ยินดีต้อนรับ
พลเมืองที่รอบรู้เท่าทัน คือ พลังประชาธิปไตยที่แท้จริง
Well-informed citizens are the true democratic forces.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Did people like them deserve to be shot at?
Some faces of the redshirt protesters
Do they look like terrorists?
Do they have a potential to harm the country?
Do they carry guns or bombs?
Would they be capable of triggering a violent act against armed soldiers?
Ask yourself why Abhisit would want to get rid of these people trying to challenge his legitimacy as a PM?
Violent protesters?
Some more photos collected by Thais and the press:
http://thairedshirt.blogka.com/17266/hero55.html
Did Abhisit kill innocent Thais protesting against his premiership?
Check the following videos to see whether Abhisit killed the innocent protesters.
Attempts to hide dead bodies are also evident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Ph-Fn_IFs สามเหลี่ยมดินแดง ทหารยิงประชาชน
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdzSeK2zEgg มีตอนทหารลากเสื้อแดง ขึ้นรถด้วย
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo2nyUVeTIo ดูมัน มันบอกมันเป็นทหารของ
Here's a short description of the killing event submitted by a cyber warrior for democracy:
HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT ATTACK THE WEAPONLESS PROTESTERS BY FORCE WHO HAVE THEIR OWN FREEDOM TO EXPRESS A POLITICAL VIEW?
Apparently, a downtown battle field sparked yesterday as the puppet government used the military troop by way of declaring the state of emergency over the area of Bangkok Metropolitan and its vicinities to specifically dissolve by force the Red-shirt protesters. Red-shirt protesters politically demand the puppet prime minister and government-entangling privy councilor head to resign.
In pictures, the troop brutally shot the Red-shirt protesters, who defended their barracks for political rally, to dead and got severe injuries, while the latter retaliated with no weapons. Not only the ordinary citizen, but also a few monks and a three-year old child were also murdered by firing bullets. Most corpses were secretly hidden, taken away and destroyed by the troop to avert any physical evidence for their committing a massacre. Up to now, nearly one hundred people were registered dead and injured, being drastically and contradictorily contrast to the government report, as saying only two persons were dead.
Some pictures exhibited the Red-shirt women kneeled themselves down with flowers in front of the soldiers while begging for their lives. Some pictures delineated the soldiers' shameful actions drawing on by dragging and yanking the hair of an unarmed woman protester.
The government also made image-smearing stories, lies and deceptions by hiring people to wear the red shirts and ordered them to create chaos and destroy public properties during the evening time in order to generate widespread civil disobedience, as if the Red-shirt protesters had done by themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jMkorJtasU&feature=related
ในรถใช่ศพหรือเปล่า
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6K4eDC53u8&NR=1&ytsession=JmUeDeW2L5NkXQStuXtsNC8Rilf7wwe2qdrZAWejNbvj3MCKqLgaKOg8lHBvIsuIJHAbtITT35DmpdOT_HWDilktPID9rs9g3iTFjCgtlL3_bJiPYWB2bqdxrTHyC-GaaScf9a8Gq5hbokS2SL2gF__MwmUvxcWMvqOJEjChpuC2os_6QZtxDJXIgDb-S59KsetCsmrk7jWJGle84jIJAv2nDOHWxNpjGcQTr6AAlXEg3kc_BlRBFkLM-84BKlhV8Z0U6cKCLfvp_75g2k3-5th4dNNzUAcujM5JUEtUY5A
การ์ดไอ้มาร์คยิงเสื้อแดง
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqRr2rfPqdE ผู้รอดชีวิตเล่าเหตุการณ์
Here's an article translated by a member at prachathai from the original version in German about what he observed during the April crashes.
( Mark Teufel, Bangkok, 15.04.2009 correspondents different under co-operation) everywhere there were collisions between red shirts and the military, between yellow shirts with or without yellow shirts, which spend themselves as „indignant adjacent residents „and with sticks, swords, machetes and other notorious weapons of the PADs proceed. And also adjacent resident had surely mixed side into the groups, both on „the yellow one “and on „the red one “. And it is unclear whether humans, who wore red shirts also always to red shirts were. The situation was perfectly obscure. And that was probably left in such a way with intention.
We were in the middle in the turmoil and with own eyes observed, what happened. As in a war, the media only carefully and is late the truth to report. Therefore the description of the procedures is so important by international observers.
The two standards of the army
A trailer of the red shirts, which did not want to call its name, explained furiously: „As the people alliance for democracy (PAD) in the last year, did the army occupied the airports to nothing. Now, if the red shirts block roads, one shoots sharp. “In pictures of the BBC one could see that the soldiers did not shoot by any means only into air. In the Thai media this was concealed.
The night „of the adjacent residents“
We observed an example in the Petchaburi road, in which a mosque had been damaged allegedly by bombs by the red ones, as was stated by „the adjacent residents “. The alleged adjacent residents were however the pure mobilization. They were armed and had straight as we in addition came a poor chap abused. They held us and a journalist DAILY telegraph to make pictures. They controlled traffic and stopped individual taxis, because most taxi drivers are the trailer of Thaksin. They acted like an armed citizen resistance, which amuses itself by power.
A Thai colleague became a witness, like a trailer of the yellow shirts a weapon fired (he was not safe whether purposefully against red shirts) and called: „No fear has the PADs “and „we to fight against the red ones “. In such a way attacked red ones are to have shot back on which the pure chaos broke out. A Thai reporter, who did not want to be called however, explained to our correspondent: „I know these faces. I often saw it on PAD demonstrations. There are definitely PAD people “.
All shots, which we noticed, came from the side „of the adjacent residents “, not from the opposing side of the red shirts. Humans with red shirts again burned a bus and threw stones and other articles. The red ones before place were in terms of figures „for the adjacent residents “underlaid, who then later named also from them „lazy Thai police “in such a way cooperated. The Thai police had control at no time. Since it was back held in the last year with its procedure against the yellow shirts by one „invisible hand “and thereupon even by courts one had attacked, they are no more order-keeping power.
One had the impression that armed elements of the PADs undertook aimed provocations again and again, in order to represent the red ones as violent, even acts committed, which were then attributed to the red shirts. In addition, the red shirts seemed to leave free run to their annoyance. Over months the restraint taken place had been put down in the course of the Ester , which on the beginning of the Buddhist New Year fell at the same time. However we could hardly observe that they began with acts of violence. They defend themselves, if they are attacked, exactly the same as it us the 41jährige red shirt leader Jakrapob Penkair in an interview had predicted.
At 6 o'clock the red ones at the government buildings had been encircled in the morning by military and police. They left an exit open to also make this possible and those, which wanted to go, - however at the risk to run later the trailer of the yellow shirts into the armed arms. It seemed only to be approx. 2000 to 3000 red shirts in the buildings, among them many women with their children from the whole country.
The leaders of the red shirts had blamed the rioters, who had attacked other humans without to have been attacked and burnt the buses, as gangsters, who would not have anything to do with the red shirts. One had never heard such expressions of the yellow shirts of the PADs. „We do not know , who dressed toward end of everything a red T-Shirt, in order to be able to run the riot, but we that we said to our trailers to only defend itself. “Veera Musikapong in a short statement said. To the question, why the red shirts would then have broken in into the congress hotel in Pattaya, it answered: „The security forces did not want to undertake anything against the murders of the blue shirts. They hurt one of our friends shot, another heavily, are partly blind and crippled 112 because of stone throws and Zwillenschüssen in critical state and will be. Therefore we did not have other choice to protect ourselves. The storm on the hotel was the answer to the underhanded assaults of the blue shirts, under which soldiers hid themselves to a large extent. “
The hidden dead ones
The statements of the army that they have only shot onetime with blank cartridges are disproved by pictures of the BBC. If one uses blank cartridge with a normal Flash suppressor, one must reload after each shot. The soldiers did not reload however. In addition and they shot purposeful.
A red shirt, which spent itself in relation to the nation as a policeman, showed its bulletproof waistcoat, in which a ball was, from which it stated, it originates from the weapons of the soldiers. In addition eye-witnesses reported of many shot wounds and also dead ones. Therefore consolidates itself the assumption that the army, as already in the past, which eliminated victims. In at least one case a reported witness, who was however not ready to call their names or to be photographed that soldiers 6 said, others 8 dead bodies on army vice loaded and to have removed. The UDD takes into account altogether over 20 dead ones on side of the red shirts. In those which were killed by blue shirts and yellow shirts, are included.
The tactical retreat
In the course of the night 14, the tensions continued to increase April. The military refused delegates of the parliament, who wanted to persuade the demonstrators for the task of the FE storage, the entrance. The army approached ever more the core of the demonstrators. Against 22:30 clock to explains Chatuporn Promphan to protect one the leader (UDD, red shirts) that it wants to place itself to the police, in order the life and the health of its trailers. Against 23:00 clock requests Veera Musikapong the demonstrators to go home and explained that the leaders would place themselves to the police. The force authors, who would have kidnapped and into fire would have been penalty or humans would have attacked, are not criminals and it red shirts were, also if they had carried red shirts. „Our demonstrators demonstrated peacefully. “Red shirts would have only defended themselves, if they were attacked.
At the same time we heard not to want not to give up from Khon Kaen, in the northeast of the country that a group about 100 talk there ski RTS a stage constructed, and . Similar reports, but still unconfirmed, arrive from other provincial towns.
Tuesday evening explained Jakrapob Penkair opposite Mark devil: „Some leaders of the UDD decided to place itself to the police in order to prevent further blood pouring and killings from red shirts to. I decided not to place me but I will continue to work straight now for the movement. I am on the way to a safe place. From there out I will continue to lead the movement. I call all supporters not to be discouraged because this was only round 1. “
RESULT
It would have probably never come to this escalation, if it had not given the murders of the blue shirts, which sat down most probably mostly from disguised safety forces together, to Pattaya and the shots to the army in Bangkok. And then the acts of violence of the Mobs, which calls itself “adjacent residents “. Upon the comparison with the events forces itself into the 1970er year , and right, nationalistic organizations, which at that time for example Navapol and talk Gaur were called, which carried dirty work out, which supplied the pretext, the democracy movement to switch off. This time there was the yellow shirts and the blue shirts, which supplied the pretext.
It was an error of many red shirts to deal with the provocations. Even if there were dead ones and many hurt ones, the movement has might itself not let to carry away to this kind of reaction. They probably did this in over-estimation of their support in the safety forces, which was not sufficient however obviously for obedience opposite the superiors.
The red shirts will playful have also abroad much reliability, since the procedure of their opponents was too skillful, and who locally did not experience the provocations, primarily the red shirts as violent demonstrators in memory one keeps. In particular also, because the English-language press, and in particular the T nation permit here things to write, which let stand an observer the hair to mountains to certain editors, which will not remain however for outstanding ones without impression. The UDD believes in a fast resurrection, but looks rather like calculated optimism. Their fight against the Phu Yais, the godfathers of Thailand, as Jakrapob Penkair sees it, is only again once for months if not years back-thrown.
The kind of the prosecution will become interesting. How we know, it gives to today still no judgement against the leaders of unrests in the last year, which had been caused by the yellow shirts.
http://www.schoenes-thailand.de/news/politik/was-geschah-wirklich-in-thailand.html
Attempts to hide dead bodies are also evident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Ph-Fn_IFs สามเหลี่ยมดินแดง ทหารยิงประชาชน
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdzSeK2zEgg มีตอนทหารลากเสื้อแดง ขึ้นรถด้วย
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo2nyUVeTIo ดูมัน มันบอกมันเป็นทหารของ
Here's a short description of the killing event submitted by a cyber warrior for democracy:
HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT ATTACK THE WEAPONLESS PROTESTERS BY FORCE WHO HAVE THEIR OWN FREEDOM TO EXPRESS A POLITICAL VIEW?
Apparently, a downtown battle field sparked yesterday as the puppet government used the military troop by way of declaring the state of emergency over the area of Bangkok Metropolitan and its vicinities to specifically dissolve by force the Red-shirt protesters. Red-shirt protesters politically demand the puppet prime minister and government-entangling privy councilor head to resign.
In pictures, the troop brutally shot the Red-shirt protesters, who defended their barracks for political rally, to dead and got severe injuries, while the latter retaliated with no weapons. Not only the ordinary citizen, but also a few monks and a three-year old child were also murdered by firing bullets. Most corpses were secretly hidden, taken away and destroyed by the troop to avert any physical evidence for their committing a massacre. Up to now, nearly one hundred people were registered dead and injured, being drastically and contradictorily contrast to the government report, as saying only two persons were dead.
Some pictures exhibited the Red-shirt women kneeled themselves down with flowers in front of the soldiers while begging for their lives. Some pictures delineated the soldiers' shameful actions drawing on by dragging and yanking the hair of an unarmed woman protester.
The government also made image-smearing stories, lies and deceptions by hiring people to wear the red shirts and ordered them to create chaos and destroy public properties during the evening time in order to generate widespread civil disobedience, as if the Red-shirt protesters had done by themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jMkorJtasU&feature=related
ในรถใช่ศพหรือเปล่า
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6K4eDC53u8&NR=1&ytsession=JmUeDeW2L5NkXQStuXtsNC8Rilf7wwe2qdrZAWejNbvj3MCKqLgaKOg8lHBvIsuIJHAbtITT35DmpdOT_HWDilktPID9rs9g3iTFjCgtlL3_bJiPYWB2bqdxrTHyC-GaaScf9a8Gq5hbokS2SL2gF__MwmUvxcWMvqOJEjChpuC2os_6QZtxDJXIgDb-S59KsetCsmrk7jWJGle84jIJAv2nDOHWxNpjGcQTr6AAlXEg3kc_BlRBFkLM-84BKlhV8Z0U6cKCLfvp_75g2k3-5th4dNNzUAcujM5JUEtUY5A
การ์ดไอ้มาร์คยิงเสื้อแดง
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqRr2rfPqdE ผู้รอดชีวิตเล่าเหตุการณ์
Here's an article translated by a member at prachathai from the original version in German about what he observed during the April crashes.
( Mark Teufel, Bangkok, 15.04.2009 correspondents different under co-operation) everywhere there were collisions between red shirts and the military, between yellow shirts with or without yellow shirts, which spend themselves as „indignant adjacent residents „and with sticks, swords, machetes and other notorious weapons of the PADs proceed. And also adjacent resident had surely mixed side into the groups, both on „the yellow one “and on „the red one “. And it is unclear whether humans, who wore red shirts also always to red shirts were. The situation was perfectly obscure. And that was probably left in such a way with intention.
We were in the middle in the turmoil and with own eyes observed, what happened. As in a war, the media only carefully and is late the truth to report. Therefore the description of the procedures is so important by international observers.
The two standards of the army
A trailer of the red shirts, which did not want to call its name, explained furiously: „As the people alliance for democracy (PAD) in the last year, did the army occupied the airports to nothing. Now, if the red shirts block roads, one shoots sharp. “In pictures of the BBC one could see that the soldiers did not shoot by any means only into air. In the Thai media this was concealed.
The night „of the adjacent residents“
We observed an example in the Petchaburi road, in which a mosque had been damaged allegedly by bombs by the red ones, as was stated by „the adjacent residents “. The alleged adjacent residents were however the pure mobilization. They were armed and had straight as we in addition came a poor chap abused. They held us and a journalist DAILY telegraph to make pictures. They controlled traffic and stopped individual taxis, because most taxi drivers are the trailer of Thaksin. They acted like an armed citizen resistance, which amuses itself by power.
A Thai colleague became a witness, like a trailer of the yellow shirts a weapon fired (he was not safe whether purposefully against red shirts) and called: „No fear has the PADs “and „we to fight against the red ones “. In such a way attacked red ones are to have shot back on which the pure chaos broke out. A Thai reporter, who did not want to be called however, explained to our correspondent: „I know these faces. I often saw it on PAD demonstrations. There are definitely PAD people “.
All shots, which we noticed, came from the side „of the adjacent residents “, not from the opposing side of the red shirts. Humans with red shirts again burned a bus and threw stones and other articles. The red ones before place were in terms of figures „for the adjacent residents “underlaid, who then later named also from them „lazy Thai police “in such a way cooperated. The Thai police had control at no time. Since it was back held in the last year with its procedure against the yellow shirts by one „invisible hand “and thereupon even by courts one had attacked, they are no more order-keeping power.
One had the impression that armed elements of the PADs undertook aimed provocations again and again, in order to represent the red ones as violent, even acts committed, which were then attributed to the red shirts. In addition, the red shirts seemed to leave free run to their annoyance. Over months the restraint taken place had been put down in the course of the Ester , which on the beginning of the Buddhist New Year fell at the same time. However we could hardly observe that they began with acts of violence. They defend themselves, if they are attacked, exactly the same as it us the 41jährige red shirt leader Jakrapob Penkair in an interview had predicted.
At 6 o'clock the red ones at the government buildings had been encircled in the morning by military and police. They left an exit open to also make this possible and those, which wanted to go, - however at the risk to run later the trailer of the yellow shirts into the armed arms. It seemed only to be approx. 2000 to 3000 red shirts in the buildings, among them many women with their children from the whole country.
The leaders of the red shirts had blamed the rioters, who had attacked other humans without to have been attacked and burnt the buses, as gangsters, who would not have anything to do with the red shirts. One had never heard such expressions of the yellow shirts of the PADs. „We do not know , who dressed toward end of everything a red T-Shirt, in order to be able to run the riot, but we that we said to our trailers to only defend itself. “Veera Musikapong in a short statement said. To the question, why the red shirts would then have broken in into the congress hotel in Pattaya, it answered: „The security forces did not want to undertake anything against the murders of the blue shirts. They hurt one of our friends shot, another heavily, are partly blind and crippled 112 because of stone throws and Zwillenschüssen in critical state and will be. Therefore we did not have other choice to protect ourselves. The storm on the hotel was the answer to the underhanded assaults of the blue shirts, under which soldiers hid themselves to a large extent. “
The hidden dead ones
The statements of the army that they have only shot onetime with blank cartridges are disproved by pictures of the BBC. If one uses blank cartridge with a normal Flash suppressor, one must reload after each shot. The soldiers did not reload however. In addition and they shot purposeful.
A red shirt, which spent itself in relation to the nation as a policeman, showed its bulletproof waistcoat, in which a ball was, from which it stated, it originates from the weapons of the soldiers. In addition eye-witnesses reported of many shot wounds and also dead ones. Therefore consolidates itself the assumption that the army, as already in the past, which eliminated victims. In at least one case a reported witness, who was however not ready to call their names or to be photographed that soldiers 6 said, others 8 dead bodies on army vice loaded and to have removed. The UDD takes into account altogether over 20 dead ones on side of the red shirts. In those which were killed by blue shirts and yellow shirts, are included.
The tactical retreat
In the course of the night 14, the tensions continued to increase April. The military refused delegates of the parliament, who wanted to persuade the demonstrators for the task of the FE storage, the entrance. The army approached ever more the core of the demonstrators. Against 22:30 clock to explains Chatuporn Promphan to protect one the leader (UDD, red shirts) that it wants to place itself to the police, in order the life and the health of its trailers. Against 23:00 clock requests Veera Musikapong the demonstrators to go home and explained that the leaders would place themselves to the police. The force authors, who would have kidnapped and into fire would have been penalty or humans would have attacked, are not criminals and it red shirts were, also if they had carried red shirts. „Our demonstrators demonstrated peacefully. “Red shirts would have only defended themselves, if they were attacked.
At the same time we heard not to want not to give up from Khon Kaen, in the northeast of the country that a group about 100 talk there ski RTS a stage constructed, and . Similar reports, but still unconfirmed, arrive from other provincial towns.
Tuesday evening explained Jakrapob Penkair opposite Mark devil: „Some leaders of the UDD decided to place itself to the police in order to prevent further blood pouring and killings from red shirts to. I decided not to place me but I will continue to work straight now for the movement. I am on the way to a safe place. From there out I will continue to lead the movement. I call all supporters not to be discouraged because this was only round 1. “
RESULT
It would have probably never come to this escalation, if it had not given the murders of the blue shirts, which sat down most probably mostly from disguised safety forces together, to Pattaya and the shots to the army in Bangkok. And then the acts of violence of the Mobs, which calls itself “adjacent residents “. Upon the comparison with the events forces itself into the 1970er year , and right, nationalistic organizations, which at that time for example Navapol and talk Gaur were called, which carried dirty work out, which supplied the pretext, the democracy movement to switch off. This time there was the yellow shirts and the blue shirts, which supplied the pretext.
It was an error of many red shirts to deal with the provocations. Even if there were dead ones and many hurt ones, the movement has might itself not let to carry away to this kind of reaction. They probably did this in over-estimation of their support in the safety forces, which was not sufficient however obviously for obedience opposite the superiors.
The red shirts will playful have also abroad much reliability, since the procedure of their opponents was too skillful, and who locally did not experience the provocations, primarily the red shirts as violent demonstrators in memory one keeps. In particular also, because the English-language press, and in particular the T nation permit here things to write, which let stand an observer the hair to mountains to certain editors, which will not remain however for outstanding ones without impression. The UDD believes in a fast resurrection, but looks rather like calculated optimism. Their fight against the Phu Yais, the godfathers of Thailand, as Jakrapob Penkair sees it, is only again once for months if not years back-thrown.
The kind of the prosecution will become interesting. How we know, it gives to today still no judgement against the leaders of unrests in the last year, which had been caused by the yellow shirts.
http://www.schoenes-thailand.de/news/politik/was-geschah-wirklich-in-thailand.html
A snap shot of the Thai political development in recent years
Aljazeera, on April 14, 2009, presented an interview of experts on Thai politics.
It would also be helpful to read an article from Straits Times
Thais on the brink, again – Michael J. Montesano
APRIL 13 – Media coverage of last Saturday’s disruption of the Asean summit in Pattaya focused on two dimensions of the shocking event.
On the one hand, the press noted that the abrupt termination of the meeting represented a setback not just for Asean but also for the region. Plans to deepen regional cooperation were scuttled, at least for now.
On the other hand, the press asked how long the government of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva can survive last Saturday’s debacle. In the past three years, waves of street protests, such as those mounted by red-shirted supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in recent weeks, have helped wash away several Thai premiers. It thus makes sense to wonder whether Abhisit will be next.
But Thailand has entered a period far more momentous than either of these two dimensions of the media coverage suggests. A range of evidence indicates that the country is on the brink of a revolutionary situation. In this context, the fate of the Abhisit government represents a minor consideration.
First, observers of Thai politics have long suspected the involvement of Privy Council president General Prem Tinasulanon in the September 2006 coup that drove Thaksin from power.
But the latter’s decision in his March 27 phone-in to a red-shirt rally in Bangkok to cite Gen Prem by name as an instigator of the 2006 putsch broke new ground.
Thaksin’s supporters have since followed up by calling for the resignation of Gen Prem and two other members of the Thai monarch’s Privy Council.
The directness of this attack on royal councillors has little or no precedent in recent Thai history. It is tantamount to a challenge of the “network monarchy” through which Thailand’s current sovereign has played such an active role in the government of his country over the past three or four decades.
World history shows attacks against courtiers serve, more often than not, as mere cover for attacks on the royal institutions themselves.
Second, after months of such quiet that many in Thailand had thought that the red-shirt movement had run its course, the events of the past two weeks have revealed an effective and sophisticated organisation.
That organisation now has the initiative, not only in the capital Bangkok but apparently across much of provincial Thailand.
Press coverage of last weekend’s demonstrations has left unexplored the bases of this organisation and its network of local cells. It has failed to follow up on red-shirt claims to have blocked roads, surrounded provincial halls and mounted protests across northern and north-eastern Thailand.
The current upheaval seems to extend far, far beyond the tourist town of Pattaya and a couple of neighbourhoods of the Thai capital.
Third, Thai military forces made no meaningful effort to defend the Pattaya venue of the Asean summit. Did the army’s chain of command fail on Saturday? Was the Thai military too divided to act? Was its leadership willing cynically to incur the national humiliation of a disrupted summit in order to have a pretext to move violently against the red shirts?
The answers are not clear. But none of these possibilities offers reassurance, especially when there are indications that the Thai police feel they were so ill-used by the yellow-shirted members of the anti-Thaksin People’s Alliance for Democracy late last year that many among their ranks now sympathise with the red shirts.
Finally, neither an election nor a mediated process of reconciliation is likely to resolve Thailand’s present revolutionary situation. A free election will return Thaksinites to power, thus provoking his enemies all over again; an unfree election will only stir the red shirts into more intense opposition to the prevailing order.
Prospects for reconciliation in the interests of the national good are also slim. The figure to whom all Thais look for national reconciliation – the respected King Bhumibol Adulyadej – seems too ill to step in.
The success of Thaksin and his partisans in seizing the political initiative and openly challenging the “network monarchy” must not blind us to his own tawdry record. It must not lead us to overlook the fact that principle, rather than mere attachment to privilege or power, motivates at least some of his opponents.
One cannot know what the outcome of the ongoing back-room deliberations of those opponents will be. The Thai military may yet use violence against the red shirts. This may require it to mount crackdowns not only in Bangkok but also across much of provincial Thailand.
At best, such an effort will bring temporary quiet. At worst, it may exacerbate divisions among Thailand’s soldiers and policemen, leading to Thais spilling the blood of fellow Thais.
But revolutions need not be violent. The revolutionary situation on the brink of which the country now seems to stand can lead to a new Thailand, one in which there is room for all Thais to participate constructively.
It may well be a Thailand in which the monarch, post-King Bhumibol, and the military play less central roles than those to which Thais have grown accustomed over the past half-century.
In many ways, the real significance of Saturday’s debacle at Pattaya may lie in its prompting Asian leaders, along with the rest of us, to anticipate the process of revolutionary change on which Thailand now seems to have embarked. – The Straits Times
Credit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/23120-thais-on-the-brink-again--michael-j-montesano
It would also be helpful to read an article from Straits Times
Thais on the brink, again – Michael J. Montesano
APRIL 13 – Media coverage of last Saturday’s disruption of the Asean summit in Pattaya focused on two dimensions of the shocking event.
On the one hand, the press noted that the abrupt termination of the meeting represented a setback not just for Asean but also for the region. Plans to deepen regional cooperation were scuttled, at least for now.
On the other hand, the press asked how long the government of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva can survive last Saturday’s debacle. In the past three years, waves of street protests, such as those mounted by red-shirted supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in recent weeks, have helped wash away several Thai premiers. It thus makes sense to wonder whether Abhisit will be next.
But Thailand has entered a period far more momentous than either of these two dimensions of the media coverage suggests. A range of evidence indicates that the country is on the brink of a revolutionary situation. In this context, the fate of the Abhisit government represents a minor consideration.
First, observers of Thai politics have long suspected the involvement of Privy Council president General Prem Tinasulanon in the September 2006 coup that drove Thaksin from power.
But the latter’s decision in his March 27 phone-in to a red-shirt rally in Bangkok to cite Gen Prem by name as an instigator of the 2006 putsch broke new ground.
Thaksin’s supporters have since followed up by calling for the resignation of Gen Prem and two other members of the Thai monarch’s Privy Council.
The directness of this attack on royal councillors has little or no precedent in recent Thai history. It is tantamount to a challenge of the “network monarchy” through which Thailand’s current sovereign has played such an active role in the government of his country over the past three or four decades.
World history shows attacks against courtiers serve, more often than not, as mere cover for attacks on the royal institutions themselves.
Second, after months of such quiet that many in Thailand had thought that the red-shirt movement had run its course, the events of the past two weeks have revealed an effective and sophisticated organisation.
That organisation now has the initiative, not only in the capital Bangkok but apparently across much of provincial Thailand.
Press coverage of last weekend’s demonstrations has left unexplored the bases of this organisation and its network of local cells. It has failed to follow up on red-shirt claims to have blocked roads, surrounded provincial halls and mounted protests across northern and north-eastern Thailand.
The current upheaval seems to extend far, far beyond the tourist town of Pattaya and a couple of neighbourhoods of the Thai capital.
Third, Thai military forces made no meaningful effort to defend the Pattaya venue of the Asean summit. Did the army’s chain of command fail on Saturday? Was the Thai military too divided to act? Was its leadership willing cynically to incur the national humiliation of a disrupted summit in order to have a pretext to move violently against the red shirts?
The answers are not clear. But none of these possibilities offers reassurance, especially when there are indications that the Thai police feel they were so ill-used by the yellow-shirted members of the anti-Thaksin People’s Alliance for Democracy late last year that many among their ranks now sympathise with the red shirts.
Finally, neither an election nor a mediated process of reconciliation is likely to resolve Thailand’s present revolutionary situation. A free election will return Thaksinites to power, thus provoking his enemies all over again; an unfree election will only stir the red shirts into more intense opposition to the prevailing order.
Prospects for reconciliation in the interests of the national good are also slim. The figure to whom all Thais look for national reconciliation – the respected King Bhumibol Adulyadej – seems too ill to step in.
The success of Thaksin and his partisans in seizing the political initiative and openly challenging the “network monarchy” must not blind us to his own tawdry record. It must not lead us to overlook the fact that principle, rather than mere attachment to privilege or power, motivates at least some of his opponents.
One cannot know what the outcome of the ongoing back-room deliberations of those opponents will be. The Thai military may yet use violence against the red shirts. This may require it to mount crackdowns not only in Bangkok but also across much of provincial Thailand.
At best, such an effort will bring temporary quiet. At worst, it may exacerbate divisions among Thailand’s soldiers and policemen, leading to Thais spilling the blood of fellow Thais.
But revolutions need not be violent. The revolutionary situation on the brink of which the country now seems to stand can lead to a new Thailand, one in which there is room for all Thais to participate constructively.
It may well be a Thailand in which the monarch, post-King Bhumibol, and the military play less central roles than those to which Thais have grown accustomed over the past half-century.
In many ways, the real significance of Saturday’s debacle at Pattaya may lie in its prompting Asian leaders, along with the rest of us, to anticipate the process of revolutionary change on which Thailand now seems to have embarked. – The Straits Times
Credit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/23120-thais-on-the-brink-again--michael-j-montesano
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