Bangkok violence: Father grieving over his children's deaths chooses to forgive

[webfact]

POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Father grieving over his children's deaths chooses to forgive
Poungchompoo Prasert,
Kesinee Taengkhiao,
Noppadon Sritaweekart
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE FATHER who lost his children to Sunday's grenade attack says he is engulfed in pain, but feels no anger against the attackers who were apparently targeting the anti-government rally site.

I am suffering the deepest pain, but have decided to forgive," Thayakorn Yos-ubol said tearfully.

His two children, Korawich and Patcharakorn, were not among the demonstrators. They had simply gone shopping with their aunt and cousin when they were hit by a grenade that landed in front of Big C shopping mall on Rajdamri Road on Sunday afternoon.

Korawich was four and his sister six years old.

"I can't cope with what has happened. My children were so pure and innocent. I really don't know how long it will take for this wound in my heart to heal," the devastated father said.

Thayakorn went on to say that he had a simple dream for his children - he just wanted them to grow up and become good members of society.

"But now my dream is dead," he said as he hugged his wife while waiting to pick up their children's bodies. Both children were pronounced dead at Ramathibodhi Hospital - the place they were born.

Young lives lost

"This is a tragedy," the hospital's director Dr Surasak Leela-udomlipi told the press yesterday.

Korawich passed away on Sunday evening, while his sister succumbed to injuries on Monday morning. Their nine-year-old cousin, Yothin Cha-aemram, is under intensive care at the same hospital.

Yothin's mother Nareerat Chairat wished she had been hit instead of the children.

"Better me than my nephew, niece and son," the distraught mother, who was in a wheelchair, said.

She also sustained injuries from the blast, but they are not very serious.

Nareerat said she and the children were about to hail a tuk-tuk to head back to Thayakorn's home when the grenade suddenly landed in their vicinity and exploded.

"I wish it was just a bad dream," she lamented.

Thayakorn, however, said he hoped all sides would learn from this and bring an end to the chaos. He said his focus was on holding his kids' funeral rites, which will be held at Phrom-wongsaram Temple (Wat Luang Phor Nane).

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the relatives of the two men killed in bloody clashes at the Phan Fah Lilat Bridge on February 18 lodged a complaint yesterday at the Criminal Court against caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for her alleged role in the violent crackdown on protesters.

The lawsuit also named Chalerm Yoobamrung in his capacity as director of the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order, National Police chief General Adul Saengsingkaew, Department of Special Investigation chief Tarit Pengdith and a few other senior police officers.

-- The Nation 2014-02-25

[uty6543]

Well he is a better man than me. I could not forgive and would like to do unspeakable things to his children's murders. I am sorry the pain this father is suffering will not leave him for a long time.

[RogueExpat]

Terrible that anyone should have to feel the grief that this man, family and friends would be going through.

I couldn't forgive, and I would hope the perpetrators are dealt with in the traditional Thai method, rather than getting amnesty and a bonus for "politically motivated" crimes.

RIP little ones.

[kurnell]

Well he is a better man than me. I could not forgive and would like to do unspeakable things to his children's murders. I am sorry the pain this father is suffering will not leave him for a long time.

Yes, this I will never understand.

[Somtamnication]

I rarely shed tears but this one did it for me.

Good night, little ones.

[newcomer71]

As a man and as a dad, I deeply admire the strength and the composure that this guy shown. As someone else said, I would be not so merciful toward those assassins...

All my thoughts are with him and his wife, and so much pain for those young lives broken by the violent means of criminals.

I wish Thailand could be a better country where to raise up our kids.

Edited February 25, 2014 by newcomer71

[ikurauni]

I just can't imagine how this man is handling after losing his children. They don't deserve to be killed like that. RIP

It has been very wrong with the Thai government and the Thai politics. This tragedy is a result of what the evil politicians are doing in Thailand.

[huanga]

If this doesn't serve as a wake up call for the rest of Thais, I don't know what will? How much more blood will need to be spilled before they get the idea that fighting violence with violence will only create more casualties and "innocent" collateral damage?

Thailand has always been proud to claim that it's one of the two countries in Asia that has never been colonized. Maybe it's not a blessing after all. Thais obviously do not understand the meaning of "united we stand and separated we fall" concept!

Shame on this nation and the dirty politics!

[renaissanc]

Until the nation rejects Thaksin and his cronies, this will continue. It is obvious that he has sent a command, like in 2010, for militant groups to go and do their work for him. If he isn't behind all of this, he would have made a public statement to this effect, not that anyone would believe him anyway.

[mjj]

That is a powerful image for all the wrong reasons. Posters should be made and distributed everywhere in Thailand to show what is going on is wrong and needs to stop. Wake up Thailand.

[Stradavarius37]

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Until the nation rejects Thaksin and his cronies, this will continue. It is obvious that he has sent a command, like in 2010, for militant groups to go and do their work for him. If he isn't behind all of this, he would have made a public statement to this effect, not that anyone would believe him anyway.

Until the nation rejects violence and stupidity this will continue. Do you think that nothing like this happened before Thaksin arrived? Wake up and learn some history.

[geriatrickid]

A display of what was once a fundamental core value of being Thai.

Those who belittle Thais and offer simplistic labels such as weak, or stupid, can learn.

There is an inner strength that allows the forgiveness and there is an inherent intelligence that permits the knowledge that there can not be healing and inner peace without forgiveness. A difficult and generous gesture.

[stickylies]

If this doesn't serve as a wake up call for the rest of Thais, I don't know what will? How much more blood will need to be spilled before they get the idea that fighting violence with violence will only create more casualties and "innocent" collateral damage?

thainess...

[15Peter20]

What amazing strength he shows to be able to forgive the attackers. When the immediate dust settles, this is the type of guy that should be involved in any realistic peace process that may be forthcoming.

[MK1]

What a tragedy for this family, as a result of indiscriminate attacks, upon anti-government protestors and those people in the vicinity going about their daily lives, all for the purpose of gaining political mileage by installing fear.

I’m sure his majesty is bitterly disappointed with Thai people killing each other and it’s only a matter of time before military intervention eventually restores calm, peace and order.

[bangkokheat]

my heart goes out to the family of these children.

what i find difficult to understand is the blame directed on the shins, i mean, if it was them that are the cause of all these deaths, wouldnt it have been better to have targeted suthep, i would not at all be surprised if it was suthep behind these random attacks

[stickylies]

Until the nation rejects violence and stupidity this will continue.

i am NOT one of the TV thaibashers but the "system" here is based on stupidity due to no critical thinking. this goes for both sides, yellow and red. this is the country where the PEE (whether based on age or social status) is always right. sad and useless.

[123thaibourbon]

no words suffice to bear the grief and burden the memory of those left to suffer these tragic losses.

who is responsible for the grenades?

next ?, is authoritarianism = representative/populist democracy or a form of religion, belief.. ?

Is the Monarchy being used as a shield or trojan horse for the real agenda of an oligarchy of elitists in Bkk, the South & some provincial cities?

are 'red-shirts' not loyal and reverent to The Royal Family?

or less human?

is Yingluck to blame for rice that was not properly milled and stored?

are Thai peoples competing for global press with the bad politics in Ukraine?

it is a crying shame, as Thailand has advanced regionally as an economic powerhouse and yet social and political flaws remain the weakest links.

[Local Drunk]

"I can't cope with what has happened. My children were so pure and innocent. I really don't know how long it will take for this wound in my heart to heal,"

It will never heal... It will just hurt a bit less over time.

I wish I'd never read this post.

[Yunla]

Lost for words really. What can you say? My prayers are with this brave strong man and his beautiful wife, I hope they have a big crowd of loving friends and family around them at this terrible time.

I have seen so many of my Thai friends crying over the last few days, really tough hardnosed Bangkok workers breaking down in tears whenever this story is mentioned. Everyone saying the same things, "what if that had been me, who would care for my kids", or "what if that had been my kids I would just end it all as I couldn't live without their happy little faces".

Sometimes the loss is just too horrible and random and meaningless to even look at.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Yunla

[Mario2008]

1 flaming post and 1 Thai bashing post removed.

[mayuri]

i cannot stop crying too, those kids were innocent

[newcomer71]

"I can't cope with what has happened. My children were so pure and innocent. I really don't know how long it will take for this wound in my heart to heal,"

It will never heal... It will just hurt a bit less over time.

I wish I'd never read this post.

I have your same feelings.

I am overwhelmed by sadness, and can't stop thinking how this would have killed me inside, if it would have happened to me.

Out here is anarchy and violence, and we all should take example from this guy and have a fresh new start.

Avoid confrontations and try to save the country... But this is a lesson that all power monger will never learn, sadly.

[slipperylobster]

my heart goes out to the family of these children.

what i find difficult to understand is the blame directed on the shins, i mean, if it was them that are the cause of all these deaths, wouldnt it have been better to have targeted suthep, i would not at all be surprised if it was suthep behind these random attacks

Your reverse logic does not seem to "wash"...

[rhodie]

My heart goes out to you! May your children RIP.

[kamahele]

Horrible stuff. Stronger man than I could ever be.

[Mario2008]

1 libelous post removed.

[dude123]

Couldn't hold back my tears. Much better man than myself to forgive.

[mayuri]

one of my colleague was saying "they shouldn't have gone shopping to protest site, its their fault"

i was so furious on this remark, it was not the kids fault

[pattayaorganic]

1) who is responsible for the grenades?

Who stems to gain the most by planting fear in the protesters, and preventing them from participating?

Who has repeatedly made threats that bombs would go off at protest sites (hint: Chalerm)

2) next ?, is authoritarianism = representative/populist democracy or a form of religion, belief.. ?

Neither

3) Is the Monarchy being used as a shield or trojan horse for the real agenda of an oligarchy of elitists in Bkk, the South & some provincial cities?

The real elitists are robbing the country blind of hundreds of billions of baht at the expense of the poorest of farmers.

4) are 'red-shirts' not loyal and reverent to The Royal Family?or less human?

Most of them are but if you chose to believe Red propaganda, you should be against the Royal Institution.

5) is Yingluck to blame for rice that was not properly milled and stored?

Well first of all, who is claiming improper milling/storage? Even if we are to accept your assumption, YL as head of the scheme certainly has ultimate responsibility. It is plain as day (read Economist article) that Taksin thought he could manipulate the international rice market in this scheme, something which he failed massively using Thai taxpayer's money to gamble with and lost.

6) are Thai peoples competing for global press with the bad politics in Ukraine?

Clearly no.

7) it is a crying shame, as Thailand has advanced regionally as an economic powerhouse and yet social and political flaws remain the weakest links.

Wholeheartedly agree.