Thailand slips into Chaos - Bangkok becomes a War Zone

Crown Property is the largest shareholder of Dusit Thani Hotel, if not thr only shareholder.

Crown Property is the agency responsible for managing the wealth of the king of thailand...

The (much disputed to be fair) official Black Song Gran death toll from 1992 massacre was 42.. Fast approaching.

Bangkok death toll rises to 35, including soldier: official

BANGKOK (AFP) - The number of dead from three days of street battles in Bangkok has risen to 35, including the first military death, emergency services said on Monday.

"There were two more deaths last night including a soldier and a protester," said a member of the official emergency medical centre in Bangkok, where troops and anti-government "Red Shirt" protesters are locked in a tense confrontation.

The official said the number of wounded had risen to 244. Among the wounded were six foreigners, he said.

A 31-year-old air force member was shot while on patrol Sunday night in the flashpoint Silom district, on the edge of the Red Shirts' fortified encampment, the official said, adding that he died in hospital.

I'm not there,or from there. So correct me if im wrong. The president or whatever you call him over there. stole monies, is now out of the country,hired all kinds of thugs(red shirts or yellow)military thugs, police thugs, civilians, to do all kinds of dirty work. this is a small group, right? NOW, why is this person paying people to do this kind of things? does this person want back into the country again? why would this person be doing this, whats the motive?

reply to post by nite owl


Here's a pretty balanced primer:

english.aljazeera.net...

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


perhaps this video might help to explain, though it is in thai..check out the last part of his reaction when he accidentally spill out the 500 baht thingy..


at the end of the day, we all saddened by this event, but alotsa signs and indication is showing that they are being manipulated for and by 1 person.



[edit on 17-5-2010 by affeyee]

[edit on 17-5-2010 by affeyee]

So seekeroflies101, what do you think of this little video? Dare you condone it. Please explain what the oh-so-lovable reds are doing here.


[edit on 17/5/2010 by who-me?]

And here, another video showing the Reds. Watch it, please I hope this is enough evidence to show that the Reds are indeed armed.

www.ireport.com...

Bangkok Post
The shame of the UDD
Published: 18/05/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is facing a fair share of criticism both locally and internationally for his decision to contain the protesters at Ratchaprasong intersection by force. But the blame for the violence, the closure of schools, the end of normal life in Bangkok falls squarely on the shoulders of the leaders of the red shirts. The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) has failed its followers, and all Thais. The prime minister will be criticised in the future for his failure to lead and his decision to depend on the army when he did finally act. But the red shirts deserve to be condemned for suborning, encouraging and now supporting deadly violence without reason or justification.


Mr Abhisit at least had a plan. He offered to call a nationwide election on Nov 14, and to abide by the results. He also offered a reliable timetable to achieve the elections. More, the prime minister made it clear that if the UDD leadership had quibbles about his plan, or the road map to achieve it, he was open to discussion. He even offered amnesty for acts of political dissidence including breach of emergency regulations, pledging only that all parties would have to face the consequences for other criminal acts.

The red shirts then proceeded to make excuses. The likely reason is that the leadership suffered a split over the offer by PM Abhisit. Some UDD core members, in particular ex-MP and longtime politician Veera Musikhapong, were in favour of accepting the prime minister's road map. But the hardline faction of the UDD leaders apparently felt that victory was within their grasp. They proceeded to fabricate a string of weak excuses and self-serving, selfish demands to the government. The prime minister withdrew his election offer, and events deteriorated until going murderously out of control.

The main fallacy in the UDD's delaying tactics was that victory was close. No such victory was, or is, near. The closest the red shirts would, or could achieve is an outright seizure of power, something akin to a military coup but even worse. The UDD leaders have no legitimate claim to power. Even though the Puea Thai Party won the most seats in the last election, this is nothing more than an anachronistic fact. Many of the Puea Thai MPs have defected to other parties. In any case, most of the UDD leaders were not elected to anything, not even to the leadership of the red shirts.

Consider the UDD argument that the Abhisit government was unelected. First and foremost, it does not follow that such a government is illegitimate. More importantly at the moment, no other person has a stronger legal claim to the premiership; no other group has a stronger claim to form the government. The constant repetition of the lie that the government is illegitimate will never make it true.

The red shirts have manoeuvred themselves into a corner. One would wish that this was the only bad news. But dozens of dead and hundreds of wounded attest it is far worse. Schools are closed, businesses are shuttered, foreign embassies have actually evacuated families and some staff. The "war in Bangkok" is the top story in media around the world.

If the UDD leaders have a shred of honour, they will lift their protest and approach the prime minister to negotiate an election date. Thaksin Shinawatra, if he has dignity remaining, will urge the red shirts to return home and prepare to fight a national election. Mr Abhisit should be urging this course; but mainly, the red shirts themselves should realise their errors and end this tragic, violent game immediately.

BANGKOR WARFARE
Peace hopes fading
By Naya Jaikawang,
Thanitaya Tanapisutkul,
Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation
Published on May 19, 2010


Angry reds boo off leaders'attempts to talk peace; govt: Protesters must leave Rajprasong before any talks; Thaksin allegedly makes demands which govt saysit cannot accept
Angry red-shirt protesters booed off their leaders' attempts to enter an immediate peace process with the government yesterday, presenting another major stumbling block to attempts to end the bloody violence plaguing Bangkok.
Before the major twist in the evening, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was decried by the government as the main mastermind of the violence and the key obstacle to peace. The government also rejected calls for a mutual cease-fire, saying the red shirts must leave the Rajprasong intersection first before any peace talks can begin.

But a group of five senators, led by Senator Lertrat Ratanavanich, visited the Rajprasong stage early in the evening and managed to convince the leaders to agree to a unilateral cease-fire to immediately kick-start the peace process. When Lertrat announced the agreement to protesters, they greeted him with boos and threw articles.

Red leaders took turns to try to pacify the crowd, who still sounded very upset as they spoke. The leaders said dozens of times that their intention to "save lives" should not be interpreted as a "secret deal" with the government. "Even dogs can't do that [striking a secret deal with the government]," said Natthawut Saikua.

After spending two months portraying the Abhisit government as the worst tyrant, the leaders found out that the crowd had taken it all seriously, with emotions fuelled by the heavy casualties inflicted on the movement after four days of violence. Last night, therefore, was a make-or-break moment which would reveal if the leaders could still control the crowd or it has become an independent, unpredictable force of its own.

The defiant crowd presented another snag after Thaksin allegedly made demands that could not be met by the government. According to a government source, Thaksin, through his representatives, appeared uninterested in an early end to the red shirts' protests and riots as long as he did not get what he wanted.

"As long as Thaksin does not get what he wants, he won't let this end so easily," said the source. "His latest condition is that he wants not only amnesty in the different cases against him, but also have his passports returned. Those conditions cannot be met by the government."

Violence continued but with decreased intensity in Bangkok, with Bon Kai and Rajprarop remaining the most sensitive areas, where sporadic gunshots and explosions were still heard. The fatality toll since last Friday was 37, excluding Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdipol. Nearly 300 people are injured.

Thaksin's influence in the ongoing secret talks between the government and the red shirts was confirmed by another source from the opposition Pheu Thai Party.

The source, who is close to the ex-premier, said that certain Pheu Thai leaders and Thaksin's close relatives were also involved in the secret talks. In addition to other conditions, such as the date for a new election, Thaksin also made his personal demands.

"Up till now, there have been no positive responses to the demands. These include a return of part of assets from the asset-seizure case and a return of Thaksin's passports," said the Pheu Thai source.

The source also said that Thaksin has a "trump card" in hand that he would use if the talks fail.

"The real strategists [Thaksin's allies from the military] will play an underground game by staging sabotage acts in different areas throughout the city and other major provinces in order to pressure the government to accept Thaksin's conditions," the source said.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet yesterday declared the three remaining work days of the week as public holidays in Bangkok to facilitate the operations to restore peace in the city.

During yesterday's Cabinet meeting at the 11th Infantry Regiment, the head strategist of the operation, deputy Army chief of staff Lt-General Dawpong Rattanasuban, explained to the ministers about the military-led operation. He was assigned by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who heads the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation.

The general said Army snipers were responsible for some deaths during the mayhem but those killed were carrying weapons, a government source quoted him as saying. "When the bodies or the injured people were taken away [from the scene], the weapons lying beside them were left behind," he was quoted by the source as telling the Cabinet.

Dawpong also said that many of the deaths were caused by heavily armed men siding with the red shirts. "More than a hundred grenades were fired from M79 launchers," he said, adding that deaths of "innocent people" were often wrongly blamed on the military.

In a related development, Pheu Thai MPs plan to submit a petition to Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej this morning seeking impeachment of Suthep and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for ordering the military operations on the red shirts.

MP Surapong Towichakchaikul said the party resolved that all of its MPs sign the petition. Any MP who fails to take part would not be fielded in the next election as they would be suspected of possible defection.

Also yesterday, Thammasat University's law lecturer Parinya Thewanarumitkul released an open letter reminding the prime minister and red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan that they were fellow protesters 18 years ago when there were street demonstrations against a coup leader becoming prime minister. The protests led to a deadly military crackdown

Seems like big push has started this morning!

Troops, armored carriers advance near Bangkok protest

(Reuters) - Thai troops and armored vehicles massed in Bangkok's main business district on Wednesday and fired warning shots into the air ahead of a possible operation to evict anti-government protesters from their fortified encampment.

Troops called on protesters and civilians to leave their fortified encampment in central Bangkok and surrounding areas immediately.

"Please leave the site immediately. Officials are about to conduct an operation," the military said on a loudspeaker, according to a Channel 9 television reporter.

The military buildup comes a day after the collapse of a proposal for talks aimed at ending five days of chaotic street fighting that descended into urban warfare in which 39 people were killed and nearly 300 wounded

Soldiers sprayed a water cannon at a wall of tires at the entrance to the protest encampment after protesters doused them with fuel to prevent them from being ignited.

www.reuters.com...

Originally posted by nite owl
I'm not there,or from there. So correct me if im wrong. The president or whatever you call him over there. stole monies, is now out of the country,hired all kinds of thugs(red shirts or yellow)military thugs, police thugs, civilians, to do all kinds of dirty work. this is a small group, right? NOW, why is this person paying people to do this kind of things? does this person want back into the country again? why would this person be doing this, whats the motive?

Theres more to the story ive followed this for about a year now. What were dealing with is a civil war. Its just been low intensity until now. Recently there was a development which escalated the fighting.

up untill recently its been peaceful protest however now the movement has also tolerated a militant streak, personified by a renegade army major general -- Khattiya "Seh Daeng" Sawisdipol -- who flouted superiors and ordered his personal militia to protect protesters with force.

Khattiya died on May 17, days after taking a sniper's bullet to the temple in a killing the government disavows. His political martyrdom was one of the sparks igniting the street violence that's since engulfed Bangkok.

Khattiya's disciples' sense of invincibility was also fostered by the military itself, which for weeks allowed protesters to push the government around before responding with extreme force.

As far as the red shirts broadly speaking, the Red Shirts are a loose assemblage encompassing the disgruntled laboring classes, new-money Thais with an anti-establishment grudge and, as many in the Thai media allege, poor Thais paid about $13 a day to rally.

Bottom line the red shirts felt there government was stolen by the military.To some extent there right.However there former president was corupt and was untouchable there family has lots of money. This is the reason the military got involved in the first place. Both sides have valid arguments the problem is the time for discussion is ending rapidly, most of the moderates on both sides have quit. So its turning into an armed conflict it has nothing to do with capitalism more to do with corruption and power.

[edit on 5/18/10 by dragonridr]

I think they're self explanatory of how despicable the red protesters have become.

Bangkok is burning, ATM machines, 7-11's and shopping malls being looted. Cinema burnt to the ground one mall may collapse due to fires...etc etc

There is a curfew in Bangkok and other areas including the major holiday resort of Pattaya. Chang Mai in the far north of Thailand also has major disturbances.


Mind you the looting was part of the deal to get the masses to bangkok to protest!

What they did.

Originally posted by who-me?

What they did.

Okay...

My only question is: where the hell are the emergency services???

No fire brigade, no police, no nothing? Not even the military trying to keep people away for clear and present danger.

Strange indeed...

reply to post by Raud


The protesters were shooting at the rescue personel.

reply to post by SkurkNilsen


Aaaah, I see.

Pretty obvious really.