Red Shirts Rally In Bangkok

[webfact]

Anti-govt protesters rally in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Jan 23 -- Anti-government protesters of Thailand's United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) rallied in the capital Sunday demanding the government to release imprisoned their key leaders, jailed since May.

The ‘Red Shirt’ UDD members first gathered at Ratchaprasong intersection, a key business district in central Bangkok where bloody violence took place last May 19, before moving on the Democracy monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.

Shopping malls around Ratchaprasong intersection were open as usual while traffic was still smooth, police said.

As the rally continued, national police chief Pol Gen Vichien Poteposri met with senior police via video conference on ways to prevent possible bloodshed between the UDD and their rivals in the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) if they confront each other.

The PAD will demonstrate at Makkawan bridge near Government House Tuesday.

Senior police officers were ordered not to allow demonstrators of both camps to block access to or invade key government offices such as Government House and Parliament.

Meanwhile, UDD leaders, led by acting chairwoman Thida Thavornseth and Jatupron Prompan met with Hans-Peter Kaul, deputy chief of the International Criminal Court (ICC), at a hotel in Bangkok.

The media was not allowed to cover the meeting, but Mrs Thida told journalists afterward that the talks focused on assisting people who are abused on human rights and on other issues. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-01-23

[webfact]

Red-shirts March from Ratchaprasong to Democracy Monument

The red-shirt group led by Thida Thavornset and Jatuporn Prompan have started marching from Ratchaprasong intersection, where they gathered since noon, to Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue where they will remain until midnight to conduct activities. The group is using Petchaburi Road onto Larnluang Road and then Ratchadamnoen Avenue. Traffic in the area is heavily congested.

-- Tan Network 2011-01-23

[webfact]

Traffic lanes reopened Lan Luang. My estimate; 5-10,000 walked past my house within 40 mins /via@thaicam:

[Buchholz]

Meanwhile, UDD leaders, led by acting chairwoman Thida Thavornseth and Jatupron Prompan met with Hans-Peter Kaul, deputy chief of the International Criminal Court (ICC), at a hotel in Bangkok.

The media was not allowed to cover the meeting, but Mrs Thida told journalists afterward that the talks focused on assisting people who are abused on human rights and on other issues.

As per the other thread, hopefully the honorable Mr. Kaul explained to Thida...

A very revealing interview in the other paper today with ICC Vice-President Hans-Peter Kaul, who is in Bangkok, and who provides a multitude of reasons why this:

Plea To International Criminal Court: Red Shirts Face Bumpy Road

is actually at the end of a dead end road.

Nothing will come of it is his bottom-line.

[Buchholz]

The red-shirt group led by Thida Thavornset and Jatuporn Prompan have started marching from Ratchaprasong intersection, where they gathered since noon, to Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue

Realizing it's difficult for Thida to keep her various proclamations properly sorted, but did they hold to their word about two hours at Ratchaprasong?

Red shirts agree to limit Ratchaprasong rally to two hours

Thida said the red shirts would protest at Ratchaprasong intersection for about two hours before moving to the Democracy Monument on Rajdamnoen Avenue.

Edited January 23, 2011 by Buchholz

[jayjay0]

Meanwhile, UDD leaders, led by acting chairwoman Thida Thavornseth and Jatupron Prompan met with Hans-Peter Kaul, deputy chief of the International Criminal Court (ICC), at a hotel in Bangkok.

The media was not allowed to cover the meeting, but Mrs Thida told journalists afterward that the talks focused on assisting people who are abused on human rights and on other issues.

As per the other thread, hopefully the honorable Mr. Kaul explained to Thida...

A very revealing interview in the other paper today with ICC Vice-President Hans-Peter Kaul, who is in Bangkok, and who provides a multitude of reasons why this:

Plea To International Criminal Court: Red Shirts Face Bumpy Road

is actually at the end of a dead end road.

Nothing will come of it is his bottom-line.

I liked this part

"Mrs Thida told journalists afterward that the talks focused on assisting people who are abused on human rights and on other issues."

You don't suppose she was talking about all the human beings they abused in there paid for camping trip last spring do you.

Edited January 23, 2011 by jayjay0

[scorecard]

I liked this part

"Mrs Thida told journalists afterward that the talks focused on assisting people who are abused on human rights and on other issues."

You don't suppose she was talking about all the human beings they abused in there paid for camping trip last spring do you.

Or perhaps she reminded Mr Kaul to be balanced and not be selective in regard to who goes before the court, or in other words, reminded him to ensure that ALL cases of human rights abuses etc., in Thailand are processed by his court, and reminded him that the red shirts will not accept any double standards and will protest forthwith if any doube standards are revealed or if any cases of human rights abuses are not processed, and to therefore remember the several massive human rights abuses by her paymaster.

And perhaps she reminded the journalists on hand about the intimidation of their own profession by her paymaster.

And I'm sure that if her paymaster did return that she and her buddy jatupron would remind him regularly 'no double standards', and regularly remind him about 'equal justice for all', and regularly remind him about 'total respect for the pillars of democarcy'.

On a different slant, One of the members of my Thai family (not a red supporter)was just talking to a friend, the gossip is that the attendance money for today is 1,000Baht.

Edited January 23, 2011 by scorecard

[AriosAsia]

I liked this part

"Mrs Thida told journalists afterward that the talks focused on assisting people who are abused on human rights and on other issues."

You don't suppose she was talking about all the human beings they abused in there paid for camping trip last spring do you.

Or perhaps she reminded Mr Kaul to be balanced and not be selective in regard to who goes before the court, or in other words, reminded him to ensure that ALL cases of human rights abuses etc., in Thailand are processed by his court, and reminded him that the red shirts will not accept any double standards and will protest forthwith if any doube standards are revealed or if any cases of human rights abuses are not processed, and to therefore remember the several massive human rights abuses by her paymaster.

And perhaps she reminded the journalists on hand about the intimidation of their own profession by her paymaster.

And I'm sure that if her paymaster did return that she and her buddy jatupron would remind him regularly 'no double standards', and regularly remind him about 'equal justice for all', and regularly remind him about 'total respect for the pillars of democarcy'.

On a different slant, One of the members of my Thai family (not a red supporter)was just talking to a friend, the gossip is that the attendance money for today is 1,000Baht.

Just in case can provide evidence of what you talking about? You know, sometimes I like people talk about crime and things against the law whit out evidence.

I also like that they dont talk about whit out evidence in their own country because they face a serious criminal penalty if they dont provide evidence.

I also listen that monkey can fly from a friend, give to them 500 bath and they fly for you.

Bye

[AriosAsia]

Again, do you have evidence? so if i talk about red they pay me and i talk about yellow they pay me? you know i cannot take money from them, too small amount for a Farang living in Thailand....., but i can have my idea about, just for talk, but if i talk about it's mean they pay me? ok and tell me, how much they pay me?

PS: my message are more just use the new facebook way for join the board:)

[Emptyset]

On a different slant, One of the members of my Thai family (not a red supporter)was just talking to a friend, the gossip is that the attendance money for today is 1,000Baht.

So it's gone down from 1,500 then? Thaksin must be running out of money I guess. The global recession and all. You should go and tell them they're being short changed! And while you're doing it get some pictures of money changing hands... otherwise forgive some of us being somewhat skeptical about what a friend of your family (not a red shirt) says. Why would this friend of one family member have any insight at all into it, given that he's not a red shirt?

[sbk]

Posts have been deleted, lets not start with the bickering before you can even manage to finish the first page. Next one to start it up again in this thread again will be suspended.

[bubba]

You just have to love how the foreign press distorts what's going on here. From Welt Online:

Tausende Rothemden demonstrieren in Bangkok

Bangkok (dpa) - In Bangkok haben rund 30 000 Regierungsgegner demonstriert und die thailändische Hauptstadt teilweise lahmgelegt. Die sogenannten Rothemden sammelten sich in der Innenstadt und erinnerten an das gewaltsame Ende ihrer wochenlangen Protestaktion am 19. Mai 2010. Sie verlangten die Freilassung ihrer damals festgenommenen Anführer. Die Bewegung «Vereinte Front für Demokratie und gegen Diktatur» steht dem 2006 gestürzten Ex-Premierminister Thaksin Shinawatra nahe.

erschienen am 23.01.2011 um 11:28 Uhr

Not being a native German speaker, and if you are please correct me if I'm wrong, but what's it's saying loosely is that around 30,000 government opposition demonstrators crippled the Thai capitol today. The so-called Redshirts grouped in the capital today and were reminiscent of the violent end of their week-long protest [oh, it was only for a week???] on 19 May 2010. ...and so on. So did today's rally remind you of the Redshirt's "violent ending"? Come on Die Welt, this is sensational and inaccurate journalism at its worst.

Please forgive me if I didn't get that accurately, German speakers!

http://appl.welt.de/newsticker2/?module=dpa&id=28312500&utm_source=Justnews&utm_medium=facebook

[ukrules]

They're at it again !

[rubl]

So today was the UDD faction of the red-shirts protesting. It's interesting that people still seems to interchange red-shirts and UDD at leisure with the UDD clearly being just one of the many factions.

The OP tells the usual 'release our key leaders'. I'm aware you can't put too much in a newsflash, but I always wonders about those hundreds of common red-shirts incarcerated upcountry. The last bail attempt for UDD leaders had THB 21M, surely only a pittance of that is needed for the ordinary cannon fodder, or are those non-UDD red-shirts? I do not think any of the red-shirt factions would like the government to help bail them out (with my tax money) and take the credit for it?

K. Jatuporn probably needed to bite his tongue to avoid saying anything political. I doubt he's in the mood to join the other UDD leaders in jail.

The meeting with the ICC was in-chambers, confidential, maybe he managed to let of some steam there

[rubl]

You just have to love how the foreign press distorts what's going on here. From Welt Online:

Tausende Rothemden demonstrieren in Bangkok

Bangkok (dpa) - In Bangkok haben rund 30 000 Regierungsgegner demonstriert und die thail�ndische Hauptstadt teilweise lahmgelegt. Die sogenannten Rothemden sammelten sich in der Innenstadt und erinnerten an das gewaltsame Ende ihrer wochenlangen Protestaktion am 19. Mai 2010. Sie verlangten die Freilassung ihrer damals festgenommenen Anf�hrer. Die Bewegung �Vereinte Front f�r Demokratie und gegen Diktatur� steht dem 2006 gest�rzten Ex-Premierminister Thaksin Shinawatra nahe.

erschienen am 23.01.2011 um 11:28 Uhr

Not being a native German speaker, and if you are please correct me if I'm wrong, but what's it's saying loosely is that around 30,000 government opposition demonstrators crippled the Thai capitol today. The so-called Redshirts grouped in the capital today and were reminiscent of the violent end of their week-long protest [oh, it was only for a week???] on 19 May 2010. ...and so on. So did today's rally remind you of the Redshirt's "violent ending"? Come on Die Welt, this is sensational and inaccurate journalism at its worst.

Please forgive me if I didn't get that accurately, German speakers!

http://appl.welt.de/newsticker2/?module=dpa&id=28312500&utm_source=Justnews&utm_medium=facebook

From what I remember of my German lessons half a lifetime ago:

wochenlangen = lasting for weeks

Edited January 23, 2011 by rubl

[webfact]

Thousands of 'Red Shirts' rally in Thai capital

BANGKOK, January 23, 2011 (AFP) - Thousands of Thai "Red Shirts" gathered in Bangkok on Sunday, police said, to mark eight months since a deadly military crackdown on their mass anti-government protest last year.

Wearing their trademark colour and singing the "Red in the Land" anthem, protesters waved banners reading "Liar State!" and held aloft pictures of their hero, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Police said around 27,000 people joined the peaceful demonstration by the Reds, whose April and May rally last year calling for snap elections ended in clashes between troops and protesters that left more than 90 people dead.

Jatuporn Prompan, a prominent figure in the movement, said Red Shirts would continue to gather twice a month, calling for the release of many of their leaders, who are in prison on terrorism charges following the 2010 unrest.

He said the protest would continue until midnight but there would not be a telephone address from Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and lives abroad, having been sentenced in absentia to prison for corruption.

The controversial Thaksin, who draws support among the mainly poor and working class Red Shirts but is loathed by the urban elite, spoke to another demonstration earlier this month.

Jatuporn said the demonstrations' "style will be changed to make less trouble for people who live and work around the protest sites".

The rally began in the upmarket central shopping district of Ratchaprasong but later relocated to the Democracy Monument in the historic district -- the site of a deadly clash between protesters and authorities on April 10.

The move is part of an agreement with retailers, who had complained about a loss of business caused by the twice-monthly demonstrations.

In an open letter to Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier this month, the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association (RSTA) said 2,088 businesses lost 11 billion baht (362 million dollars) last year due to the mass rally, which attracted 100,000 people at its peak.

After the army crackdown in May, small bands of militant protesters set dozens of buildings ablaze across Bangkok, including Ratchaprasong's glitzy CentralWorld shopping mall.

The Red Shirt movement has shown increasing strength in recent months -- a rally earlier in January saw around 30,000 demonstrators in Bangkok.

Even before emergency rule -- which banned gatherings of more than five people -- was lifted in the capital last month, Red rallies in Bangkok had begun to regularly attract thousands.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-23

[webfact]

Thousands of Red Shirts rally in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Jan 23 -- Ratchadamnoen Road closed to traffic in a historic part of the capital late Sunday as the anti-government Red Shirts demonstrate at Democracy Monument in a mass gathering set to end at midnight.

Thousands of United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) activists have occupied the roadway from Phan Fah Bridge to Sanam Luang ceremonial ground. As the main rally stage has been erected at the monument itself, small assembly points were scattered throughout the area, and police were deployed to provide security and maintain order.

The demonstrators lit red candles in commemoration of the Red Shirt protesters killed during the street violence in April and May during the mass protest.

Red leader and Opposition MP Jatuporn Prompan said the Red Shirts will change their strategy and protest only once a month in the future to avoid making trouble for the public.

The group also plans to hold a special protest at Khao Yai or the Rajamangala National Stadium. However, while the venue has not yet been finalised, their ideology will be the same in demanding the release of jailed Red Shirts on terrorism charges and the reinstatement of the 1997 Constitution.

He also said that during tonight’s protest of the Red Shirts, supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, there will be no telephone address from the self-exiled former prime minister.

Mr Thaksin lives abroad, having been sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for conflict of interest in a case focused on his then wife's purchase of land from a government agency in a prime Bangkok commercial area at a price discounted significantly below the market price. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-01-23

[Buchholz]

An anti-government "red shirt" protester shouts during a rally near the Democracy monument, the site of bloody clashes with security forces, in Bangkok January 23, 2011. Thousands of anti-government activists gathered in Bangkok on Sunday to demand the release of their leaders who were detained since the May 2010 crackdown.

REUTERS

[Buchholz]

Wearing their trademark colour and singing the "Red in the Land" anthem, protesters waved banners reading "Liar State!" and held aloft pictures of their hero, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai anti-government demonstrators wear hats with photographs of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as they take to the streets Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011, in Bangkok, Thailand. The 'Red Shirts' continue to press their demands for new elections and a new government.

AP

[gemini81]

just hope it all goes peacefully, and doesn't flare up in particulary the infamous month of April. Fingers crossed.

[jolos]

You just have to love how the foreign press distorts what's going on here. From Welt Online:

Tausende Rothemden demonstrieren in Bangkok

Bangkok (dpa) - In Bangkok haben rund 30 000 Regierungsgegner demonstriert und die thail�ndische Hauptstadt teilweise lahmgelegt. Die sogenannten Rothemden sammelten sich in der Innenstadt und erinnerten an das gewaltsame Ende ihrer wochenlangen Protestaktion am 19. Mai 2010. Sie verlangten die Freilassung ihrer damals festgenommenen Anf�hrer. Die Bewegung �Vereinte Front f�r Demokratie und gegen Diktatur� steht dem 2006 gest�rzten Ex-Premierminister Thaksin Shinawatra nahe.

erschienen am 23.01.2011 um 11:28 Uhr

Not being a native German speaker, and if you are please correct me if I'm wrong, but what's it's saying loosely is that around 30,000 government opposition demonstrators crippled the Thai capitol today. The so-called Redshirts grouped in the capital today and were reminiscent of the violent end of their week-long protest [oh, it was only for a week???] on 19 May 2010. ...and so on. So did today's rally remind you of the Redshirt's "violent ending"? Come on Die Welt, this is sensational and inaccurate journalism at its worst.

Please forgive me if I didn't get that accurately, German speakers!

http://appl.welt.de/...medium=facebook

From what I remember of my German lessons half a lifetime ago:

wochenlangen = lasting for weeks

well "BUBBA" you should not try to translate news from foreign news media if you not fully understand the sentences!!

they ('die welt") write about 30000 people that join the redshirt protest today.

the thai police is talking about 27000 people (read the next message)

as you should know police given numbers on demonstration participants are mostly lower then actual numbers.

furthermore they ('die welt') write that the red shirts want to remember (erinnern) the violent ending (gewaltsames ende) of their demonstrations that took place for MANY WEEKS (wochenlang) and was ended by goverment forces on 19. may 2010

so from my point of view that are just the facts and nothing much sensational or inaccurate journalism.

[Buchholz]

Jatuporn Prompan, a prominent figure in the movement, said Red Shirts would continue to gather twice a month

followed by...

Red leader and Opposition MP Jatuporn Prompan said the Red Shirts will change their strategy and protest only once a month

.

Edited January 23, 2011 by Buchholz

[whybother]

well "BUBBA" you should not try to translate news from foreign news media if you not fully understand the sentences!!

they ('die welt") write about 30000 people that join the redshirt protest today.

the thai police is talking about 27000 people (read the next message)

as you should know police given numbers on demonstration participants are mostly lower then actual numbers.

furthermore they ('die welt') write that the red shirts want to remember (erinnern) the violent ending (gewaltsames ende) of their demonstrations that took place for MANY WEEKS (wochenlang) and was ended by goverment forces on 19. may 2010

so from my point of view that are just the facts and nothing much sensational or inaccurate journalism.

I liked a part of this online translation of the article:

In Bangkok have 30 000 Regierungsgegner demonstrated and the Thai capital partially paralyzed. The so-called Rothemden gathered in downtown and remembered the violent end of their weeks-long protest on 19. May 2010. They demanded the release of arrested then leader. The movement "United Front for Democracy and dictatorship" is the 2006 overthrown Ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra nearby.

[givenall]

Wearing their trademark colour and singing the "Red in the Land" anthem, protesters waved banners reading "Liar State!" and held aloft pictures of their hero, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai anti-government demonstrators wear hats with photographs of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as they take to the streets Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011, in Bangkok, Thailand. The 'Red Shirts' continue to press their demands for new elections and a new government.

AP

Democracy to these Red Shirt means bring in back the old and corrupt government of Mr. T. so not any new government would do and even after the election same old same old

[Buchholz]

Bangkok, April 18, 2009 (DPA) Thailand’s fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra Saturday left the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for Nicaragua, where he has been granted a diplomatic passport, media reports said.

Thaksin’s Thai passport was revoked Monday after he was charged with inciting his supporters to create chaos in Thailand in a bid to topple the government via a phone-in addresses from abroad in which he at one point reportedly called for a "people’s revolution."

The Red Shirt rally goer in the middle remembers that Black Songkran 2009 message with his "RED PEOPLE NEED REVOLUTION" banner...

Anti-government "red shirt" protesters shout and hold banners during a rally near the Democracy monument, the site of bloody clashes with security forces, in Bangkok January 23, 2011. Thousands of anti-government activists gathered in Bangkok on Sunday to demand the release of their leaders who were detained since the May 2010 crackdown.

REUTERS

.

Edited January 23, 2011 by Buchholz

[bulmercke]

scorecard said: "On a different slant, One of the members of my Thai family (not a red supporter)was just talking to a friend, the gossip is that the attendance money for today is 1,000Baht."

You've got to laugh. No one got paid anything. More black propaganda I'm afraid.

[whybother]

The Red Shirt rally goer in the middle remembers that Black Songkran 2009 message with his "RED PEOPLE NEED REVOLUTION" banner...

Anti-government "red shirt" protesters shout and hold banners during a rally near the Democracy monument, the site of bloody clashes with security forces, in Bangkok January 23, 2011. Thousands of anti-government activists gathered in Bangkok on Sunday to demand the release of their leaders who were detained since the May 2010 crackdown.

REUTERS

Is the sign in chinese aimed at the Sino-Thai ruling elite?

[chinthai]

scorecard said: "On a different slant, One of the members of my Thai family (not a red supporter)was just talking to a friend, the gossip is that the attendance money for today is 1,000Baht."

You've got to laugh. No one got paid anything. More black propaganda I'm afraid.

sometimes local red skirts leaders pay between 300 and 1000 Baht.

But mostly of them from outside Bangkok. Last year the local leader from here (Chiang Mai) want rent my minibus for 4000 Baht and for each

Thai another 1500 Baht per day.

But all must give their ID-Card to the leader first. Many red skirts later come home without ID-Card, because the leave the rally before for violence.

Now, nobody go to BKK from our district, because the not offer money for visit the rally.

Edited January 23, 2011 by chinthai

[jdinasia]

scorecard said: "On a different slant, One of the members of my Thai family (not a red supporter)was just talking to a friend, the gossip is that the attendance money for today is 1,000Baht."

You've got to laugh. No one got paid anything. More black propaganda I'm afraid.

No one got paid? That just doesn't match what is heard regularly so I assume that we have to conclude that Bulmercke went and spoke to 27,000 people today AND believed what he was told by each of them!

I don't doubt there are some people there that are not paid. I also do not doubt that there are some people there that are paid.

[rubl]

Anti-government "red shirt" protesters shout and hold banners during a rally near the Democracy monument, the site of bloody clashes with security forces, in Bangkok January 23, 2011. Thousands of anti-government activists gathered in Bangkok on Sunday to demand the release of their leaders who were detained since the May 2010 crackdown.

REUTERS.

Interesting point is that many protest signs are in English, a language not really understood by many Thais. This suggests that most of those signs are only put up to convey a certain image towards foreigner and the world outside Thailand. Does that mean we finally count for something apart from being aliens ?