Red-Shirt Protesters Mark First Anniversay Of Crackdown

[whybother]

The terrorists are back and they have taken the business district hostage again. Blocking other people's right of way and obstructing other people's way of life is clear sign of terrorism. I hope the army (black or green I don't care) comes out and shoot them down again.

Blocking and obstructing people is inconsiderate. Not quite terrorism.

Blocking and obstructing was their modus operandi last year, to try and get a reaction. Pushing and prodding.

Then the terrorism started, with their armed militia. Of course, 95% of the red shirts knew nothing about that, and a lot still don't seem to believe it.

[rubl]

The terrorists are back and they have taken the business district hostage again. Blocking other people's right of way and obstructing other people's way of life is clear sign of terrorism. I hope the army (black or green I don't care) comes out and shoot them down again.

Blocking and obstructing people is inconsiderate. Not quite terrorism.

Blocking and obstructing was their modus operandi last year, to try and get a reaction. Pushing and prodding.

Then the terrorism started, with their armed militia. Of course, 95% of the red shirts knew nothing about that, and a lot still don't seem to believe it.

Really inconvenient, but within the protesters rights as more-or-less agreed with authorities (i.e. police) before. Agree or not agree, that's what happens in a functioning democracy. Last year's 'protests' clearly overstepped bounds, this year that's not the case.

[balo]

I picked the wrong day to visit Centralworld , when I arrived late afternoon they closed everything and protesters outside blocking the street .

Not possible to walk so they "forced" me to return home.

[JAG]

30,000 people might look like a lot, particularly if they are all wearing the same color, but it's only 0.045% of the population of Thailand.

True, but one suspects that the ignorant and stupid tag was intended to be applied to all and anyone who supported the red faction, in any of its manifestations.

That is a significant proportion of the population.

[webfact]

Victims return to Ratchaprasong hoping for justice

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

During the bloody government crackdown on red-shirt protesters at Ratchaprasong Intersection on May 19 last year, 56-year-old former nurse Phasudee Ngarm-kham was the last protester sitting on a chair holding a red flag in front of the stage amid the gunshots.

Yesterday, she returned to the area hoping for justice for the victims who were killed during the military operation.

"Last year, I was totally hopeless and had no way to fight for justice and democracy. At that time, I preferred to die rather than stay alive. So I was waiting for a gunshot," she said.

"Now I see the light of hope to bring justice back and I believe justice is in Thai people's hands, not given by angels," she added.

Phasudee was speaking at Ratchaprasong Intersection at an event to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the crackdown. Thousands of red-shirt people from across the country attended.

"We just want these cases to set an example of justice," Phasudee said.

After learning that many people were injured and killed during the crackdown, she suggested that the red-shirt movement move forward to bring reconciliation back to Thai society and that they express their opinions with more consciousness.

"I know it must take time for us and society but if you only think about revenge against your enemies it will later destroy you and the country," she said.

However, she added that red shirts had been stigmatised as terrorists in the eyes of the public.

"We need to stop seeing things with bias and open our minds to each other," she said.

Meanwhile, Phayao Akkahad, the mother of volunteer nurse Kamolkate, who was killed at Wat Pathum Wanaram on May 19, yesterday organised a religious ceremony at the temple to pray and remember the death of her daughter.

"Last year was a hard time for me to accept the truth about my daughter's death," she said.

During the past year, Phayao filed a lot of complaints to state agencies, including the Department of Special Investigation, asking them to investigate her daughter's death.

To date, there has been no progress.

She recently filed a lawsuit at the civil court and asked the government to pay Bt8.5 million in compensation.

She plans to file a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), as there had been no contact from the NHRC, not even a phone call, since her daughter died.

At Ratchaprasong Intersection, all roads were temporary closed as a massive crowd of red-shirt protesters joined the event yesterday.

The Central World department store closed at 3pm, though others remained open.

A stage was set up as a temporary place for monks to hold religious ceremonies and pray for victims. Some protesters, including Phayao and Phasudee, were also invited to make public speeches on stage about their experiences over the past year.

They marched from Ratchaprasong to Wat Prathum Wanaram to lay down wreathes for victims and lit candles in the evening.

Srisaket province native Rawan Boonmak, 42, said she joined the event because she wanted to remember her heroes who were killed on May 19 last year. She hoped the upcoming election would bring justice to those victims and their relatives.

A 50-year-old man, Manit Hengsakul, who travelled from Pattaya, said he came to the event because he wanted to ask for fair elections that would truly bring democracy to the people.

A woman who wished not to be named said she could not forget the most horrible night of her life, when she was stuck inside Wat Prathum Wanaram on May 19.

"I am so sorry I cannot talk to you anymore. It is hard for me to remember that incident again," she said with a shaking voice and teardrops in the corner of her eyes.

In a related development, acting red leader Thida Thawornset said the red-shirt movement would organise activities and set up platforms to talk about democracy and double standards in Thai society nationwide.

However, they will not allow former leaders whose names are now on the Pheu Thai party list as election candidates to join the events because that would violate election law.

"We will continue to talk about true democracy and justice for the victims who were killed during the military operation last year," she said, adding that the red-shirt movement was now trying to transform the Pheu Thai Party into a "political party of the people".

"Now I believe red-shirt people control the Pheu Thai Party," she said.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai party list candidate Natthawut Saikua said he would also talk about justice for those who died in the protests last year.

"Are we still human if we don't talk about the death of 91 victims who were killed last year?" he asked.

-- The Nation 2011-05-20

[whybother]

"Are we still human if we don't talk about the death of 91 victims who were killed last year?" he asked.

I wonder how much talking the red shirts are doing about the army personnel and civilians killed by their armed militia with grenades and guns?

[Buchholz]

Red-shirt Leaders Seek Bail for Jailed Peer

Red-shirt leaders have sought bail for their jailed peer Chatuporn Prompan.

At the same time, they have also claimed that they are not affiliated with any political party.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1043908

Joke claim of the month. The Red Shirts are seeking bail and visiting a PTP MP in jail. There are Red Shirts that have been placed high on the Party-list of MP's for PTP, but yet... "they are not affiliated with any political party."

yeah, right...

[MrChangers]

I fully support the right to demonstrate and remember the 91 who were murdered.

Edited May 20, 2011 by MrChangers

[whybother]

Red-shirt Leaders Seek Bail for Jailed Peer

Red-shirt leaders have sought bail for their jailed peer Chatuporn Prompan.

At the same time, they have also claimed that they are not affiliated with any political party.

http://www.thailando...?DataID=1043908

Joke claim of the month. The Red Shirts are seeking bail and visiting a PTP MP in jail. There are Red Shirts that have been placed high on the Party-list of MP's for PTP, but yet... "they are not affiliated with any political party."

yeah, right...

In addition to the remark by Thida in the Nation article above:

she said, adding that the red-shirt movement was now trying to transform the Pheu Thai Party into a "political party of the people".

But they're not affiliated. "yeah, right..."

[whybother]

I fully support the right to demonstrate and remember the 95 who were murdered.

95 now?

I wonder how they remembered the army personnel and civilians killed by the red shirt militia included in that "95"?

[MrChangers]

I fully support the right to demonstrate and remember the 95 who were murdered.

95 now?

I wonder how they remembered the army personnel and civilians killed by the red shirt militia included in that "95"?

Slip of the keyboard finger, you will notice I have edited and replaced with the "official" figure.

[berryranger]

I really want to know how many of these people will show upto these events if there no compensation or a promise of compensation. My guesswill be very few

click like x 10

i always wonder if these guys have a real job to do...cos last year after the protest was over, 80-90% of the list was not living in BKK.

[Arkady]

K. Jatuporn and Nisit jailed for eight whole days and daily getting one or two hundred supporters. Makes you wonder how much moral support those red-shirt members still in prison upcountry get on a daily/weekly/monthly base (underline as applicable). Of course those are just the ordinary grass-root red-shirts, totally unimportant except for being able to refer to 'unjustly prisoned red-shirts'. UDD leaders and in case of k. Jatuporn MP candidate, now that's what counts in a mass movement striving for democracy, justice and against double standards

Wonder what the scenes would be like outside the jail, if Thaksin came back to serve his sentence. Could be a storming of the Bastile scenario with hundreds of prisoners disappearing into the slums.

[gemini81]

I fully support the right to demonstrate and remember the 91 who were murdered.

I hope the army remembers there are only 29,009 more to go before they can be reunited then! maybe in the next life they can sit around doing nothing and still collect loans and free gov't aid.

[tlansford]

I stayed in the area last summer during a red shirt rally - no thugs, no violence. Speaches, lot's of people & some blocked traffic - no big deal since (1) it's a tiny corner of BKK (2) no problem at all if you take a motorbike taxi (& we did...), & (3) have you ever seen Paeis during a "manifestation"?

The red shirt party has every right to be out on the streets.

Regarding the stores, ... we're talking highend European luxery goods - (1) they are doing just fine, no need to worry about them (2) the irony of Farang worrying about these businesses is amazing as 99% of THAI people can't afford to shop there. As for pratunam & the small/street shops, they had no lack of customers when I was there last summer.

Cheers

Tom

[Buchholz]

I stayed in the area last summer during a red shirt rally - no thugs, no violence. Speaches, lot's of people & some blocked traffic - no big deal since (1) it's a tiny corner of BKK (2) no problem at all if you take a motorbike taxi (& we did...), & (3) have you ever seen Paeis during a "manifestation"?

The red shirt party has every right to be out on the streets.

Regarding the stores, ... we're talking highend European luxery goods - (1) they are doing just fine, no need to worry about them (2) the irony of Farang worrying about these businesses is amazing as 99% of THAI people can't afford to shop there. As for pratunam & the small/street shops, they had no lack of customers when I was there last summer.

Cheers

Tom

The actual numbers say something completely different.

BANGKOK, Jan 12 - The Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association (RSTA) President Chai Srivikorn said

2,088 operators lost 11 billion baht last year due to the mass rally

Chai estimated that 33,000 jobs, mainly in the retail and tourism sectors, could be at risk in the Ratchaprasong area if the protests continued.

With the dozen or so Red Shirt rallies since January, those numbers would be expected to increase even higher.

.

Edited May 20, 2011 by Buchholz

[whatsupdoc]

I stayed in the area last summer during a red shirt rally - no thugs, no violence. Speaches, lot's of people & some blocked traffic - no big deal since (1) it's a tiny corner of BKK (2) no problem at all if you take a motorbike taxi (& we did...), & (3) have you ever seen Paeis during a "manifestation"?

The red shirt party has every right to be out on the streets.

Regarding the stores, ... we're talking highend European luxery goods - (1) they are doing just fine, no need to worry about them (2) the irony of Farang worrying about these businesses is amazing as 99% of THAI people can't afford to shop there. As for pratunam & the small/street shops, they had no lack of customers when I was there last summer.

Cheers

Tom

yeah, as long as you are personally not affected it doesn't matter.... You have no clue at all about the damage that was done and show no empathy towards others at all.

I have a business that is largely dependent upon tourists (and far outside of Bangkok). My sales plummeted because of the riots. The direct damage because of the riots was huge, the indirect damage gigantic.

[Buchholz]

I stayed in the area last summer during a red shirt rally - no thugs, no violence. Speaches, lot's of people & some blocked traffic - no big deal since (1) it's a tiny corner of BKK (2) no problem at all if you take a motorbike taxi (& we did...), & (3) have you ever seen Paeis during a "manifestation"?

The red shirt party has every right to be out on the streets.

Regarding the stores, ... we're talking highend European luxery goods - (1) they are doing just fine, no need to worry about them (2) the irony of Farang worrying about these businesses is amazing as 99% of THAI people can't afford to shop there. As for pratunam & the small/street shops, they had no lack of customers when I was there last summer.

Cheers

Tom

yeah, as long as you are personally not affected it doesn't matter.... You have no clue at all about the damage that was done and show no empathy towards others at all.

I have a business that is largely dependent upon tourists (and far outside of Bangkok). My sales plummeted because of the riots. The direct damage because of the riots was huge, the indirect damage gigantic.

But the script calls for the effects to be downplayed and minimalized, if not trivialized.

and so it goes.

[thaihome]

I stayed in the area last summer during a red shirt rally - no thugs, no violence. Speaches, lot's of people & some blocked traffic - no big deal ....

Cheers

Tom

I guess you never went to Soi Ngam Duplee and Rama IV around 14-18 May, did you?

TH

[rubl]

I stayed in the area last summer during a red shirt rally - no thugs, no violence. Speaches, lot's of people & some blocked traffic - no big deal since (1) it's a tiny corner of BKK (2) no problem at all if you take a motorbike taxi (& we did...), & (3) have you ever seen Paeis during a "manifestation"?

The red shirt party has every right to be out on the streets.

Regarding the stores, ... we're talking highend European luxery goods - (1) they are doing just fine, no need to worry about them (2) the irony of Farang worrying about these businesses is amazing as 99% of THAI people can't afford to shop there. As for pratunam & the small/street shops, they had no lack of customers when I was there last summer.

Cheers

Tom

Well Tom, just like you I was lucky, I missed the April 22nd grenade attack on BTS Saladaeng by a few hours. In May my (Thai) boss told me to stay away from the office (U Chu Liang on RamaIV opposite Lumpini). Makes you wonder if you really were in Bangkok during the April May 2010 period.

Of course I would never dream of accusing a fellow TV member of talking b_llsh_t, but your post brings me close