International alarm mounts over Thai coup

[heybruce]

Notice that these pro Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt supporters complained mightily when the military was called in to remove the violent Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt protestors many years ago, but say now that the government should have had the military remove the peaceful yellow-shirt protestors, talk about hypocrisy.

Do you mean the military should have staged a coup in 2010?

[heybruce]

"So because you, personally, were not affected by the violence it was OK... I don't think that's a very defensible attitude."

My point being that the country was not experiencing uncontrolled violence, and the situation did not come close to justifying a military coup. If all the military wanted was to eliminate political violence all the military had to do was break up Suthep's protests.

"For your last paragraph, don't presume to know my attitudes toward information."

Fair enough, I will simply assume that anyone who thinks the coup was to prevent a civil war is poorly informed.

My point being that the country was not experiencing uncontrolled violence.

A conclusion not derived from the facts, obviously; the violence was uncontrolled, how many perpetrators of shootings and bombings against anti-government protesters, independent agencies and courts were arrested before the army stepped in? The answer is zero, that´s how many and I rest my case.

Preventing the possibility of the uncontrolled violence evolving into a civil war was one of the rationales for the coup, nobody has a crystal ball, but that was what some Red Shirts were calling for and nobody can pinpoint when unfethered violence can escalate into widespread conflict.

The Red Shirt leadership calls for a huge uprising were a bluff, IMHO, they have never had the support of the majority of Thais as they love to spout, but it only takes a relatively small number of fanatics to start a spiral of violence, that some within the Red Shirt movement were/are quite prepared to murder for political purposes (AKA terrorism) is beyond dispute by now and that, plus their calls to split the country, the failure of the political system and law enforcement is as good as recipe to drag a country down the civil war path, those things don't happen overnight.

There were 3307 murders in Thailand in 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate, there were 28 murders associated with political protests. One could argue that thousands of murders a year in a country the size of Thailand constitutes uncontrolled violence, however political violence represented less than one tenth of one percent of this number.

My point was that political violence was at a level that barely registered against the "normal" violence in Thailand. It could have been dealt with by steps much less drastic than a coup. I stick by my previous statement: "I will simply assume that anyone who thinks the coup was to prevent a civil war is poorly informed."

Completely agree. I mean what if the Yingluck government condoned the violence and cowardly night attacks with guns and grenades against anti-government protesters. Hardly anyone killed.

Next we'll discuss why PM Abhisit should have stepped down when those grenade lobbing UDD figures told him to in 2010.

Anyway, I'm glad that I choose not to look at TVF forum over the weekend. Most posted is rubbish anyway.

Stay cool and dry guys and keep smiling,

uncle rubl

"what if the Yingluck government condoned the violence and cowardly night attacks with guns and grenades against anti-government protesters."

Condoned? Care to offer proof? I think if Yingluck and the PTP had not been doing all they could to reign in the extreme redshirt elements there would have been bloodshed many times greater.

Speaking of unsubstantiated claims rubl, what about your claim that VPN's are illegal in Thailand? Care to support or renounce that one? Remember, it's against policy to spread false rumors.

[sumtingwong]

Notice that these pro Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt supporters complained mightily when the military was called in to remove the violent Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt protestors many years ago, but say now that the government should have had the military remove the peaceful yellow-shirt protestors, talk about hypocrisy.

Do you mean the military should have staged a coup in 2010?

Obviously you would have been pro coup back then and probably were. But I am just as sure you were pro commie PTP red-shirt protester occupation and violence back then as well and did not want the military dispersing them.

[rubl]

There were 3307 murders in Thailand in 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate, there were 28 murders associated with political protests. One could argue that thousands of murders a year in a country the size of Thailand constitutes uncontrolled violence, however political violence represented less than one tenth of one percent of this number.

My point was that political violence was at a level that barely registered against the "normal" violence in Thailand. It could have been dealt with by steps much less drastic than a coup. I stick by my previous statement: "I will simply assume that anyone who thinks the coup was to prevent a civil war is poorly informed."

Completely agree. I mean what if the Yingluck government condoned the violence and cowardly night attacks with guns and grenades against anti-government protesters. Hardly anyone killed.

Next we'll discuss why PM Abhisit should have stepped down when those grenade lobbing UDD figures told him to in 2010.

Anyway, I'm glad that I choose not to look at TVF forum over the weekend. Most posted is rubbish anyway.

Stay cool and dry guys and keep smiling,

uncle rubl

"what if the Yingluck government condoned the violence and cowardly night attacks with guns and grenades against anti-government protesters."

Condoned? Care to offer proof? I think if Yingluck and the PTP had not been doing all they could to reign in the extreme redshirt elements there would have been bloodshed many times greater.

Speaking of unsubstantiated claims rubl, what about your claim that VPN's are illegal in Thailand? Care to support or renounce that one? Remember, it's against policy to spread false rumors.

Proof? No proof, just the odd dead and purely by coincidence cowardly attacks in the night with gunfire and grenades on anti-government protests. All, because they started with protesting against the undemocratically pushed, sneakily modified blanket amnesty bill which even suddenly covered THaksin's last two years and the Yingluck Administration's first two.

No proof, must have done it themselves, don't you think?

As for VPN, in Thailand using whatever means to bypass censorship is punishable. Just like in lots of countries nowadays.

[Emptyset]

If the those governments were implicitly behind continual violence, yes, absolutely. Note that some of the world's best military assets are sent after those perpetrators.

No, Suthep did not instigate the violence in the streets if you mean the literally hundreds of grenade and gunfire attacks on the protest sites. I'm a bit sensitive on this one having lived with my family about 300 meters from the Chaengwatthana site where we feared even going in the kitchen at night. We had blackout drills because the grenades and gunfire were so common, including a few full scale battles and even a car bomb in our Soi. It's hard to listen to Thaksin's wannabe apologists try to deflect the red violence by saying Suthep did it. But I'm certainly glad about no Thai believe that.

Did the attacks happen before or after Suthep overstepped all reasonable bounds of legality and occupied buildings and shut down government?

Don't you think dispersing the protest, or better yet never allowing them to break the law to the degree they did, would have been a better solution than a coup? Or do you think Suthep deserved such an extravagant reward for his illegal shutdown of government?

I think you're being unrealistic in thinking no Thai blames Suthep for the violence.

I agree with you, of course. If you take the justifications of Rabas for this coup to their logical conclusion, you'd have to conclude that any significant ongoing public disorder should be dealt with by a coup. Under martial law the military would have been able to undertake exactly the same security functions they're undertaking now. Confiscating arms from militant groups, seeking out and arresting those responsible for terrorist acts, dispersing both sets of protesters and allowing a timetable for elections (which they'd have been able to provide security for)... so it's just nonsense to say a coup needed to be carried out in order for them to do this. As a pro-coup supporter already pointed out, the military had started catching people with weapons even before martial law was enforced. Like you say, anyone suggesting a coup was carried out because it was necessary to ensure public safety is either ignorant or simply wilfully blind to what's really been going on.

As a counterfactual scenario: What if the army in 2010 had been pro-Thaksin and the red shirts had been protected by the courts so police weren't allowed to crack down and disperse their illegal occupation of public space? And even if the police had been given permission to legally disperse them, there were armed guards and a small but heavily armed group of militants who would have ensured any dispersal was likely to turn into a bloodbath in any case. So as no action by the government could be carried out, some vigilantes who backed the government decided to take things into their own hands and start firing grenades into the heart of the red shirt camp. Scores were injured and several killed, including some children and others who had nothing to do with the protests.

So the army wanting to stop the chaos, moves in and appoints a pro-Thaksin general as PM and other pro-Thaksin folk as government advisors. Meanwhile, people close to the Democrats and those Abhisit has appointed to state organizations are ruthlessly culled. Elections will come a couple of years down the line after the junta has carried out some as yet unspecified reforms which will benefit their side in future elections but it's best to let the pro-Thaksin people take care of things for now for public safety reasons.

Don't worry too much. And don't criticize. Thai people are joyous and dancing in the streets with the soldiers. This was done for reasons of security and the most important thing at the moment is national unity. Think differently... well we pro-coup types who believe in the nation are logging your posts and sending it to the army, and you must have been paid by Abhisit to post such nonsense anyway. Either that or brainwashed by a uneducated yellow Thai wife from the ban nok I bet. The junta is also going to reform the education system to ensure no criticism of it is allowed and pro-Thaksin propaganda is a routine part of every day school life. It's good they're going to make sure that no more young people are taught the bad ideas which make them hate their own country. Too many sick people with different ideas are what's caused this mess. Let's applaud Thaksin and his handsome soldiers for dealing with them. Think of it like you would a doctor operating on a cancer patient. You cut out the tumor and save the patient.

So what would posters here have to say about that if it had happened? Surely it was necessary for security reasons, but if you think it wasn't, there's not a lot you could say about it anyway, so ha. I mean I'm sorry your beloved Abhisit lost and everything but our good generals really did do this in the interests of the nation. Thai people support the coup because there was chaos on the streets and now they're safe again, so who are you to argue? You'll have your chance to speak again in a couple of years, don't worry. This is just the way Thais do things. And in the meantime, if you hate Thailand so much, feel free to leave...

[dhrobertson]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

[heybruce]

There were 3307 murders in Thailand in 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate, there were 28 murders associated with political protests. One could argue that thousands of murders a year in a country the size of Thailand constitutes uncontrolled violence, however political violence represented less than one tenth of one percent of this number.

My point was that political violence was at a level that barely registered against the "normal" violence in Thailand. It could have been dealt with by steps much less drastic than a coup. I stick by my previous statement: "I will simply assume that anyone who thinks the coup was to prevent a civil war is poorly informed."

Completely agree. I mean what if the Yingluck government condoned the violence and cowardly night attacks with guns and grenades against anti-government protesters. Hardly anyone killed.

Next we'll discuss why PM Abhisit should have stepped down when those grenade lobbing UDD figures told him to in 2010.

Anyway, I'm glad that I choose not to look at TVF forum over the weekend. Most posted is rubbish anyway.

Stay cool and dry guys and keep smiling,

uncle rubl

"what if the Yingluck government condoned the violence and cowardly night attacks with guns and grenades against anti-government protesters."

Condoned? Care to offer proof? I think if Yingluck and the PTP had not been doing all they could to reign in the extreme redshirt elements there would have been bloodshed many times greater.

Speaking of unsubstantiated claims rubl, what about your claim that VPN's are illegal in Thailand? Care to support or renounce that one? Remember, it's against policy to spread false rumors.

Proof? No proof, just the odd dead and purely by coincidence cowardly attacks in the night with gunfire and grenades on anti-government protests. All, because they started with protesting against the undemocratically pushed, sneakily modified blanket amnesty bill which even suddenly covered THaksin's last two years and the Yingluck Administration's first two.

No proof, must have done it themselves, don't you think?

As for VPN, in Thailand using whatever means to bypass censorship is punishable. Just like in lots of countries nowadays.

Well done rubl, you've sunk to sumtingwong's level, and that's saying a lot. "Proof? No proof", followed by completely out of context and unsubstantiated name calling and accusations, absolutely classic--"I'll believe what I want to believe and won't be confused by facts, logic, and calls for evidence." Once again, well done.

As for VPN, I don't know how to use it to bypass censorship, and I won't ask you for assistance in doing so. I can't promise that others won't.

[Thaddeus]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Is that the piece that starts with him interviewing a Thai chap who says that he met his current wife at a RS rally, yeh, ok, like that happened.... unless it contained the line "what are you doing here?"

And then goes on to interview an RS Radio presenter about how entire communities are being oppressed.

It is one of the most slimy ass kissing biased bits of pseudo journalism I have ever seen.

Who is paying him?

[heybruce]

Notice that these pro Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt supporters complained mightily when the military was called in to remove the violent Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt protestors many years ago, but say now that the government should have had the military remove the peaceful yellow-shirt protestors, talk about hypocrisy.

Do you mean the military should have staged a coup in 2010?

Obviously you would have been pro coup back then and probably were. But I am just as sure you were pro commie PTP red-shirt protester occupation and violence back then as well and did not want the military dispersing them.

sumtingwong, please keep posting. For those of us who are pro-democracy and appalled by military rule it is a blessing to have you on the other side.

Edited June 9, 2014 by heybruce

[sumtingwong]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Caught, LOL.

[ The best-known of these, Sombat Boonngamanong, leader of a group calling itself Red Sunday, helped organise anti-coup protests in Bangkok, and taunted the army from his Twitter and Facebook accounts with the tag "Catch me if you can".

After two weeks on the run, they did indeed catch him, reportedly tracing his internet IP address. ]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27735992

[Chicog]

Can someone point to me where I can find this "international alarm", because I can't see it.

Seems to me that most governments are just tutting and rolling their eyes, to be expected when you have a coup around every four years on average.

[Fat Haggis]

I wonder if this is the same alarm used on the doomsday clock?

[Publicus]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Jonathan Head is a professional journalist for a highly respected news organization and knows Thailand well from his years of excellent and insightful reporting in and around the country.

You and 20% of the BBC viewership don't like him, the 80% of us do, roughly speaking.

And really, this post is not intended to be a windup to the chronic Head hating posters.

[sumtingwong]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Jonathan Head is a professional journalist for a highly respected news organization and knows Thailand well from his years of excellent and insightful reporting in and around the country.

You and 20% of the BBC viewership don't like him, the 80% of us do, roughly speaking.

And really, this post is not intended to be a windup to the chronic Head hating posters.

Jonathan Head belongs in a Thai prison.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-reporter-faces-threat-of-thai-jail-1211116.html

[dhrobertson]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Jonathan Head is a professional journalist for a highly respected news organization and knows Thailand well from his years of excellent and insightful reporting in and around the country.

You and 20% of the BBC viewership don't like him, the 80% of us do, roughly speaking.

And really, this post is not intended to be a windup to the chronic Head hating posters.

Jonathan Head belongs in a Thai prison.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-reporter-faces-threat-of-thai-jail-1211116.html

Well his reporting does not reflect the view of the Thais or foreigners I meet on a day to day basis.

In fact, people seem to welcome the coup with a sense of optimism

Head thinks the lack of protest in the NE is becaused people are cowed. I disagree.

Thai people that I know have always held the army in quite high esteem.

I think the truth of the matter is that most are optimistic or at least ambivalent

Head is welcome to his opinion but a balanced view would be appropriate in my opinion

[kotsak]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Do you mean the video clip in this one? http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27735992

Edited June 9, 2014 by kotsak

[sumtingwong]

Notice that these pro Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt supporters complained mightily when the military was called in to remove the violent Shinawatra dictatorship commie red-shirt protestors many years ago, but say now that the government should have had the military remove the peaceful yellow-shirt protestors, talk about hypocrisy.

Do you mean the military should have staged a coup in 2010?

Obviously you would have been pro coup back then and probably were. But I am just as sure you were pro commie PTP red-shirt protester occupation and violence back then as well and did not want the military dispersing them.

sumtingwong, please keep posting. For those of us who are pro-democracy and appalled by military rule it is a blessing to have you on the other side.

Silly rabbit, the Shinawatra red-shirt dictatorship does not want democracy, no more then the Pol Pot Khmer Rouge dictatorship did.

[dhrobertson]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Do you mean the video clip in this one? http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27735992

Yes, that's the one. Thank you! Should be viewed by all..........

I have complained to the BBC about the bias

(What about the outfit Taksin is wearing on the poster.....)

In my opinion, the BBC has a duty of care to present a balanced view to their viweres who do not have the benefit of seeing the actual situation on the ground.

[englishoak]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Jonathan Head is a professional journalist for a highly respected news organization and knows Thailand well from his years of excellent and insightful reporting in and around the country.

You and 20% of the BBC viewership don't like him, the 80% of us do, roughly speaking.

And really, this post is not intended to be a windup to the chronic Head hating posters.

Jonathan Head belongs in a Thai prison.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-reporter-faces-threat-of-thai-jail-1211116.html

Why because he says things you dont like ? a reporters job is to follow a story and report. That it may not be to some peoples liking is irrelevant thats what reporters are supposed to do, follow a story and peoples personal stories will always have a personal point of view. Clearly those people have.

Thats the beauty and point of freedom of the press. ( which of course Thailand dosnt have and the BBC does. They are supposed to watch the watchers and expose that story which challenges the status quo where and when they find it. mostly a report is a one side story when its a one on one, especially interviews. Take Michael Yon as an alternative if you like or others out there, for other sides there are plenty to choose from.

If it helps Mr Mugabe dosnt like the BBC either so your in good company there.

Its not a tale of two cities its a follow up report of a previous visit and video and how things have changed in 6 mths from the same area. Rather strikingly different id say.

[sumtingwong]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Jonathan Head is a professional journalist for a highly respected news organization and knows Thailand well from his years of excellent and insightful reporting in and around the country.

You and 20% of the BBC viewership don't like him, the 80% of us do, roughly speaking.

And really, this post is not intended to be a windup to the chronic Head hating posters.

Jonathan Head belongs in a Thai prison.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-reporter-faces-threat-of-thai-jail-1211116.html

Why because he says things you dont like ? a reporters job is to follow a story and report. That it may not be to some peoples liking is irrelevant thats what reporters are supposed to do, follow a story and peoples personal stories will always have a personal point of view. Clearly those people have.

Thats the beauty and point of freedom of the press. ( which of course Thailand dosnt have and the BBC does. They are supposed to watch the watchers and expose that story which challenges the status quo where and when they find it. mostly a report is a one side story when its a one on one, especially interviews. Take Michael Yon as an alternative if you like or others out there, for other sides there are plenty to choose from.

If it helps Mr Mugabe dosnt like the BBC either so your in good company there.

Its not a tale of two cities its a follow up report of a previous visit and video and how things have changed in 6 mths from the same area. Rather strikingly different id say.

What does Mr Mugabe have to do with it? Oh yea, the Mugabe dictatorship and the Shinawatra dictatorship are good friends. Got it.

[englishoak]

Mugabe dosnt like the "wrong" sort of stories being reported either, ie views hed rather not be reported.... do please try to keep up and stop trying to relabel free elections won clearly a dictatorship, history dosnt label it that way nor do any Thai academics. your being very Thai soap, over dramatic and frankly just as childish.

If people could speak freely and face truths here the place probably would have grown up by now.... one day ... one day.

[sumtingwong]

Mugabe dosnt like the "wrong" sort of stories being reported either, ie views hed rather not be reported.... do please try to keep up and stop trying to relabel free elections won clearly a dictatorship, history dosnt label it that way nor do any Thai academics. your being very Thai soap, over dramatic and frankly just as childish.

If people could speak freely and face truths here the place probably would have grown up by now.... one day ... one day.

Free elections, you mean Thaksin won't be paying us anymore? Say it isn't so.

[englishoak]

The guardian yesterday reported Universities throughout the UK are now speaking out and condemn the move ordering universities in Thailand to monitor the political activities of staff and students on campuses,

[dhrobertson]

The BBC has a responsibility to report fairly and with balance

I think anyone relying soley upon the BBC to understand what is happening hear would be misled

Head should also report the view of many, many others (I believe a majority) who are optimistic about the coup and look upon the suspension of democracy to be unfortunate but probably necessary in the short term

There are MUCH more interesting points about the situation which could do with some fearless investigative reporting. You don't need me to tell you.

Putting out some codswallop about poor downtrodden subsistance farmers mourning the loss of THEIR democracy does not cut it.

[Publicus]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Do you mean the video clip in this one? http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27735992

Yes, that's the one. Thank you! Should be viewed by all..........

I have complained to the BBC about the bias

(What about the outfit Taksin is wearing on the poster.....)

In my opinion, the BBC has a duty of care to present a balanced view to their viweres who do not have the benefit of seeing the actual situation on the ground.

You inspired me.

So I just sent off an email to the Boyz of Bangkok suggesting they do the identical same thing.

You know, balance and all of that - what until the rise of a multiplicity of POV networks on cable-satellite tv in the USA used to be the "Fairness Doctrine."

I have several dozen links to provide for you and your bretheren around here so it's with great interest that I'm awaiting any reply.

And I'm not the only one with several dozen links for you that can't be posted, so there are around a hundred or so links you have no idea exist and that are under wraps.

Links that would radically change the nature of the narrative to make it a real life one.

Also....

Head should also report the view of many, many others (I believe a majority) who are optimistic about the coup and look upon the suspension of democracy to be unfortunate but probably necessary in the short term

Be careful you don't OD on that stuff cause it's everywhere - ubiquitous I believe might be the word..

Edited June 10, 2014 by Publicus

[englishoak]

But the BBC dosnt work for the Junta so isnt obliged to be all happy clappy and print pro stories only bud. Sorry about that, it also dosnt recognise a coup as a good thing in any way.

Fearless reporting is going and asking uncomfortable questions about uncomfortable topics, unfortunately thats not allowed here either right now.

If you rely on the BBC for all your news your a fool I totally agree, there are plenty of other news media both big and small to get opinion and info from.

I dont think interviewing farmers is codswallop either, they are no less important than anyone else.

You believe the majority are optimistic, really ? is that because you live and only talk with people you know or just read the happy clappy news here ? because thats all there is... by order of the military. Maybe If there was the ability and right for people to openly speak as they wish without reprisal youd see a lot more true feelings being expressed.

Edited June 10, 2014 by englishoak

[Roadman]

Can someone point to me where I can find this "international alarm", because I can't see it.

Seems to me that most governments are just tutting and rolling their eyes, to be expected when you have a coup around every four years on average.

Now, now...don't upset the "elected government couped" pessimists with such startling considerations. It will upset their history is static theory. Some of them already have their sanctions dreams in place.

I guess the US cancelling a few war games and a bit of cash for a few drinks later and the Aussies banning the Junta Generals from entering Aussie can be stretched with considerable pessimism into international alarm.

[Publicus]

Can someone point to me where I can find this "international alarm", because I can't see it.

Seems to me that most governments are just tutting and rolling their eyes, to be expected when you have a coup around every four years on average.

Hi, longtimenosee.

The big, high noisy treaded vehicles in front of us are blocking both sight and sound of the "international alarm," which is why - as with the people of the PRChina - the internet and 'underground' videos exist and are being circulated.

As for the reaction specifically, a lot of foreign headlines and broadcasts have two words together, as in "coup, again" but that hardly makes everything routine as the MSM note this one is radically different from the standard-issue conventional event.

Been to Crimea lately? They had a referendum there on mimeographed ballots, no voter rolls, lots of uniformed guys with guns.

Egypt? Venezuela?

Lots of places.

You ought to get around more.

[tonbridgebrit]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Jonathan Head is a professional journalist for a highly respected news organization and knows Thailand well from his years of excellent and insightful reporting in and around the country.

You and 20% of the BBC viewership don't like him, the 80% of us do, roughly speaking.

And really, this post is not intended to be a windup to the chronic Head hating posters.

Jonathan Head belongs in a Thai prison.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-reporter-faces-threat-of-thai-jail-1211116.html

The link provided is from an article that is not connected to Jonathan Head's recent BBC report.

Okay, let's just say they decide to deport Jonathan Head for 'biased' reporting. How about kick out the BBC ? And indeed, remove most of the big foreign news companies.

See, they would never actually do that. Doing it would be highly counter-productive, it would cause more harm than good. Can we imagine the international response IF the BBC and other big news reporters are ordered to leave Thailand ?

And a small point here, it IS the case though, that a number of people on Thai Visa really DO think it would be a good thing if the BBC and foreign media were to be removed. It's a good thing that such people are NOT in charge of Thailand ! The generals are more clever !

[brewsterbudgen]

Just seen Jonathan Head on BBC News

My god! What biased bullshit

Goes to Udon and is insinuating the Thais are crushed by Harsh Military Coup

Just WRONG, WRONG

I hope the army pull him in for damaging the country

Anyone else see the piece?

Worth a new thread.....

Are you saying that the people Head interviewed were lying?

Thank goodness that we still have access to uncensored media reports.

Edited June 10, 2014 by brewsterbudgen