Thai Army, police break up red-shirt, PDRC clash on Chaeng Wattana

[Scamper]

It is fascinating that a Red Shirt leader is being criticized by the army for public agitation, but did not receive a similar warning from the police. It simply underscores the stark polarity between the views of the army and that of the police, a polarity that may very well be the defining factor in this conflict.

[ratcatcher]

Red shirts?

The way it reads is that people who's lives are being affected tried to protest against the PDRC, or is any opposition to Suthep considered red?

Gunfire caused the so called reds to disperse so I guess they were not shooting at themselves?

The way it reads is red shirt leader Ko Tee led a group to attack the PDRC protestors.

He should have been arrested.

That's right. Protesters have no right to protest the protesters

Surely, the protesters still have the right to protest the protesters even though the protest is still under the protesters protest, but if the protesters did protest the said protesters, then the protest will be void of the protesters or the actual protest.

What do you think? Double Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"Surely, the protesters still have the right to protest the protesters even though the protest is still under the protesters protest, but if the protesters did protest the said protesters, then the protest will be void of the protesters or the actual protest."

Methinks thou doth protest too much.

[AlphMichaels]

All you red and yellow lovers arguing your points of principle and biting each others legs on TV do not make one scrap of difference to what is going on here, and for all the good it would do you may as well take your own fight onto the streets and see the reaction of local people when you do.

No point in getting upset about it all; chill out and have another beer as you won't change anything.

Here here! Finally..., someone said it!!! Thank you!!!! Everybody take a political "chill pill" and grab a beer..., or a tea.

It's the weekend!

[diceq]

Provocateurs looking for a fight, but the people of Bangkok will let not them in again after what they did 2010.

But occupying government buildings and trying to disrupt the democratic process is not provoking. Love the hypocrisy there. And back 2010 Thailand was a dictatorship. Something that you probably prefer.

Dictatorship, really? Are you living in another Thailand compared to the rest us?

I'm living in Thailand in the year 2014. Maybe you live in some other dimension, or perhaps you just don't read properly.

[Jonmarleesco]

"... the red shirts ... announced ... that the rally ... was inconveniencing passenger van operators and local residents." I can't seriously believe they are ignorant of the irony in that statement, or that they really think people have already forgotten 2010 and Ratchaprasong. Or perhaps they are, and do...

[Jonmarleesco]

"... the red shirts ... announced ... that the rally ... was inconveniencing passenger van operators and local residents." I can't seriously believe they are ignorant of the irony in that statement, or that they really think people have already forgotten 2010 and Ratchaprasong. Or perhaps they are, and do...

[Thait Spot]

It's a shame protesters have the right to block roads and bridges in the city, but normal citizens do not have the right to use those roads and bridges. And you wonder why you have violence.

Funny how the violence came from a bunch of red scumbags from another province

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[diceq]

"... the red shirts ... announced ... that the rally ... was inconveniencing passenger van operators and local residents." I can't seriously believe they are ignorant of the irony in that statement, or that they really think people have already forgotten 2010 and Ratchaprasong. Or perhaps they are, and do...

Thailand is a democracy today. Back then it was a dictatorship. Do you see the difference?

[Thait Spot]

Red shirts?

The way it reads is that people who's lives are being affected tried to protest against the PDRC, or is any opposition to Suthep considered red?

Gunfire caused the so called reds to disperse so I guess they were not shooting at themselves?

Funny how the red shirt leader announced the violence in advance and turned up with his thugs

No doubt at all they were reds

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[Thait Spot]

Red shirts?

The way it reads is that people who's lives are being affected tried to protest against the PDRC, or is any opposition to Suthep considered red?

Gunfire caused the so called reds to disperse so I guess they were not shooting at themselves?

The way it reads is red shirt leader Ko Tee led a group to attack the PDRC protestors.

He should have been arrested.

That's right. Protesters have no right to protest the protesters

No right to attack you mean

Apologist for violence

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[diceq]

No right to attack you mean

Apologist for violence

You mean how they attacked them with sound waves from their speakers? Poor fascists.

[Jonmarleesco]

Provocateurs looking for a fight, but the people of Bangkok will let not them in again after what they did 2010.

But occupying government buildings and trying to disrupt the democratic process is not provoking. Love the hypocrisy there. And back 2010 Thailand was a dictatorship. Something that you probably prefer.

Dictatorship, really? Are you living in another Thailand compared to the rest us?

Must be, considering that dictatorships don't permit challenges, or free elections, period! And the redshirts were doing a pretty good job of disrupting people's lives in 2010 - or perhaps diceq missed that, too.

[Jonmarleesco]

"... the red shirts ... announced ... that the rally ... was inconveniencing passenger van operators and local residents." I can't seriously believe they are ignorant of the irony in that statement, or that they really think people have already forgotten 2010 and Ratchaprasong. Or perhaps they are, and do...

Thailand is a democracy today. Back then it was a dictatorship. Do you see the difference?

Oh, I know the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship. Do you?

[fifthcolumn]

This is not about Thai democracy, individual freedom, law and order, free press, equal vote for all. It's about two Thai gangs fighting about the money, the gold, the drug networks, prostitution, foreign sex trade , counterfeit intellectual property, and other scams.

Thainess

[Emptyset]

I remember a DEM rally in Khon Kaen where the red shirts came out and threatened and intimidated rally goers. This included families with children. Elderly citizens as well. No one was left out of this tirade of intimidation.(no police presence of course which incidentally is a principle of democracy called equally protection under the law) You know what the fanboys excuse was. If you don't want to be intimidated then don't hold a rally in reds shirt country, Khon Kaen. That argument suited their agenda and quite noticeably the intimidation was not only overlooked, it was defended. That argument suited their agenda of demonizing the opposition which is what all good demagogues do.

Now we have the above scenario where the reds (concerned citizens, haha) are in a place some would say would instigate a confrontation and THIS TIME instead of saying "the reds shouldn't hold a rally in front of the PDRC" or "that location is only asking for trouble", they say "That's right. I assume the Protesters have no right to protest the protesters " (I assume the hand to the head highlights the realization of the hypocrisy in the statement) This argument suits their agenda. of demonizing the opposition which is what all good demagogues do.

Now if you changed the names of the PDRC and the red shirts around in the above the gullible fanboys would be defending the PDRC and denouncing the reds.

They call the PDRC terrorists when they blow a whistle, but defend a militia that attacked Abhisits car, raided ASEAN summit, threatened to blow up LPG truck, grenade attacked at Thai banks, attached Thai charity with grenades, stormed parliament, attached NPP and TPI buildings with M16 and grenades, stormed police hospital, stormed TV station, bomb attacked on electricity pylons, 2 police taken hostage, destroy CCTV cameras, dumped tyres on sky train tracks, using children as human shield.

If the PDRC did the above I too would call them terrorists. It seems that actions of any nature are defended by fanboys IF the person wears a red shirt. It seems that actions of any nature are denounced by fanboys if they wear a yellow shirt (or are pro 15 principles of democracy)

Those fighters of 1 out of 15 principles of democracy are a confused bunch me thinks.

I remember a red shirt rally in Rajamangala Stadium recently. "Students" from the KPT anti-government group harassed - not even harassed - but physically attacked red shirts trying to assemble at the stadium, as is their right. Those attacked included elderly citizens. Many were families with children. Yet many on here defended it because the red shirts were apparently deliberately provoking the students by holding a rally there.

So what's your point? There are hypocrites on both sides. You see an action one way because you hate and fear the red shirts. Others see that on the other side. As Nietzsche said "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies." And belief in a cause. In the end, it's difficult not to lean towards one side or another, and it's more difficult to criticize the side you believe in. That's normal.

Earlier in the Thai press there was a story about red shirts in Chiang Mai (the out of control Rak Chiang Mai 51 - whose leader should be locked up) going to a school to look for a high school girl who'd been on the anti-government stage. For what it's worth I find these people disgusting and I have nothing other than contempt for them. But you can bet most of those condemning it said nothing when Kan Toop was harassed into leaving school and had to change her name because she spoke on the red stage. I've spoken to her and she couldn't be more polite. Yet she was subjected to violent threats of sexual assault and the rest for months by those who would now be anti-govt supporters.

I'm sorry for continually pointing out that both sides have their fair share of nuts, lunatics and people who have no business calling themselves democratic. I'd like to believe one side was good and the other bad. But it's just not that simple.

[marstons]

Provocateurs looking for a fight, but the people of Bangkok will let not them in again after what they did 2010.

wouldn't count on that, they had democracy taken away twice, they are already in there.

[whybother]

Red shirts?

The way it reads is that people who's lives are being affected tried to protest against the PDRC, or is any opposition to Suthep considered red?

Gunfire caused the so called reds to disperse so I guess they were not shooting at themselves?

Isn't that the same as saying anyone that is anti-government are yellow shirts? Happens regularly on TV.

[marstons]

It's a shame protesters have the right to block roads and bridges in the city, but normal citizens do not have the right to use those roads and bridges. And you wonder why you have violence.

Funny how the violence came from a bunch of red scumbags from another province

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what province was that then, maybe they are Bangkok residents wanting to go home. Guess in your home country blocking of roads closing government buildings and closing schools would be accepted and go unopposed

[jackinthebox]

Thailand should really buy some of these - and using them on both sides. Works somewhat well in germany...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Wawe-10000-halbe-dusche.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Polizei_Wasserwerfer.jpg

http://www.fr-online.de/image/view/3190936,1336477,highRes,maxh,480,maxw,480,Wasserwerfer+im+Einsatz+%2528media_773262%2529.jpg

[Thait Spot]

It's a shame protesters have the right to block roads and bridges in the city, but normal citizens do not have the right to use those roads and bridges. And you wonder why you have violence.

Funny how the violence came from a bunch of red scumbags from another province

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

what province was that then, maybe they are Bangkok residents wanting to go home. Guess in your home country blocking of roads closing government buildings and closing schools would be accepted and go unopposed

If you read the news you will see.

It was pure thuggery from idiot red shirts from Pathum Thani. Not Bangkok.

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[socksy01]

Why are the Police so incapable/inept at keeping these large groups apart? It can't be that hard to have enough of a Police presence to keep them physically separated or indeed stop them/move them to different areas before they even get close.

I would say lack of intelligence, both in the heads of the senior officers in the BIB and intelligence gained/gathered by them and also the lack of public order training to deal with crowd disorder/violence. I still believe that the TSG in London train two days a month in 'real life' riot situations. I know through personal experience when I done riot training in London, that if you made a slight error of judgement you paid for it. I never dipped my head quick enough once wearing my riot helmet and the flames from the petrol bomb burned my eyebrows off. No sh*t.

[floriamo]

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