Thailand charges 19 'red shirt' leaders with violating junta ban

[webfact]

Thailand charges 19 'red shirt' leaders with violating junta ban

REUTERS

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's military-appointed attorney-general on Friday charged 19 leaders of the opposition "red shirt" group with violating a junta ban on political gatherings.

 

The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, known as the "red shirts", led street rallies in 2009 and 2010 in support of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, and staged rallies in 2014 when his sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was toppled in a coup.

 

Since taking power in the May 2014 coup the junta has moved to root out Thaksin's influence and has cracked down on activists, journalists and dissidents.

 

Full story: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-politics-redshirts-idUSKBN1450FS

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2016-12-16

[sweatalot]

the problem with reports like this is that they always pretend this group is a political formation fighting for freedom and democracy.

Nothing farther than this.

In truth they are a group of violent mercenaries, many of them got unusually wealthy,  who fight for their leader who enriched himself by squeezing out the country and would like to come back to the troughs and promises to share wit them.

[djjamie]

No doubt they will get suspended sentences so they can continue to flout the law and complain about being targeted despite the fact that they knew they were breaking the law.

 

[jcsmith]

21 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

the problem with reports like this is that they always pretend this group is a political formation fighting for freedom and democracy.

 

Considering that they have not lost an election in 15 years yet spent much of that without power would say that they are on the right side of democracy. 

[bangrak]

Reuters showing one more time how biased it is, not worthy of a reknown international news agency, nothing sacred anymore... The way this, though short, release is 'turned', is a clear testimony about the main 'source' about Thailand for Reuters. And one might wonder why Reuters would keep the Chins' professional spinners' team 'singing in its ear', too lazy to gather its own intell, ...or might there be a worse reason to that? What's that, big, worm doing in your Thai fruit, Reuters? 

[JAG]

4 minutes ago, bangrak said:

Reuters showing one more time how biased it is, not worthy of a reknown international news agency, nothing sacred anymore... The way this, though short, release is 'turned', is a clear testimony about the main 'source' about Thailand for Reuters. And one might wonder why Reuters would keep the Chins' professional spinners' team 'singing in its ear', too lazy to gather its own intell, ...or might there be a worse reason to that? What's that, big, worm doing in your Thai fruit, Reuters? 

So not so much shooting the messenger as machine gunning the poor so and so? 

[bangrak]

P.S.: About the fact of this 19 red shirt 'leaders' being charged, I say: BRAVO! Just way too late though, as they were already inciting unrest, well attempting to, for quite some time, and were visibly testing the ground they were standing on, pushing the puck a little bit further time after time. Good or not, justified or not: there are strict rules about political activities and political gatherings, respect these, or live with the consequences. You did it to yourselves guys, please don't go cry on the shoulders of (so-called) 'human rights' organisations like HRW now. But, oh, wait: would that maybe be part of the original plan? Wicked...

Edited December 16, 2016 by bangrak

[yellowboat]

21 minutes ago, djjamie said:

No doubt they will get suspended sentences so they can continue to flout the law and complain about being targeted despite the fact that they knew they were breaking the law.

 

"violating a junta ban on political gatherings" .  A law imposed by a military government that usurped power from an elected government.    It is a law that is an abomination.  Farangs like you that believe in might makes right is extremely worrying.  Education is failing in the west.

[bangrak]

9 minutes ago, JAG said:

So not so much shooting the messenger as machine gunning the poor so and so? 

Precisely 'JAG', Reuters should be a 'messenger', reporting 'news' (which part is in this release limited to a few lines at the end, and very 'fragmentary', incomplete on top of it), not to 'comment' on the facts they are supposed to write about, ...expressing, possibly influenced/biased opinions, the big difference between being 'reporters', what they are supposed to be, and 'journalists', which is the job of another category in 'the press', expected to express a reflexion,

about the facts, possibly 'coloured' by an, ideally personal, opinion, destinedto informed readers!

Machine gunning the poor, as you write, I refuse to comment on, as, when adding propelled grenades and other lethal stuff to it, it would lead me to speak bad about the 19 charged, other members of their militia, and the one(s) funding it, which is outside of today's topic. 

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, jcsmith said:

 

Considering that they have not lost an election in 15 years yet spent much of that without power would say that they are on the right side of democracy. 

 but undeniable on the wrong side of the law.

 

Being elected doesn't put anyone above the law. Although it seems worldwide that politicians think it does.

[sharecropper]

Anyone who supports reactionary, misguided and anti-democratic actions like this are political cretins (I won't say fascists). Especially foreigners on these boards.

[JAG]

31 minutes ago, bangrak said:

Precisely 'JAG', Reuters should be a 'messenger', reporting 'news' (which part is in this release limited to a few lines at the end, and very 'fragmentary', incomplete on top of it), not to 'comment' on the facts they are supposed to write about, ...expressing, possibly influenced/biased opinions, the big difference between being 'reporters', what they are supposed to be, and 'journalists', which is the job of another category in 'the press', expected to express a reflexion,

about the facts, possibly 'coloured' by an, ideally personal, opinion, destinedto informed readers!

Machine gunning the poor, as you write, I refuse to comment on, as, when adding propelled grenades and other lethal stuff to it, it would lead me to speak bad about the 19 charged, other members of their militia, and the one(s) funding it, which is outside of today's topic. 

I rather think you missed the point, "machine gunning the poor so and so's " referred to "shooting  the messenger " , (a reflection of your exagerated condemning of Reuters) rather than to any actions in Thailand's recent colourful political history. Shooting the poor is indeed another topic, although I am sure that it is one you could enthusiastically justify.

[bangrak]

17 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

"violating a junta ban on political gatherings" .  A law imposed by a military government that usurped power from an elected government.    It is a law that is an abomination.  Farangs like you that believe in might makes right is extremely worrying.  Education is failing in the west.

Though it was confronting and hard to accept, during classes I have been learning about a lot of 'necessary evil' in History, as some famous university professor called it... Or do you imply that the general situation in Thailand had not degraded to a dangerous point, and that the eventuality of a worse(!) insurrection was just a far-fetched doom scenario, not even thinking of 'civil war'...? I would without a doubt, though deploring its existence, characterize the present 'regime' as 'a lesser evil', but that's IMO.

[waldroj]

"...The constitution is a key component of the junta's roadmap to a general election it has promised to hold in late 2017..."

 

There are two very different views on this. 

 

According to the junta, if we follow the roadmap it's practically a smooth and straight downhill run to the elections (with only a few minor bumps caused by ill-intentioned miscreants). 

 

Then, there's the view the rest of the world sees - a long and very winding uphill struggle (with an uncertain outcome). 

[bangrak]

1 minute ago, JAG said:

I rather think you missed the point, "machine gunning the poor so and so's " referred to "shooting  the messenger " , (a reflection of your exagerated condemning of Reuters) rather than to any actions in Thailand's recent colourful political history. Shooting the poor is indeed another topic, although I am sure that it is one you could enthusiastically justify.

'JAG': A little bit of 'nuance', please, don't you so easily put some label on others! So: 'justify' no way, not me, but 'clarify' I'd like to be able to, and condemning just one group while ignoring the wrongs of others is not my style either. But, let's indeed stick to the topic.

[Eric Loh]

8 minutes ago, sharecropper said:

Anyone who supports reactionary, misguided and anti-democratic actions like this are political cretins (I won't say fascists). Especially foreigners on these boards.

 

You too kind,Sharecropper. These supporters ain't ignorant or stupid and they have the right as we do to chose side. However their side is for unfathomable power, totalitarian, authoritarian and rightist views and fits in the category of fascism. I am sure they can explain their fascination with fascism. 

[yellowboat]

20 minutes ago, bangrak said:

Though it was confronting and hard to accept, during classes I have been learning about a lot of 'necessary evil' in History, as some famous university professor called it... Or do you imply that the general situation in Thailand had not degraded to a dangerous point, and that the eventuality of a worse(!) insurrection was just a far-fetched doom scenario, not even thinking of 'civil war'...? I would without a doubt, though deploring its existence, characterize the present 'regime' as 'a lesser evil', but that's IMO.

The junta is the cause of the degrade and it will be responsible for it continuing.   The Army and the elites only believe in their own power.  They care little for the population as a whole.  Reform is non existent. The courts and the civil services are still largely a joke.  The evil you speak of is expediency and opportunism.  Things that have held Thailand back for decades, rendering it uninteresting to foreign investment and entrepreneurs. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by yellowboat

[ramrod711]

1 hour ago, jcsmith said:

 

Considering that they have not lost an election in 15 years yet spent much of that without power would say that they are on the right side of democracy. 

 

When did the red shirts run for election? I suppose your statement is true, as far as it goes, if you are not a political party and never run for office, you certainly can't lose.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"red shirts", led street rallies in 2009 and 2010 in support of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra,

 

Some might call them rallies I suppose, looked more like terrorism and arson to me.

[jesimps]

33 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 but undeniable on the wrong side of the law.

 

Being elected doesn't put anyone above the law. Although it seems worldwide that politicians think it does.

Nor does being unelected, but events over the last few years would seem to contradict that. In fact, the action that brought the present lot to power was a prime example.

 

Edited December 16, 2016 by jesimps

[Get Real]

2 hours ago, jcsmith said:

 

Considering that they have not lost an election in 15 years yet spent much of that without power would say that they are on the right side of democracy. 

Unfortunately this country has many people with very low or no education. These people are easy to manipulate by giving them a little extra money and support when they needed it most. That´s a big part of why they stayed in power for 15 years. Has absolutely not anything to do with right side of democracy. Just manipulation of people in a vurnarable situation, and that must be wrong all times it´s made.

 

Off course there is many rich people involved with high education too, but they are the ones that gets the bigger piece of the money cake, which also is wrong.

 

As a last question, I just ask what did you think was right with your comment?

Edited December 16, 2016 by Get Real

[metisdead]

Posts in violation of the following have been removed:

 

9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[chainarong]

That's one way to bring about reconciliation, no matter what the Junta does they will not stamp out people gathering for a cup of coffee...................................................

[Cuchulainn]

Whaaaaaaaaat a nice Christmas present!! Now, lock the vermin up and throw away the key and that'll be our New Year gift.  

 

Hooray!!!

[Ricardo]

" in 2014 when his sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was toppled in a coup. "

 

I thought that former-PM Yingluck left office on 7th May 2014, a couple-of-weeks before the coup on 22nd May, but Reuters or their sources know better ?

 

Perhaps they might check their facts more often, as a respected news-organisation ? 

Edited December 16, 2016 by Ricardo

[FrankThai]

The army is doing a great job in a highly difficult situation.   Most Thais that I know support the stability that has been in place since the coup.

 

Democracy as practiced in Europe or the United States is not necessarily the best system in parts of Asia.  Different cultures may mean a different system. 

Edited December 16, 2016 by FrankThai

[mcfish]

Good work!

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, djjamie said:

No doubt they will get suspended sentences so they can continue to flout the law and complain about being targeted despite the fact that they knew they were breaking the law.

And the law is being enforced by a duly elected government I gotta. Like the blind leading the blind. 

[seajae]

While many of the red shirts are just uneducated  farmers  that were bribed/paid to do thaksins bidding  the leaders were well aware of what they were doing. They knew the law was being broken but were more interested in lining their own pockets with thaksins money ,  after all, what are a few deaths if they can get rich while inciting it. This has nothing to do with democracy as that has never existed here,  there hasnt been one govt  that has actually done the right thing for the people, its always been about themselves. The reds as well as the yellows need to be extinguished, they are simply thugs set up by the political powers to further their own causes, combined with  keeping thais uneducated by keeping the learning process totally pathetic they are succeeding. These red leaders called for conflict, caused many deaths & instigated millions in damage to Bangkok with their lies and innuendo all to get thaksin back into Thailand and get his money back, they never cared about the ones they were calling on to do it or those that were in the way. Jail time is well and truly deserved just as it would be for  anyone calling for the terrorist actions that were done entirely due to their instigating would be in any other country. This has nothing to do with who ever people support but with the way these people incited the destruction and deaths, denying the truth doesnt help either, all the facts are in black and white for everyone to see/read for themselves, the only ones trying to keep the truth about what happened out of this are those complaining about the charges

[metisdead]

An off topic trolling post has been removed.  This has nothing to do with the laws in Australia on marijuana usage.  

[djjamie]

4 hours ago, yellowboat said:

"violating a junta ban on political gatherings" .  A law imposed by a military government that usurped power from an elected government.    It is a law that is an abomination.  Farangs like you that believe in might makes right is extremely worrying.  Education is failing in the west.

I disagree with a lot of laws in Thailand, but I must respect them lest I suffer the consequences.

 

I refuse to make veiled statements calling you uneducated, but will say I respect your views on this forum and enjoy your input. 

 

I hope this does not break forum rules?