Three More Dead In Fresh Bangkok Violence

[webfact]

Three more dead in fresh Bangkok violence

by Anusak Konglang

BANGKOK, May 15, 2010 (AFP) - Raging violence in the Thai capital claimed three more lives Saturday as gunfire and explosions echoed around tense streets where there have been pitched street battles between troops and protesters.

"The current situation is almost full civil war," said Jatuporn Prompan, a key leader of the protesters known as the "Red Shirts".

"I am not sure how this conflict will end," he said after almost two days of clashes between army troops and protesters left at least 17 dead, bringing to almost 50 the number of fatalities during the Reds' two-month protest.

An AFP photographer on Saturday saw the lifeless bodies of three people lying on the ground on a road north of the Red Shirts' vast encampment.

The circumstances of the deaths were not immediately clear but the military posted a sign declaring it a "live-firing zone".

Gunfire erupted elsewhere and smoke rose from burning tyres as a group of protesters faced off against troops in a separate area where major clashes occurred on Friday.

The neighbourhood of wide streets and embassies also includes a financial district and the Suan Lum night market popular with foreigners.

Police said hundreds of demonstrators had remained in that district despite a government operation Friday aimed at clearing protesters from the area after they had spilled out of their main encampment.

"The situation is under control and has been resolved in many spots but the military operation will continue because there are many thing to do to restore normality," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said.

Numerous M-79 grenades were fired at security forces in various areas on the fringes of the protest site overnight, he said.

The rally site, where demonstrators sleep on mats on the ground and listen to speeches and music blasted from giant speakers, stretches for several square kilometres. It is fortified with bamboo stakes and tyres.

According to the official Erawan emergency centre, the death toll from Friday's clashes was 16, all of them Thais, and most of them victims of gunshots. Another person had died on Thursday night.

"The toll keeps rising as street fighting was raging in the city until midnight," said an official from the centre.

The official toll did not include the three victims seen by AFP.

Emergency services said 141 people had been wounded, three of them foreigners from Canada, Myanmar and Poland. Their condition was unknown.

The France 24 television station earlier said one of its journalists -- a Canadian -- had been shot and gravely wounded. Two Thai reporters were also hurt, their employers said.

Thousands of anti-government protesters have essentially turned a large area of central Bangkok into occupied territory for two months, crippling an upscale retail and hotel district and disrupting daily life for ordinary residents in the city of about 12 million people.

The subway system and elevated train lines were shut on Saturday for safety reasons after the violence.

The mostly poor and working class Reds say the government is elitist and undemocratic because it came to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court ruling ousted elected allies of their hero, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin was unseated in a 2006 coup and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term for corruption.

The latest unrest began Thursday night after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva shelved a plan to hold early elections because the protesters refused to disperse.

The army then announced a military lockdown on the rally site, cutting telephone and electricity services.

Troops with Humvee vehicles descended on the area and used barbed wire to help seal off main roads surrounding the rally site. The army also warned it would deploy snipers around the Reds' protest base.

On Thursday night renegade general Khattiya Sawasdipol, a key Red Shirt supporter, was shot in the head near the rally site.

He was in a slightly improved condition Saturday but still in a critical state, said Chaiwan Charoenchokethavee, director of Vachira hospital.

Soldiers on Friday used tear gas and gunfire against the demonstrators who fought back with stones, slingshots and fireworks. Protest leaders said the Red Shirts were unarmed.

The unrest has sparked concern from the United States, United Nations and Canada, all of whom called for a peaceful solution.

At least 46 people have been killed and about 1,100 injured in Bangkok in a series of confrontations and attacks since the protests began in mid-March.

Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 82, seen as a unifying force, has been hospitalised since September and has avoided commenting directly on the crisis in public.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-05-15

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[AGareth2]

are we to presume that these individuals were just shot by the authorities for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

[george]

Live updates minute by minute:

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----------

Bangkok protesters, residents fearful as violence rages - Scene

by Patrick Falby

BANGKOK, May 15, 2010 (AFP) - Thai "Red Shirt" protester Sakda Sudtae stood guard at two-metre-high barricades made from bamboo, tyres and razor wire Saturday, nervously fingering a slingshot on his belt.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen," said the 33-year-old from northeastern Thailand, the morning after his anti-government group's latest clashes with security forces left at least 16 people dead.

"I'm afraid, but I have no choice. All of us are afraid to die," he added.

A burnt-out bus stood down the street outside the barricade. Soldiers have moved to seal off the area around the protest site, which sprawls across four kilometres (2.5 miles) of central Bangkok.

Gunfire and explosions have rung out around the Red zone, where troops have stepped up security measures to search for weapons and reduce the number of people entering the area.

Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the lockdown had proved effective because the number of protesters at the main encampment had fallen to 6,000 on Friday night. Children and the elderly appeared to have left the area.

One of the Red Shirts' own "security guards," 35-year-old Dang Thongyu from northern Thailand, blamed troops for the recent spike in violence.

"We don't mind being cordoned off like this. We're happy to stay in here, but the military has to step back a bit. Instead, they're moving in," he said.

"Both sides were testing one another and got closer and closer so inevitably, something happened," he added.

The barricade guards are the first line of defence for rallies that began in mid-March, inspired by a new political awareness among Thailand's rural poor that has found increasing support among others displeased with elites.

The Reds condemn the current administration of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as illegitimate because it came to power with army support in a 2008 parliamentary vote, two years after a coup ousted populist prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Red guards, wary of snipers, on Saturday morning stretched black fabric to shield a footbridge over their barricades.

On the bridge lay piles of energy-drink bottles and stones ready to be thrown at advancing troops. Reds have also stashed a bottle of motor lubricant and a bag of mung beans to make the road slippery.

"With military boots, they will have problems," said 42-year-old Somchai Sanwong as he manned the barricades, but acknowledged: "We are all very afraid."

"Obviously we're outgunned, outnumbered. In the worst case, if the soldiers come, we'll just burn the barricades," he added.

Their movement remained largely peaceful until April 10 when security forces failed in an attempt to disperse the protesers from the city's historic district, leaving 25 dead and more than 800 injured.

The Red Shirts then shifted their rally base to Bangkok's upscale retail heartland, forcing mass closures of shopping malls and hotels. Fearful residents have left the area in the face of increased shootings and explosions.

"All my tenants have moved out, temporarily. But for how long does this bloody thing go on?" said Prapa Smutkojob, owner of a pair of apartment buildings within the Red zone.

Down from one barricade, inside the protest area, a handful of residents set up a small barrier of their own to prevent Reds from retreating down their side street.

"When the military pushes people this way, they'll look for a place to escape. We don't want them here," said 30-year-old resident, Piboon Lapchareen.

"They come with weapons and inflammable things and the soldiers will come after them, so you can imagine what would happen," he added.

On the other side of the barricades, tyres and a garbage truck burned while gunfire rang out on Rama IV road. Ladda Monokalchamvat, 46, and her daughter were dragging suitcases with the help of a doorman.

"I'm leaving my condominium. They've switched off all the lights and we don't have any food. I'm moving to my parents' place," she said. "The last two nights have been the most dangerous. That's why we're leaving."

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-05-15

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[anon467367354]

maybe the focus should be at removing the red shirt leaders. take away the leadership that is fueling this fire. I guess they are not going to turn themselves in like they said. I certainly hope the charges that are racking up are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including denying bail for fear of being a flight risk. enough is enough. Condolences to the families of those that needlessly have taken part of this cowardly fueled farce.

[jucel]

are we to presume that these individuals were just shot by the authorities for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

might be this picture.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1023/2893...09094778009.jpg

[durianfan]

The reds might be claiming that they are fighting for democracy but they are doing it in the wrong way. Holding the city hostage for 2 months is just idiotic. Enough is enough. The Thai kids go back to school on Monday, but somehow I doubt this will all be resolved by then.

[yeeowww]

are we to presume that these individuals were just shot by the authorities for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Didn't your Father and Mother ever teach you, don't assume anything. It's how gossip and lies get started.

[eurasianthai]

Holding the city hostage for 2 months is just idiotic.

You're right.

But well, what should they do to make things change?

Having elections does not seem to work.

Or maybe things should not change in Thailand.

And I'm all for the status quo, good for business.

[Pui]

If the Reds want political reform they should go through the correct channels.

Please remove these red shirts so people can get back to their normal lives.

"By any means necessary"

[Meadowlark]

The reds might be claiming that they are fighting for democracy but they are doing it in the wrong way. Holding the city hostage for 2 months is just idiotic. Enough is enough. The Thai kids go back to school on Monday, but somehow I doubt this will all be resolved by then.

please educate yourself about the real motive-Takki money. They are not protesters but Takki employees who are brainwashed. They are out to destroy democracy for the sake of greed. without Takki dollars, there would be no riot in bangkok. maybe you should at least tell the truth for the sake of school children.

.

[yeeowww]

In a true democracy, angry mobs do not get to say when an election should be held. Nor are they in any position to dictate any conditions with the Government. They are dealt with in a severe, harsh and swift manner. These inconsiderate fools are reaping what they have sown. And believe me, they would be getting much worse treatment if they were trying to do such things in the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, China, etc... So conversely Mr. Kumsamut, you in fact are the brainless one if you don't realize this fact.

[bkk75]

Holding the city hostage for 2 months is just idiotic.

You're right.

But well, what should they do to make things change?

Having elections does not seem to work.

Or maybe things should not change in Thailand.

And I'm all for the status quo, good for business.

No, I think all the reds should move to Burma..and let the govt there deal with them in a "peaceful" manner because this is what they want.

Edited May 15, 2010 by bkk75

[eurasianthai]

If the Reds want political reform they should go through the correct channels.

You mean elections?

[Soi Sauce]

They are not fighting for democracy as Thailand already has a democratically elected government. Look to the UK for what a coalition means.

They are fighting for the return of a PM who killed far more than have died here and who once famously said, "Democracy is not my aim".

Do you reemember that?

As for nazis, please look up Crystal Night and you'll see who the reds model themselves on. As for their leader, watch some of hitler's speeches and then tell me who the reds' fuhrer models himself on

If Thailand had anything approaching an education system and a 1% aware of the world population this would not happen. SAdl;y, being unable to think for themselves, and having no knowledge to refer to, Thais believe what they are told.

As always, the reds are being fed a load of lies.

Democracy? BS

[anon467367354]

how is this fighting for democracy? The prime minister laid out a plan that benefits all Thais. The poor people from the north and other areas are lacking because monies allocated to serve them was pocketed by the coward that now resides in Montengro, fact! This is all about one man trying to recover money stolen by those that do pay tax. They don't realize that they are fighting for the man that ripped them off. Ask any of them what democracy means, and I'll bet you won't get an answer that even resembles the definition. These people are being played the fool by a few that have been promised a huge payoff for destroying Thailand as we know it. If one thinks that Thaksin's giving all these people credit was a good thing, anyone that knows anything about economics knows that credit creates poverty. The more debt, the more poverty, the more loans these people can't pay back, the more poverty. get your facts straight first. If there is any wonder why the gap between the rich and the poor widened during the Thaksin regime, do a google search as to the finances of the country during those times.

[Slaps]

are we to presume that these individuals were just shot by the authorities for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

might be this picture.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1023/2893...09094778009.jpg

That is some photo!!

[Unendoras]

So I suppose the fact that the government has proposed a timeline for elections (more than a year ahead of schedule) is completely wasted on you. That is so typical of fanatical supporters of ANY faction. You and your kind only choose to pay attention to the facts that support your belief.

And since when is forcing an election through the use of illegal activities any part of a true democracy?

[jucel]

i'm sure there will be a lot of 'armchair general' farangs happy that the army are just shooting unarmed people!

Have a look at this picture. Can anybody see a just reason for killing this person??

http://image.ohozaa.com/is/28931_397050999...3_2895502_n.jpg

[eurasianthai]

They are not fighting for democracy as Thailand already has a democratically elected government.

You started well but unfortunately the second part of the sentence makes you another mindless drifter on this forum...

[truthfulfox]

are we to presume that these individuals were just shot by the authorities for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

might be this picture.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1023/2893...09094778009.jpg

That is some photo!!

this what we call army peacful means!!!!! hhh

[yeeowww]

If the Reds want political reform they should go through the correct channels.

You mean elections?

Exactly. Elections. When they are duefully scheduled and not before, just because an unruly brainless mob demands it. It is not in their right or power to make any such demand. Any more than it was in my right to throw out Geo "Dubya" Bush because he was appointed by the Supreme Court. Millions of people hated him (and still do) but you didn't see this kind of asinine behavior grow out of it. Sorry, just because you don't like who's in office does NOT give you the right to take a city hostage. It doesn't work that way. You WAIT until the next election or be dealt with severely.

[bkk75]

i'm sure there will be a lot of 'armchair general' farangs happy that the army are just shooting unarmed people!

Have a look at this picture. Can anybody see a just reason for killing this person??

http://image.ohozaa.com/is/28931_397050999...3_2895502_n.jpg

Please don't make assumptions. Just because he wasn't wear red doesn't mean he's not red. And how do you know he didn't try to throw a grenade.

At least the reds are showing some kind of intelligence by not wearing red anymore...if you wear red, you are shot on site.

I don't condone violence but I also don't condone the undemocratic activities of the reds.. nothing more than brute thugs. Anybody that is smart and non-red are all staying home or at least out of the protest areas.

[siampolee]

gr8fldanielle.

maybe the focus should be at removing the red shirt leaders. take away the leadership that is fueling this fire. I guess they are not going to turn themselves in like they said. I certainly hope the charges that are racking up are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including denying bail for fear of being a flight risk. enough is enough. Condolences to the families of those that needlessly have taken part of this cowardly fueled farce.

Indeed a post that is right on target.

Hard and callous and inhumane as it may be the authorities should target the stage where the (mis ) leaders of the Red Shirt Brigade appear surrounded by a mass of human shields.

A good team of snipers would take the (mis) leaders out in one hit as has already been done with the mad Major General.

Messy and indeed frightening for the spectators but indeed a salutatory lesson as to what happens for inciting violence and revolution.

Dramatic violent ?

Indeed, yes.

But how much more senseless loss of lives on all sides would be averted by such an action ?

At the end of the day there has to be some movement to force hands and get people round the table, no moving the goalposts as has been done by the current Red Shirt Brigade (mis) leadership.

Exorcise the cancer cells that are leading this protest which has been hi-jacked to further a very different cause from the original one and the main body will grow.

The current situation visibly demonstrates that the medicine is killing the patient.

This is now the time to demonstrate that firm decisive actions speak louder than words.

It's time the rank and file asked their (mis) leaders of the Red Shirt Brigade to place themselves on the front line along with the gullible innocents they keep exhorting them to make the ''ultimate sacrifice'' for the cause whilst safe in five star hotels and steel containers or Montenegro as is currently the case with the (mis ) leaders of the Red Shirt Brigade.

[ripski70]

i'm sure there will be a lot of 'armchair general' farangs happy that the army are just shooting unarmed people!

Have a look at this picture. Can anybody see a just reason for killing this person??

http://image.ohozaa.com/is/28931_397050999...3_2895502_n.jpg

where exactly is your proof that this poor person was shot by the army ?????

[sprq]

<<"The current situation is almost full civil war," said Jatuporn Prompan>> the first report says.

Typical idiotic hyperbole. It's a confined conflict in central Bangkok.

[mommysboy]

are we to presume that these individuals were just shot by the authorities for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

I doubt they'd just popped out to buy a packet of cigs!

Nevertheless the picture we see on this thread is shocking.

All this nonsense could and should have been stopped by now. All they had to do is secure the area.

Sheer incompetence.

[truthfulfox]

i'm sure there will be a lot of 'armchair general' farangs happy that the army are just shooting unarmed people!

Have a look at this picture. Can anybody see a just reason for killing this person??

http://image.ohozaa.com/is/28931_397050999...3_2895502_n.jpg

this is the international standard means to deal with protesters and bring democrazy !!! american style in IRAK.

[kopite]

are we to presume that these individuals were just shot by the authorities for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

might be this picture.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1023/2893...09094778009.jpg

jesus christ

[toenail]

The reds might be claiming that they are fighting for democracy but they are doing it in the wrong way. Holding the city hostage for 2 months is just idiotic. Enough is enough. The Thai kids go back to school on Monday, but somehow I doubt this will all be resolved by then.

please educate yourself about the real motive-Takki money. They are not protesters but Takki employees who are brainwashed. They are out to destroy democracy for the sake of greed. without Takki dollars, there would be no riot in bangkok. maybe you should at least tell the truth for the sake of school children.

.

_________________

What is the expression? You get what you sow? The Thai government hasn't done enough to keep education a top priotity in the rural area ( most of the students in the North and Isaan only go to school until they're 15, then go to the big cities to work for minimum wage-- which is lousy); they're also not taught critical thinking skills (so they believe anyone); and (of course) no civics class to teach them how democracy works and their civic duty NOT to take bribes. Whoever ends up winning in the next election, I hope drastic measures are taken to improve the gap so "thugs" like Thaksin can no longer convince these simple minded people that he's "god".

Edited May 15, 2010 by toenail

[rickgyles]

They been offered Reelections but is like a big kindergarten it must be now.

I know at least 6 people who been there for more than a week and none of them really support them they just gone there for the money.

We all losing lots of money because of this, here in BKK.

Make a demonstration once in a while to make a point but act like grownups not like Kids, this don't help anybody at the moment.

I'm not red and not yellow I just think that is the wrong way to go. That is my opinion take care

Rick