Australian Man Arrested Over Thai Protests

[webfact]

Aussie arrested over Thai protests

An Australian man has been arrested in Thailand following two months of Red Shirt protests.

The man has been identified as as Conor David Purcell, an ex-soldier working in Bangkok as a language teacher, ABC News reported.

Mr Purcell, 30, was arrested under the emergency decree used to end almost the protests in Bangkok.

Purcell was arrested at his apartment complex in the city on Sunday.

Thai authorities say he incited unrest while speaking from the stage of the Red Shirt protest camp on two occasions, ABC News reported.

source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/aussi...0-1225871105387

-- news.com.au

2010-05-25

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[webfact]

Conor David Purcell on Red Shirt stage

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[sbk]

yup, they had this guy in the bangkok forum...

[clown]

He was probably the smallest fish in the pond, but it's a great way to bring the Thailand protests back into the foreign newspapers.

[up-country_sinclair]

Surely he knew this was a potential consequence of standing up on that stage.

I take no pleasure in typing this, but..som nom na.

Edited May 25, 2010 by up-country_sinclair

[Mario2008]

1 post containing full quote of article deleted. Full quoting is not allowed for legal reasons.

[griser]

Glad They got this guy, He should be put in the darwin awards. Someone that stupid should be taken out of the gene pool!

He didnt realize that win or lose for the Red shirts, He personally was going to lose.

Git

Greg

[Maejo Man]

The original article...

Wounded Australian on handouts takes to red shirt stage

• Published: 2/05/2010 at 01:59 AM
  
• Online news: Local News
  

Conor David Purcell, a former Australian military reservist, is a long way from home. The 29-year-old has two infected hip wounds, no money, no passport and survives on handouts from his Thai and foreign friends.

WHITE FACE IN A RED CROWD: UDD fixture Conor David Purcell. His speeches have fired up the red shirt supporters.

But when he takes to the red shirt stage at Ratchaprasong, thousands of people stop and listen attentively to the Irish-born Aussie ``military'' man as he reads his speeches, which are immediately translated into Thai.

To the red faithful, he knows what he's talking about, whether it's discrediting government accounts of the Sala Daeng grenade attacks or the "criminality" of the April 10 bloodshed near the Democracy Monument.

The red shirt leaders nod their approval at Mr Purcell, who claims to have done "quite extensive" work with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and trained with the Singapore and Malaysia military.

"I don't think I should fight,'' Mr Purcell said when asked about his role with the red shirts. "What I'm trying to do is keep the world informed, those speeches which are then put on the internet are keeping the world informed.''

But in a conflict confused by multiple layers of lies and half-truths, Mr Purcell may only be adding to the puzzle by talking up his military credentials.

"You need to take what he says with a big dose of salt,'' said a source at the Australian embassy. "He's a big noter who gilds the lily big time.''

STIR 'EM UP: Purcell on the UDD stage with Weng Tojirakarn, translating the Australian's remarks.

Mr Purcell, who claims a political science degree from the University of Western Australia, says he had always been an admirer of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his poverty-alleviation policies. "His macro-economic policies, I thought, were brilliant; the fact that he seemed to be the first prime minister to focus on the poor and the majority of people.''

Mr Purcell, who says he is not paid by the reds, became "radicalised'' and "very angry'' at the Thai government after what he witnessed during the April 10 fighting, which left 25 people dead.

"The criminality on that day was very similar to Bloody Sunday in Ireland,'' he said. "It was an insult to any soldier, it was an insult to any rules of engagement, it was an insult to any manly sense of honour that they tear-gassed a crowd of monks and businessmen.''

He says he was injured by two silicon-coated bullets while trying to shelter behind an APC secured by the reds and now has a ``dirty wound'' which cannot be stitched and has to be treated with antibiotics.

During the skirmish he lost his Australian emergency passport and 1,400 baht. He signed a statutory declaration at the Australian embassy on April 20 detailing his ordeal. ``They said you have to go home straight away, then they walked back into their air-conditioned office and made themselves a cup of tea,'' Mr Purcell said.

The embassy source said Mr Purcell's behaviour and public statements were ``disturbing'' and they had advised him to return home. ``He's actually broken quite a few Thai laws,'' the source said.

Mr Purcell denies he has interfered in Thai affairs, saying he has only given a ``witness statement'' of what actually happened on April 10.

He says he is now working with the reds' legal and public relations teams and is "throwing ideas out''.

In his latest speech he asked the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Bangkok to the International Criminal Court and for the court to investigate the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation.

Mr Purcell says that when the protests are over he plans to continue his attempts to set up a charity here with connections to Vietnam and Cambodia.

[neverdie]

Watching the videos, I can only draw one conclusion >>>>>

[bendejo]

So when the PM speaks of foreign influences being behind the insurrection is this who he's referring to?

[wadsy]

What a knob and tosser - typical army reservist wannabe. All he needs now is a yellow Hummvee and he's set It makes me ashamed to say I'm Aussie - a real embarrassment to Australians.

[Nowhereman60]

Why is it always the Aussies and Brit who come to center stage here in Thailand for being just plain stupid.

[laurentbkk]

I said it many times and once again now : We are only tolerated here in Thailand , foreigners shouldnt take care about political stuff that's it .That guy deserves what he got now. Non s.ense going on stage , he got his 10 minutes fame .

[brahmburgers]

Two years in a Thai clinker would be letting him off too easy.

He's like a bellboy or a parking attendant who sees a chance to stand on a big stage and have a lot of people thinking he's big stuff. He got the crowd to clap and cheer at every statement. He could have shouted a toothpaste commercial and the crowd would have clapped and cheered.

He says he got shot twice, but he didn't look wounded to me. He's like a guy who stubs his toe on a chair, and goes on to destroy the chair (banging it against the floor, the walls) in front of the women at the scene, in order to show what a big tough guy he is.

[toptuan]

The original article...

Wounded Australian on handouts takes to red shirt stage

• Published: 2/05/2010 at 01:59 AM
  
• Online news: Local News
  

Conor David Purcell, a former Australian military reservist, is a long way from home. The 29-year-old has two infected hip wounds, no money, no passport and survives on handouts from his Thai and foreign friends.

WHITE FACE IN A RED CROWD: UDD fixture Conor David Purcell. His speeches have fired up the red shirt supporters.

But when he takes to the red shirt stage at Ratchaprasong, thousands of people stop and listen attentively to the Irish-born Aussie ``military'' man as he reads his speeches, which are immediately translated into Thai.

To the red faithful, he knows what he's talking about, whether it's discrediting government accounts of the Sala Daeng grenade attacks or the "criminality" of the April 10 bloodshed near the Democracy Monument.

The red shirt leaders nod their approval at Mr Purcell, who claims to have done "quite extensive" work with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and trained with the Singapore and Malaysia military.

"I don't think I should fight,'' Mr Purcell said when asked about his role with the red shirts. "What I'm trying to do is keep the world informed, those speeches which are then put on the internet are keeping the world informed.''

But in a conflict confused by multiple layers of lies and half-truths, Mr Purcell may only be adding to the puzzle by talking up his military credentials.

"You need to take what he says with a big dose of salt,'' said a source at the Australian embassy. "He's a big noter who gilds the lily big time.''

STIR 'EM UP: Purcell on the UDD stage with Weng Tojirakarn, translating the Australian's remarks.

Mr Purcell, who claims a political science degree from the University of Western Australia, says he had always been an admirer of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his poverty-alleviation policies. "His macro-economic policies, I thought, were brilliant; the fact that he seemed to be the first prime minister to focus on the poor and the majority of people.''

Mr Purcell, who says he is not paid by the reds, became "radicalised'' and "very angry'' at the Thai government after what he witnessed during the April 10 fighting, which left 25 people dead.

"The criminality on that day was very similar to Bloody Sunday in Ireland,'' he said. "It was an insult to any soldier, it was an insult to any rules of engagement, it was an insult to any manly sense of honour that they tear-gassed a crowd of monks and businessmen.''

He says he was injured by two silicon-coated bullets while trying to shelter behind an APC secured by the reds and now has a ``dirty wound'' which cannot be stitched and has to be treated with antibiotics.

During the skirmish he lost his Australian emergency passport and 1,400 baht. He signed a statutory declaration at the Australian embassy on April 20 detailing his ordeal. ``They said you have to go home straight away, then they walked back into their air-conditioned office and made themselves a cup of tea,'' Mr Purcell said.

The embassy source said Mr Purcell's behaviour and public statements were ``disturbing'' and they had advised him to return home. ``He's actually broken quite a few Thai laws,'' the source said.

Mr Purcell denies he has interfered in Thai affairs, saying he has only given a ``witness statement'' of what actually happened on April 10.

He says he is now working with the reds' legal and public relations teams and is "throwing ideas out''.

In his latest speech he asked the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Bangkok to the International Criminal Court and for the court to investigate the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation.

Mr Purcell says that when the protests are over he plans to continue his attempts to set up a charity here with connections to Vietnam and Cambodia.

A loser from the get-go.

Set up a charity? Unfortunately there are sheeple who will follow such a nutter.

Edited May 25, 2010 by toptuan

[basjke]

Will he also get first class treatement at a holiday resort similar to the arrested red shirt leaders?

[saintofsilence]

He deserves the same treatment as the pommy guy ,

It will be interesting to see if all red stage speakers are arrested

[mauGR1]

It doesn't look like the same guy to me..A teacher without passport ?!?

Anyway, didn't anybody tell him that he was, as a foreigner, forbidden to join political demonstrations ?

Many Westerners take the law too lightly in Thailand, they seem to think they are in Disneyland.

[roykeanz]

Some Irish lad, described as 'Australian" blathering some tinpot revolutionary gibberish in an American accent, trying to preach about something he doesn't know, in a place he shouldn't be!

Not only a Che O'Guevara, but also a trained soldier. And an ace sniper. A teacher. A Charity Worker. An economics expert and admirer of Thacky's economics (<deleted>?) ..."His macro-economic policies, I thought, were brilliant"!! .... Probably a Brain Surgeon too, in his spare time!

What a dumb, demented, <deleted>!

I wonder if his so-called "Charity Work" included offering charity mercenary services to a multi-billionaire and displaying his alleged sniper prowess, clad in a black shirt and face mask, for the billionaire's covert terrorist army?!

After his 15 minutes of fame (infamy), I hope this douche enjoys countless hours in the Bangkok Hilton!

Edited May 25, 2010 by roykeanz

[phuketrichard]

crazy that a Farang would get involved in Thai Politics and think there would be no repercussions.

[Topprofile]

Why is it always the Aussies and Brit who come to center stage here in Thailand for being just plain stupid.

No answer needed...

[RJF]

Over the past few months I've seen just too many drunk farang idiots that thought it was funny to dance on a table with a red bandana on their head. And I don't go to bars that much. Many were photographed and VDO'd. Stupidity knows no boundaries. Getting on the red stage tops it all though.

[toptuan]

Probably a descendant from a penal-colony criminal!

Edited May 25, 2010 by toptuan

[BKjohn]

Some Irish lad, described as 'Australian" blathering some tinpot revolutionary gibberish in an American accent, trying to preach about something he doesn't know, in a place he shouldn't be! What a dumb <deleted>!

I wonder if his so-called "Charity Work" included offering charity mercenary service to a multi-billionaire and displaying his alleged sniper prowess, clad in a black shirt and face mask, for the billionaire's covert terrorist army?!

After his 15 minutes of fame (infamy), I hope this douche enjoys countless hours in the Bangkok Hilton!

2 years of spooning at the Bangkok Hilton - than deported to Australia where he will attempt to write a book, only to find out that no one is interested - what a nutter

[metro33777]

som nom na. I think if he gets 2 years at the Bangkok Hilton, maybe he will think twice next time. Change your shirt to yellow..

Has his embassy not tried to help him with his missing passport and lack of funds? Or his family? Or has he worn out his welcome of everyone? I understand terrorism charges are going to be filed against Taksin. I believe he will be returned to Thailand rather quickly then. No country wasts to harbor a terrorist.

[gotlost]

Just your everyday ruin of the mill moron. They have institutions for these kind of people.

[bdenner]

Conor David Purcell, a former Australian military reservist, is a long way from home. The 29-year-old has two infected hip wounds, no money, no passport and survives on handouts from his Thai and foreign friends.

So how does the teacher bit fit into this? Anyone actually know this whacker and can give us more incite to his demeanor? Edited May 25, 2010 by bdenner

[iasian]

Conor David Purcell, a former Australian military reservist, is a long way from home. The 29-year-old has two infected hip wounds, no money, no passport and survives on handouts from his Thai and foreign friends.

Broke and no passport and grossly exaggerated military service aside, I'm intrigued by his further claims to have not one, but two bullet wounds (Army-inflicted) that are so infected that the wounds can't be closed and yet he is still able to withstand the expected excruciating pain and get up on a red rally stage and spew drivel.

His very own embassy describes Purcell best:

"You need to take what he says with a big dose of salt,'' said a source at the Australian embassy. "He's a big noter who gilds the lily big time.''

[brahmburgers]

Just re-read the OP and noticed he got shot while hiding beside an Armored Troop Carrier (ATC) during a riot. The ATC must have been commandeered and/or disabled. Was he part of the mob which took the ATC? A glory-seeking guy like that may have had plans to commandeer the ATC himself.

Either way, if he's crouching by a disabled/commandeered ATC during a riot, he should be darned appreciative that security forces only had orders to shoot to disable, rather than shoot-to-kill - because the army would have been justified by knocking his lights out for being part of a mob that took an ATC. In any other country, under similar circumstances, that's probably what would have happened. An ATC is a tool and a weapon. When you take (or threaten to take) a soldier's weapon during a combat situation, you're liable to get shot. Next time the Assie dweeb sees a soldier, he should get on his knees and lick the guy's boots in thanks, for not taking his 2-bit life in that scenario.

[bendejo]

Why is it always the Aussies and Brit who come to center stage here in Thailand for being just plain stupid.

Hint #1: bottles are involved