Film To Honour Late Red-Shirt Hero: Bangkok

[webfact]

Film to honour late red-shirt hero

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Six years after the coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra, one name is slowly becoming venerated by those who opposed military intervention - the late taxi-driver Nuamthong Praiwan.

Nuamthong, 60, ran his cab into an Army tank in the aftermath of the September 19, 2006 coup. He was hospitalised and later publicly belittled by Col Akara Thiprote, deputy spokesperson of the Council for National Security (CNS), who said: "Nobody has so strong an ideology so as to be able to sacrifice his or her life".

On October 30, 2006, Nuamthong died when he decided to hang himself as the ultimate protest against the coup.

Today, many red-shirts and those who oppose the coup view Nuamthong as a martyr.

A film in honour of the taxi-driver is soon to be filmed after red shirts managed to raise more than Bt2.5 million earlier this year.

When red shirts gathered at Ratchaprasong Intersection to rally in 2010, a bust of Nuamthong was placed near Buddha statues and those of warrior kings of the past, behind the main rally stage.

To red-shirt Chulalongkorn historian Assoc Prof Suthachai Yimprasert, Thai history will remember Nuamthong kindly - despite the fact that only red shirts and those who opposed the coup value his sacrifice.

"The future will be different [when it comes to remembering Nuamthong]," Suthachai said. "It's impossible to see the coup as legitimate from the future's point of view. We exist in the bias of the present. It's like the October 6, 1976 massacre; no one today says the killing was right anymore."

Suthachai said what made Nuamthong unique was the fact he was a working class man and not from the educated middle class.

Wat Wallayangkoon, writer and scriptwriter for the new film, believes Nuamthong has a place in the history of Thai democracy.

"The future will only remember him more," said Wat, adding that when Thailand enjoys genuine freedom of speech, understanding of tumultuous events like the October 6, 1976 massacre of leftist students, or the October 14, 1973 revolt against military dictators, would also change.

Those not in the red-shirt camp who oppose military dictatorship, like Marxist activist Patchanee Kumnal, who is from a working class background herself, warned that the struggle for democracy should not be based on individual sacrifice but the strength of a democratic movement.

"From a Marxist perspective, we do not support the idea of martyrdom. Everyone should be organised and fight as a movement and not fight a lonely struggle like the taxi-driver," said 35-year-old Patchanee. "I do respect his stance and fortitude, however. He deserves to be recorded in history."

-- The Nation 2012-09-21

[daoyai]

Suicide as protest = martyrdom ? Marxism = democracy ?

[looping]

More of a victim than a martyr IMO, already being used as a political tool in his absence. Very sad.

[Thai at Heart]

Did the Nation just write "marxist activist"?

[asiawatcher]

Good job of brainwashing the poor sucker - RED MO.

[KireB]

THey should make a movie about Thaksin, the democracy fighter!

[whybother]

It's either going to be very short, or very boring.

[Pi Sek]

I thought on reading the topic that Seh Daeng would be getting his own film, conveniently missing out the unsavoury parts a la Che Guevara.

Khun Nuamthong was a bit of a numpty in my opinion, not in the opinion of some others. But, right or wrong, one cannot question that his actions are the result of what he believed to be just and unjust, and that makes him a good man in my book, numpty or not.

[yoshiwara]

Maybe the sequel can be based on the venerated red supporter who tried to set light to the high-jacked petrol tanker they jammed into the Bangkok street neighbourhood.

[saltandpepper]

It's either going to be very short, or very boring.

Most certainly both

[whybother]

Maybe the sequel can be based on the venerated red supporter who tried to set light to the high-jacked petrol tanker they jammed into the Bangkok street neighbourhood.

More exciting would be a film about the red shirt who blew himself up, along with half the apartment building.

[GentlemanJim]

And the movie - based on a real life story

Movie starts - Army tank drives down road

Taxi comes speeding around corner with driver talking on mobile phone to friend saying he hates army.

Taxi driver looks up too late hits tank

Smash crash - end of movie

[Buchholz]

More exciting would be a film about the red shirt who blew himself up, along with half the apartment building.

Red Shirt Bomber Somai's story would be intriguing with its cast of players

The 2010 timeline of the Red Shirt bombing that also killed innocent civilians could have an interesting sequel on the events of some of its players that occurred in 2011

Which reminds me, whatever happened with the case of the PTP MP connected to the Red Shirt bomber that blew up half a condo?

Pheu Thai Party MP Wisut Chai-narun (shaking hands with Yingluck) was promoted to Deputy House Speaker on August 2, 2011.

[philw]

And the movie - based on a real life story

Movie starts - Army tank drives down road

Taxi comes speeding around corner with driver talking on mobile phone to friend saying he hates army.

Taxi driver looks up too late hits tank

Smash crash - end of movie

And the movie - based on a real life story

Movie starts - Army tank drives down road

Taxi comes speeding around corner with driver talking on mobile phone to friend saying he hates army.

Taxi driver looks up too late hits tank

Smash crash - end of movie

Very droll.

Presumably you find jokes about military personnel getting killed equally amusing ?

[JoeLing]

And the movie - based on a real life story

Movie starts - Army tank drives down road

Taxi comes speeding around corner with driver talking on mobile phone to friend saying he hates army.

Taxi driver looks up too late hits tank

Smash crash - end of movie

And the movie - based on a real life story

Movie starts - Army tank drives down road

Taxi comes speeding around corner with driver talking on mobile phone to friend saying he hates army.

Taxi driver looks up too late hits tank

Smash crash - end of movie

Very droll.

Presumably you find jokes about military personnel getting killed equally amusing ?

I thought that is what military personnel are trained and paid for, to kill and be killed for the ones who are in power?

It's like the postman, he's supposed to deliver post and part of the hazzard is, he'll be bitten by dogs.

Could id be that this poor taxi driver just suffered sever depression and wanted to commit suicide in a way or an other?

Now if he would have wanted to stop the tank, why didn't he do like Vaclav Havel did in the Tschechoslowakey or the lonly geezer in Tiaman square. They stopped the tanks. But drive a taxi in to a tank, pure suicidal.

Maybe the idea of "GentlemanJim" is more plausable

Edited September 21, 2012 by JoeLing

[Buchholz]

^ just to keep the movie as factual as possible, the Army tank was not driving and was already stopped and parked when the taxi driver ran into it....

the movie should definitely depict the police side of the issue and the unsurprising action, for them, they took...

george

Root Admin

Posted 2006-09-30 22:34:47

Taxi driver injured after hitting Army tank

BANGKOK: -- The army raised security at Bangkok's Royal Plaza after a taxi driver slammed his car into a stationary tank early Saturday morning.

Nuamthong Praiwan, 60, a native of Bangkok's suburban Nonthaburi province, received injuries and was sent to a government-run hospital for treatment.

Police initially charged the taxi driver with reckless driving and causing damage to government property.

[JoeLing]

^ just to keep the movie as factual as possible, the Army tank was not driving and was already stopped and parked when the taxi driver ran into it....

the movie should definitely depict the police side of the issue and the unsurprising action, for them, they took...

george

Root Admin

Posted 2006-09-30 22:34:47

Taxi driver injured after hitting Army tank

BANGKOK: -- The army raised security at Bangkok's Royal Plaza after a taxi driver slammed his car into a stationary tank early Saturday morning.

Nuamthong Praiwan, 60, a native of Bangkok's suburban Nonthaburi province, received injuries and was sent to a government-run hospital for treatment.

Police initially charged the taxi driver with reckless driving and causing damage to government property.

OK, suppose there is no point in standing in front of a tank if he didn't move, not the same effect.

[Buchholz]

^ just to keep the movie as factual as possible, the Army tank was not driving and was already stopped and parked when the taxi driver ran into it....

the movie should definitely depict the police side of the issue and the unsurprising action, for them, they took...

george

Root Admin

Posted 2006-09-30 22:34:47

Taxi driver injured after hitting Army tank

BANGKOK: -- The army raised security at Bangkok's Royal Plaza after a taxi driver slammed his car into a stationary tank early Saturday morning.

Nuamthong Praiwan, 60, a native of Bangkok's suburban Nonthaburi province, received injuries and was sent to a government-run hospital for treatment.

Police initially charged the taxi driver with reckless driving and causing damage to government property.

OK, suppose there is no point in standing in front of a tank if he didn't move, not the same effect.

Which leaves your quite very plausible scenario of a suicide-bent depressive.

In all seriousness, hopefully the film can at least address the woefully inadequate mental health care system in Thailand which failed Nuamthong after his first suicide attempt.

.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Buchholz

[ballpoint]

I hope the film shows the huge display of solidarity the red shirts showed to this individual at the time of his first "protest". The support and councelling they gave him as an obviously disturbed individual. Hang on, they didn't give a dam_n, and are now trying to score from yet another death. Tactics we're all too familiar with.

His spontaneity was quite refreshing though, given that it took the rest of the reds three years to sponaneously protest against the 2006 coup. After being told, and paid, by Thaksin to do so.

[GentlemanJim]

And the movie - based on a real life story

Movie starts - Army tank drives down road

Taxi comes speeding around corner with driver talking on mobile phone to friend saying he hates army.

Taxi driver looks up too late hits tank

Smash crash - end of movie

And the movie - based on a real life story

Movie starts - Army tank drives down road

Taxi comes speeding around corner with driver talking on mobile phone to friend saying he hates army.

Taxi driver looks up too late hits tank

Smash crash - end of movie

Very droll.

Presumably you find jokes about military personnel getting killed equally amusing ?

Well it's a droll day eh Phil. Grey skies, rain rain rain.

Now why would I joke about soldiers who give their lives in the service of their country, perhaps for Queen and country, or even King and country. Regardless of how mistaken the foreign policies may be of respective Governments, the soldier is there to do the Governments bidding without question. However the idea of martyrdom bestowed upon a Taxi driver who was likely just clinically depressed, having driven in to a stationary tank, and then later hanged himself is all a bit of a nonsense really. Having seen first hand the effects a suicide has on a family I can personally testify to the train wreckage that the taxi driver left behind for all the members of his family to deal with. Had he stormed a regiment of soldiers with his bayonets fixed then I would see his statement, but driving in to a stationary tank and then later carrying out the most selfish of acts on the quiet, well maybe he was depressed, maybe he was a drunk, maybe he needed help and nobody saw it. If I was a betting man I would plug for the latter. The fact that the reds are now trying to make a movie and portray him as a martyr is all a bit cheesy don't you think? Had those willing to portray his death and capitalize on the aspects of 'martyrdom' taken as much interest in his well being before then it is highly unlikely he would be dead.

The reds have raised 2.5 million baht it says and have then made the movie, well, I just can't wait. This week we have already seen what a totally crap movie can be made with $ 5 Million, so with a budget of $100 000 this should be riveting.

So actually in my post, I wasn't joking, as I said at the start, based on a real life story, because real life events are likely to be much closer to what I depicted. The despicable part of all this are the Amsterdams, the Thaksins, the Jatuporns etc etc who will use the mans sorry death to glorify an aspect of their own wicked vision, and that is that these poor people wearing red shirts, subject to continual brain washing and propaganda are the pawns in a game where men will persuade them to do violence so that they can overthrow the very institution that the soldiers are sworn to protect with their lives. That is after all the aim of the game that Thaksin is playing, and I know you know that because you are clever. Do i have sympathy for the taxi driver, not really, do I have sympathy for the sons, daughters, siblings and wife he left behind, yes, in abundance. But his children will now suffer more instead of being allowed to grieve and move on. Now they will see their Dad's twisted story put on the big screen, the sychophantic red leaders will have them along for photo shoots to please Uncle Thaksin and then after the movie the mud slinging will start. Some will call their Dad a hero, others will call him a to**er, and that IS going to hurt..a lot..for a long time. But the leaders wont give a sh*t for the pain of the children, they want that temporary burst in moral for the reds.

All in all it is droll Phil, very droll.

Now everyone have a great weekend with their loved ones. Love them every day like its your last!

Jim

[Pimay1]

More exciting would be a film about the red shirt who blew himself up, along with half the apartment building.

Red Shirt Bomber Somai's story would be intriguing with its cast of players

The 2010 timeline of the Red Shirt bombing that also killed innocent civilians could have an interesting sequel on the events of some of its players that occurred in 2011

Which reminds me, whatever happened with the case of the PTP MP connected to the Red Shirt bomber that blew up half a condo?

Pheu Thai Party MP Wisut Chai-narun (shaking hands with Yingluck) was promoted to Deputy House Speaker on August 2, 2011.

I suppose MP Wisut's bank account was unfrozen when Yingluck er Thaksin promoted him to deputy house speaker.

[bigbamboo]

I thought on reading the topic that Seh Daeng would be getting his own film, conveniently missing out the unsavoury parts a la Che Guevara.

Khun Nuamthong was a bit of a numpty in my opinion, not in the opinion of some others. But, right or wrong, one cannot question that his actions are the result of what he believed to be just and unjust, and that makes him a good man in my book, numpty or not.

If you miss out the unsavoury parts there would be no film.

[Pi Sek]

<snip>

But his children will now suffer more instead of being allowed to grieve and move on. Now they will see their Dad's twisted story put on the big screen, the sychophantic red leaders will have them along for photo shoots to please Uncle Thaksin and then after the movie the mud slinging will start. Some will call their Dad a hero, others will call him a to**er, and that IS going to hurt..a lot..for a long time.

<snip>

That's very poignant... I must admit that your point didn't even occur to me, but it's obvious.

[Skywalker69]

Suicide as protest = martyrdom ? Marxism = democracy ?

Pol Potísm?

[nurofiend]

he must have been paid 500 baht, sure nobody actually supports the cause really do they....

[473geo]

THey should make a movie about Thaksin, the democracy fighter!

Apparently there could be a movie out soon

Staring Abhisit

"Hunt for red Thaksin"

Needless to say, true to historical events, Thaksin is not required to make a personal appearance, but is spotted during a video phone in......

Edited September 21, 2012 by 473geo