Thousands Of Thai Protesters Defy Deadline To Leave

[webfact]

Thousands of Thai protesters defy deadline to leave

by Anusak Konglang

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Thousands of protesters in the Thai capital defied a deadline to leave their fortified encampment Monday despite the threat of a crackdown after street clashes that left at least 35 people dead.

A renegade Thai general allied with the anti-government Reds died in hospital on Monday, days after he was shot during an interview with a foreign reporter on the edge of the demonstrators' main rally base.

The escalating violence has turned parts of the city into no-go zones as troops use live ammunition against protesters, who have blocked streets with burning tyres and fought back, mainly with homemade weapons.

Protesters were ordered to leave by 3:00 pm (0800 GMT) Monday. Authorities dropped leaflets from a small plane flying overhead asking people to evacuate the area, which remained calm soon after the deadline passed.

Red Shirts were seen dancing and a Buddhist monk led prayers on the stage inside the rally site, which stretches for several kilometres (miles).

Police estimated 5,000 people remained there despite the threat of forced dispersal by the security forces.

"The operation (to disperse) will be executed as soon as possible," said Satit Wonghnongtaey, minister attached to the prime minister's office.

"CRES will explain to the public after the operation is completed," he told reporters, referring to the government unit set up to deal with the crisis.

"The authorities will do everything possible to inform (the Reds) to leave, including broadcast radio messages, police loudspeaker trucks and leaflets," Satit said.

Three times on television the government broadcast its warning for the thousands of demonstrators to evacuate their base in the Ratchaprasong upscale retail and hotel district in the heart of the city.

Those who stay face two years in prison, said the broadcast, warning also that their lives are at risk from "terrorist attack" at the rally site.

Thai authorities said Sunday they would send the Red Cross to help evacuate the area of women, children and the elderly who wanted to leave.

But there was no rush to leave the camp where men, children and women -- including a breast-feeding mother -- remained on Monday.

Earlier in the day, behind a Red Shirt barricade on the edge of the camp Vinit Virangtong, 43, dragged a suitcase deeper inside the danger zone.

"I'm staying here but I'm moving inside," he said. "The situation is now dangerous. They're shooting into here and it's not safe."

Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, a key Red supporter known as Seh Daeng, died in hospital on Monday as the toll from three days of street violence hit 35 dead, excluding the general, and 244 injured, officials said.

The government has ordered schools not to reopen after summer holidays, and it declared two days of national holidays to keep civilians off the streets.

Commuter train services were shut for the third straight day and large parts of the city -- including the Silom financial and entertainment district -- remained too risky to enter.

"Very dangerous," one soldier said Monday as small explosions sounded at his position, while other troops kept a Red blockade under surveillance through binoculars.

Early Monday, guests at a luxury hotel in the city of 12 million people were forced to shelter in the basement after the building came under gunfire and was rattled by an explosion on the fringes of the Red camp.

The Reds called Sunday for UN-mediated talks with the government, which swiftly rejected the idea, saying it was an internal matter.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has shelved a plan to hold early elections -- which the Red Shirts initially agreed to -- because the protesters refused to disperse.

The Reds consider the government illegitimate because it came to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court ruling ousted elected allies of their hero, telecoms tycoon turned former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Australia became the latest country to close its Bangkok embassy to visitors.

The crisis has now left 66 people dead, including Seh Daeng, and about 1,700 wounded. Twenty-five people died in a failed army crackdown on April 10.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-05-17

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[neverdie]

A real mess indeed. They must be really proud of themselves.

[mizzi39]

Wow! The reds defied the deadline? I thought that they would pack up and go home peacefully .

[elcent]

outrageous!

[CelticBhoy]

As a father of a wee boy that leaves me speechless.

[MisterBeetle]

As a father of a wee boy that leaves me speechless.

Agreed! what a freak!

[yoshiwara]

Wow! The reds defied the deadline? I thought that they would pack up and go home peacefully .

Well since the reds claimed a million would come that means that with 5000 remaining, 995,000 have gone home.

[neverdie]

outrageous!

Yes the man speaking is actually telling the child to wave to the army. What is he thinking?

[somtampet]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

[Lopburi99]

outrageous!

Why am I not surprised?

[wlcart]

outrageous!

The kid probably just got off from working all night selling flowers down at Nana. My point is I have long been disgusted by child human standards in Thailand.

[SomTumTiger]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[jdinasia]

There is nothing else the government can do at this time. The reds have painted the government into a corner.

Look at the last 4 days. The government moves to contain the Rachprasong rally. Contain ---- not crackdown! The troops move in to the areas around the reds and the reds attack. They continue to come OUT of Rachprasong and attack. The troops have not moved into the rachprasong area. The troops are working on containing them and that is all.

Personally, I assume that the government thought that this would happen. The roudier, violent, and less well trained reds are coming out and attacking and this so far has kept the 'relatively' innocent grannies, women, and totally innocent children safer inside the main rally encampment while the troops deal with the more violent reds.

I am stymied at how they plan to really proceed though. I don't see how they can move in from here. I also think that Sae Daeng's ronin will open fire on the hostages inside the red compound if the government moves in, in a bid to discredit the government.

I hope they have a plan that can give some safety to the grannies and children.

[elcent]

-- The Nation

Pheu Thai MPs, party officials rush out of party head office

Pheu Thai Party MPs rushed out of the party at 3 pm and closed the party head officer, leaving red-shirt people outside.

The MPs and officials at the party head office, which is located near Montien Hotel on Suriwonge Road, left the head office when a plane distributed copies of an order of the Centre for Resolution of Emergency Situation, urging the people to leave the protest zone.

Earlier, the party allowed red-shirt people to gather at the party if they could not join the protest at Rajprasong.

The MPs included party spokesman Prompong Nopprit and Bangkok MP Wicharn Minchainan.

The abrupt closure of the party's door caused the red-shirt people there to become dissatisfied. They complained that the MPs left women and children without caring about their safety.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[whybother]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

That's what a human shield is - "don't shoot at us behind standing behind the red barricades because we have brought our children here."

[stingray]

My wife told me, there are some rumours arround that the red guards not let anyone out (quit), even if they want go. But as i said, these are rumours only.

[somtampet]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

You took the words right out of my mouth.

I get less and less surprised by farangs on here,with their blinkered views and make up stories.In fact i would suggest a lack of reality too.

[Who, me ?]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

I can only hope that I don't know you in the real life, that I never met you, and that I will never meet you.....I am disgusted by your post

[jdinasia]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

Carrying a child to a barricade where you are likely to encounter violence and then showing the child IS using the child as a human shield. The child shouldn't be there and the parents should be tried for negligence! If the troops take fire from that area they are now faced with the moral quandry --- return fire knowing a child is there or accept the fire!

Mixing in non-combatants with combatants is the very definition of using human shields.

[somtampet]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

That's what a human shield is - "don't shoot at us behind standing behind the red barricades because we have brought our children here."

Not even worth a reply if thats what you think a human shield is

[frankman]

baby in a warzone is just WRONG!!!!!!!!!! what's up with you red murder!!!!!!

[siampolee]

elcent

Pheu Thai MPs, party officials rush out of party head office

Pheu Thai Party MPs rushed out of the party at 3 pm and closed the party head officer, leaving red-shirt people outside.

The MPs and officials at the party head office, which is located near Montien Hotel on Suriwonge Road, left the head office when a plane distributed copies of an order of the Centre for Resolution of Emergency Situation, urging the people to leave the protest zone.

Earlier, the party allowed red-shirt people to gather at the party if they could not join the protest at Rajprasong.

The MPs included party spokesman Prompong Nopprit and Bangkok MP Wicharn Minchainan.

The abrupt closure of the party's door caused the red-shirt people there to become dissatisfied. They complained that the MPs left women and children without caring about their safety.

Now we see how the elite value their pawns.

Edited May 17, 2010 by siampolee

[meom]

Yes the man speaking is actually telling the child to wave to the army. What is he thinking?

Prolly thinking about Michael Jackson.

[Arjay]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

Your CRAZY! No excuse for putting innocent child in line of fire. Did he ask to be there? In the U.S.A. they cite you for not having a child in a car seat!!!!

[whybother]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

That's what a human shield is - "don't shoot at us behind standing behind the red barricades because we have brought our children here."

Not even worth a reply if thats what you think a human shield is

Please. Enlighten us with your definition.

[yoshiwara]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

You took the words right out of my mouth.

I get less and less surprised by farangs on here,with their blinkered views and make up stories.In fact i would suggest a lack of reality too.

Not as much lack of reality as the red apologists now reduced to defending the use of children on the barricades.

Very simple. The father should take him home rather than use him as a protection shield to wave at the army.

[wlcart]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

I can only hope that I don't know you in the real life, that I never met you, and that I will never meet you.....I am disgusted by your post

I agree, what difference does it make how you title this act, no matter what, it is CHILD ABUSE. You cannot make up any phrase or word that I would consider to harsh to describe this.

Anyone who accepts this behavior or defends ANY part of it should be ashamed.

[mic6ard]

If we decide to appease the international standard, talk will resume. But given the way that the UDD are behaving, should talk resume and only to be broken down by unbelievable demands again? The funny thing is how the international press (CNN and BBC) are portraying Thaksin as 'only' living abroad and not as a fugitive, what gives, are there too many definition of fugitive? It's these kind of press misinformation that gives Thaksin legitimacy to his claim of innocence.

Now that it's off my chest. Let's get back on topic.

since the govenrment gave the UDD a clear deadline to vacate the premises, then I believe that they are disobeying the law. There should be some punishment for that. The demand by UDD to withdraw the troop is totally outrageous, that would tantamount to 'red' victory. If only the leaders would take off their blindfold (or off any medications) then maybe they'll give realistic demands. But that's too late now. They have now given the gov't every right to use force to disperse the crowd, though I wish that they'll use 'less than lethal' force to do it.

[somtampet]

Would you call that boy looking over the tyres a human shield.I suggest you print something factual.My thioughts would have been,he is showing the boy to the soldiers to show that he is there.

NOW

If someone had said the boy should not be there i would have agreed but dont spout crap on here

I can only hope that I don't know you in the real life, that I never met you, and that I will never meet you.....I am disgusted by your post

You never know you luck,may be good maybe be very bad

[frankman]

elcent

Pheu Thai MPs, party officials rush out of party head office

Pheu Thai Party MPs rushed out of the party at 3 pm and closed the party head officer, leaving red-shirt people outside.

The MPs and officials at the party head office, which is located near Montien Hotel on Suriwonge Road, left the head office when a plane distributed copies of an order of the Centre for Resolution of Emergency Situation, urging the people to leave the protest zone.

Earlier, the party allowed red-shirt people to gather at the party if they could not join the protest at Rajprasong.

The MPs included party spokesman Prompong Nopprit and Bangkok MP Wicharn Minchainan.

The abrupt closure of the party's door caused the red-shirt people there to become dissatisfied. They complained that the MPs left women and children without caring about their safety.

Now we see how the elite value their pawns.

yap!!! the thugs are running for their lives and leaving women and kids behing!!! HOW NICE!!!