The tragedy grows, but does either side want resolution?: Thai politics

[webfact]

The tragedy grows, but does either side want resolution?
ATTAYUTH BOOTSRIPOOM
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE POLITICAL situation is worsening and there are no signs of improvement any time soon. Blatant, violent attacks are taking place frequently, with many casualties, and no culprits have been arrested.

In the latest incidents at protest sites in Trat and Bangkok, four children were killed. The assailants used hand grenades and assault rifles in Trat and a rocket-fired grenade near the capital's Ratchaprasong intersection.

Since the anti-government protests began last October, 21 people have been killed and more than 700 others injured. The number of casualties is likely to increase further if the attacks continue.

What is heartbreaking is that children were among the victims of the ongoing political conflict; and nobody seems to have learned a lesson from what happened. Both sides in the conflict blame each other for the violence and are also playing on the untimely deaths to fan the hatred against their political enemies - putting oil on the fire.

Government politicians condemned the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), accusing it of creating the tragedy for political advantage. They said the PDRC's recent street protests were drawing only a small number of participants and needed the violence to get more support.

Some government members even claimed a grenade at Ratchaprasong was fired from the nearby protest stage - although witnesses and initial investigation showed it came from the opposite direction, the flyover bridge at Pratunam intersection.

If they had concrete evidence, those government figures should have produced it. Such charges not only add to the anger among their political enemies, but also arouse hatred among their supporters, many of whom are ready to believe anything they hear.

The PDRC leaders, meanwhile, immediately accused the government, without waiting for results of the investigation into the attacks. They claimed people close to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra were behind the assaults and that foreign assailants had been hired to attack the protesters.

It appeared many PDRC supporters were ready to believe the protest leaders who made their accusations on stage. This led to rising hatred against the government - while many red-shirt supporters of the ruling Pheu Thai Party felt their government was being unfairly vilified.

As both sides take advantage of the increased tension, efforts to solve the conflict through negotiation have failed repeatedly - mainly because both have diametrically opposite standpoints and both are engaged in a zero-sum game in which the winner takes all.

Phra Buddha Issara, a Buddhist monk who is a PDRC leader, wrote in his Facebook page about his talks with former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat from the ruling party. He was supposed to keep the meeting secret until after both sides had reached an accord.

Earlier, Suthep Thaugsuban, the top PDRC leader, also disclosed details of his military-brokered talks with caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, not long after the mass anti-government rally began late last year.

From this latest disclosure by the monk, it appears both sides are unlikely to settle their differences through negotiation.

The final question for the conflicting sides is whether they sincerely want to solve the conflict - or whether they want to go down the path to a civil war.


-- The Nation 2014-02-27

[noitom]

The Thai press should be pounding the table for party nominations and elections. The Thai press looks like a joke following blundering protesters and their supporters before the world. The Thai press is blatantly supporting a sabotage of a popularly elected PM in favor of a "people's council" with 185 handpicked by its own insiders to the exclusion of ordinary Thais. Does the Thai press actually believe that this is the right thing to do? Does the Thai press actually believe that the international community will view this as anything but "propaganda?"

[PatOngo]

"In the latest incidents at protest sites in Trat and Bangkok, four children were killed. The assailants used hand grenades and assault rifles in Trat and a rocket-fired grenade near the capital's Ratchaprasong intersection"

Just where do they get the grenades and assault rifles.........Big C or Lotus?????

[chainarong]

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"In the latest incidents at protest sites in Trat and Bangkok, four children were killed. The assailants used hand grenades and assault rifles in Trat and a rocket-fired grenade near the capital's Ratchaprasong intersection"

Just where do they get the grenades and assault rifles.........Big C or Lotus?????

Exactly my thoughts , where do they get these grenades, rifles ,rocket propelled grenades, is there a failure in the military ordinance area or are they brought xcross boarder exchange or imported by mail or supplied by shady characters from the political sides, there seems to be too many nutters out there , that should be thrown in jail and the key thrown away , bad news guy's bad news.

[djjamie]

The Thai press should be pounding the table for party nominations and elections. The Thai press looks like a joke following blundering protesters and their supporters before the world. The Thai press is blatantly supporting a sabotage of a popularly elected PM in favor of a "people's council" with 185 handpicked by its own insiders to the exclusion of ordinary Thais. Does the Thai press actually believe that this is the right thing to do? Does the Thai press actually believe that the international community will view this as anything but "propaganda?"

Thank you. One more to add to my growing list of agenda driven broad section of opponents of the PTP. Not many left that are actually supporting the PTP anymore except a very narrow cross section called rice farmers and they are jumping ship now. Time to listen to the majority even if you don't like it.

Anyway enough chatter. Here is the list….Of course with your nomination added at the end. Thanks again.

World bank, Moody's, UNHCR, Human Rights Watch, the Environmentalists, the corn farmer, rubber farmers, rice farmers, medical association, rural teachers, academics, Supa, global economists, IMF, private banks, GSB, the EC, AoT, the courts, military, bangkok middle class, business owner, state enterprise staff, Buddhist monks, civil servants, labor unions, Green Politics group, Thai Constitution Protection Association and finally The Thai press.

Amazing how this broad cross section of society can be wrong yet the PTP are right.

Gotta love that PTP ministry of propaganda.

[Centrum]

The Thai press should be pounding the table for party nominations and elections. The Thai press looks like a joke following blundering protesters and their supporters before the world. The Thai press is blatantly supporting a sabotage of a popularly elected PM in favor of a "people's council" with 185 handpicked by its own insiders to the exclusion of ordinary Thais. Does the Thai press actually believe that this is the right thing to do? Does the Thai press actually believe that the international community will view this as anything but "propaganda?"

It would appear the Thai press have a better understanding of the problems of removing a corrupt family from Thai politics than you do.

[ggt]

There are no winners in this debacle...they are willing to lose their butts...to save their faces...the nation is loosing more than face...with the world watching what appears to be two uncompromising hardheaded morons playing with the future of the country...economy...farmers...and many Thai sheep...enduring prolonged suffering...

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Thai press should be pounding the table for party nominations and elections. The Thai press looks like a joke following blundering protesters and their supporters before the world. The Thai press is blatantly supporting a sabotage of a popularly elected PM in favor of a "people's council" with 185 handpicked by its own insiders to the exclusion of ordinary Thais. Does the Thai press actually believe that this is the right thing to do? Does the Thai press actually believe that the international community will view this as anything but "propaganda?"

Thank you. One more to add to my growing list of agenda driven broad section of opponents of the PTP. Not many left that are actually supporting the PTP anymore except a very narrow cross section called rice farmers and they are jumping ship now. Time to listen to the majority even if you don't like it.

Anyway enough chatter. Here is the list….Of course with your nomination added at the end. Thanks again.

World bank, Moody's, UNHCR, Human Rights Watch, the Environmentalists, the corn farmer, rubber farmers, rice farmers, medical association, rural teachers, academics, Supa, global economists, IMF, private banks, GSB, the EC, AoT, the courts, military, bangkok middle class, business owner, state enterprise staff, Buddhist monks, civil servants, labor unions, Green Politics group, Thai Constitution Protection Association and finally The Thai press.

Amazing how this broad cross section of society can be wrong yet the PTP are right.

Gotta love that PTP ministry of propaganda.

And yet despite having such ALLEGED overwhelming support, the PDRC can't take the chance of another election until it controls the government through its people's committee and all the riff raff, uneducated, low class people can be eliminated from voting until they have been "re-educated." The Suthep proganda machine has proven much more effective than PTP.

[Suriya4]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Thai press should be pounding the table for party nominations and elections. The Thai press looks like a joke following blundering protesters and their supporters before the world. The Thai press is blatantly supporting a sabotage of a popularly elected PM in favor of a "people's council" with 185 handpicked by its own insiders to the exclusion of ordinary Thais. Does the Thai press actually believe that this is the right thing to do? Does the Thai press actually believe that the international community will view this as anything but "propaganda?"

Thank you. One more to add to my growing list of agenda driven broad section of opponents of the PTP. Not many left that are actually supporting the PTP anymore except a very narrow cross section called rice farmers and they are jumping ship now. Time to listen to the majority even if you don't like it.

Anyway enough chatter. Here is the list….Of course with your nomination added at the end. Thanks again.

World bank, Moody's, UNHCR, Human Rights Watch, the Environmentalists, the corn farmer, rubber farmers, rice farmers, medical association, rural teachers, academics, Supa, global economists, IMF, private banks, GSB, the EC, AoT, the courts, military, bangkok middle class, business owner, state enterprise staff, Buddhist monks, civil servants, labor unions, Green Politics group, Thai Constitution Protection Association and finally The Thai press.

Amazing how this broad cross section of society can be wrong yet the PTP are right.

Gotta love that PTP ministry of propaganda.

And yet despite having such ALLEGED overwhelming support, the PDRC can't take the chance of another election until it controls the government through its people's committee and all the riff raff, uneducated, low class people can be eliminated from voting until they have been "re-educated." The Suthep proganda machine has proven much more effective than PTP.

5.8 million plus supporters (as alleged reported by BBC) in Bangkok alone is not enough.