More Bloodshed In Bangkok As Red Siege Continues

[Explorer]

ok to view here - Bangkapi

[BKjohn]

Here a little snippet from a NYT article - no problem getting through

The military has fired live ammunition directly at protesters who have augmented their arsenal of homemade weapons with firebombs. Journalists have seen some of them carrying guns.

Also confirming that the protesters are carrying guns

[intothefuture]

Does this make sense?

The Thai military leader tells the press that there are now only 5000 people holding the area of Bangkok.

So the thai military cannot push out 5000 men women and children?

The answer is that the Abhisit Government and the Army/Police want to avoid loss of life and injury. They are being shot at. Grenades have been fired at the police and army and at innocent by standers....BY the Red Shirts. While many of the protesters are women, children and elderly..brought from the rural areas. They are infiltrated with trained renegade ex militia. Any full scale effort to remove the 5000 (or less) will simply mean dozens more dead..and many will be children and women and elderly. That is why the military and police refused to force them out until the destruction of private property, invasion of the hospital and refusal to even accept an agreement to hold new elections....created such a momentum of support for the government....that the military finally agreed that they must step in and end this. But even now...we are seeing very very careful efforts to slowly force the Reds to go home. The police have the power, yes. But to just go in firing away will cause too much injury and death. The reds have guns and grenades. They are mostly peaceful, but with a violent armed group hiding amongst the women and children. The Reds are cowards. What are their demands? Nothing. Just a new election to give their boss, the criminally corrupt Thaksin, a chance to get his money and power back. But we had an election...2 yrs after the coup. It was a hung election like England requiring the parliamentarians of several parties to form a coalition. Abhisit and the Democrats have a coalition that together received the majority of the votes in a free and fair election. Abhisit is a good man, in a tough situation...facing mobs of misinformed rural sheep, led by money grubbing red leaders paid by Thaksin. Some of the women and children are being held in by the Red leaders..not allowed to leave. Very sad. Any PM other than Abhisit would have gone in and blown the Red shirts away, regardless of loss of life.

[jcbangkok]

[rogerx007]

The government just declared a government holiday for Monday & Tuesday. The average Thai still has to go to work and risk being shot by army snipers in the head. Only government officials will get to stay safely at home. What a joke.

Now they're showing their true intentions. If they cared about every Thai, they would declare a national holiday, not just a public holiday.

You can't call it a National Holiday since it only applies to BKK.

But I'm concerned that by calling a holiday that things will never get resolved ... doesn't the army stop working on holidays and if it rains?

but calling a holiday covering private sector wud mean less people on the street and a few less death... but then they must be having better reason for not doing so...

[Netfan]

This is awful. Thai army firing at civilians. And all the 20+ deaths so far have been civilians. I can't see things calming down after this. Isaan and northern people will be seething.

You guys do know that the money has been frozen, right?

[timekeeper]

For me too. The Thai Government has just blocked www.ireport.com

What's next? Kick out international media journalists? Arrest foreigners?

its still up, don't overreact and simply get a decent connection

some 'media'' ought to be kicked out

CNN, BBC and the like daren't report the truth

only Al Jazeera comes close

at least they dare to show film of reds carrying guns instead of covering it up like its a dirty little red secret

try this link for CNN i-report

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-444833

works for me

Edited May 16, 2010 by timekeeper

[Who, me ?]

It has become "all or nothing" for both the parties now...

It Reds win they will hunt down each of the present government..

And govt is anyway going to do all it could to stop that happening...

The losers of this battle is surely not goin to have a further political career for sure....

There is a way out for both sides. Elections. Now. And the violence stops immediately because everyone will be out campaigning.

Wet dream, again..........

Reds protest (and now rebellion) is NOT about democracy, it has NEVER been.....

[gemini81]

Elections are not a way out. That's giving in to a violent mob of thugs. All that will do is encourage the next mob of a few thousand to come out fighting when they want the government to step down.

nonono, this can work. mr A can call for immediate elections.

provided there is a time period for parties to organize or re-organize,

candidates to be selected, election monitors to be hired and trained.

let's see.........16 months should be sufficient.

get real! please!

You think they'll just go home and never do anything violent ever again? Parties reorganize? its the same parties with same interests under a different name! you need some more understanding of the laws here and the system. to stop coups and even the whole gov't process, they would need a new constitution.

and you're saying that you would give into the demands of these thugs and rebels? which is essentially what they are.

[KhunVee]

CNN ireporters pages now being blocked. I cannot view any of my or other ireports about Thai protests. how about anyone else?

this is what pops up now

http://58.97.5.29/www.capothai.org/

The iReport website of CNN is Blocked now.

This is the Google Translation.

CORRECTION

Direct link is working

www.ireport.com

[rogerx007]

This is awful. Thai army firing at civilians. And all the 20+ deaths so far have been civilians. I can't see things calming down after this. Isaan and northern people will be seething.

You guys do know that the money has been frozen, right?

and u do think Thaksin left his money in thai banks for the govt to freeze it ... its just a publicity gimmick...

[ungcas]

Pull the Army out. Dissolve parliament. Then the reds will go home. Dont be fooled. The army is killing civillians, just like they killed Seh Daeng. The government is stupid. Why do they think ths is going to work? Its taking Thailand back 30 years in the eyes of the world. You have to compromise and find a resolution. The government should dissolve immedaitely and elections should follow. It is the will of the people of Thailand.

Wow first post. So many new people in the last couple hours. Probably same accounts or people who got temp bans.

[timekeeper]

This is awful. Thai army firing at civilians. And all the 20+ deaths so far have been civilians. I can't see things calming down after this. Isaan and northern people will be seething.

You guys do know that the money has been frozen, right?

good call !

[nickupton]

It has become "all or nothing" for both the parties now...

It Reds win they will hunt down each of the present government..

And govt is anyway going to do all it could to stop that happening...

The losers of this battle is surely not goin to have a further political career for sure....

There is a way out for both sides. Elections. Now. And the violence stops immediately because everyone will be out campaigning.

Wet dream, again..........

Reds protest (and now rebellion) is NOT about democracy, it has NEVER been.....

Well they won't be out campaigning because we know how people are dealt with by the reds when they don't agree with them. Only PT will be able to campaign in many areas because paid mobs will be mobilised to intimidate/assault/kill anyone else.

[animatic]

It has become "all or nothing" for both the parties now...

It Reds win they will hunt down each of the present government..

And govt is anyway going to do all it could to stop that happening...

The losers of this battle is surely not goin to have a further political career for sure....

There is a way out for both sides. Elections. Now. And the violence stops immediately because everyone will be out campaigning.

Elections are not a way out. That's giving in to a violent mob of thugs. All that will do is encourage the next mob of a few thousand to come out fighting when they want the government to step down.

Plus this means that these same people will be crawling all over issan using similarly MAD tactics,

to make sure very vote goes to their PTP friends, who then will move heaven and earth to

bring back Thaksin and the TRT banned 111 who have basically financed and lead this inssurectioin.

NO chance for campaigning by ANY but red candidates, and utter terror for any who dared to try.

Sorry this mob regionally has used similar abhorent tactics for years

and unless they are quelled now they will surely be MUCH WORSE.

The time for a snap election is well and truly passed.

Reconstruction will be sooner on the agenda.

Edited May 16, 2010 by animatic

[Neurath]

Economist has been banned a few times in print here, so linking is not considered safe.

The print articles dealt with issues that are not spoken of, and not in nice ways, by most accounts.

Not banned. Distributors decided not to circulate - for fear of legal retribution.

[ChouDoufu]

and you're saying that you would give into the demands of these thugs and rebels? which is essentially what they are.

hehehe, did you check the dates?

i said 16 months.....which would be.......oct 2011.

is that not when elections are scheduled anyways?

[VictorMeldrewBKK]

For me too. The Thai Government has just blocked www.ireport.com

What's next? Kick out international media journalists? Arrest foreigners?

its still up, don't overreact and simply get a decent connection

some 'media'' ought to be kicked out

CNN, BBC and the like daren't report the truth

only Al Jazeera comes close

at least they dare to show film of reds carrying guns instead of covering it up like its a dirty little red secret

try this link for CNN i-report

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-444833

works for me

NOT working for me

[Netfan]

The government just declared a government holiday for Monday & Tuesday. The average Thai still has to go to work and risk being shot by army snipers in the head. Only government officials will get to stay safely at home. What a joke.

Now they're showing their true intentions. If they cared about every Thai, they would declare a national holiday, not just a public holiday.

You can't call it a National Holiday since it only applies to BKK.

But I'm concerned that by calling a holiday that things will never get resolved ... doesn't the army stop working on holidays and if it rains?

but calling a holiday covering private sector wud mean less people on the street and a few less death... but then they must be having better reason for not doing so...

I've been searching your posts and I can't find where once you suggested the government call a national holiday for 2 days. Until now. So you are not concerned with anyone's safety, only a spurious chance to jump on the government. Why don't you encourage the red leaders to announce to their followers to stop shooting at people, especially those just trying to get to work? Maybe because you don't give 2 s#it$ about the people, only tearing down the country?

[jcbangkok]

Maybe they think world media not know they are oppresive junta with smiley abhisit face at front. now want to do this to CNN to prove that they are oopresive junta with......

i-reports is like a blog of unconfirmed pictures, videos and comments. I seriously doubt it was purposely blocked unless false stuff was being put up. It is more likely the result of automatic blocking through software that finds certain content or combinations of words objectionable. You will see some sights get blocked for a short period and then come back on. My guess is that somebody posted some inflammatory stuff about the monarchy or used combinations of hateful or swear words close to talking about the same which set off the block.

But I could also be talking out my azz. I just know the way some blocking software works and am assuming the gov't is not doing all this manually especially considering they don't want to provoke an international news outlet such as cnn,

[aaacorp]

Thi si going really too far....

[ChouDoufu]

and you're saying that you would give into the demands of these thugs and rebels? which is essentially what they are.

hehehe, did you check the dates?

i said 16 months.....which would be.......oct 2011.

is that not when elections are scheduled anyways?

[animatic]

Both cnn.com and iReports work for me.

Time to edit out those giant red block letters, waste of space and eye stiain.

[intothefuture]

There is a way out for both sides. Elections. Now. And the violence stops immediately because everyone will be out campaigning....lilkity...

Response to above comment:

Why are so many foreigners confused? There was an election.....2 years after the coup...And Thaksin's Party, the Puea Thai party was allowed to fully participate, but it did not win the majority. The parliamentarians had to form a coalition government. The Abhisit government of the Democrats is a coalition of 5 parties...many of whom represent the rural poor. Thaksin and the Puea Thai and their Red Shirt mobs are poor losers and using violence and mob intimidation to undo an election that was open, free and fair. This is all about Thaksin funding thugs to lead mobs with misinformation to help him get his money and power back. The Red Shirts have armed thugs hiding behind women and children. Many police and innocents have been murdered by the Red Shirts. The Red Shirts are using the word Democracy....but are trying to violently undo the democratic election of 2008.

Edited May 16, 2010 by intothefuture

[ETatBKK]

This is awful. Thai army firing at civilians. And all the 20+ deaths so far have been civilians. I can't see things calming down after this. Isaan and northern people will be seething.

what you you think IF you see 20+ deaths are all soldiers or police ?

would if suggest that the reds is doing wrong ?

sorry my simple logic doesn't follow.

[OzMick]

TNN: Showing Patpong streets completly empty, except for a few girls working at the bars.

[ChouDoufu]

==duplicate==

Edited May 16, 2010 by ChouDoufu

[gemini81]

Thi si going really too far....

hey not a bad idea! if they don't wanna hire some Israeli riot police or Blackwater mercenaries, hire some disposable drois to get the job done, may be cheaper too. live rounds.

[ChouDoufu]

and you're saying that you would give into the demands of these thugs and rebels? which is essentially what they are.

hehehe, did you check the dates?

i said 16 months.....which would be.......oct 2011.

is that not when elections are scheduled anyways?

[haroldc]

test

site works perfectly for me... when did you take your last pill?