Unicef urges "child-free" protest sites after deaths of three children

[webfact]

POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Unicef urges "child-free" protest sites after deaths of three children
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The UN Children's Fund (Unicef) on Monday urged the Thai government, anti- and pro-government leaders and parents to protect children by keeping them away from all rally sites.

The statement came after two political-related attacks during the weekend claimed lives of children, aged 4, 5 and 6 and some others children who are still in critical condition.

Bijaya Rajbhandari, Unicef’s representative in Thailand, said the organization "condemns the violence that resulted in these tragic and senseless deaths and injuries to children. These incidents underscore the urgent need to keep children out of harm's way in order to ensure their safety."

Rajbhandari added areas within and around the protest barricades should become "child-free zones" to ensure there are no further fatalities or injuries among children. He also called upon authorities to ensure that those responsible for the attacks are brought to justice.

Unicef urged the government, pro- and anti-government protest leaders and all parents to ensure children do not enter protest sites and are kept well away from all protest areas.

A 5-year-old girl was killed when gunmen attacked an anti-government rally in Trat province on Saturday night, while a 4-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister died after bomb blast in Ratchdamri in late Sunday afternoon.

Another 5-year-old girl remained in a coma on Monday at Rayong Hospital and a 9-year-old boy was in intensive care at a Bangkok hospital.

-- The Nation 2014-02-24

[h90]

They are basically saying that it is less evil to kill adult person than killing children. And you should keep the children out of the demonstrations so the people who are bombing...just kill the grandma and not the kid????

They shouldn't call for keeping the kids out of it, they should call for the government and the police taking responsibility to let it happen....The police didn't catch a single person in all that bombing....Just a few were catched by the protesters and it happen that they were policemen...

[Dogmatix]

Great idea but the children killed in Trat were with their parents who were selling noodles in a night market which was their livelihood. Not many noodle vendors can afford baby sitters. It seems likely that the children killed at Ratchprasong were also with vendor parents.

[celso]

 

They shouldn't call for keeping the kids out of it, they should call for the government and the police taking responsibility to let it happen....The police didn't catch a single person in all that bombing....Just a few were catched by the protesters and it happen that they were policemen...

Fortunately, it is not a zero sum choice.

Saying 'keep children away', does not mean they also say 'keep killing others'.

[iamkarlos]

They are basically saying that it is less evil to kill adult person than killing children. And you should keep the children out of the demonstrations so the people who are bombing...just kill the grandma and not the kid????

They shouldn't call for keeping the kids out of it, they should call for the government and the police taking responsibility to let it happen....The police didn't catch a single person in all that bombing....Just a few were catched by the protesters and it happen that they were policemen...

Adults have a choice and know the dangers of attending these rally sites, but children have no choice in the matter at all, if they are dragged to these protest sites. I see Lord Suthep never offered these children 1 million baht each like he did previously, maybe his money is running out.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[winstonc]

a pointless article i think.age restrictions ???? a life is a life no matter how old you are..have the health and safety police arrived from the eu..

[lee b]

Great idea but the children killed in Trat were with their parents who were selling noodles in a night market which was their livelihood. Not many noodle vendors can afford baby sitters. It seems likely that the children killed at Ratchprasong were also with vendor parents.

Quite right, and the people who are to blame are brain dead. It is terrible for anybody to lose there life in this way, child or adult.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Totally uninformed. The two children who lost their lives in Bangkok had just exited Big C when a terrorist decided to attack a street stall selling protest souvenirs outside the store. While children should be kept out of rally stage areas, this was far from the rally stage. By classifying it as protest retaliation, the NGOs whitewash the fact that this was the shameless act of a terrorist preying on innocents.

[icommunity]

How about old grannies on wheelchair?

[Local Drunk]

"Child Free" on the streets of BKK... they're as daft at as it goes.

[JoeThePoster]

Live show, whistles, balloons, popcorn! Even adults couldn't resist the temptation.

Edited February 24, 2014 by JoeThePoster

[billd766]

Unicef have it the wrong way around.

Instead of saying that children should be kept away from protest sites they should be saying keep VIOLENCE away from all protest site.

That would be a good idea. Perhaps the government and the police would like to take that on board and actually DO something about it.

[h90]

They are basically saying that it is less evil to kill adult person than killing children. And you should keep the children out of the demonstrations so the people who are bombing...just kill the grandma and not the kid????

They shouldn't call for keeping the kids out of it, they should call for the government and the police taking responsibility to let it happen....The police didn't catch a single person in all that bombing....Just a few were catched by the protesters and it happen that they were policemen...

Adults have a choice and know the dangers of attending these rally sites, but children have no choice in the matter at all, if they are dragged to these protest sites. I see Lord Suthep never offered these children 1 million baht each like he did previously, maybe his money is running out.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Adults often no have choice....they don't have the money to pay someone to take care of the children. And you can't lock the children in the basement till they 21. Beside it is not the parents who do wrong, it is the people who murder the children and the Unicef tries to shift part of the blame.

It is a bit like the (sometimes heard) saying a rape victim provocate the crime because wearing such a short skirt.....

Edited February 24, 2014 by h90

[h90]

 

They shouldn't call for keeping the kids out of it, they should call for the government and the police taking responsibility to let it happen....The police didn't catch a single person in all that bombing....Just a few were catched by the protesters and it happen that they were policemen...

Fortunately, it is not a zero sum choice.

Saying 'keep children away', does not mean they also say 'keep killing others'.

No it can be a zero sum choice.....I don't see any country react to it in a matter like they did in the Ukraine and pressure the Thai government to stop it.

[BillyBobThai]

The UN and all of it's agencies have become totally useless. Tits on a boar hog.

[timewilltell]

Yes - why is there no pressure on Thailand to take measures to capture these terrorists. There never seems to be much pressure on Thailand to do anything about anything despite the terrible and well documented humans rights abuses going on all over the place.

Why I wonder?

[hansnl]

Another idiot reaction from the UN, excuse, Unesco.

They should condemn those that think bombing and shooting other people is the thing to do.