More Bloodshed In Bangkok As Red Siege Continues

[KMUTT]

Abhisit is the PM who ordered to kill protesters.

Could you please scan and post a copy of the secret memorandum that you received a copy of?

Thank you.

[jitenshaman]

The western media is being manipulted into telling a story which just doesn't exist. I admit it is an attractive one and one that sells. The idea of peasants rising up and fighting for democracy is a David versus Goliath tale with a hero and a villian, it is easy to understand and it gives us an underdog to root for. The idea that Thai farmers have risen up to fight for a more just share and for more influence in their government seems noble. If only that were the truth.

The protests in Thailand are not about democracy, they are in fact about money, and a lot of it. These protests were not triggered by the rise of the Democrats to power, or the dissolution of the PPP, the former goverment, due to electoral fraud. They were triggered when the courts confiscated over a billion dollars in frozen assets of former Prime Minister Thaksin claiming that he had used his office to accumulate this wealth illegally.

Within weeks of this verdict large scale protests were arranged and paid for and rural people began streaming into the capitol. It is well known in Thailand that the protesters have been paid, about 500 baht per day. More than double the minimum wage. Whenever a protester is killed Thaksin pays their family a bonus of about 100,000 baht. What we have is not a grass roots movement, but a mercenary one.

The leaders of the protest have since day one been bombarding the masses with firery rhetoric. They claim that they have been denied justice and democracy and that the government is out to kill them. By now I'm sure they have managed to convince most of the protesters that this is the case. What they do not broadcast is that while the average protester is being paid thousands the protest leaders have been paid millions. The government has been investigating the deposit of around 100 million baht to at least one of the key protest leaders.

Thaksin's wife, who has fled the country, is being investigated for having her aides withdraw large amounts of cash, 600 to 800 million baht allegedly used to fund the protests. Thaksin himself has been spotted shopping for Louis Vuitton in Paris while his followers die in the streets. He is using poor people as foot soldiers to exact revenge on the country that ousted him and seized his fortune. He hopes to return to regain his position as leader, and to get his money back.

The red protesters are not well informed and have difficulty articulating the exact purpose of the protests. With little thought of the future they place themselves in harms way. They have little respect for the lives of their fellow citizens whom they have placed in grave danger. Also they have little respect for their own lives and behave recklessly. In one instace a red protester placed a small child on top of a barricade during firefight with the army. The video of this act of lunacy was broadcast around the world.

Thaksin on one hand calls for mediation to the press, while urging his followers to shoot foreigners, medics, and journalists to implicate the army. Slain red general Seh Daeng claimed to be getting his orders directly from Thaksin. He had no desire to see the protests end peacefully. The main concern of red leaders at this point is to negotiate amnesty so that they can be reunited with their swollen bank accounts and not be imprisoned.

I wish this was a story about democracy and equality, but the war in Bangkok is about greed and power. The poor peasants will suffer and die, but they will not share in the spoils of war. They were offered an election, and turned it down. Their party of choice has won at least four consecutive elections. If the governments have not met their needs they have only themselves to blame.

now why cant you be the chief editor for the BBC, CNN, and all the rest of them? You ought to get a lifetime supply of Chang for this (never mind that it is working class beer!)

[timekeeper]

Obviously, the army has every right to shoot the armed fractions, but they have absolutely no excuse for shooting at women and children. Shame on them

The women and children have every oppotunity to get out of the trouble that the armed factions are causing.

They fact that many of them are staying basically means that they support what the armed factions are doing.

If they support them, then they need to live (or unfortunately, possibly die) with the consequences.

Absolutely correct. It's called "collateral damage" or perhaps "thinning of the herd", "survival of the fittist", etc. The bottom line is, they seal their own fate with their own wise or foolish decisions. The choice is theirs.

Murder apologist.

"collateral damage" is just another word for killing innocent civilians. It is military lingua, the language of soldiers. The language of trained murderers.

Declaring a rally site to a live firing zone doesn't make the killings lawful or acceptable.

Any government that is willing to this is an dictatorship has to be kicked out of office soon as possible.

the UN defines these people as terrorists

they are not innocent civilians

From UN definition of terrorism

"In November 2004, a United Nations Secretary General report described terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act". "

By this definition the Issan Army occupying central Bangkok are terrorists.

[timekeeper]

Is it just me that thinks we should be trying to discuss possible ways to put this to an end - ways that would work for both parties?

Would the Nov 14 election be acceptable if put back on the table without silly conditions.

House dissolution guaranteed on Oct 1 in return the reds must leave all protest area immediately?

Time for everyone to take a long look in the mirror.

Funny how the red shirt leaders promised they would turn themselves in on the 15th no matter what happened...

If they wouldn't promise things that they know they cannot keep, maybe this wouldn't be.

[seahorse]

From UN definition of terrorism

"In November 2004, a United Nations Secretary General report described terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act". "

By this definition the Issan Army occupying central Bangkok are terrorists.

Good post.

Thailand Red Shirts and Violence

Terror in Thailand

[seahorse]

Dan Rivers gets criticised for his reports

[Mekhong]

Dan Rivers gets criticised for his reports

At last. Excellent letter

[seahorse]

Bunjob: "It's not only a class struggle between the rural people and the city life people. Also a struggle between the two groups of military. One is loyal to the King and the other one is loyal to Mr Thaksin. What's happening right now is that the poor people are being exploited to be a part of it."

Sean: "The lese majeste law is somewhat handicap the political opponent to use it against us and we feel this law has to be examined."

[Robby nz]

But some demonstrators had grown worried about their young family members.

"When I came to join the rally, I also brought along two grandchildren. Now, I'm concerned about their safety," a woman admitted. She wanted to leave the rally site but feared what might happen.

"I was told that the soldiers around the rally site are not Thais. So, I think it's safer to huddle together inside the temple compound," she said.

Wonder if this means that the rumours of the red leaders telling the mob that the soldiers are from Burma and Cambodia were true?

[timekeeper]

Dan Rivers gets criticised for his reports

thats a letter that should be labeled as required reading.......

EDIT i have just sent it through to CNN as a complaint feedback comment

i recommend others take 5 minutes to do the same

Edited May 18, 2010 by timekeeper

[bkkjames]

Dan Rivers gets criticised for his reports

thats a letter that should be labeled as required reading.......

For non FB users, can some paste it on here?

[timekeeper]

Dan Rivers gets criticised for his reports

thats a letter that should be labeled as required reading.......

For non FB users, can some paste it on here?

here you go:

Open Letter to CNN International Share Yesterday at 5:19pm Dear Sirs/Madams,

Recently, CNN Thailand Correspondents Dan Rivers and Sarah Snider have made me seriously reconsider your agency as a source for reliable and accurate unbiased news. As of this writing, over thousands of CNN’s viewers have already begun to question the accuracy and dependability of its reporting as regards events in Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, Iran, etc., in addition to Bangkok.

As a first-rate global news agency, CNN has an inherent professional duty to deliver all sides of the truth to the global public who have faithfully and sincerely placed their trust and reliance in you. Your news network, by its longtime transnational presence and extensive reach, has been put in a position of trust and care; CNN’s journalists, reporters, and researchers have a collective responsibility to follow the journalist's code and ethics to deliver and present facts from all facets of the story, not merely one-sided, shallow and sensational half-truths. The magnitude of harm or potential extent of damage that erroneous and fallacious news reporting can cause to (and exacerbate), not only a country’s internal state of affairs, economic well-being, and general international perception, but also the real lives and livelihood of the innocent and voiceless people of that nation, is enormous. CNN should not negligently discard its duty of care to the international populace by reporting single-sided or unverified facts and distorted truths drawn from superficial research, or display/distribute biased images which capture only one side of the actual event.

Mr. Rivers and Ms. Snider have NOT done their best under these life-threatening circumstances because many other foreign correspondents have done better. All of Mr. Rivers and Ms. Sniders' quotes and statements seem to have been solely taken from the anti-government protest leaders or their followers/sympathizers. Yet, all details about the government’s position have come from secondary resources. No direct interviews with government officials have been shown; no interviews or witness statements from ordinary Bangkok residents or civilians unaffiliated with the protesters, particularly those who have been harassed by or suffered at the hands of the protesters, have been circulated.

Why the discrepancy in source of information? Why the failure to report all of the government’s previous numerous attempts to negotiate or invitations for protesters to go home? Why no broadcasts shown of the myriad ways the red protesters have terrorized and harmed innocent civilians by burning their shops, enclosing burning tyres around apartment buildings, shooting glass marbles at civilians from high altitudes, attacking civilians in their cars, and worst of all, obstructing paramedics and ambulances carrying civilians injured by M79 grenade blasts during the Silom incident of April 24, 2010, thereby resulting in the sole civilian casualty? The entire timeline of events that have forced the government to take this difficult stance has been hugely and callously ignored in deference to the red ‘underdogs’.

Mr. Rivers and Ms. Snider’s choice of sensational vocabulary and terminology in every newscast or news report, and choice of images to broadcast, has resulted in law-abiding soldiers and the heavily-pressured Thai government being painted in a negative, harsh, and oppressive light, whereas the genuinely violent and law-breaking arm of the anti-government protesters - who are directly responsible for overt acts of aggression not only against armed soldiers but also against helpless, unarmed civilians and law-abiding apolitical residents of this once blooming metropolis (and whose actions under American law would by now be classified as terrorist activities) – are portrayed as righteous freedom fighters deserving of worldwide sympathy and support. This has mislead the various international Human Rights watchdogs to believe the Thai government are sending trigger-happy soldiers out to ruthlessly murder unarmed civilians without just cause.

As a current resident of "war zone" Bangkok who has experienced the effect of the Red protests first hand and is living in a state of constant terror and anxiety as to whether her family, friends, and home would get bombed or attacked by the hardcore anti-government vigilantes/paramilitary forces - I appeal to CNN's professional integrity to critically investigate and scrutinize the misinformed news reporting of your above-named correspondents. If they are incapable of obtaining genuine, authentic facts from any other source except the Red Protest leaders and red-sympathizing Thai translators or acquaintances, or from fellow non-Thai-speaking journalists who are similarly ignorant of Thai language, culture, history, and society, then perhaps CNN should consider reassigning field correspondents to Thailand.

I implore and urge you to please take serious action to correct or reverse the grave injustice that has been done to the Thai nation, her government, and the majority of law-abiding Thai citizens and expatriate residents by having endorsed and widely circulated poorly researched and misrepresented news coverage of the current ongoing political unrest and escalating violence in Thailand.

Copies of this open letter have also been distributed to other local as well as international news media and social networks for public information. Please feel free to contact me further should you require any additional concrete and reputable evidence in substantiation and corroboration of my complaints and claims stated hereinabove.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Napas Na Pombejra, B.A., LL.B. (Lond.)

Bangkok, Thailand

May 17, 2010

Addendum

Enclosed herewith for your attention and information some examples of other quality international news bulletins by respectable foreign journalists so you may assess at your leisure the sub-par quality and misleading nature of Mr. Rivers and Ms. Sniders' journalism:

1. New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/world/asia/16thai.html

2. Fox News/Associated Press:

(i) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/16/ch...ackdown-killed/

(ii) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/17/th...haos-continues/

3. Global Post: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/thailan...rotests-bangkok

4. NHK: http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/17_15.html

5. Al Jazeera: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/li...1540981286.html

6. Deutsche Welle (English media in Germany):

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5575254,00.html

7. Local English daily newspaper’s chronology of events on Day 3 of “War in Bangkok”:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/...n-30129533.html

Youtube Videos, images, articles showing what CNN has failed to circulate:

1.

2.

3.

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=4hmSPb...feature=related

5.

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=XRi6m7...feature=related

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=Aws3ZM...feature=related

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=giuEOQ...feature=related

9. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=yy3a73...feature=related

10.

11.

12. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=LXMmQR...feature=related

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=FWN7zY...feature=related

14.

15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioOrreuQ94c

16. http://tweetphoto.com/22647514

17. http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion...bshare.me_AMdZh

18. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3337...118996168116475

19. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=El-zPy...feature=related

20. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=KzcVcH...feature=related

21.

22. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=34hSEP...feature=related

23. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=kuAQyc...feature=related

24. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=Pv9Hpf...feature=related

25.

26. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3282...p;id=1785951766

27. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5959...mp;id=506055218

28. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5960...mp;id=506055218

29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8684405.stm

30. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=...1067&ref=mf

[LuckyLew]

Open Letter to CNN International

Yesterday at 4:19pm Dear Sirs/Madams,

Recently, CNN Thailand Correspondents Dan Rivers and Sarah Snider have made me seriously reconsider your agency as a source for reliable and accurate unbiased news. As of this writing, over thousands of CNN’s viewers have already begun to question the accuracy and dependability of its reporting as regards events in Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, Iran, etc., in addition to Bangkok.

As a first-rate global news agency, CNN has an inherent professional duty to deliver all sides of the truth to the global public who have faithfully and sincerely placed their trust and reliance in you. Your news network, by its longtime transnational presence and extensive reach, has been put in a position of trust and care; CNN’s journalists, reporters, and researchers have a collective responsibility to follow the journalist's code and ethics to deliver and present facts from all facets of the story, not merely one-sided, shallow and sensational half-truths. The magnitude of harm or potential extent of damage that erroneous and fallacious news reporting can cause to (and exacerbate), not only a country’s internal state of affairs, economic well-being, and general international perception, but also the real lives and livelihood of the innocent and voiceless people of that nation, is enormous. CNN should not negligently discard its duty of care to the international populace by reporting single-sided or unverified facts and distorted truths drawn from superficial research, or display/distribute biased images which capture only one side of the actual event.

Mr. Rivers and Ms. Snider have NOT done their best under these life-threatening circumstances because many other foreign correspondents have done better. All of Mr. Rivers and Ms. Sniders' quotes and statements seem to have been solely taken from the anti-government protest leaders or their followers/sympathizers. Yet, all details about the government’s position have come from secondary resources. No direct interviews with government officials have been shown; no interviews or witness statements from ordinary Bangkok residents or civilians unaffiliated with the protesters, particularly those who have been harassed by or suffered at the hands of the protesters, have been circulated.

Why the discrepancy in source of information? Why the failure to report all of the government’s previous numerous attempts to negotiate or invitations for protesters to go home? Why no broadcasts shown of the myriad ways the red protesters have terrorized and harmed innocent civilians by burning their shops, enclosing burning tyres around apartment buildings, shooting glass marbles at civilians from high altitudes, attacking civilians in their cars, and worst of all, obstructing paramedics and ambulances carrying civilians injured by M79 grenade blasts during the Silom incident of April 24, 2010, thereby resulting in the sole civilian casualty? The entire timeline of events that have forced the government to take this difficult stance has been hugely and callously ignored in deference to the red ‘underdogs’.

Mr. Rivers and Ms. Snider’s choice of sensational vocabulary and terminology in every newscast or news report, and choice of images to broadcast, has resulted in law-abiding soldiers and the heavily-pressured Thai government being painted in a negative, harsh, and oppressive light, whereas the genuinely violent and law-breaking arm of the anti-government protesters - who are directly responsible for overt acts of aggression not only against armed soldiers but also against helpless, unarmed civilians and law-abiding apolitical residents of this once blooming metropolis (and whose actions under American law would by now be classified as terrorist activities) – are portrayed as righteous freedom fighters deserving of worldwide sympathy and support. This has mislead the various international Human Rights watchdogs to believe the Thai government are sending trigger-happy soldiers out to ruthlessly murder unarmed civilians without just cause.

As a current resident of "war zone" Bangkok who has experienced the effect of the Red protests first hand and is living in a state of constant terror and anxiety as to whether her family, friends, and home would get bombed or attacked by the hardcore anti-government vigilantes/paramilitary forces - I appeal to CNN's professional integrity to critically investigate and scrutinize the misinformed news reporting of your above-named correspondents. If they are incapable of obtaining genuine, authentic facts from any other source except the Red Protest leaders and red-sympathizing Thai translators or acquaintances, or from fellow non-Thai-speaking journalists who are similarly ignorant of Thai language, culture, history, and society, then perhaps CNN should consider reassigning field correspondents to Thailand.

I implore and urge you to please take serious action to correct or reverse the grave injustice that has been done to the Thai nation, her government, and the majority of law-abiding Thai citizens and expatriate residents by having endorsed and widely circulated poorly researched and misrepresented news coverage of the current ongoing political unrest and escalating violence in Thailand.

Copies of this open letter have also been distributed to other local as well as international news media and social networks for public information. Please feel free to contact me further should you require any additional concrete and reputable evidence in substantiation and corroboration of my complaints and claims stated hereinabove.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Addendum

Enclosed herewith for your attention and information some examples of other quality international news bulletins by respectable foreign journalists so you may assess at your leisure the sub-par quality and misleading nature of Mr. Rivers and Ms. Sniders' journalism:

1. New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/world/asia/16thai.html

2. Fox News/Associated Press:

(i) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/16/ch...ackdown-killed/

(ii) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/17/th...haos-continues/

3. Global Post: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/thailan...rotests-bangkok

4. NHK: http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/17_15.html

5. Al Jazeera: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/li...1540981286.html

6. Deutsche Welle (English media in Germany):

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5575254,00.html

7. Local English daily newspaper’s chronology of events on Day 3 of “War in Bangkok”:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/...n-30129533.html

Youtube Videos, images, articles showing what CNN has failed to circulate:

1.

2.

3.

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=4hmSPb...feature=related

5.

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=XRi6m7...feature=related

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=Aws3ZM...feature=related

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=giuEOQ...feature=related

9. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=yy3a73...feature=related

10.

11.

12. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=LXMmQR...feature=related

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=FWN7zY...feature=related

14.

15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioOrreuQ94c

16. http://tweetphoto.com/22647514

17. http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion...bshare.me_AMdZh

18. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3337...118996168116475

19. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=El-zPy...feature=related

20. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=KzcVcH...feature=related

21.

22. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=34hSEP...feature=related

23. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=kuAQyc...feature=related

24. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=Pv9Hpf...feature=related

25.

26. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3282...p;id=1785951766

27. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5959...mp;id=506055218

28. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5960...mp;id=506055218

29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8684405.stm

30. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=...1067&ref=mf

[brahmburgers]

The # of deaths at the riots in recent days adds up to just a shade more than the average # of deaths on Thai highways every day. Not to lessen one category or the other, but are highways deaths (most caused by drunk drivers) less lamentable than non-vehicular deaths? We see some bloodied bodies on sidewalks, and international news agencies go ga-ga (as perhaps they should), but Int'l news agencies never do specials or show photos of the 30+ highway casualties that take place on any given day within Thailand.

[Phuket Stan]

Perhaps we could induce the good lady who wrote to CNN also forwad it to BBCrap

[neverdie]

That baby shouldn't be there in the first place, you're right. But also:

Nobody shooting at the baby = baby not human shield.

OMG - did you just say that unless someone actually physically shots the baby it is not a human shield?

Sorry, should have said:

Nobody pointing a gun at the baby = baby not human shield.

I really hope you're not going to execute me for my mistake.

Making things up as we go along, are we?

[timekeeper]

Perhaps we could induce the good lady who wrote to CNN also forwad it to BBCrap

lets all join together and do that for her

if you throw enough shit, some will stick.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/homepage/

Edited May 18, 2010 by timekeeper

[KayT]

If the Army is worried about people breaking the law, why don't they just arrest themselves for the illegal coup. With the Army self-jailed, all would be peaceful in this lovely Kingdom.

"the Reds have broken the law."

So when the Reds come storming down your street or threaten your family and your safety I hope and pray that the Army is there to protect you.That is what they are doing now.Containing violence in the way they were trained to keep others safe.

I don't understand what the big dilema about the id card is. Simply leave, get another id card at a later date. Why bother even telling the leaders you're leaving.

With an ID card they know who you are,where you live and the fact that you supported the Reds.If you dont get it back it gives them something to follow you with no matter where you go. It has nothing to do with the ease or not of getting a new one.

But some demonstrators had grown worried about their young family members.

"When I came to join the rally, I also brought along two grandchildren. Now, I'm concerned about their safety," a woman admitted. She wanted to leave the rally site but feared what might happen.

"I was told that the soldiers around the rally site are not Thais. So, I think it's safer to huddle together inside the temple compound," she said.

Wonder if this means that the rumours of the red leaders telling the mob that the soldiers are from Burma and Cambodia were true?

It seems from some other videos that the guards inside may be Cambodian as well and this lends credence to the words told by the Reds that the Army may be from other countries.I fear for all those true civilians who can not go home now even if they want to.

Thank you

[KMUTT]

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Napas Na Pombejra, B.A., LL.B. (Lond.)

Bangkok, Thailand

May 17, 2010

Excellent letter with numerous correct points. Thank you for posting.

I dare say that Thaksin's ex-wife, Potjaman Na Pombejra, will no doubt strike Napas off the invitation list for the Na Pombejra get-togethers.

[ChouDoufu]

if you throw enough shit, some will stick.....

if anyone is interested in the conduct of news agencies during times of crisis, you only have to look at the 'news'

during the recent tibet rioting. coverage was clearly biased against the chinese, and the coverage was incredibly

shoddy.

(i could dig up some links if necessary) there were quite a few instances where photos taken in nepal or india

showing police officers clashing with protestors, but the text would state something on the order of "chinese

police crack down." also pictures taken in tibet showing a military vehicle, with the text similar to "chinese

troops pour into tibet, lockdown, etc" only thing is, they cropped the photos. in one, there were chinese

medics delivering supplies, in another, the tibetan protestors throwing molotovs at the troops were cropped.

similar reporting at tiananmen, reporters not at the scene "reporting" third-hand rumors, yet claiming they

were eye-witness accounts by themselves.

point is.....blood and violence gets the reading public's attention. when the real story is too simple, the

coverage needs to be 'sexed up' otherwise readers lose interest. nothing better than a robin hood, poor

innocents slaughtered, david vs. goliath, political conspiracy, evil govenment crackdown to keep their

interest. the 'truth' often gets lost in the rush to print.

add to that the prevalence in the reports of the twitter tweets. if i understand, them tweets are limited to

140 characters. not enough care when composing these messages, opinion gets mixed in with fact,

and no way of knowing the source, are they on site, or spreading rumors? or are they spreading

disinformation? the more titillating tweets get picked up by 'news' organizations, on web boards, and

spread as fact. then the new 'facts' get quoted by the original 'news' as proof they were correct.

so sure, send in your complaint to cnn and bbc, but don't expect a change.

[toptuan]

"I was told that the soldiers around the rally site are not Thais. So, I think it's safer to huddle together inside the temple compound," she said.

Wonder if this means that the rumours of the red leaders telling the mob that the soldiers are from Burma and Cambodia were true?

It seems from some other videos that the guards inside may be Cambodian as well and this lends credence to the words told by the Reds that the Army may be from other countries.I fear for all those true civilians who can not go home now even if they want to.

Thank you

The fear-mongering again taps the xenophobic angle to keep things revved up.

Edited May 18, 2010 by toptuan

[Carib]

This letter was already discussed over two pages on TV, and guess what?? The whole topic was removed.

Guess TV leaders need to keep CNN as friends....

I was very very disappointed to see it happen. I had higher anticipations about TV being unbiased.

[whybother]

This letter was already discussed over two pages on TV, and guess what?? The whole topic was removed.

Guess TV leaders need to keep CNN as friends....

I was very very disappointed to see it happen. I had higher anticipations about TV being unbiased.

Closed, or deleted?

[rabo]

It's true the Kingdom of Thailand is more than the current governing coalition, there is an opposition party and of course there is the monarchy. ..............

And also an army, a supreme court, an election committee, an attorney general, a constitution, and other institutions yes? (sorry if the names are not exactly right, I know that these institutions exist but I do not know their formal name). And if I've understand well all these institutions have been established through a long democratization process. So again, collapse of government doesn't equals collapse of state.

Yes, but I wasn't speaking about a collapse of government, you were. I don't believe that is the insurgency's aim. If they were after democratic change they would have taken the deal they agreed to and later reneged on. They are clearly after something else.

I still don't see the threat of State collapse. Yes the whole issue about the deal and the negotiations doesn't make sense but I assume this is one of Thai "specialties". I don't know and I can't know for sure the background of the deal and I would agree that was extremely immature for the reds that they were not giving a clear answer but then look at the response! Instead of leaving their movement to fade out the response is snippers!

I think people here are a bit weary of digging out factual info as it's often strategically ignored (no reference to current posters)

But if you can google and find some of the red sites, (look for "Amataya" spelled อำมาตย /am-màat-tà-ya/ or อำมาตย์

/am-màat/ in Thai ), look at what they are describing as elites, it's the whole ball of wax including government organizations, monarchy, people at universities, and I saw on that included the head of TOT (or maybe it was Thai Airlines). They are talking about removing the state, not an elected government.

In all fairness, I think this is more emotional retoric, but clearly they are not complaining about a political issue.

Edited May 18, 2010 by rabo

[Carib]

This letter was already discussed over two pages on TV, and guess what?? The whole topic was removed.

Guess TV leaders need to keep CNN as friends....

I was very very disappointed to see it happen. I had higher anticipations about TV being unbiased.

Closed, or deleted?

Deleted, I got the board message..so.......

[seahorse]

The # of deaths at the riots in recent days adds up to just a shade more than the average # of deaths on Thai highways every day. Not to lessen one category or the other, but are highways deaths (most caused by drunk drivers) less lamentable than non-vehicular deaths? We see some bloodied bodies on sidewalks, and international news agencies go ga-ga (as perhaps they should), but Int'l news agencies never do specials or show photos of the 30+ highway casualties that take place on any given day within Thailand.

More people killed in Northern Ireland by road deaths than terrorism too.

[dobadoy]

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/1...s-children-army

[timekeeper]

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/1...s-children-army

well that's more realistic isn't it?

[Thai at Heart]

"I was told that the soldiers around the rally site are not Thais. So, I think it's safer to huddle together inside the temple compound," she said.

Wonder if this means that the rumours of the red leaders telling the mob that the soldiers are from Burma and Cambodia were true?

It seems from some other videos that the guards inside may be Cambodian as well and this lends credence to the words told by the Reds that the Army may be from other countries.I fear for all those true civilians who can not go home now even if they want to.

Thank you

The fear-mongering again taps the xenophobic angle to keep things revved up.

Indeed, I will wait for some very clear proof that the "Cambodians" are somehow involved in this. I mean it makes it so much easier to shoot people from countries which you despise than your own countrymen.

Of course, it could be that a lot of them are simply from down near Buriram or Surin, but we wouldn't want to confuse the issue and wonder why people from Newin's part of the world would want to bring down the Democrats.

[timekeeper]

Talks ongoing for peace: Weng

Red-shirt leader weng Tojirakarn on Tuesday admitted his colleague Veera Musigapong was engaging in a secret negotiation to bring about a peaceful resolution and an end to the Rajprasong rally.

Veera, who announced the suspension of his leadership in the red-shirt movement over the weekend, has remained in contacts with the government and the military, he said.

He voiced optimism that Veera would succeed in stopping the bloodshed.

the nation

18 05 2010

this is just a pre-amble to announcing Veera has switched sides and told the government where the money is coming from, who got it and where the bodies are buried

you do not think its a coincidence that Veera dissapears for 5 days, the government suddenly changes its emphasis over to Thaksin, who is now to blame for all this and they suddenly know which bank accounts are feeding the fire do you?

Veera has turned, watch this space.................