Tight Security For Cremation Of 'Red Shirt' Thai General

[webfact]

Tight security for cremation of 'Red Shirt' Thai general

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Thousands of Thai "Red Shirts" were expected to attend the cremation Tuesday of a renegade general shot in the head last month during mass anti-government street protests.

Over 800 police officers were being deployed to oversee the ceremony for Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol, an unofficial security adviser to the Red Shirts, who was shot while being interviewed by a foreign reporter.

It remains unclear who killed the outspoken general. His supporters say he was targeted by a sniper, but the army has denied any involvement.

Police said up to 10,000 Red Shirts were expected at the cremation of the general, better known by his non-de-guerre Seh Daeng, at a temple close to the heart of Bangkok's government district.

It would be the biggest gathering of Red Shirts since their mass rally ended on May 19 with a bloody army crackdown on their encampment in Bangkok, which is still under emergency laws banning public gatherings of more than five people.

Red Shirt leaders were expected to be absent because many of them are in jail or wanted on terrorism charges for their roles in the two-month-long rally, which descended into several bouts of bloodshed.

Ninety people died and nearly 1,900 were injured in a series of clashes between security forces and protesters.

Despite his difficult relationship with the state, Khattiya will be given a royal cremation at 5 pm (1000 GMT) to recognise his senior army rank.

The 58-year-old was suspended from duty in January and faced dismissal from the Thai army after a panel found him guilty of military crimes.

But he rose to prominence during the street protests and was often surrounded by autograph-seeking fans during his walks through the rally site, where vendors displayed his best-selling books about his jungle adventures.

He antagonised the authorities by expressing loyalty to the Red Shirts' hero, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and was accused of having a hand in dozens of unsolved grenade attacks in Bangkok.

Khattiya denied involvement in the violence, saying he concentrated on inspecting the barricades of fuel-soaked tyres, bamboo poles and razor wire that he helped to erect around the perimeter of the rally site.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-06-22

[carnac]

Thaksin deserves the same fate as Gen Capt Maj Uncle Khattiya .

Edited June 22, 2010 by LivinginKata
Name corrected

[lazygourmet]

Thaksin deserves the same fate as Gen Capt Maj Uncle Khattiya .

Except a Royal sponsored ceremony.

[webfact]

Thai 'Red Shirts' mass for rogue general's cremation

by Kelly Macnamara

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Thousands of Thai "Red Shirts" turned out Tuesday for the cremation of a rogue general shot during opposition protests, staging their biggest gathering since the army quashed their rally last month.

Over 800 police officers were deployed to oversee the ceremony for Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol, an unofficial security adviser to the Red Shirts who was shot in the head while being interviewed by a foreign reporter.

It remains unclear who killed the outspoken general. His supporters say he was targeted by a sniper, but the army has denied any involvement.

Thousands of mourners massed at a temple close to the heart of Bangkok's government district ahead of the cremation, some wearing T-shirts bearing the image of the slain general, better known by his nom-de-guerre Seh Daeng.

Saowaros Songcharoen, a 58-year-old housewife from Ayutthaya Province in central Thailand, said she could not forgive the government for the bloodshed.

"They have stamped on democracy," she said, proudly showing a picture of herself and the general on her mobile telephone. "If our generation cannot win, our children will carry on fighting."

Police said up to 10,000 Red Shirts were expected for the evening ceremony, but they were hopeful it would pass peacefully.

Most of the top Red Shirt leaders are in jail or wanted on terrorism charges for their roles in the two-month-long mass rally that ended with a deadly army crackdown on the demonstrators' encampment in central Bangkok on May 19.

The Red Shirts were campaigning for elections they hoped would oust the government, which they view as undemocratic because it came to power with the backing of the army after a court ruling threw out the previous administration.

Ninety people died and nearly 1,900 were injured in clashes between security forces and protesters in Bangkok, which has been calm for the past month.

Rekindling jitters in the city, however, a blast occurred Tuesday outside the headquarters of a political party that belongs to the ruling coalition.

Police were waiting to question an injured man who was suspected of being behind the explosion, which was apparently caused by a makeshift bomb inside a gas canister. No one else was hurt.

Bangkok is still under emergency laws banning public gatherings of more than five people but police did not try to stop Red Shirts paying their last respects to Khattiya.

Despite his difficult relationship with the state, he was to be given a royal cremation in recognition of his senior army rank.

The 58-year-old was suspended from duty in January and faced dismissal from the Thai army after a panel found him guilty of military crimes.

But he rose to prominence during the street protests and was often surrounded by autograph-seeking fans during his walks through the rally site, where vendors displayed his best-selling books about his jungle adventures.

He antagonised the authorities by expressing loyalty to the Red Shirts' hero, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and was accused of having a hand in dozens of unsolved grenade attacks in Bangkok.

Khattiya denied involvement in the violence, saying he concentrated on inspecting the barricades of fuel-soaked tyres, bamboo poles and razor wire that he helped to erect around the perimeter of the rally site.

After the Red Shirt leaders surrendered and asked their supporters to go home, enraged hardcore demonstrators went on a rampage of arson, setting fire to dozens of buildings around the capital.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-06-22

[asiawatcher]

Let the man rest in peace - finally, give his family some peace also - what is done is done but not to say we are all better off without him! Enjoy the next journey to being a cockroach for lack of merits!

[kuffki]

Why tight security? Are they worried someone will try to kill him?-he is already dead. Someone will start trouble?-but its only his supporters who will go there.Someone will try to kill other leaders?-but most are in jail. So why such a fuss?

[TallForeigner]

This was the biggest gathering of red shirts after May 19 indeed. All spaces in the temple were filled and people kept flowing in and out for hours. 10'000 people was certainly not an overestimate.

They peacefully paid their respect to a person who was brutally murdered.

[Jingthing]

He wasn't just any person. He was a violent military leader of an attempted revolution. Yes, he was assassinated. By who? But please don't act like he was an innocent bystander.

[hyperdimension]

The carcass should have been cremated in the fires of Central World.

[Tony Clifton]

Let the man rest in peace - finally, give his family some peace also - what is done is done but not to say we are all better off without him! Enjoy the next journey to being a cockroach for lack of merits!

No one forced "the man" to do what he did.

He chose to betray his country and people for money and fame, which doesn't usually deserve you resting in peace.

Why should history and people not be allowed to call a traitor a traitor after his death?

[hideki]

This was the biggest gathering of red shirts after May 19 indeed. All spaces in the temple were filled and people kept flowing in and out for hours. 10'000 people was certainly not an overestimate.

I was surprised that beforehand the seemingly-required Red Shirt proclamation wasn't made by one its leaders:

Nattawut Saikua, UDD Leader

"By noon of March 14, one million red-shirted people will be in Bangkok," he added.

Red shirts vow to bring a million to Bangkok

[geriatrickid]

He wasn't just any person. He was a violent military leader of an attempted revolution. Yes, he was assassinated. By who? But please don't act like he was an innocent bystander.

He was most certainly not a leader of an attempted revolution. The claim is sheer hysteria. Although, the deceased may have had hundreds of thousands of admirers, the reality is that few if any of those supporters would have supported a "revolution", so it is highly unlikely he would have even attempted such a thing. He had a small number of followers that took up arms and that's it.

In any case, he certainly must have been respected enough as he has been granted a Royal cremation. As I understand it, a Royal cremation takes place at Sanam Luang and is not something granted for the heck of it. It is an honour to be granted and considered to be a sign of respect. The last Royal cremation was for the HRH Princess Galyani in Nov. 2009. Take the hint, and please conduct yourself accordingly. Do not question the decision as it is not your place to do so.

[hideki]

In any case, he certainly must have been respected enough as he has been granted a Royal cremation. As I understand it, a Royal cremation takes place at Sanam Luang and is not something granted for the heck of it. It is an honour to be granted and considered to be a sign of respect. The last Royal cremation was for the HRH Princess Galyani in Nov. 2009. Take the hint, and please conduct yourself accordingly. Do not question the decision as it is not your place to do so.

As he was not Royalty himself, the cremation was not held held at Sanam Luang; it was held at Wat Somanas Ratchaworawiharn. Princess Galyani was the last actual Royal cremation, however there have been quite a few Royally-sponsored cremations since then.

To address another area, the sole reason was:

"Khattiya will be given a royal cremation to recognise his senior army rank."

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/06/2010622635279308.html

Edited June 23, 2010 by hideki

[Insight]

Just read on the other English language news website that many mourners at the funeral were saying there's no chance of reconciliation while the government continue making claims that terrorists walked amongst the protesters. We all know Seh Daeng walked around the protest site frequently to inspect the barricades.

Just out of interest, did any of the judges who were involved with the latest verdict for confiscating Thaksin's cash attend the funeral?

[jayboy]

No one forced "the man" to do what he did.

He chose to betray his country and people for money and fame, which doesn't usually deserve you resting in peace.

Why should history and people not be allowed to call a traitor a traitor after his death?

You have no idea what motivated him, and your remarks about money and fame are just speculation.

Certainly he was a dangerous oddball.I have no regret at his passing.What history will say is unknown.

Whether he was a traitor is debatable.What isn't debatable is the treason of those who supported, planned and executed a military coup.

[hammered]

There have been a lot of funerals for people killed in the May incidents but still this one is about the only one to make mass headlines. Interesting in what it says about the state of status in Thai poltics when you think about how poor ordinary martyrs funerals are often pushed heavily by groups for change in other countries. Even those who claim to be for the poor in Thailand still push the deaths of the big and powerful while doing little for and not highlighting the deaths of the ordinary person.

Thailand from all angles is still very much now and going to be in the future a country for the elite whoever prevails in this little power struggle

[way2muchcoffee]

... the reality is that few if any of those supporters would have supported a "revolution", so it is highly unlikely he would have even attempted such a thing.

Of course you are correct. The protesters weren't supporting a revolution. Their goal was something much less sinister.

They demonstrators were merely attempting a 'violent overthrow of government', something wholly different from a revolution.

Edited June 23, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[philw]

... the reality is that few if any of those supporters would have supported a "revolution", so it is highly unlikely he would have even attempted such a thing.

Of course you are correct. The protesters weren't supporting a revolution. Their goal was something much less sinister.

They demonstrators were merely attempting a 'violent overthrow of government', something wholly different from a revolution.

I think if the Reds were attempting a "violent overthrow of Government", you would have seen a lot more death and far more widespread violence, possibly nationwide.

Your statement is a huge distortion.

It will be interesting to see how his murder or assassination ( depending how you see it ) affects the politics and impending further violence over the next few months.

Personally I think killing him was a very big mistake given that the opportunity was there to destroy him through the courts......Guess that's what you get from a military Government.

[Siripon]

... the reality is that few if any of those supporters would have supported a "revolution", so it is highly unlikely he would have even attempted such a thing.

Of course you are correct. The protesters weren't supporting a revolution. Their goal was something much less sinister.

They demonstrators were merely attempting a 'violent overthrow of government', something wholly different from a revolution.

I think if the Reds were attempting a "violent overthrow of Government", you would have seen a lot more death and far more widespread violence, possibly nationwide.

Your statement is a huge distortion.

It will be interesting to see how his murder or assassination ( depending how you see it ) affects the politics and impending further violence over the next few months.

Personally I think killing him was a very big mistake given that the opportunity was there to destroy him through the courts......Guess that's what you get from a military Government.

There was violence in the north and north east, didn't you read about the torchings of the provincial halls, Thaksin's urgings for everyone to go there if they couldn't come to Bangkok?

Thaksin tried everything possible to overthrow the governnment from paralysing Bangkok to acts of sabotage and murder.

What makes you so sure the government killed Sae Daeng? He was openly boasting how he wasn't interested in compromising and accepting an election in November, he bragged how he only took orders from Thaksin- this was a public relations disaster for Thaksin, desperate to maintain his front of peaceful democratic resistance.

It was certainly in Thaksin's interest to shut him up.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Siripon

[hammered]

... the reality is that few if any of those supporters would have supported a "revolution", so it is highly unlikely he would have even attempted such a thing.

Of course you are correct. The protesters weren't supporting a revolution. Their goal was something much less sinister.

They demonstrators were merely attempting a 'violent overthrow of government', something wholly different from a revolution.

I think if the Reds were attempting a "violent overthrow of Government", you would have seen a lot more death and far more widespread violence, possibly nationwide.

Your statement is a huge distortion.

It will be interesting to see how his murder or assassination ( depending how you see it ) affects the politics and impending further violence over the next few months.

Personally I think killing him was a very big mistake given that the opportunity was there to destroy him through the courts......Guess that's what you get from a military Government.

There was violence in the north and north east, didn't you read about the torchings of the provincial halls, Thaksin's urgings for everyone to go there if they couldn't come to Bangkok?

Thaksin tried everything possible to overthrow the governnment from paralysing Bangkok to acts of sabotage and murder.

What makes you so sure the government killed Sae Daeng? He was openly boasting how he wasn't interested in compromising and accepting an election in November, he bragged how he only took orders from Thaksin- this was a public relations disaster for Thaksin, desperate to maintain his front of peaceful democratic resistance.

It was certainly in Thaksin's interest to shut him up.

Argh but dont you know the reds never ever ever do anything wrong. If it is violence or death and mayhem it is never the reds and if it cant be proved in a way that would satisfy the hardest red propogandist it is just conjecture and government lies and ......

Oh plus did I mention the giovernment do all the evil wuithoput exception including dressing up as reds and doing bad things and even killing their own soldiers because oh did I mention the red never do anything bad.

We will never know who killed this man but that wont stop true believers believing what they want. The yellows came out with some looney stuff but the red belief based cultism has now far surpassed that. They really believe everything that comes out of the red propaganda machine however utterly ludicrous it is and a lot of it is really insane even by Sondhi's tampon standards