Bangkok Metropolitan Police Chief Needs To Curb Hawkish Style: Democrat

[webfact]

Police chief needs to curb hawkish style: Democrat

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A senior Democrat MP voiced concern yesterday that the new Metropolitan Police chief's "hawkish" background would be a problem in his new job of dealing with people protesting against the reconciliation bills.

MP Ong-art Klampaiboon said he feared there could be violent clashes between the protesters and crowd-control police under the direction of Bangkok's new police commissioner, Pol Maj-General Kamronwit Thoopkrajang.

"He is a police officer from the hawkish camp and he has a history of using force," Ong-art said.

"If Kamronwit does not change his working style, there could be violent clashes in Bangkok, the site for fresh political rallies. I call on officials dealing with protesters to do their job carefully in order to avoid confrontation," he said.

Kamronwit was last week appointed the new Metropolitan Police chief, replacing Pol Maj-General Wichai Sangprapai.

At Metropolitan Police headquarters yesterday, Kamronwit chaired a meeting of senior police in preparation for rallies by opponents of the reconciliation bills.

The protesters, mainly yellow shirts and supporters of the opposition Democrat Party, claim the bills would absolve former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and others involved in criminal acts during the 2010 unrest.

The new Metropolitan Police chief instructed his subordinates to prepare for future protests with regular crowd-control drills, according to a source.

But Deputy Metropolitan Police commissioner Maj-General Worasak Nopsitthiporn, who was also at the meeting, said officers were instructed to use teargas "only when there is legitimate reason".

-- The Nation 2012-06-05

[DaffyDuck]

What has Wichai done, or not done, that he needed replacing?

Edited June 4, 2012 by DaffyDuck

[Curt1591]

A senior Democrat MP voiced concern yesterday that the new Metropolitan Police chief's "hawkish" background would be a problem in his new job of dealing with people protesting against the reconciliation bills.

Shoe on the other foot?

Edited June 5, 2012 by Curt1591

[pakorn7]

Avoid using force, please only recruit beauty pageants as police.

[Morgo]

Chamlong Srimuang to his cheering yellow-shirt followers at last week's blockade of parliment. "If they don't listen to us, the PAD are experts at getting rid of prime ministers". I note that the Democrats are not condemning these seditious remarks as hawkish behaviour.

[h90]

Chamlong Srimuang to his cheering yellow-shirt followers at last week's blockade of parliment. "If they don't listen to us, the PAD are experts at getting rid of prime ministers". I note that the Democrats are not condemning these seditious remarks as hawkish behaviour.

what is wrong with it??? Many if not most countries have peaceful demonstrations to get rid of the government.....

[Thai at Heart]

Chamlong Srimuang to his cheering yellow-shirt followers at last week's blockade of parliment. "If they don't listen to us, the PAD are experts at getting rid of prime ministers". I note that the Democrats are not condemning these seditious remarks as hawkish behaviour.

what is wrong with it??? Many if not most countries have peaceful demonstrations to get rid of the government.....

Problem is, Thailand has no precedent for the police knowing safely, how to remove said protesters effectively from said protests. I would believe that in most parts of the world if the point of the protest is to remove an entire government, in most parts of the world, this ends with bloodshed. There are protests all over the place, but having a protest singularly to remove a government is quite unusual.

I have to chuckle when people say that the police have no training about how to defuse protests such as these. It isn't as though they haven't had a bit of practice in the last 5 years or so.

[slapout]

Many of the beat cops seem to wake up in a new world every day and those in charge seem to be displaced or put into inactive posts on a fairly regular basis.

[moe666]

Chamlong Srimuang to his cheering yellow-shirt followers at last week's blockade of parliment. "If they don't listen to us, the PAD are experts at getting rid of prime ministers". I note that the Democrats are not condemning these seditious remarks as hawkish behaviour.

what is wrong with it??? Many if not most countries have peaceful demonstrations to get rid of the government.....

Problem is, Thailand has no precedent for the police knowing safely, how to remove said protesters effectively from said protests. I would believe that in most parts of the world if the point of the protest is to remove an entire government, in most parts of the world, this ends with bloodshed. There are protests all over the place, but having a protest singularly to remove a government is quite unusual.

I have to chuckle when people say that the police have no training about how to defuse protests such as these. It isn't as though they haven't had a bit of practice in the last 5 years or so.

I guess you didn't notice the police did a disappearing act and the army had to clean up there mess.

[Sayonarax]

Build a wall, country is divided down the middle anyways..

I now declare Pattaya as the capital of the red people.

[mca]

I now declare Pattaya as the capital of the red people.

What's that red faced due to chronic alcoholism.

[h90]

Chamlong Srimuang to his cheering yellow-shirt followers at last week's blockade of parliment. "If they don't listen to us, the PAD are experts at getting rid of prime ministers". I note that the Democrats are not condemning these seditious remarks as hawkish behaviour.

what is wrong with it??? Many if not most countries have peaceful demonstrations to get rid of the government.....

Problem is, Thailand has no precedent for the police knowing safely, how to remove said protesters effectively from said protests. I would believe that in most parts of the world if the point of the protest is to remove an entire government, in most parts of the world, this ends with bloodshed. There are protests all over the place, but having a protest singularly to remove a government is quite unusual.

I have to chuckle when people say that the police have no training about how to defuse protests such as these. It isn't as though they haven't had a bit of practice in the last 5 years or so.

I recall in Austria we had the Thursday demonstrations for 5 (or so) years, with the target to remove the government....

[Thai at Heart]

Chamlong Srimuang to his cheering yellow-shirt followers at last week's blockade of parliment. "If they don't listen to us, the PAD are experts at getting rid of prime ministers". I note that the Democrats are not condemning these seditious remarks as hawkish behaviour.

what is wrong with it??? Many if not most countries have peaceful demonstrations to get rid of the government.....

Problem is, Thailand has no precedent for the police knowing safely, how to remove said protesters effectively from said protests. I would believe that in most parts of the world if the point of the protest is to remove an entire government, in most parts of the world, this ends with bloodshed. There are protests all over the place, but having a protest singularly to remove a government is quite unusual.

I have to chuckle when people say that the police have no training about how to defuse protests such as these. It isn't as though they haven't had a bit of practice in the last 5 years or so.

I guess you didn't notice the police did a disappearing act and the army had to clean up there mess.

Well they had a go with some rather archaic tear gas shells if I remember. Wonder if they did ever find out who bought or imported that stuff. But if the limitation for supply is your local suppliers knowledge of the market plus 30%, I don't suppose you get too much for your money.

[gand]

Where was the hawk when the red shirts were setting siege to Bangkok? on the other side?

[h90]

Well they had a go with some rather archaic tear gas shells if I remember. Wonder if they did ever find out who bought or imported that stuff. But if the limitation for supply is your local suppliers knowledge of the market plus 30%, I don't suppose you get too much for your money.

they were military tear gas (from China) not civilian....and old.....I think they found already that it was a long time on stock.

[Skywalker69]

I now declare Pattaya as the capital of the red people.

What's that red faced due to chronic alcoholism.

Good one

[JohnAllan]

Quote:The new Metropolitan Police chief instructed his subordinates to prepare for future protests with regular crowd-control drills, according to a source.

But Deputy Metropolitan Police commissioner Maj-General Worasak Nopsitthiporn, who was also at the meeting, said officers were instructed to use teargas "only when there is legitimate reason".

What a pity they did not apply the same ethos when faced with the redshirts in 2010. Bangkok, and its residents, might have been spared the weeks of unrest and harrassment, and any number of people their lives, had the police approached those protests with anything like the same work ethic and spirit of duty.

[JohnAllan]

Chamlong Srimuang to his cheering yellow-shirt followers at last week's blockade of parliment. "If they don't listen to us, the PAD are experts at getting rid of prime ministers". I note that the Democrats are not condemning these seditious remarks as hawkish behaviour.

Seditious? No mention of a rebellion that I can see. And feel free to tell us which PTP member condemned the many redshirt speeches - never mind actions - aimed at unseating a government.

Besides, a little difficult to get rid of a PM when you don't even know where he is at any given time.

[MunterHunter]

Besides, a little difficult to get rid of a PM when you don't even know where he is at any given time.

Well at least with this government, you dont actually ever have to look for her at her place of employment... shes never there... if it were me i'd be checking the hotel's check-in registrar or the airlines passenger manifesto...

Where in the world is Yingluck Shinawatra!?!

Edited June 5, 2012 by MunterHunter

[tragickingdom]

If the new police commissioner is "Hawkish" how do we subscribe mister Suthep in that case after his life firing zones and the use of numerous snipers on poor people hiding in a holy place? At least Suthep will get housed in a very good neighborhood in the Hague. He would love the presence of so much elite. Lot;s of other former VP's, presidents and army people in the same gallery.

[geriatrickid]

[quote name='moe666' timestamp='1338868693' post='5362331'

]I guess you didn't notice the police did a disappearing act and the army had to clean up there mess.

Rather, the police were subject to interference from the government and the military.

The precedent for uncontolled protests was set with the PAD seizures of airports and government buildings. Had the police moved decisively when the PAD protests crossed the line, they would have been able to minimize the destructive Bangkok riots that followed, The perception of the police being passive was set with the PAD protests. The lunatic fringe of the Bangkok protests knew that they would not face pushback. When troublemakers know there are limited consequences, they do as they please. There were many opportunistic criminals that were active during the Bangkok protests that didn't care about the political motives of the protests. It took a few big losses in the west to for western countries to understand that the criminals come out when there are large protests. The large scale looting of retailers and destruction of property often has nothing to do with the goal of the protestors. Hence the massive public security presence at events like the G-20/G-8 meetings.

Yes, to civil peaceful protests, but no to violent protests. It is time that the streets were taken back from these vocal minority groups that wish to impose their views on the rest of society. Red, Yelllow, Blue, Pink, whatever, it's time they were shown that criminal acts of vandalism, arson and assault at protests will not be tolerated.

[MEL1]

instructed to use teargas "only when there is legitimate reason".

___________

I'd like to see the manifesto clearly defining what is determined "legitimate" usage, and what is not!

His word and instruction, at a moment's flex?

We'll have to wait and see on this one.

-mel.

[gand]

[quote name='moe666' timestamp='1338868693' post='5362331'

]I guess you didn't notice the police did a disappearing act and the army had to clean up there mess.

Rather, the police were subject to interference from the government and the military.

The precedent for uncontolled protests was set with the PAD seizures of airports and government buildings. Had the police moved decisively when the PAD protests crossed the line, they would have been able to minimize the destructive Bangkok riots that followed, The perception of the police being passive was set with the PAD protests. The lunatic fringe of the Bangkok protests knew that they would not face pushback. When troublemakers know there are limited consequences, they do as they please. There were many opportunistic criminals that were active during the Bangkok protests that didn't care about the political motives of the protests. It took a few big losses in the west to for western countries to understand that the criminals come out when there are large protests. The large scale looting of retailers and destruction of property often has nothing to do with the goal of the protestors. Hence the massive public security presence at events like the G-20/G-8 meetings.

Yes, to civil peaceful protests, but no to violent protests. It is time that the streets were taken back from these vocal minority groups that wish to impose their views on the rest of society. Red, Yelllow, Blue, Pink, whatever, it's time they were shown that criminal acts of vandalism, arson and assault at protests will not be tolerated.

I was not here but I saw the video of a yellow shirt protest where there were many wounded yellow shirts by the police riot squad, one protestor had a leg blown off. Was this a protest that was before, during or after the airport occupation? days? months? years before?

[waza]

Pol Maj-General Kamronwit Thoopkrajang and Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin must be getting big bucks and a promise of amnesty to act as Thaksins sacraficial lambs.

[waza]

[quote name='moe666' timestamp='1338868693' post='5362331'

]I guess you didn't notice the police did a disappearing act and the army had to clean up there mess.

Rather, the police were subject to interference from the government and the military.

The precedent for uncontolled protests was set with the PAD seizures of airports and government buildings. Had the police moved decisively when the PAD protests crossed the line, they would have been able to minimize the destructive Bangkok riots that followed, The perception of the police being passive was set with the PAD protests. The lunatic fringe of the Bangkok protests knew that they would not face pushback. When troublemakers know there are limited consequences, they do as they please. There were many opportunistic criminals that were active during the Bangkok protests that didn't care about the political motives of the protests. It took a few big losses in the west to for western countries to understand that the criminals come out when there are large protests. The large scale looting of retailers and destruction of property often has nothing to do with the goal of the protestors. Hence the massive public security presence at events like the G-20/G-8 meetings.

Yes, to civil peaceful protests, but no to violent protests. It is time that the streets were taken back from these vocal minority groups that wish to impose their views on the rest of society. Red, Yelllow, Blue, Pink, whatever, it's time they were shown that criminal acts of vandalism, arson and assault at protests will not be tolerated.

I was not here but I saw the video of a yellow shirt protest where there were many wounded yellow shirts by the police riot squad, one protestor had a leg blown off. Was this a protest that was before, during or after the airport occupation? days? months? years before?

At 6.00 am, 7 October 2008, police at Ratchawithi Road and Pichai Road shot a barrage of teargas grenades. Police clashed with protestors. Many were injured on both sides. Police made no effort to negotiate with the anti-government protesters. Eventually the doors to Parliament could be opened for the attending legislators. PAD forces later regrouped around Parliament and again blocked the gates. After the government had made its policy statement to the legislature, police again clashed with PAD forces so that the legislators could leave the building. Clashes continued into the night...........Several protesters lost hands and legs, .....faulty tear gas grenades caused the injuries.........On the night of September 2, anti-PAD protesters and a pro-government group wearing red shirts and calling themselves the Defenders of Democracy Against Dictatorship (now known as the "UDD") attacked the PAD protest camp. Many on both sides were injured, some seriously. While most involved were unarmed, both sides included men who used iron pipes or wooden clubs wrapped in barb wired.^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Alliance_for_Democracy}

An assailant hurled an M26 grenade at the back of the rally stage of the People's Alliance for Democracy late Tuesday night, injuring two men, police said..........Nupan, an ice cream vendor, was severely injured as the impact smashed his right leg bone, causing massive bleeding. Both men were rushed to the Vatchara Hospital.

Five were injured in a bomb attack near the stage where yellow shirted protesters were rallying against convicted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's PM Hun Sen at Sanam Luang on Sunday night.http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009...l_30116677.php

Because of continual attacks by the redshirts, including granade attacks, on their encampment the Yellow shirts moved to a more secure location.

On the evening of Tuesday 25 November 2008, the PAD executed what they called "Operation Hiroshima."^[106] A convoy of hundreds of PAD members dressed in yellow blocked the two ends of the road in front of the terminal building of Suvarnabhumi International Airport and blockaded the main road to the airport. The airport is Bangkok's main airport and an important regional hub. PAD forces quickly overpowered hundreds of policemen armed with riot gear. PAD leaders mounted a mobile stage and proceeded to criticize the government. All Suvarnabhumi flights were soon canceled, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in the airport.^{[107][108]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Alliance_for_Democracy}

[gand]

[quote name='moe666' timestamp='1338868693' post='5362331'

]I guess you didn't notice the police did a disappearing act and the army had to clean up there mess.

Rather, the police were subject to interference from the government and the military.

The precedent for uncontolled protests was set with the PAD seizures of airports and government buildings. Had the police moved decisively when the PAD protests crossed the line, they would have been able to minimize the destructive Bangkok riots that followed, The perception of the police being passive was set with the PAD protests. The lunatic fringe of the Bangkok protests knew that they would not face pushback. When troublemakers know there are limited consequences, they do as they please. There were many opportunistic criminals that were active during the Bangkok protests that didn't care about the political motives of the protests. It took a few big losses in the west to for western countries to understand that the criminals come out when there are large protests. The large scale looting of retailers and destruction of property often has nothing to do with the goal of the protestors. Hence the massive public security presence at events like the G-20/G-8 meetings.

Yes, to civil peaceful protests, but no to violent protests. It is time that the streets were taken back from these vocal minority groups that wish to impose their views on the rest of society. Red, Yelllow, Blue, Pink, whatever, it's time they were shown that criminal acts of vandalism, arson and assault at protests will not be tolerated.

I was not here but I saw the video of a yellow shirt protest where there were many wounded yellow shirts by the police riot squad, one protestor had a leg blown off. Was this a protest that was before, during or after the airport occupation? days? months? years before?

At 6.00 am, 7 October 2008, police at Ratchawithi Road and Pichai Road shot a barrage of teargas grenades. Police clashed with protestors. Many were injured on both sides. Police made no effort to negotiate with the anti-government protesters. Eventually the doors to Parliament could be opened for the attending legislators. PAD forces later regrouped around Parliament and again blocked the gates. After the government had made its policy statement to the legislature, police again clashed with PAD forces so that the legislators could leave the building. Clashes continued into the night...........Several protesters lost hands and legs, .....faulty tear gas grenades caused the injuries.........On the night of September 2, anti-PAD protesters and a pro-government group wearing red shirts and calling themselves the Defenders of Democracy Against Dictatorship (now known as the "UDD") attacked the PAD protest camp. Many on both sides were injured, some seriously. While most involved were unarmed, both sides included men who used iron pipes or wooden clubs wrapped in barb wired.^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Alliance_for_Democracy}

An assailant hurled an M26 grenade at the back of the rally stage of the People's Alliance for Democracy late Tuesday night, injuring two men, police said..........Nupan, an ice cream vendor, was severely injured as the impact smashed his right leg bone, causing massive bleeding. Both men were rushed to the Vatchara Hospital.

Five were injured in a bomb attack near the stage where yellow shirted protesters were rallying against convicted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's PM Hun Sen at Sanam Luang on Sunday night.http://www.nationmul....l_30116677.php

Because of continual attacks by the redshirts, including granade attacks, on their encampment the Yellow shirts moved to a more secure location.

On the evening of Tuesday 25 November 2008, the PAD executed what they called "Operation Hiroshima."^[106] A convoy of hundreds of PAD members dressed in yellow blocked the two ends of the road in front of the terminal building of Suvarnabhumi International Airport and blockaded the main road to the airport. The airport is Bangkok's main airport and an important regional hub. PAD forces quickly overpowered hundreds of policemen armed with riot gear. PAD leaders mounted a mobile stage and proceeded to criticize the government. All Suvarnabhumi flights were soon canceled, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in the airport.^{[107][108]http://en.wikipedia....e_for_Democracy}

Then it sounds like GK may be wrong when he says 'Had the police moved decisively when the PAD protests crossed the line'? It sounds like they moved decisively and violently from the beginning. Unlike how they acted to the red shirts at the beginning or their protests of spring 2010?