Pathumthani Clash Leaves 3 Redshirts Injured

[BKKjohan]

there is no place in Buddhism for politics. full stop.

I'd welcome a "middle" political party that advocates Buddhist values in politics and society.. Might pull enough people away from left and right to change Thai politics!

[tetleythedog]

Hot heads with guns, not a good combination. The BIB need to control the confrontations, the UDD leader should never have been let through, they should do more than sit back and watch the gunfights.

It is indeed a little unsettling to know that these people are driving around with firearms they will use with no thought. Evidently another well thought out plan by the BiB to keep the factions apart, and the control firearms ( excuse the heavy sarcasm).

[chadintheusa]

This just goes to show how quickly things can escalate. The shut down next week is a powder keg waiting for a match. The protests now, just like the ones in 2010 are not really peaceful because they are never supposed to be. By causing chaos and provoking the reds into a confrontation the protesters hope to force the army into making a move. There is no room for dialogue or compromise from either side because it is a high stakes game with winner take all.

[chadintheusa]

there is no place in Buddhism for politics. full stop.

I'd welcome a "middle" political party that advocates Buddhist values in politics and society.. Might pull enough people away from left and right to change Thai politics!

Haven't we seen that even monks are not free from corruption. Thai politics are about money not values anyway. What they need is a party that is actually concerned with the entire nation and not just about their own bank accounts.

[spare5]

We all knew this was coming, with redshirts being unleashed.....

[sweatalot]

Maybe the shooting was self defense?

With a truck full of (well known as violent) red shirts rushing to attack you. You have a gun. What would you do?

And:

1. the police let the red shirts attack (did not stop the truck)

2. Can we believe the story that police and red shirts are telling ?

We 've got some experience about their credibility

[tingtongteesood]

calm down honey.

there is no place in Buddhism for politics. full stop.

get it ?

That doesn't seem to be the opinion of most Thais, sweetie.

wow. earth shattering insight there.

in other news, that monk that lead the yellow shirt armed thugs ,needs to be disrobed for getting involved in politics.

You are clearlly of the school of thought that if you keep repeating your hypocritical crap often enough, other people might believe it. Well, Jatuporn, Nutterwut, Arisman - they all do the same, guess you learnt it from them then....

[BKKjohan]

there is no place in Buddhism for politics. full stop.

I'd welcome a "middle" political party that advocates Buddhist values in politics and society.. Might pull enough people away from left and right to change Thai politics!

Haven't we seen that even monks are not free from corruption. Thai politics are about money not values anyway. What they need is a party that is actually concerned with the entire nation and not just about their own bank accounts.

Corruption is the least of our worries, first we need a stable government! Having multiple popular parties might force election winners to forge a coalition in order to achieve a majority.

Edited January 11, 2014 by BKKjohan

[ratcatcher]

Why can't both side put down their weapons and pick up a candle in Bangkok like these people

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_3BcHL-gBs

A candle session in Bangkok next week is a nice thought. The only problem is if the other side bring bottles of petrol to the sit in.

And this is not meant as an inflammatory post.

[hellodolly]

Sh1t has started and it's not even the 13th. These folks are something else.

Well it is not like we expected any thing different from the red shirts. They have shown their true colors time and again in the last four years with arson weapons and objects thrown at protestors handing out pamphlets. Violence is the only thing they know. Peace is a thing where they rule and every body bow's down to them with their superior intelligence. Rumor is some of them even went to school. Mind you I am just reporting a rumor.

Hot heads with guns, not a good combination. The BIB need to control the confrontations, the UDD leader should never have been let through, they should do more than sit back and watch the gunfights.

I wish the article had been more clear. Did the anti government protestors come in contact with them in the course of their journey or did the red shirts come out to them. Saying the area leaves a lot of room for thought.

As for the police they did what they did in 2010 instead of doing their job they just sat back until the army had to come in and do it for them. Then they continued to watch. The police force may be and is a lot of things but the one thing for sure is They are Shinawatra controlled.

I put in a lot of things because there are some honest hard working police officers in the force. Tired of them being painted with the same brush. I have been way to guilty of it myself and am going to try to curb that follow the crowd instinct.

[hellodolly]

The session begins

No it is just a continuation of red shirt activities only this time they are doing it more often and in Bangkok. It has been going on for years now with the red shirts.

That monk leading the yellow mob should be disrobed. They are prohibited from getting involved in politics.

You start off with a fable that has no moral to it and end up with calling for an end to corruption being involved in politics. A monk should always seek honesty.

Do you have a problem with that?

[hellodolly]

As always the violence will be started by he students .... and of course the red Shirt hotheads.

The PCAD is not really under control by Suthep who actually does want a peaceful protest and is trying his best to avoid violence.

The PCAD students however are a different matter.

They are hoping for violence, and they believe that violence will bring in the Army and a coup.

There are hotheads there, among the PCSD students, who seriously want a "revolution" (without really knowing what they actually mean by that term).

We shall just have to see what happens.

As for the Redshirts, the UDD is the redshirt"s most radical faction.

Let the fun and games begin, it will damage:

1. The tourist numbers
2. The public perception of the Thai fantasy of "Land Of Smiles" that Thailand tries to project overseas.
3. The Stock Exchange of Thailand and overseas investment.

And, frankly, I don't think all that is totally a bad thing.

Thailand, and both established political parties have been living the lie of a glittery sugar-plum fairy image of the "Land Of smiles" for to long now.

It's time for a little harsh reality as medicine.

Until the government of Thailand (and the political "opposition" also) actually come to grips with the reality of Thai society, nothing will be solved.

No matter how harsh the cure actually is.

A very accurate description of the situation. Suthep is really pushing the peaceful angle because he knows the students are more prone to think violence will solve the problem. With the number of people the Shinawatra's have abused over the years there is bound to be people looking for revenge. Students are not the only ones who will be apt to get violent.

It would have been interesting to see what the Democrats could have done if they had not had to fight a militant group. Also if they had more support. They were the leader of a coalition government which weakened there ability to implement some of their plans.

[spare5]

Why can't both side put down their weapons and pick up a candle in Bangkok like these people

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_3BcHL-gBs

A candle session in Bangkok next week is a nice thought. The only problem is if the other side bring bottles of petrol to the sit in.

And this is not meant as an inflammatory post.

Ha ha. Light candle and petrol don't mix well.

[khunken]

A summary of a Bangkok Post article of 29th November 2012:

Pol Lt Col Warut Thairatratchathewin of Muang police station said the injured identified themselves as Dara Napawet, 44, Wicharn Usar, 56, and Supsawat Panpoka, 35, all of whom are against the government. A pickup truck that the victims were in was also heavily damaged.

A red-shirt group led by Wuthipong Kachatham passed by her parked truck, said Ms Dara. Mr Wuthipong recognised her vehicle and announced to his associates that the people inside it are whistleblowers.

She said another vehicle then cut in front of her truck. Seven armed individuals then surrounded them and repeatedly hit her vehicle and severely beat her and Mr Wicharn and Mr Supsawat.

They were taken to a nearby hospital

The same red nutter that went after the protestors in the Op. There are 2 points here:

One is that protestors are not allowed to protest by the red mobs in Chiang Mai, Pathum Thani & Udon Thani. They fear for their lives in Udon Thani and apparently don't even try to protest there.

The second point is that the protestors have apparently prepared themselves for the red mob attacks and are now giving as much as they get - maybe even more than they get.

How anything close to a free & fair election can be held in those 3 provinces is very unlikely.

[JRSoul]

So some red shirts went looking to start trouble, found it and came off second best.

Oh dear. So sad. Never mind.

[englishoak]

Thai men/boys are supposed to at some point in their life ordain to be a monk for a period, however there is indeed no room for politics whilst a monk and it is not a sign of a Holy man. So yes there are plenty of ex "monks" about in politics but not whilst they are practising. No fulltime respected monk should be involved in politics if he wishes to remain and looked upto as an enlightened one.

Edited January 11, 2014 by englishoak

[Gonzo the Face]

there is no place in Buddhism for politics. full stop.

I'd welcome a "middle" political party that advocates Buddhist values in politics and society.. Might pull enough people away from left and right to change Thai politics!

Haven't we seen that even monks are not free from corruption. Thai politics are about money not values anyway. What they need is a party that is actually concerned with the entire nation and not just about their own bank accounts.

Corruption is the least of our worries, first we need a stable government! Having multiple popular parties might force election winners to forge a coalition in order to achieve a majority.

Sorry but must disagree with you the maximum possible. Corruption along with greed is the PRIME cause of all the serious problems in this country ..... Greed for money , greed for power, greed for recognition for all that has been unable to be gained due to personal laziness. I want, I want, I want..... but not if it involves hard work !!

Edited January 11, 2014 by Gonzo the Face