Thai 'Red Shirts' cancel 2010 crackdown anniversary after govt pressure

[webfact]

Thai 'Red Shirts' cancel 2010 crackdown anniversary after junta pressure

AFP

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's anti-coup "Red Shirts" on Thursday cancelled a religious ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of a deadly military crackdown, accusing security forces of surrounding a temple where the memorial was due to take place.

Members of the street movement loyal to ousted Thai premiers Yingluck and Thaksin Shinawatra had planned a Buddhist service Friday for scores of Red Shirt supporters who died during a crackdown on their months-long protest in Bangkok in the spring of 2010.

But on Thursday Red Shirt chairman Jatuporn Prompan said the ceremony had been cancelled after police and soldiers surrounded the Kerd Karn Udom temple just outside the capital.

"Even though relatives have explained it is a merit-making religious ceremony, police and soldiers are not permitting them to hold it," he said in a post on his Facebook page.

"Therefore this year the entire merit-making ceremony is cancelled."

A junta spokesman could not be immediately reached.

But the move comes after a series of warnings by Thailand's generals, who seized power from Yingluck's elected government last May, against any gathering to commemorate the event -- one of the bloodiest chapters in the kingdom's turbulent political history.

Since it seized power the army has repeatedly ordered the Red Shirts not to assemble, briefly sweeping key leaders into detention in the days following the coup, closing radio stations and monitoring their communications.

Jatuporn had earlier promised to downsize the event and urged authorities to allow the relatives of the dead to attend a Buddhist 'merit making' ceremony at the temple.

His comments came after Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan -- a retired general who held the same government post in 2010 -- urged Red Shirts to hold a private memorial only.

"Many military were also killed and we don't have to hold a memorial," he said Wednesday.

- Military chokehold -

In March 2010 thousands of Thaksin's red-shirted loyalists occupied key intersections in central Bangkok, demanding fresh elections to replace the then pro-military appointed government.

The first deadly military response came on April 10 followed by larger crackdowns between May 13 and 19 that left scores dead including many unarmed demonstrators, two foreign journalists and several soldiers.

Thai junta chief and premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha was a top military officer at the time and is often described as the architect of the crackdown.

Prayut lifted martial law last week only to replace it with sweeping new security measures retaining the military's chokehold over the country.

Political gatherings of more than five people are still banned while the military still has the power to arrest, detain and prosecute people for national security crimes or those who fall foul of the country's strict royal defamation laws.

Rights groups have argued the new rules, issued under the controversial Section 44 of the interim constitution, grant more powers to Prayut including greater censorship over the media.

The move drew swift condemnation from the European Union, the United States and the United Nation's human rights chief who described the new powers as "even more draconian".


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-04-09

[scorecard]

Again AFP way off the realities of the situation, and with unbalanced comment.

[zaphod reborn]

"In March 2010 thousands of Thaksin's red-shirted loyalists occupied key intersections in central Bangkok, demanding fresh elections to replace the then pro-military appointed government."

It wasn't an occupation, but rather turning Bangkok into a warzone. Occupations are a non-violent means of civil disobedience. The red-shirt violence forced the BTS to close and made a good portion of central Bangkok unsafe.

Edited April 9, 2015 by zaphod reborn

[JAG]

Again AFP way off the realities of the situation, and with unbalanced comment.

But then, as your beloved junta would claim, what do the French know about such things anyway? What with "not being a good example of a democracy" and so forth.

Edited April 9, 2015 by JAG

[SoilSpoil]

"In March 2010 thousands of Thaksin's red-shirted loyalists occupied key intersections in central Bangkok, demanding fresh elections to replace the then pro-military appointed government."

It wasn't an occupation, but rather turning Bangkok into a warzone. Occupations are a non-violent means of civil disobedience. The red-shirt violence forced the BTS to close and made a good portion of central Bangkok unsafe.

Also the red shirts had support of some army units and police.

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed.

[JOC]

Again AFP way off the realities of the situation, and with unbalanced comment.

Exactly where is AFP way off realities??

Read it twice, and to me it seems like an accurate description of the events.............

Unless you really start nitpicking a word here or a word there.

But not even the junta supporters are that small minded...........................OR?

[JOC]

>>His comments came after Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan -- a retired general who held the same government post in 2010<<

>>Thai junta chief and premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha was a top military officer at the time and is often described as the architect of the crackdown.<<

^^^^^Quotes from the OP

And those are the very same two persons, who today is the guarantee for everyones right to equal treatment under the law. Yeah sure!!

No my friends it is a long planned witch hunt.

We can't defeat them at the ballot box, so time for plan B.

And in case you have forgotten, let me remind you: Today the legislative, the executive and the judiciary branches are in the hands of one person!!

[bangkokfrog]

It should not matter what side you are on. A religious ceremony to honor people who died for their beliefs (whether you agree with them or not) should not be banned in a civilized country unless the people behind it are preaching violence, insurrection, etc.

[issanaus]

This is not about religious freedoms. In Buddhism Karma is in intentions not actions. The intention was to try and use religion and the ongoing suffer of the relatives of the dead to try and cause political troubles - rather than a religious ceremony to transfer merit to the dead and through that ease the suffering of the living.

Metta to ALL that have died on the streets of BKK as a result of the political ambitions of others

[EnglishJohn]

Again AFP way off the realities of the situation, and with unbalanced comment.

But then, as your beloved junta would claim, what do the French know about such things anyway? What with "not being a good example of a democracy" and so forth.

I agree completely with the OP and I'm English. I suspect there is a single red-shirt reporter in the AFP as all the articles are similarly written and tend to only tell the parts of the story which fit the agenda.

I think I have a pretty good understanding of what went on in 2010 and the journalist is guilty of 'lies-by-omission' : A practice I think most journalists consider acceptable with their paper-thin ethics.

[stoffel45]

Again AFP way off the realities of the situation, and with unbalanced comment.

But then, as your beloved junta would claim, what do the French know about such things anyway? What with "not being a good example of a democracy" and so forth.

You hit the nail on the head JAG. What DO the French know about such things anyway.

When a few corrupt clerks (the EU Commission) cancelled the Democratic right of the people to say NO to the EU and its euro - the French Government stood aside and let Democracy die.

[seajae]

Again AFP way off the realities of the situation, and with unbalanced comment.

Exactly where is AFP way off realities??

Read it twice, and to me it seems like an accurate description of the events.............

Unless you really start nitpicking a word here or a word there.

But not even the junta supporters are that small minded...........................OR?

so the truth is not important to the reds but we already knew that, you espouse it constantly in here how much you refuse to accept the truth.

They did not overthrow an elected govt, they took over from a caretaker govt to stop the violence that the govt was letting happen because it was supposed to help YL.

The reds were offered election but overnight they changed their minds and the crap started, who told them not to accept the offer of the elections.

The violence was instigated buy the reds, they started with all the shootings, bombings, fires etc and the army stepped in to stop it but still the reds kept it up.

One has to wonder just how far your head is buried you know where to refute these truths but then that is what all good reds do, ignore the truth in case it shows them in a bad light. Mate I have plenty of toilet paper for you so you keep wiping your chin, you must need it with all the muck you keep dribbling in here.

[mikemac]

Darn shame the reds did not cancel the 2010 failed coup when they were asked to, would not have been a such a tragic fiasco and there would be no need for a "crackdown ceremony".