow leaders off the hook is simply delusional when you examine the relative seriousness of the violence and intimidation they were responsible for.

I agree. The desire of some to equate closing the airport as equal to an organized attempt to overthrow the government by violent means, would not hold much legal water.

However, both should be prosecuted for what they are.

An honest question. Did any of the yellow shirt leaders actually call for the closure of the airport? Or, was it a mass action of the protesters once they arrived there?

AOT closed the airport when the yellows were still outside protesting only, the official who did it was a relative of Thaksin. The PAD even had official permission to use the VIP parking area for their cars. All the airport actions were signed by Chamlong only, because he has no money. So it will be very hard to sue them. While it is obvious that the did the airport closure, it will be very hard to proof it at court and you can hardly put Chamlong in jail (like Suchinda did)

[h90]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

Any Red leader who had parliamentary immunity will not need an amnesty, the same applies to anyone who took part in the PAD rallies who also had immunity. EVERYONE else will have to take their chances - and frankly I don't give the Reds much hope of getting off the hook here. Apart from invading a hospital blocking the BTS, setting up their own roadblocks they have been found repeatedly to be violent, I would guess overwhelmingly more violent than the yellows to a ratio of say 20 to 1, all backed up and incited by the hate spewing from the mouths of red shirt leaders. To think that the red leaders will be let off the hook in order to let yellow leaders off the hook is simply delusional when you examine the relative seriousness of the violence and intimidation they were responsible for.

Very much depends on what the offences that that PAD have been accused of amount to.

If I we are sitting here and the offences of the leaders of the PAD total on average 5 years each, and the offences of the reds average 10, I don't suppose Sondhi or Chamlong fancy 5 years of jail one little bit. All of their calls of the "rule of law" being applied to Thailand etc will go out the window to save their own butts. They believed they had the moral high ground in their protests, (un)fortunately the laws of the land probably should jail them. Do you think they would have stood up on stage doing what they did if they believed they would actually end up behind bars?

I am not defending it, I am simply saying how I think they may see the situation.

I would prefer that all of them get the book thrown at them for what they have done over the last few years, I just don't see Sondhi in prison overalls for one second, and wouldn't bet against any of them on all sides absconding if it became apparent that they would actually have to suffer the will of the law.

I bet right now the leaders of the PAD are paying some pretty close attention to the outcome of any potential amnesty deal. As ridiculous as it may seem, people of this ilk tend NEVER to go to jail in Thailand. Let's see if anything has changed in Thailand under Abhisit.

Such people include not only the PAD, also people like Chalerms son, the former EC, Thaksins family. With that argument that, the Elite has different treatment than the normal people, the red have a valid point.

Just they are also part of that elite and don't intend to change that.

[difos57]

lalala you're obsessed with Thaksin - it's not all about Thaksin - change the record pleeeeze...

Your right. This is not about Taksin. This is about Taksin, money, power, greed and whoever will step into his shoes next.

[ChiangMaiFun]

lalala you're obsessed with Thaksin - it's not all about Thaksin - change the record pleeeeze...

Your right. This is not about Taksin. This is about Taksin, money, power, greed and whoever will step into his shoes next.

That's right - I said it's not ALL about Thaksin - someis obviously - it's all about the elite hanging onto their power and riches like the good Buddhists they are!

[Thai at Heart]

I think the yellow shirt leaders are just as concerned with amnesty as the red shirt leaders. If the red shirt leaders don't get amnesty, that means that the yellow shirt leaders won't get amnesty either. And especially, people will ask for the yellow shirt trials to be finished before the red shirt trials ...and they're 2 years ahead on those. Do any of you see Sondhi Limthongkul, basically the yellow shirt founder and Thai media empire billionaire going to prison? No way. He'll be supporting amnesty for the red shirt leaders just to save his own bottom.

Any Red leader who had parliamentary immunity will not need an amnesty, the same applies to anyone who took part in the PAD rallies who also had immunity. EVERYONE else will have to take their chances - and frankly I don't give the Reds much hope of getting off the hook here. Apart from invading a hospital blocking the BTS, setting up their own roadblocks they have been found repeatedly to be violent, I would guess overwhelmingly more violent than the yellows to a ratio of say 20 to 1, all backed up and incited by the hate spewing from the mouths of red shirt leaders. To think that the red leaders will be let off the hook in order to let yellow leaders off the hook is simply delusional when you examine the relative seriousness of the violence and intimidation they were responsible for.

Very much depends on what the offences that that PAD have been accused of amount to.

If I we are sitting here and the offences of the leaders of the PAD total on average 5 years each, and the offences of the reds average 10, I don't suppose Sondhi or Chamlong fancy 5 years of jail one little bit. All of their calls of the "rule of law" being applied to Thailand etc will go out the window to save their own butts. They believed they had the moral high ground in their protests, (un)fortunately the laws of the land probably should jail them. Do you think they would have stood up on stage doing what they did if they believed they would actually end up behind bars?

I am not defending it, I am simply saying how I think they may see the situation.

I would prefer that all of them get the book thrown at them for what they have done over the last few years, I just don't see Sondhi in prison overalls for one second, and wouldn't bet against any of them on all sides absconding if it became apparent that they would actually have to suffer the will of the law.

I bet right now the leaders of the PAD are paying some pretty close attention to the outcome of any potential amnesty deal. As ridiculous as it may seem, people of this ilk tend NEVER to go to jail in Thailand. Let's see if anything has changed in Thailand under Abhisit.

Such people include not only the PAD, also people like Chalerms son, the former EC, Thaksins family. With that argument that, the Elite has different treatment than the normal people, the red have a valid point.

Just they are also part of that elite and don't intend to change that.

I never for once suggested that the knife doesn't cut both ways when it wants to. Avoiding jail for one's wrongdoing is a basic qualification for influential people. However, not too many people have every tried to organise lengthy street protests as we have seen in Thailand and essentially try to bring down governments. Then drag in the good ole LM charges and it all gets even more confusing.

It isn't a matter of being "elite" it is a matter of influence and ability to play the game. Just like how far Thaksin's elite status got him. All the way to Montenegro and Dubai. As in anything elitist, not all are created with the same level of influence.

It is just in this specific instance of an amnesty for the reds will probably cause the PAD leaders to pucker up too. I don't doubt either sides lack of backbone when it comes to "truly" believing in their cause. They believed as long as it won't be their own backside being thrown in the slammer.

If the laws were applied to ALL of them, they would ALL be in jail for varying amounts of time.

[Steely Dan]

I would prefer that all of them get the book thrown at them for what they have done over the last few years, I just don't see Sondhi in prison overalls for one second, and wouldn't bet against any of them on all sides absconding if it became apparent that they would actually have to suffer the will of the law.

I bet right now the leaders of the PAD are paying some pretty close attention to the outcome of any potential amnesty deal. As ridiculous as it may seem, people of this ilk tend NEVER to go to jail in Thailand. Let's see if anything has changed in Thailand under Abhisit.

Yes, TIT and people can and do get away with murder here. The wife and I probably got one of the last planes out of swampy before they closed it, but we had to make it all the way back to CM from Phuket by train. I said at the time that the means did not justify the ends and the manner in which Abhisit came to 'power' left him with a poisoned inheritance. Yes I agree justice should be consistent for all, however I remember the police did very little to stop the PAD occupying the airport when I saw with my own eyes there were enough police there to stop them if they chose to act.

Abhisit's roadmap is fair enough, but simply having an army that marched to the same tune and a police force who were accountable would solve the majority of the problems, but this may take a generation to achieve.