Thai Yellow Shirt Airport Protesters To Face Trial

[kimamey]

Just to give credit where credit is due.

I have to hand it to the PTP for this one.

Finally they are doing some thing for the good of Thailand.

It is unfortunate that they are doing it for the wrong reasons.

If they were doing it for the right reasons there would be a lot more red shirts up for indictment.

But it is a very good start. Let us hope it does not turn into you have a lot of money so it is OK.

I'll agree with that.

[Sing_Sling]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

Ever considered becoming a Red Shirt leader?

Ever considered being impartial and just addressing the issue at hand instead of using throw-away one-liners to deflect from the issue?

[Baerboxer]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

Ever considered becoming a Red Shirt leader?

Wonder what the S.A. stands for?

[Baerboxer]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

Ever considered becoming a Red Shirt leader?

Ever considered being impartial and just addressing the issue at hand instead of using throw-away one-liners to deflect from the issue?

Ever considered taking things lightly sometimes - politics need some tongue in cheek comments in all countries.

[Fookhaht]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

Ever considered becoming a Red Shirt leader?

Ever considered being impartial and just addressing the issue at hand instead of using throw-away one-liners to deflect from the issue?

Ever considered taking things lightly sometimes - politics need some tongue in cheek comments in all countries.

Ever considered taking it outside?

Edited March 15, 2013 by Fookhaht

[SABloke]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

I must have missed the part where they 'burnt down Thailands biggest airport' - anyone remember that happening?

I think SABloke's post was tongue-in-cheek directed at the red terrorists.

Exactly - Was getting worried by the responses to my post: I didn't realize that reading between the lines was so difficult for some

[metisdead]

Completely off topic posts and replies have been removed. This topic has nothing to do with the events of 2010.

[SABloke]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

Ever considered becoming a Red Shirt leader?

Wonder what the S.A. stands for?

Salted Almonds

[rixalex]

International airports get forced to close quite often, usually admittedly not from a large group of people sitting down, but from other things like the weather. Gatwick airport was forced to close for example in 2010 for a couple of days because of snow. After the snow cleared, it reopened, and life went on as before.

The fact that Bangkok airport was closed down by protesters rather than weather, does make a difference to how the incident is perceived internationally, and the culprits should be punished, but the fact that is was overwhelmingly peaceful, the fact that it barely lasted more than a few days and the fact that the protesters didn't burn anything down, in fact they actually cleaned things up as they left, enabling the airport to reopen almost instantly, does make it an incident that has been largely forgotten by most people outside of Thailand, besides those who were directly affected.

Edited March 15, 2013 by rixalex

[Fookhaht]

International airports get forced to close quite often, usually admittedly not from a large group of people sitting down, but from other things like the weather. Gatwick airport was forced to close for example in 2010 for a couple of days because of snow. After the snow cleared, it reopened, and life went on as before.

The fact that Bangkok airport was closed down by protesters rather than weather, does make a difference to how the incident is perceived internationally, and the culprits should be punished, but the fact that is was overwhelmingly peaceful, the fact that it barely lasted more than a few days and the fact that the protesters didn't burn anything down, in fact they actually cleaned things up as they left, enabling the airport to reopen almost instantly, does make it an incident that has been largely forgotten by most people outside of Thailand, besides those who were directly affected.

Yes, they cleaned up that which was showing on the surface. Typical "form over substance," in Thai culture. However, it's the underlying, long-term results which are hard to quantify but are the most-lasting and most-damning.

Do you suppose these Bangkok elite are ready also to pay back the millions of damage in cargo and lost business they were directly responsible for? Maybe the judge can get some of that out of them, as well. There needs to be a massive exchange of wealth from these silver-spoon trouble-makers to the coffers of the hard-working business people of this country who were shafted the worst in this fiasco.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Fookhaht

[waza]

Good to see they all got bail unlike the poor redshirt protestors who are still rotting in prison. It must be good to know someone cares.

[tw25rw]

Why are they suddenly royalist activists?

These people should have been dealt with swiftly and severely at the time.

[Pimay1]

Good to see they all got bail unlike the poor redshirt protestors who are still rotting in prison. It must be good to know someone cares.

Dam_n you beat me too it.

[JurgenG]

International airports get forced to close quite often, usually admittedly not from a large group of people sitting down, but from other things like the weather. Gatwick airport was forced to close for example in 2010 for a couple of days because of snow. After the snow cleared, it reopened, and life went on as before.

The fact that Bangkok airport was closed down by protesters rather than weather, does make a difference to how the incident is perceived internationally, and the culprits should be punished, but the fact that is was overwhelmingly peaceful, the fact that it barely lasted more than a few days and the fact that the protesters didn't burn anything down, in fact they actually cleaned things up as they left, enabling the airport to reopen almost instantly, does make it an incident that has been largely forgotten by most people outside of Thailand, besides those who were directly affected.

Yes, they cleaned up that which was showing on the surface. Typical "form over substance," in Thai culture. However, it's the underlying, long-term results which are hard to quantify but are the most-lasting and most-damning.

Do you suppose these Bangkok elite are ready also to pay back the millions of damage in cargo and lost business they were directly responsible for? Maybe the judge can get some of that out of them, as well. There needs to be a massive exchange of wealth from these silver-spoon trouble-makers to the coffers of the hard-working business people of this country who were shafted the worst in this fiasco.

And you don't even take into account companies, including mine, who decided that enough was enough and closed down business ?

For international companies, transportation is THE most important factor when chosing a location where to set up shop.

Anyway the PAD always made it clear they hated foreigners so it didn't really matter to them.

I'm glad they are now history

Edited March 15, 2013 by JurgenG

[Sing_Sling]

I'd been wondering that as well . . .

Why are they suddenly royalist activists?

[visionchaser45]

Hey, they oppose amnesty so let them stand trial. To the victors go the spoils and the reprisals.

[khunken]

International airports get forced to close quite often, usually admittedly not from a large group of people sitting down, but from other things like the weather. Gatwick airport was forced to close for example in 2010 for a couple of days because of snow. After the snow cleared, it reopened, and life went on as before.

The fact that Bangkok airport was closed down by protesters rather than weather, does make a difference to how the incident is perceived internationally, and the culprits should be punished, but the fact that is was overwhelmingly peaceful, the fact that it barely lasted more than a few days and the fact that the protesters didn't burn anything down, in fact they actually cleaned things up as they left, enabling the airport to reopen almost instantly, does make it an incident that has been largely forgotten by most people outside of Thailand, besides those who were directly affected.

Yes, they cleaned up that which was showing on the surface. Typical "form over substance," in Thai culture. However, it's the underlying, long-term results which are hard to quantify but are the most-lasting and most-damning.

Do you suppose these Bangkok elite are ready also to pay back the millions of damage in cargo and lost business they were directly responsible for? Maybe the judge can get some of that out of them, as well. There needs to be a massive exchange of wealth from these silver-spoon trouble-makers to the coffers of the hard-working business people of this country who were shafted the worst in this fiasco.

And you don't even take into account companies, including mine, who decided that enough was enough and closed down business ?

For international companies, transportation is THE most important factor when chosing a location where to set up shop.

Anyway the PAD always made it clear they hated foreigners so it didn't really matter to them.

I'm glad they are now history

This is the most inane post in this thread. Tough about the business - maybe AOT over-reaction played a part.

The PAD have NOT made any foreigner hatred clear. I know supporters of both sides & it's all about hatred of each other. Also, they are certainly not history. If they were, amnesty, 'reconciliation', constitution changes etc would be underway if not completed.

[JurgenG]

International airports get forced to close quite often, usually admittedly not from a large group of people sitting down, but from other things like the weather. Gatwick airport was forced to close for example in 2010 for a couple of days because of snow. After the snow cleared, it reopened, and life went on as before.

The fact that Bangkok airport was closed down by protesters rather than weather, does make a difference to how the incident is perceived internationally, and the culprits should be punished, but the fact that is was overwhelmingly peaceful, the fact that it barely lasted more than a few days and the fact that the protesters didn't burn anything down, in fact they actually cleaned things up as they left, enabling the airport to reopen almost instantly, does make it an incident that has been largely forgotten by most people outside of Thailand, besides those who were directly affected.

Yes, they cleaned up that which was showing on the surface. Typical "form over substance," in Thai culture. However, it's the underlying, long-term results which are hard to quantify but are the most-lasting and most-damning.

Do you suppose these Bangkok elite are ready also to pay back the millions of damage in cargo and lost business they were directly responsible for? Maybe the judge can get some of that out of them, as well. There needs to be a massive exchange of wealth from these silver-spoon trouble-makers to the coffers of the hard-working business people of this country who were shafted the worst in this fiasco.

And you don't even take into account companies, including mine, who decided that enough was enough and closed down business ?

For international companies, transportation is THE most important factor when chosing a location where to set up shop.

Anyway the PAD always made it clear they hated foreigners so it didn't really matter to them.

I'm glad they are now history

This is the most inane post in this thread. Tough about the business - maybe AOT over-reaction played a part.

The PAD have NOT made any foreigner hatred clear. I know supporters of both sides & it's all about hatred of each other. Also, they are certainly not history. If they were, amnesty, 'reconciliation', constitution changes etc would be underway if not completed.

What you say is if the PAD were gone for good, reconciliation would have already been achieved.

We agree on that.

From the beginning Sondhi and his henchmen have always been a source of division and hatred. The only thing they have ever achieved is wasting 5 years (2006 - 2011) of Thailand development.

Thailand is now back on track.

We don't need any more trouble.

[rubl]

I will save remarks on how the UDD and their red-shirts have led to even more disaster and polarization for a more appropriate topic. I'm afraid some remarks would derail the high-level discussion here.

For all who are interested, please follow me to the topic "army while having grenades dropped on them and exchanging gunfire with peaceful protesters finds time to murder an Italian journalist".

[JAG]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

hmm....

airport: yellow, peaceful, if I recall right 1 yellow shirt died, no fire

red protests: fire, arson, looting many needless deaths, but no airport.

I do remember watching footage of airport and shop staff running from the terminal as the yellow crowds swarmed into the terminal. They looked absolutely terrified - like they were running for their lives.

[waza]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

hmm....

airport: yellow, peaceful, if I recall right 1 yellow shirt died, no fire

red protests: fire, arson, looting many needless deaths, but no airport.

I do remember watching footage of airport and shop staff running from the terminal as the yellow crowds swarmed into the terminal. They looked absolutely terrified - like they were running for their lives.

I dont remeber that, I do remember the tourist were quite nonplussed including me. We did get annoyed went our flights were canceled. Personally I was happy to extend my stay for another 2 weeks.

[waza]

Protesters fined for Bangkok airport siege

A Thai court has ordered more than a dozen key leaders of a protest group to pay up millions of dollars for occupying Bangkok's airport in 2008. The civil court on Friday said the group "illegally interfered" in the operation of Bangkok's two main airports during the protest, which left more than 300,000 travellers stranded and caused major damage to Thailand's economy. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), better known as the Yellow Shirts, had sought to force out the then prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, the brother-in-law and political ally of the country's ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. "The defendants incited protesters, through their speeches, to occupy the airports," the verdict said. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2011/03/201132513533535104.html

I cant wait for the Redshirt leaders to get the bill for the burning of bangkok, there is far more evidence that their speeches incited the protestors to burn Bangkok. After all it all in the spirit of recocilliation.

[Buchholz]

They should have been tried years ago and given the max penalty that way the reds might have given a second thought to their attempted rebellion.

.

Perhaps if the earlier offending 2007 Red Shirts had been tried years ago and given the max penalty, perhaps both the yellows in 2008 and the reds (on two major subsequent occurrences in 2009 and 2010) might have both had second thoughts.

.

[Buchholz]

Finally. It's about time some action was taken against them. A little jail time might be in order for the leaders, not the followers.

.

What do you feel about the time it has taken for action to still be taken against Red Shirt Leaders for their a riot a year and a half before the airport?

.

[Buchholz]

They should have been tried years ago and given the max penalty that way the reds might have given a second thought to their attempted rebellion.

There is something to be said for this notion. The course of things may have been dramatically different had the airport interlopers faced punishment. That they did not-- at least, not for a long while-- was something of an incitement to the other side, I think.

.

The precedent for non-accountability of either colors leaders began earlier and could be considered an incitement for both sides to commit subsequent violence, the yellows in 2008, and the reds again in 2009, and the reds again in 2010.

.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

Good to see they all got bail unlike the poor redshirt protestors who are still rotting in prison. It must be good to know someone cares.

.

It's also good to see that none of them used parliamentary immunity as the basis for bail.

.

[Buchholz]

QUOTE "rixalex" :

International airports get forced to close quite often, usually admittedly not from a large group of people sitting down, but from other things like the weather. Gatwick airport was forced to close for example in 2010 for a couple of days because of snow. After the snow cleared, it reopened, and life went on as before.

The fact that Bangkok airport was closed down by protesters rather than weather, does make a difference to how the incident is perceived internationally, and the culprits should be punished, but the fact that is was overwhelmingly peaceful, the fact that it barely lasted more than a few days and the fact that the protesters didn't burn anything down, in fact they actually cleaned things up as they left, enabling the airport to reopen almost instantly, does make it an incident that has been largely forgotten by most people outside of Thailand, besides those who were directly affected.

UNQUOTE.

Yes, they cleaned up that which was showing on the surface. Typical "form over substance," in Thai culture. However, it's the underlying, long-term results which are hard to quantify but are the most-lasting and most-damning.

Do you suppose these Bangkok elite are ready also to pay back the millions of damage in cargo and lost business they were directly responsible for? Maybe the judge can get some of that out of them, as well. There needs to be a massive exchange of wealth from these silver-spoon trouble-makers to the coffers of the hard-working business people of this country who were shafted the worst in this fiasco.

And you don't even take into account companies, including mine, who decided that enough was enough and closed down business ?

For international companies, transportation is THE most important factor when chosing a location where to set up shop.

Anyway the PAD always made it clear they hated foreigners so it didn't really matter to them.

This is the most inane post in this thread. Tough about the business - maybe AOT over-reaction played a part.

The PAD have NOT made any foreigner hatred clear. I know supporters of both sides & it's all about hatred of each other. Also, they are certainly not history. If they were, amnesty, 'reconciliation', constitution changes etc would be underway if not completed.

What you say is if the PAD were gone for good, reconciliation would have already been achieved.

.

That's not what he is saying in his post.

Perhaps you could share your personal anecdotal experiences, like he did, concerning your allegations.

In your personal interactions with PAD members, in what way did they convey their "hatred" towards you?

.

Edited March 16, 2013 by Buchholz

[DocN]

Good posts by all. Totally agree - time to face the consequences of their actions. As an aside, does anyone know how many reds were charged and incarcerated? I have never seen that result.

Wait for 8 years....

[h90]

Well I think terrorism charges are fitting - considering that they burnt down Thailand's biggest airport and acted in a violent and aggressive manner that endangered many lives and led to needless deaths

hmm....

airport: yellow, peaceful, if I recall right 1 yellow shirt died, no fire

red protests: fire, arson, looting many needless deaths, but no airport.

I do remember watching footage of airport and shop staff running from the terminal as the yellow crowds swarmed into the terminal. They looked absolutely terrified - like they were running for their lives.

Don't know what this video was, but the yellow shirts even got parking places assigned...when they were inside they staid with the tourists and even supplied food for them. So in total it didn't seem to be such a scary situation, specially as the PAD contains mostly elderly women. And even some staff running isn't the same as many deads, looted and burned houses.

That it is complete crazy is of course also true.....

[JurgenG]

They should have been tried years ago and given the max penalty that way the reds might have given a second thought to their attempted rebellion.

.

Perhaps if the earlier offending 2007 Red Shirts had been tried years ago and given the max penalty, perhaps both the yellows in 2008 and the reds (on two major subsequent occurrences in 2009 and 2010) might have both had second thoughts.

.

Perhaps without a coup in 2006, we would never have to go through all these trouble

Never thought about that ?

_