Redshirts Urged Not To Underestimate 'White Masks'


Image: Khaosod English

BANGKOK: -- Chairwoman of the Redshirts main organization dismissed new wave of anti-government protests as the same group of people in different disguise, but warned Redshirts that they should not be taken lightly neither.

Ms. Thida Tojirakarn, chairwoman of the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) was speaking at the weekly press conference held at Imperial World shopping mall in Bangkok′s Ladprao district.

She criticized the the anti-government protesters, who have adopted Guy Fawkes masks as their symbol, and the so-called former Communist fighters that marched down Sanam Luang recently asking for a new Prime Minister to be appointed directly by His Majesty the King.

She said that despite their new symbols and methods, the groups are in fact same, old people who have been unceasingly campaigning against the legacy of Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, whose sister Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra is the current Prime Minister.

Nevertheless, the UDD chairwoman said the Redshirts should remain vigilant of their activities.

"We may deride their strategy, but we cannot underestimate their tactics," Ms. Thida was quoted as saying.

She turned to attention to the Redshirts activities, which recently hit headlines for their visible aggressiveness, like storming the White Masks rally in Chiang Mai province and disrupting the opposition party′s rally in Lamphun province.

Ms. Thida urged the Redshirts to conduct regular meetings with their local UDD chapters in order to catch up with timely analysis of current situations. She stressed that the Redshirts should not resort to their emotion when they respond to the White Masks. [more...]

Full story: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM01UY3hNams0T0E9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-06-20

Is this a not too subtle " call to arms " or at least will be taken as such by the thug element ?

"She stressed that the Redshirts should not resort to their emotion when they respond to the White Masks. "

Don't resort to emotion but nothing said about resorting to violence. That's as good as a carte blanche to go beating up anyone who doesn't agree with your brand of 'democracy'. Typical red crap.

Paranoid..pure and simple...my father has seen this all before me(thank God)

As far as i am concerned...indeed concerned!!

"She stressed that the Redshirts should not resort to their emotion when they respond to the White Masks. "

Don't resort to emotion but nothing said about resorting to violence. That's as good as a carte blanche to go beating up anyone who doesn't agree with your brand of 'democracy'. Typical red crap.

Here we go, here we go, here we go !

"She stressed that the Redshirts should not resort to their emotion when they respond to the White Masks. "

Don't resort to emotion but nothing said about resorting to violence. That's as good as a carte blanche to go beating up anyone who doesn't agree with your brand of 'democracy'. Typical red crap.

I think you may be being a little unfair. This seems like a call to avoid violence as if it gets out of hand it will not help the red shirts case. If there is too much violence against predominantly peaceful protesters thereby preventing their democratic rights there will be a problem for the government. They obviously won't want to go against their own supporters but on the other hand if they allow them to stop peaceful demonstrations using violence the army could feel it has a justification for getting involved as they can say that democracy is no longer being upheld.

It's worth remembering that this is almost certainly an English translation from Thai so the use of 'emotions' may not be entirely accurate.

Maybe while she was at the head office she will have settled the red shirt electric bill which is seemingly 15 million baht.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

"... who have been unceasingly campaigning against the legacy of Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra ..."

So much for red-shirts UDD having progressed beyond Thaksin.

Stirring up her rent a thug's for a fight. It's okay for them to hold Bangkok to ransom and burn it down, but no way should anyone protest against their corrupt Dictatorship.

"Ms. Thida urged the Redshirts to conduct regular meetings with their local UDD chapters in order to catch up with timely analysis of current situations"

​Sounds well organised and scary to me. It reminds me of some "people power" organisations from the past like Mao's followers, Cambodian Khmer Rouge and Hitlers Brown Man.

"... who have been unceasingly campaigning against the legacy of Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra ..."

So much for red-shirts UDD having progressed beyond Thaksin.

It's completely wrong to unceasingly campaign against but right and proper to unceasingly campaign for. Double standards and politics red style on display.

"... who have been unceasingly campaigning against the legacy of Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra ..."

So much for red-shirts UDD having progressed beyond Thaksin.

It's completely wrong to unceasingly campaign against but right and proper to unceasingly campaign for. Double standards and politics red style on display.

It's inline with Ms Yingluck's remarks in Mongolia with Democracy finally regained after nearly a decade and how her poor little brother was viciously bullied by some awful men.

Yes! The Masks are likely to be a lot more intelligent in their approach than the red shirts.

Why do these hooligans and brainless people need a weekly press conference?

Does it make them feel important?

Or do they just like going home after and seeing themselves on the red channel TV news?

There are two factions if the UDD:

K. Thida represents the faction which supports the people movement as described by Chairman Mao. She is one of the leaders of CT, which was very active in the 60's and early 70's

The other faction is supporters of Thaksin.

The faction under K. Thida is very powerful and will make changes in the government if the PT do not work with the CT.

"She stressed that the Redshirts should not resort to their emotion when they respond to the White Masks. "

Don't resort to emotion but nothing said about resorting to violence. That's as good as a carte blanche to go beating up anyone who doesn't agree with your brand of 'democracy'. Typical red crap.

I think you may be being a little unfair. This seems like a call to avoid violence as if it gets out of hand it will not help the red shirts case. If there is too much violence against predominantly peaceful protesters thereby preventing their democratic rights there will be a problem for the government. They obviously won't want to go against their own supporters but on the other hand if they allow them to stop peaceful demonstrations using violence the army could feel it has a justification for getting involved as they can say that democracy is no longer being upheld.

It's worth remembering that this is almost certainly an English translation from Thai so the use of 'emotions' may not be entirely accurate.

The Government condones violence. Look at the peaceful rally in Bangkok where the government had 2 policemen for every protester and used them along with barbed wire to keep protesters out.

Asking a red shirt to forget his emotions is the same as saying be a nobody. All they know is anger against those who do not agree with them. Take that a way and they have nothing.

Yes! The Masks are likely to be a lot more intelligent in their approach than the red shirts.

That's because their is intelligence behind them.

Off-topic posts and replies deleted.

There are two factions if the UDD:

K. Thida represents the faction which supports the people movement as described by Chairman Mao. She is one of the leaders of CT, which was very active in the 60's and early 70's

The other faction is supporters of Thaksin.

The faction under K. Thida is very powerful and will make changes in the government if the PT do not work with the CT.

There are a lot more than 2 factions. They are all supporters of Thaksin.

It's not so much what K. Thida said that worries me as what she didn't. There is just no reasoning with the Red bullies. Their way or no way. Plain and simple.

Yes! The Masks are likely to be a lot more intelligent in their approach than the red shirts.

That's because their is intelligence behind them.

correct dolly,these thugs are very simple they havnt got a clue,,just look at the ptp mps,,,just your seemingly average thai guy,,dont get my way (VIOLENCE) is the order of the day/moment,,,,,,

It's not so much what K. Thida said that worries me as what she didn't. There is just no reasoning with the Red bullies. Their way or no way. Plain and simple.

Reminiscent of the old Khmer Rouge adage: "Question and you are an enemy. Disagree and you are a corpse".

"As for the procedure of handing out compensation money for the Redshirts who were imprisoned longer than the court′s judgment and those who were kept in prison long after their cases were dismissed, Ms. Thida said total compensation fund would stand at 19,700,000 baht and would be dispatched to 77 Redshirts."

Strange how the redshirts get huge compensation for serving time for their crimes while flooding victims are lucky if they get anything.

Thida, Thailand's very own Rosa Kleb is probably getting so excited at the prospect of a re-run of the Russian socialist revolution. (October, not February) and the thought of running the film reels of Bolshevik reds Vs the counter-revolutionary Whites. Maybe she can set up some Eisenstein newsreels for the red hordes and do a remake with Thaksin as Lenin returning from exile to the Finland Station, though this time Thakin can do it in a sealed plane from Dubai and return to Chang Mai.

Oh tida, tida, tida.

It was all looking so good until the reality (and I will admit to being willing to give them a chance), of what they have delivered is here plain for all to see.

It isn't that you are wrong that the country needs to change, and be less class and position orientated, it is that you have been lied to from the beginning.

I am not sure what the shinawatra clan really wants to achieve out of this because they may become almightily rich, but if they break the country financially, the army will chase them away.

Why you cannot grow your own grassroots voice instead of chasing on these peoples coattails I don't know. But time to change tack because the rice plan is bust.

The answer will not be found in ptp or the democrats, nor the army.

I wonder why the grassroot red-shirts (with or without UDD) can't just start their own political party? Why keep on depending on local 'important' and/or 'rich' people?

I wonder why the grassroot red-shirts (with or without UDD) can't just start their own political party? Why keep on depending on local 'important' and/or 'rich' people?

That is probably why the amart will keep the status quo. They would rather deal with the shinawatras than a revolution.

I wonder why the grassroot red-shirts (with or without UDD) can't just start their own political party? Why keep on depending on local 'important' and/or 'rich' people?

The had a party.

Khattiyatham Party.

Founded by Sae Daeng.

Taken over by his daughter, who then promptly scrapped it when she figured out, she couldn't get a seat in Parliament.

So she ditched it and switched to the Pheu Thai Party, where she became an MP.

I wonder why the grassroot red-shirts (with or without UDD) can't just start their own political party? Why keep on depending on local 'important' and/or 'rich' people?

The had a party.

Khattiyatham Party.

Founded by Sae Daeng.

Taken over by his daughter, who then promptly scrapped it when she figured out, she couldn't get a seat in Parliament.

So she ditched it and switched to the Pheu Thai Party, where she became an MP.

The party started by the renegade general Seh Daeng wasn't a grassroot red-shirt party I think. Mind you the link given on the Thai wiki page ( http://www.ktt-party.com/ ) is no longer valid. Not sure it still exists. Maybe after Khattiyah "Dear" Sawasdipol first said "I'll lead dad's political party" and then moved to Pheu Thai means dad's party was disbanded or integrated into Pheu Thai?

I wonder why the grassroot red-shirts (with or without UDD) can't just start their own political party? Why keep on depending on local 'important' and/or 'rich' people?

That is probably why the amart will keep the status quo. They would rather deal with the shinawatras than a revolution.

That needs a clarification, at least for me. if 'amart' keep a status quo, does that mean to explain why grassroot red-shirts don't form a new party? Do their 'amart' prevent them from doing so, or the other 'amart'?