It's Time to Draw the Line

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I have pasted this Editorial from the Bangkok Post in full. It is quite good .... and I think correct!!

 

EDITORIAL It's time to draw the line

 

Published: 13/04/2009

 

With the events of the past few days and the fear of more violence to come, the red shirts can stop calling themselves protesters for democracy. They have given this noble ideal a bad name and ordinary citizens in this country who have been held hostage by their senseless rampage are feeling sick at heart. No matter the aim with which they launched their campaign, the red shirts have painted themselves as outlaws. There seems no option now but for the government to stick to its word and deal with them under the law in the strictest possible terms.

 

Democracy is not about closing off streets and tormenting ordinary citizens to advance someone's agenda. It is not about making impossible demands and then raiding public or private properties at will when those demands cannot be met. It is not about disrupting an important international conference and intimidating foreign leaders, dignitaries and delegates who are here as honoured guests. And it is not about setting a bounty on the head of the country's prime minister and letting loose followers to hunt him down.

 

As if choking Bangkok by closing off all roads leading to the Victory Monument on Thursday and smashing their way through police cordons to terrorise those attending the Asean summit meetings in Pattaya, forcing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to cancel the entire occasion were not enough, the red shirts pushed the patience of the authorities to breaking point by besieging the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek road where they suspected one of their leaders, Arisaman Pongruangrong, was being held. They also swarmed around police headquarters and threatened to over-run it if Mr Arisaman was not granted bail. So much for their high-minded talk about democracy!

 

For the rioters and their inflamed emotions, democracy is obviously intended to mean they have the right to have it all their way once they can amass enough people to create a viable threat to law and order. All of this and the fact that deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra still felt it necessary after the weekend's fiasco to phone in to encourage even more people to take to the streets means there is no option but for armoured personnel carriers and heavily armed troops on the streets of the capital.

 

Fortunately, the majority know that their definition of democracy is simply mob rule, for such barbaric behaviour cannot be tolerated in a democracy, which, in case the red shirts have not noticed, has been the country's basic governing system for 77 years.

 

Having damaged their own cause and the country's image by their actions in Pattaya, there was no excuse for the red shirts to then block the streets around the Interior Ministry in the hope of seizing Mr Abhisit and other members of his government. This behaviour was bush justice vigilantism of the worst kind. The kidnapping of PMs secretary general Niphon Prompan - who was reported to be injured under the attack as well - and his aide is beyond condemnation. They have gone from being self-described peaceful protesters - perfectly acceptable under the law - to urban guerrillas, and a threat to public order and national security, and they have broken many laws in the process.

 

The government, the police force and the army have been accused of being too lenient on the red shirts, standing idly by as they went on their rampage to ruin the Asean summit. Questions of competency aside, the security forces may have the excuse of being willing to lose face rather than risk a clash and casualties. But someone should have known where to draw the line in the face of such public disorder.

 

With the red shirts running amok with their self-serving agenda, there can be no more excuses. That's why the government said "enough", declared a state of emergency and a strong military presence appeared on the capital's streets - although there were signs late last night that they were drifting away. We can only wait with trepidation about what will happen today.

[Gaybutton]

We can only wait with trepidation about what will happen today.

And here's what has been happening so far today, as published by THE NATION. There will be further updates later:

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April 13, 2009, the Black Songkran

 

Thailand Faces Another Black Day in Politics

 

Tension remains very high in Bangkok, with retreating protesters putting up resistance near the Din Daeng flat and holding the community hostage by threatening to blow up a gas truck. Following is our live report:

 

3.30 pm: Supreme Commander Songkitti Jakkrabat, head of the committee enforcing the state of emergency, goes on TV to reiterate that the operation to retake key traffic areas has been carried out with all democratic principles respected.

 

"We base our operation on the principles that everyone is Thai who has right to gather in peace without infringing on rights of others. We will never hurt Thai citizens but we reserve the rights to self-defence," he told a TV address.

 

According to Songkitti, people coming back from Songkran retreat could face inconvenience as road blocks and searches will be required to make sure no weapons are sneaked into the city. He suggested travellers come back earlier or later in order to spread out traffic.

 

3 pm: Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd says that despite sporadic incidents. the operation to retake control of the Victory Monument and nearby areas has been "satisfactory". He denies claims that some protesters had been killed. There had been no death, he insisted.

 

He also says footage of soldiers aiming and firing at protesters could have misled the public, because the soldiers were only firing blank bullets.

 

3.10 pm: Scattered protesters in the Sri Ayutthaya intersection are said to have fled toward the Urupong area.

 

2.45 pm: Tension is very high between flat residents and the protesters. One TV reporter reports seeing protesters beating and chasing some residents.

 

2.30 pm: Din Daeng flat residents and some officers try unsuccessfully to negotiate with red-shirted protesters who parked a gas truck near the flat the community. Gas valve has been secured and the authorities shower water on the truck. Although the protesters claimed the use of the gas truck was only meant as a blockade, there was increasingly fear among the residents about an explosion.

 

1.30pm: Thick smoke is spotted at the Victory Monument. Red-shirted protesters reportedly set tires on fire just opposite the Rajvithi Hospital and some protesters also drove a car over a fiberglass police statue near the monument. Police also ask people to get out of the pedestrian bridges around the monument but the Skytrain station was not closed yet.

 

1pm : it was reported that soldiers manged to take hold of all corners of the Din Daeng triangle and the red-shirted protesters backed towards Rajaparop Road. Twenty people were reported to be injured from the clash there.

 

12.15pm : an explosive sound is heard followed by smokes from a public park near the Victory Monument, where there are only the red-shirted protesterd.

 

While soliders continue to push the protesters out of Din Daeng area towards the Victory Monument direction, the demonstrators set on fire a bus that was parked in the middle of the road.

 

12.10pm : soldiers continue to clash with the red-shirted protesters at the entrance to the Din Daeng elevated road. As the latest, the protesters reportedly tried to drive a bus into the soldiers but the officers counter that with gunshots thus the bus crash into the bridge railing. There was no report yet if anyone was killed.

 

12.30pm : PM's deputy secretary-general Panitan Wattanayagorn, on TV, ensures foreigners' safety and that the government is gaining control of the situation.

 

Red Shirt's D Station black out.

 

12.10pm: Pheu Thai MPs threaten to mobilise more people to join protesters if the government does not stop using weapons, open an urgent joint-meeting among MPs and the Senate.

 

12.03pm : The gas truck is removed from King Power.

 

12pm : Protesters burn a bus at Din Daeng Triangle. Gun shots were heard.

 

11.45am : Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva addresses live on TV, denying death report in the morning. He added that 23 soldiers and 47 protesters were injured. Four soldiers suffered bullet wounds.

 

He calls on people to cooperate by filing information. He also tells people to be confident that the government is trying to restore order as soon as possible.

 

11.20am : The director of Rajavithi Hospital insists Monday that no protester was killed during the crackdown at the Din Daeng Intersection early Monday.

 

10am : Protesters park an LPG gas truck at King Power Shopping Mall.

 

9.50am : Protesters confront and throw molotov cocktails (bottle bombs) at soldiers around Din Daeng Intersection while (the protesters) retreating to Din Daeng flats.

 

9.30am : Weng Tojirakarn tells protesters to seize four buses and use them to block Orathai Bridge and Misakawan intersections.

 

8.45am : Police beef up force from 200 to 300 officers to secure Democrat Party headquarters on speculation that protesters would raid the place. Police later ask reporters and cameramen to move away from the area for fear that they would be injured in a possible clash with protesters.

 

8am : Protesters seize buses and use them to block Si Ayutthaya road. Some burn tyres at nearby intersections.

 

7.30am : Protesters at the Royal Plaza round up 15 journalists, saying they reported unfairly. The group attempt to attack, forcing journalists to leave.

 

7.20am : Deputy PM's Secretary-General Panitan Wattanayagorn tells a press conference Monday morning that some protesters were arrested, detained unharmed. Army Spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the protesters were detained at "proper place" without elaborating.

 

7.15am : Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva sets up a committee to direct the implementation according to Emergency Decree, authorising the Supreme Commander as the director to fix emergencies and prohibiting blockade of any roads in Bangkok and other effective areas.

 

6.40am : Protesters park 10-wheel gas truck on in-bound Vibhavadi-Rangsit road in Din Daeng Triangle area to prevent soldiers from coming in. Both directions of the road are closed.

 

Protesters drive truck fueled by NGV gas into the compound. The truck uses several NGV cylinders and the protesters shouted that the flat residents should leave immediately, prompting speculation that the protesters would explode the gas tanks

 

6.00am : Army spokesman says soldiers fired tear gas at Din Daeng Intersection only after protesters threw Molotov Cocktails at them and tried to hit them with a bus.

 

4.30am : Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan says another leader Arisman Pongruangrong had been bailed out.

 

4am : Anti-government protesters and military officers are injured as the government has employed a force to disperse the protest near Din Daeng Intersection in Bangkok. Gunshots were heard until 5.30am. Soldiers insisted they fired the shots to the air.

 

1.30am : Three bombs are shot to Constitutional Court. One exploded while two did not. Police said the bombs could be M79 type.

[Gaybutton]

Update:

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4.35pm : Army Spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd dismissed reports that soldiers who dispersed the red shrits in many areas used live bullets and have killed many protesters.

 

In a live broadcast, Sansern said the soldiers used blank bullets and fired into the air as warning shots.

 

"Reporters and camera men who accompanied the troops are our witnesses to prove that we used only blank bullets on the protesters. We also used practise bullets which created loud noise. The protesters distorted these, claiming that the soldiers fired live bullets and killed many protesters," he said.

 

He insisted that no one was killed during the crackdown.

 

4.20pm : Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn says the authorities manage to clear red shirted protesters from many areas on Monday afternoon, resulting in resuming of traffic near Victory Monument and nearby roads.

 

All roads from the Foreign Ministry to Phaya Thai intersection and to Victory Monument were now safe for motorists and people.

 

However the authorities have still tried to disperse the red shirts rallying near Yommarat express toll and Manangkasila Residence.

[Guest Oogleman]

The red shirts now say a monk was killed.

[Gaybutton]

Updates, from THE NATION:

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5.50 pm: Gunshots have been heard for around 10 minutes around the Army headquarters. Initial TV reports say it might be the result of a clash between red-shirted protesters and some people angry at their aggression. No injury is immediately reported.

 

5.45pm: Troops take control of the Royal Plaza area and there is no report of casualty. However,NBT reports that there are still a number of protesters left near the Education Ministry. The TV report says there is a sign of fire near the ministry and the officers now deploy force to investigate.

 

5.30pm : Audience in Khon Kaen and around 10 provinces in the upper Northeast are unable to watch news report on NBT channel as the red-shirted group demanded the station to cease broadcasting. After the rally in front of the station, the protesters are reportedly moving to block part of the Mitaparb Road and traffic has started to be congested.

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And this:

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Local Residents at Yommaraj, Nang Lerng Intersections Battle Red-Shirts

 

About 500 local residents near the Yommaraj Intersection gathered to confront the red-shirted protesters after they set fires on roads.

 

They clashed with the protesters after they protesters refused to put out the blazes they set to things used as barricades.

 

Meanwhile, vendors and local residents near the Nang Lerng Market gathered to form line to guard their properties and shouted at the red-shirted protesters.

 

They shooed away the protesters who threatened to slam their motorcycles at the local residents.

 

[Gaybutton]

Updates, from THE NATION:

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6.30pm: Narenthorn Emergency Centre's director Chatree Charoenchivakul in his interview with Thai PBS denies the rumour of death caused by the crackdown. "We are doctors and we have medical ethics. We'll certainly report the death if there is any." He says that the latest report shows 94 people injured of which 24 are in serious conditions. The injured people are both civilians and military officers and they are treated equally.

 

5.50 pm: Gunshots have been heard for around 10 minutes around the Army headquarters. Initial TV reports say it might be the result of a clash between red-shirted protesters and some people angry at their aggression. No injury is immediately reported.

 

5.45pm: Troops take control of the Royal Plaza area and there is no report of casualty. However,NBT reports that there are still a number of protesters left near the Education Ministry. The TV report says there is a sign of fire near the ministry and the officers now deploy force to investigate.

[Gaybutton]

Update, from THE NATION:

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8.40pm: Red-shirted protesters entered Nang Lerng Market Monday evening and pushed the vendors outside. PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtoey tells NBT channel that three are injured and one guy named Pom aged 54 years old dies at the hospital after being shot by redshirted protesters, according to eye-witnesses who phoned Satit.

[Guest jtrack33]

I was at Victory Monument this afternoon and quite clear with army doing an excrellent job. All the mess is cleared away but can see where the bus burnt out. They were heavily armed but friendly and encouraging me to walk around anywhere. Only one street going east off Victory Monument was blocked with razor wire and Humvees. No problem to walk around the area. BTS Skytrain running full route. But Silom was chaos!!! Water everywhere and wild, happy music. Some cars stuck in the middle of what is essentially now a walking street. It was very refreshing to see so many people having a good time just a couple of blocks away from the bus fire cum battering ram. Now as i type this Thaksin is live on CNN.

 

Victory Monument

Victory Monument

Victory Monument

Silom Songkhran celebration

Silom Songkhran celebration

Silom Songkhran celebration

 

[Gaybutton]

Update, from THE NATION:

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11.00pm: PM Abhisit Vejjajiva appears in a press conference on TV pool programme with key officials. He reports that the government has tried to do its best according to the procedure and most areas are under control except the main rally site near the Government House. He expresses his sadness on the Nang Lerng incident.

 

10.40pm: More details are revealed on Channel 3's "Kow Sam Miti" (Three-dimensional news) on the shooting at Nang Lerng Market and the second victim known as Yutthakarn is pronounced dead. According to eyewitnesses, the Nang Lerng residents negotiated with the red-shirted protesters to remove a bus as they fear for their safety. They successfully pushed the bus away from the area but shortly after that, a number of motorcycles roamed the street and there were gun firing at the residents. Apart from Pom Pholphanbua, 50, who died on the way to the hospital; Yutthakarn died at the Central Hospital later and another lady severely injured from the shot on her foot.

 

9.30 pm: Details of the Nang Lerng Market shooting remains sketchy. Apparently, the victim was shot during a confrontation between Nang Lerng residents and some red-shirted protesters who allegedly caused fears that they might set fire to the market.

 

Earlier, many vendors have helped troops confront protesters who were armed with a lot of molotov cocktails. The residents booed the protesters and cheered the troops, according to the Manager website. The website said up to 10 people may have been injured in the shooting. It said several protesters were armed with guns.

 

The website said the protesters claimed they were intimidated by the presence of hostile Nang Lerng residents.

[Guest fountainhall]

CNN has broadcast photos from one of their iReporters quite clearly showing red-shirts holding guns, with knives stuck in the back of their pants and brandishing molotov cocktails. I hope these are in all the Thai media tomorrow.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

From the Bangkok Post as of 10:25 am local time

 

Demonstrators will disperse: leader

 

Published: 14/04/2009 at 10:25 AM

 

Red-shirts core leader Veera Musikhapong announced an end to the current anti-government protest in Bangkok on Tuesday morning as hundreds of soldiers surrounded the Government House camp where the remaining demonstrators had gathered.

 

Mr Veera said the leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) agreed to end the rally because they were worried about the safety of the protesters.

 

"This does not mean that we loose," he told the protesters, some of whom appeared to be angry with the decision.

 

Weng Tojirakarn, another core leader, said the UDD would continue its opposition to the government through the international stage.

 

About 2,000 protesters remained at the only rally site in Bangkok, according to army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

 

The decision to disband was announced half an hour after Col Sansern said in a nationalised television broadcast that red-shirt protesters blocked traffic at 15 locations in Bangkok early on Tuesday, but soldiers and police were able to control the situation.

 

"The situation at all locations has eased," Col Sansern said, including Uruphong and Yommarat intersections and Victory Monument.

 

The protest was now confined to Government House where there about 2,000 protesters, he said.

 

He said there were two attacks on soldiers in Bangkok overnight. One soldier was seriously wounded.

 

Two men on a motorcycle opened fire at a military check point near Mahboonkrong shopping centre at 11.30pm on Monday, criticially wounding one soldier. He was being treated at an emergency unit at Police Hospital.

 

About 2.45am Tuesday a group of men in a pickup fired at soldiers at Thukchai intersection. There were no injuries.

 

Col Sansern attributed the attacks to "ill-intentioned people trying to create unrest in the country".

[Gaybutton]

In my opinion, as badly as Abhisit underestimated what the Red Shirts would do at the ASEAN summit, Thaksin just as badly botched his attempt to force his way back into Thailand as a triumphant dictator. Look at the result of all this. Now the tourist industry is virtually destroyed. Millions, perhaps billions of baht worth of damage has been done to buildings, property, vehicles, etc. People have been hurt and killed. People have been seriously frightened. The country has been divided into Yellow Shirt vs Red Shirt. Thaksin gets neither his money nor his power back.

 

The aftermath will probably result in hundreds of arrests as authorities are able to identify those responsible for damage, attacks, and other blatant lawlessness, unless they decide to go for a general amnesty. The value of the baht will probably take a serious hit. Thailand's reputation has been destroyed.

 

And for what?

 

I think the Thai government will also be very interested to find out which country not only gave safe haven to Thaksin, but also allowed him to make the broadcasts that incited all of this in the first place.

 

From what I gather based on the latest news reports, the Red Shirts have lost and the insanity is winding down. I would not be at all surprised if the Thai government now makes a serious effort to have Thaksin brought back, while the country is still under military control, not only to serve his prison sentence, but to face a whole slew of new charges. I have no idea how strong or capable Thailand's intelligence service is, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the aftermath of all this somehow results in Thaksin's disappearance or he even becomes the victim of some sort of an "accident."