IrishBlog: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK - Thailand

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK - Thailand

Military in Thailand Finally admit Shooting.

Military in Thailand Finally admit Shooting.

The Thai miltary has admitted yesterday, that some of its soldiers fired live rounds at red shirt demonstrators but they are now saying, that it was only to provide cover, for injured soldiers who were retreating, a spokesperson for the Government's Centre for Public Administration in Emergency Situations is claiming.

Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd tried to maintain yestersday that they had no choice, after the Army attacked the protesters but to open fire at gunmen hiding among demonstrators, to protect their comrades from more atrocities. He claimed to have soldiers ready to testify to a committee purportedly investigating the atrocity, similar to the Widgery tribunal after Bloody Sunday in occupied Ireland. Widgery's report was later discredited internationally as a whitewash by the British Government and another inquiry which cost almost 300 million dollars set up under a failing peace process, still cannot be published 38 years later because of "security concerns".

The Thai Government, headed by a British born Eton educated, unelected Prime Minister, yesterday released the statement, as public anger grows over the use of violence by government forces during the April 10 atrocity on Black Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand. Video footage, including news coverage by foreign media outlets, show pictures of soldiers firing automatic gunfire, directly into the protesters.

Col Sansern maintained at a news conference yesterday soldiers fired only live rounds for two reasons. They fired into the air to intimidate demonstrators he said and to protect injured soldiers from the advancing crowd. He tried to maintain they fired only one bullet at a time and that they did not switch to automatic gunfire so as to avoid causing more casualties, he maintained.

The Government's spin doctors, showed reporters five video clips of Saturday's atrocity. Just one of the clips showed soldiers firing at demonstrators. In another clip, a red shirt demonstrator was shot in the head from behind, which according to the Government meant the man was not shot by a soldier.

Other clips show protesters saying they saw a civilian wearing a blue shirt firing an explosive from a rooftop, another protester asks, "Has Seh Daeng come to help us?" with footage of protesters attacking a vehicle apparently carrying the injured soldiers to hospital.

Col Sansern said judging from the five video clips he believed protest leaders were aware there was an armed group among the demonstrators. Khattiya, a rebel army specialist who supports the Reds said, "Ronin warriors" fired weapons at soldiers only after the military attacked and fired M16 rifles at demonstrators first.
He said he believed those firing M16 rifles were army snipers. They fired from the rooftops of buildings in the area. "Ronin warriors", were set up by the Red movement, after the 2006 coup, when they were trained by Seh Daeng.

Bangkok Emergency Medical Service's confirmed yesterday that there were two more deaths from the Black Saturday Atrocity increasing the number of deaths to 23. The latest victims are Pvt Anupol Hommalee, 29, and Napaton Paopanas. Pvt Anupol died of shrapnel wounds to his head, while Napaton died from a gunshot wound to his stomach. They also reported 195 injured civilians and soldiers who are still in hospital, 14 of whom are in a serious condition.

Links to Further Coverage and Analysis http://www.allvoices.com/users/BFClarkeNUJ

Thailand Class War a New Phase

Link to Thailand Report

People of No Property and Elite Middle Class in Siam

Since 1946, when King Bhumibol Adulyadej came to the throne in Thailand at 18-years of age, the country has had nine military coups and more than 20 prime ministers. Only two constitutions of seventeen since the abolition of absolute monarchy ended and the introduction of a British style monarchy in 1932, have allowed parliaments that are entirely elected. The king, who is revered by many across the nation and  protected from discussion by lese-majesty laws, has been in hospital since Sept. 19 without speaking publicly about  the demonstrations.

The current Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva who was born in England, in the city of Newcastle, attended Eton College and Oxford University. Abhisit earler went to Satit Chula, an elementary school linked to Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s oldest institution of higher learning. He moved back to England to attend Eton, founded by King Henry VI in 1440, and then Oxford. One of his friends is classmate, London Mayor Boris Johnson. He entered politics in 1992, a year after the military appointed his father to serve in the Cabinet following a coup.

Ordinary people say his elite British upbringing, makes him ill-suited to bridge glaring class differences, that forced him to declare a state of emergency for a second time yesterday and permit another silent coup by the army. Abhisit yesterday gave the military powers to scatter thousands of impoverished protesters, who after a month of rallies stormed Parliament, forcing politicians to flee by helicopter. Stocks fell the most in Thailand for almost six months today, with the SET Index down 3.5 percent at the close of trade in Bangkok.

Many of the red-shirted demonstrators are loyal to exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire who won over the poor with extremely cheap healthcare and low interest loans. The mostly poor demonstrators, people of no property, angered by  huge income differences, say Abhisit is the stooge of a privileged class of military officers, judges, bureaucrats and royal advisers that are above the law in Thailand.

“Abhisit’s Oxford British education is a liability,” says Suranand Vejjajiva, Abhisit’s cousin and a former spokesperson for Thaksin’s party. “He thinks that by implementing programs for the poor he can win them over, but he’s missing the point. They see him as the representative of the elite, and they’re angry about injustice.” Closing the people's TV station and websites underpin the double standards after anti-Thaksin rivals were allowed to seize Bangkok’s airports in 2008, said protest leader Weng Tojirakarn.

“We’re not afraid because what we’re doing is right,” he said, after Abhisit issued the emergency decree last night. “Even if they suppress us violently, they cannot stop what we believe.”

Sitting around a campfire in Chiang Rai province, Noonai Binsamun said Abhisit’s party draws up policies from the comfort of Bangkok’s air-conditioned rooms, rather than mingling up country with the poor to hear their grievances.

“We don’t need a higher education to tell right from wrong,” said Noonai, a 53-year-old rice farmer. “Abhisit can speak very well and has some good ideas, but he can’t change the double standards in society.”

In 2007, Abhisit’s Democrat party won just 6 of 176 seats in the north, home to 40 percent of Thailand’s 67 million people. Per capita income in those areas is about a third of that in Bangkok, where he won 75 percent of seats.The richest fifth of the population earn about 55 percent of the income while the poorest fifth get 4 percent. 

Abhisit, who moved from his Bangkok residence to an army barracks last month, with security concerns,  saying protesters have violated the constitution. The emergency decree bans gatherings of more than five people, allows detention without charge and gives all the military immunity from prosecution.

The military government today blocked access to websites of the opposition. The sites had been hosting live video and audio of speeches by leaders of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship.

Abhisit who has never won a national election, was picked by the remaining politicians, after a court dissolved the pro-Thaksin ruling party in December 2008,  for election fraud, coinciding with the seizure of Bangkok’s  international airports by protesters wearing yellow,  who support the middle-class elite, the military and Abhisit.

On the other hand Thaksin and his allies have won the past four elections. The former leader has organized protests from overseas, since fleeing a Thai jail sentence handed down in 2008 after the military coup. 

REDS SIAM

LINK TO REDS SIAM