Political un-rest and rally

[caller]

I like him.

Fascist!

[PeteC]

Business » Telecommunications
Riots spark frenzy on net pages

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tel ... -net-pages

* Published: 23/05/2010 at 12:57 AM
* Online news: Telecommunications

Social media have become the new frontline of Thailand's political scene with Facebook and Twitter activity exploding over recent weeks in Bangkok.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Facebook page has over 300,000 followers, while Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij's page has over 61,000. Many popular groups have emerged, such as ``STOP! Ruined [sic] Thailand'', which has over 22,000 members.

The political unrest has given rise to many other Facebook groups as people use the website to express their political views without fear of government censorship.

``Thailand Chaos Update'' (9,877 members) Thailand Chaos Update (9,877) posts updates about the current situation, missing people, danger zones and safety warnings for Bangkok residents.

``Watch Red Shirt'' (51,549) provides updates on the red shirt movement.

Many groups have also been created to counter a perceived pro-Thaksin bias in reporting by foreign news agencies. ``Real BBC_Bloody Bulls**t Corporation'' slams what the group calls the British broadcaster's ``biased, unethical and irresponsible approach to international journalism''.

Likewise, the group ``CNN Please Fire Dan Rivers'' targets what members regard as the biased reporting of the CNN journalist.

The ``I Support PM Abhisit'' (86,700) has had more posts than the prime minister's official page as people express support for him.

The ``Over one million Thai people miss CentralWorld'' page was created shortly after reports of the devastating arson attacks on the shopping centre and now has over 28,000 fans.

Meanwhile, Twitter has become the medium of choice of many for breaking news and analysis.

Traffic on the micro-blogging network reached a frenzy in the run-up to and immediately following the arson attacks throughout the capital.

Twitter users sent pictures and videos of everything from fires to protesters hit by sniper fire as well as live reports from the US embassy town hall meeting of American citizens in Bangkok.

Users of the service captured unforgettable images, perhaps none more so than those of a baby being held above a red shirt barricade sent by user @freakingcat.

Along with eyewitness accounts, came a sea of emotion as Twitter users expressed sorrow - and often outrage -at unfolding events.

The Thai ``Twittersphere'' has grown up. Gone are the days when it was primarily a conduit for the rumour mill.

Newspapers and TV channels have taken up the medium. At The Nation, both its former and current editors were tweeting breaking news, gossip and other stories, as well as polling Twitter followers for ideas.

The majority of reliable reports came from professional reporters in the field rather than citizen journalists.

Gossip or news from unreliable sources was routinely challenged for sources and clarification.

Twitter also had translators such as the Bangkok Post's Terry Fredrickson (@terryfrd), who provided English translations of what was being said on the red shirt stage as well as announcements from the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation.

The spectrum of views expressed on Twitter over the past week was wide, and included expatriates who expressed support for Thaksin as the democratically elected leader of Thailand and disdain for Mr Abhisit, as the head of a military-backed government. Views on the monarchy were expressed that are not fit for print.

Beyond Facebook and Twitter, Google Guru is quickly becoming another Pantip.com. Designed as a venue in which questions can be posed, Guru is quickly making a name for itself as a replacement for Pantip.com's Ratchadamnoen forum, which is now closed.

[cozza]

Caller said,

And is there there any value in posting anything from The Nation or Bangkok Post anymore?

So we are only supposed to read what YOU think is suitable and correct?

A bit hypocritical dont you think? Whos the FASCIST now?

[cozza]

Rising from the ashes - Voranai Vanijaka

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -the-ashes

[PeteC]

Yet another school. These people really know how to alienate everyone, both foreign and Thai don't they. Pete

(Photo) http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/20 ... 30004.html

School fire in Sakhon Nakhon
By THE NATION ON SUNDAY
Published on May 23, 2010


A school was set alight in Sakhon Nakhon and there was other property damage on the second night of the cur-few on Friday. Guards were posted in several neighbour-hoods near areas where there were clashes in Bangkok to watch out for arson attacks.

A two-storey wooden building at Ban Bodmadpoknoi School in Sakhon Nakhon's Panna Nikhom district burnt down at 3am, despite a curfew being imposed in the province.

Forensic police who went to the scene at 9am to col-lect evidence found cut pieces of a motorbike tyre.

In Samut Prakan's Muang district, police and a fire engine rushed to the Km 5 marker on Theparak Road at 12.30am where tyres were burning, but two suspects managed to flee on a Yamaha Fino motorbike.

Half an hour later police were alerted to the smash-ing of an ATM at Krung Thai Bank's Wat Nam Daeng branch by some youngsters.

In Chon Buri's Sattahip district, four teenage boys wearing red headbands were arrested at a checkpoint near Nong Takhien public park at 12.30am on suspicion of being part of a gang that lit giant firecrackers at Sattahip Market, which rudely awoke many residents in the area.

The suspects denied any involvement, but admitted they had made giant firecrackers to play with. When they saw the checkpoint, they tossed the fireworks into a nearby pond.

After taking a statement, police called their parents to pick them up and told them not to leave home between 9pm and 5am because a curfew would be imposed on Saturday night.

In the capital, the Soi Mor Leng community in Ratchathevi district set up lookouts for any troublemakers.

[STEVE G]

Pete, I think the bit about four teenage boys is the relevant bit about that article, these sort of events are just pure vandalism unconnected with any political movement, it's just people jumping on the band-wagon to cause trouble.

[PeteC]

Pete, I think the bit about four teenage boys is the relevant bit about that article, these sort of events are just pure vandalism unconnected with any political movement, it's just people jumping on the band-wagon to cause trouble.

I hope you're right Steve. I guess we'll see as time goes by and if they keep up. Pete

[Takiap]

Who here has supported the violence, thuggary and general moronic behaviour displayed - and thats just talking about the behaviour of the so-called security forces.

I must be completely out of touch with the news. If anyone has any links to coverage of troops looting ATM's and burning buildings down, can you please post them. Oh, and also any pictures of troops holding infants up as human shields.

The only thing the army/government did wrong, is they allowed all this crap to go on for too long.

These bums who are looting shops and ATM aren't doing it because they want a change of government, they doing because it's free money, and I would bet my life on it that the money will only be spent of cheap Thai whiskey and a little bit of food.

Oh, I forgot, if they had more money they wouldn't steal from the banks. Well, I could also do with some cash, but that doesn't give me the right to rob a bank. Where I come from, you go to prison for things like that. Burn down a building like Central World and you'd probably get sentenced to life in prison.

Now I know the will be many conspiracy theories going around, but thousands of photos taken do seem to .........

Finally, are the forces behind the UDD really interested in doing what's best for the masses. I don't think so. Instead, it's simply a power struggle to serve their own egos. Even when Mr T was in power, he may have done a few good things for this country, but anything really change for the poor. There were no modern hospitals built, kids didn't get better schooling, infra-structure didn't improve, and the list goes on and on.

I know with my wife's family, the standard of life and the way of life for them has remained much the same irrespective of who was in power. It seems politicians are the same the world over. Full of promises until they get elected, and then they do bugger all apart from feather their own nests.

Without having a dig at the UK, what did Mr Brown and his gang really do for the country? What did Tony really do before him, apart from lead Britain into a war. All I saying is they'll all in it for themselves, and unfortunately it's just a bit more open and obvious here in Thailand.

Running around destroying everything in sight in a country's capital is not going to solve anything, and if anyone has lost a lot of credibility, I think it's the reds. They have successfully managed to portray themselves as a bunch of uncivilized barbarians.

[buksida]

Finally, are the forces behind the UDD really interested in doing what's best for the masses. I don't think so. Instead, it's simply a power struggle to serve their own egos. Even when Mr T was in power, he may have done a few good things for this country, but anything really change for the poor. There were no modern hospitals built, kids didn't get better schooling, infra-structure didn't improve, and the list goes on and on.

Damn right.

What do those that call for Abhisits resignation actually want? Who is going to replace him? A Thaksin lackey? Chalerm? An extremist like Saikua who told the mob to burn the country (see video)? Or any other aging political dinosaur that is so out of touch with reality that they should have retired in the 70s?

Elections will solve nothing, especially if they're to be held yesterday, as the reds want. It takes months of planning and campaigning to have a fair election, there isn't even any cohesion within the existing parties. Of course they don't care about this because the reds have already been paid for their loyalty (read: votes) so nothing is going to alter the brainwashing.

We've all seen what they're capable of when they don't get their own way (both the leaders and supporters) - does Thailand really need these people running the country? Welcome to central Africa.

Edit: added video.

[sargeant]

Having been away from the web due to technical probs I have had to read 7/8 pages on this thread to catch up
Only one post stood out as requiring an answer quote

have noticed the Red supporters on this forum have been quiet...

I wonder if their views of support have changed in all that has unfolded, or is it much of the same excuses?

Cozza if this post Is you gloating or point scoring with the I wanna be in your gang crowd/mob let me inform you it only shows how foolish you are and how flawed your thought processes are
Days before the crackdown on 10th mar (When it was still a Karaoke festival) both me and my friend had already come to the firm decision that the WORST CASE SCENARIO would be the red shirts go home with nothing.
We both agreed guerrilla warfare was a virtual certainty if that happened (we did not predict even close, to how immediately it would happen though) but it seems a certain element had come to the same decision though.
We also predicted it would go country wide (anyone who thinks this movement is just in the north dream on they are everywhere) that includes all points south and the problems in the south would combine to mutual benefit i.e. spread the army nice and thin. (bulk standard guerrilla warfare tactics I am afraid)
We did not predict this from any political perspective but we did use history, but mostly we predicted it on a very simple premise if you have nothing, you are made to feel you are nothing, you know you are ignored or don’t exist you also have nothing to loose and having given so much (blood 3 x now) they cannot stop and go back to even less.
Pete’s great post spelt it out perfectly and accurately
QUOTE PETE

One item I want to add to this. Above I mentioned I get a lot of input from Thai people. Most of the Thais who live in my development I call middle class. That's probably my western perception as here they would probably be called upper middle class or lower upper class. They're military officers (some senior), large business owners, doctors etc.

When talking to them they not only don't have any understanding or concern of what the Red Shirts want in terms of equity in the country, they don't even like to acknowledge that they exist. None of them are active Yellow Shirts to my knowledge but they certainly talk like they are. It appears their upbringing was such that they simply ignore these people. They're also raising their children in the same way. Any argument from me about equality and fairness falls on deaf ears and sometimes actually gets an angry response.

I'm only dealing with about a dozen families but if their attitude is endemic to the general population at that class level and above, we ain't seen nothing yet folks. We may have war for a decade. Something has to give, somewhere. Pete

Cozza and the gang, If you had nothing your kids have no future or shitty beast of burden futures and you knew you and your kids were considered nothing or ignored you would be the first to rise up. So please stop being hypocrites talking about these people as if they are trash they are human beings with feelings and aspirations just like all of you and they just are not taking anymore crap. It makes you as bad as the arrogant ignorant elite to keep talking of them in that manner

You will hear Mr A talk of reconciliation BUT with WHO the yellow shirts, his own party, the Elite, the rich. A fat lot of good that’s gonna do
I can hear you shouting Phua Thai yes he could but they are seen as toothless useless and certainly not in charge of the masses of the red shirts let alone the more militant even the red shirt leaders found themselves NOT in charge, so those talks will end in very little if anything. I would expect them not to even start as I am sure Phua Thai will INSIST on the red shirt leader MPs being there at the very least.
Mr A and his boss have painted themselves into a very tight corner by arresting and holding the red shirt leadership (already seen as a double standard).
If Mr A tries to talk with the red shirt leaders he will be crucified by the puppet master, Chamlong, Sondhi and the yellow shirts.
Mr A cannot talk to Mr T because the above will apply in spades.
Mr A and his boss are probably relying on the Army Heellooo its split and if the watermelons turn? even deeper shit is down the pipe than I am predicting
There will be a month or two before the grenades, drive by shootings/assassinations and fire bombings start to ramp up as they have in the past only this time it will be everywhere not confined to BKK.
It’s the corrupt voter registration system that says the red shirts are in the north not the demographics and certainly not the reality on the ground
Trotting out the leaders of the UDD to say stop will by then be too late as they will be irrelevant to what is going down and why would they if they are facing long jail terms for LM and terrorism and the yellow shirts are still roaming free as birds.
It won’t even stop if he does get into substantive negotiations with the red shirt leaders.
It will only stop when those that are carrying out the crap are happy with any deal. Ask the IRA or Osama if you don’t believe me.

He could not have invented a more forlorn stupid situation to put himself and the country in if he tried.

Which makes me wonder because if two drunks could work it out???? (Well I will let you work out the rest)

A near neighbour who has been 3 days at the rally 2 days at home since it started asked Mrs Sarge and me if we would like to go with him to see the leaders, he knows them personally, I declined (I would have liked to question them) I won’t get involved I told him I am a farang this is Thai business for Thais to deal with.
I asked him to ask them why they didn’t accept the offer. He replied I don’t need to ask I was there, the CROWD voted NO the leaders had NO choice! That speaks volumes for the future to me. That sounds like democracy to me as well,
you know! the leaders do what the majority want. Funny old world innit but I think that’s what they are fighting for

So Cozza this country is now and for a good while to come going to be very volatile thanks to the last throws of the crumbling corrupt elite desperately hanging on to the trough and the swill to the last minute. So if you were gloating you are certainly precipitous.

It gives me no pleasure or satisfaction to post this I sincerely hope and pray my assessments and predictions never force me to say I told you.

I am hoping that Thai ways, Thai street smarts resolve it all amicably fairly and all can live together in harmony and TIT will mean something very different to the derogatory skew that farangs put on it.

[Super Joe]

We both agreed guerrilla warfare was a virtual certainty if that happened (we did not predict even close, to how immediately it would happen though) but it seems a certain element had come to the same decision though. We also predicted it would go country wide (anyone who thinks this movement is just in the north dream on they are everywhere) that includes all points south.
There will be a month or two before the grenades, drive by shootings/assassinations and fire bombings start to ramp up as they have in the past only this time it will be everywhere not confined to BKK.

Terrorists spread all over the country then, charming. Democracy in action

Kool and the gang, If you had nothing your kids have no future or shitty beast of burden futures and you knew you and your kids were considered nothing or ignored you would be the first to rise up.

Rise up to protest peacefully sure, but I doubt very much the HHAD gang would resort to burning their own children's schools down, burning to death 10 people in a shopping mall, and start a grilla worefair campaign.

He could not have invented a more forlorn stupid situation to put himself and the country in if he tried.

Yes, what he should have done was offer to dissolve the house and hold new elections in say 5-6 months time, in order to give ample time for the tensions to cool and the parties to do their campaigning .... Oh, hang on a minute, my wife just said he did exactly that, the red shirt leaders accepted it in principle, then their masters told them no, so they made ridiculous demands. They blew it for the people they were supposed to be representing.

I do agree with you on what you said the other week though

saying that what is happening in BKK has to be laid firmly at the feet of the UDD leadership they had won and then threw it away with stupidity and this bloodshed is totally down to them and could have been avoided.

SJ

[hhfarang]

Printed in The London Times:
May 21, 2010

A British Red Shirt who was shown on YouTube promising to burn down a Bangkok shopping centre has expressed regret for his words and insisted that he had nothing to do with the arson attack that destroyed the luxury mall four days later.

Jeff Savage, of Tonbridge in Kent, said that his outburst, which has caused outrage among Thai internet users, was sarcastic and came at a moment of frustration because of the imminent suppression of the Red Shirt demonstrators by the Thai Army.

“I hold my hands up — it was me, and I’m ashamed that I lost my temper,” he told The Times by telephone from his home in the Thai resort town of Pattaya. “I was tired and emotional and full of steroids. I said we’re going to burn down Central — I was being sarcastic.”

The 74-second video was removed from YouTube by the young American man who filmed Mr Savage, 48, on Saturday as he walked down a street occupied by the anti-Government Red Shirt protesters. It showed him dressed in the black clothes of the protest movement’s guards and brandishing a stick which he throws down in anger.

Amid much swearing he is heard to say: “We’re going to burn down Central World,” and threatening to loot gold and jewellery from the shopping centre. To Mr Savage’s embarrassment, Central World was burnt down by a mob on Wednesday, after Red Shirt leaders handed themselves in to Thai police and called off their protests.

He insisted that he had played no part in the mayhem, and that at the time he was watching — although not taking part in — another arson attack on a Thai television station. But he defended the destruction of property as a weapon in the “class war” which he believes the Red Shirts are fighting.

“I was not involved [in either arson attack], it was far too dangerous,” he said. “But from what I heard it was some of the guards which did it to Central. I heard rumours that it was planned and that stuff had been put inside — gas canisters and stuff. It didn’t just go off because someone put a lighter to it.”
An Australian man has stood up and given speeches at Red Shirt rallies but Mr Savage is the only Briton known to be an active member of the movement. He said: “I don’t mind if they knock on my door and throw me out of the country. But I would be disappointed to end up in a Thai jail”

And the London Evening Standard:

A British “anarchist” caught on video saying he was going to loot and burn down Asia's second biggest shopping mall told the Standard today: “I was not there when it burned down but if I was I would have helped the bastards.”

As the Central World in Bangkok lies in charred ruins, Thai police are searching for Jeff Savage, 48, an NHS worker from London, who they believe was goading on the Red Shirts against troops in Bangkok. They also want to interview him about looting.

Thailand's department of special investigation director-general Tharit Pengdit has warned looters and arsonists they may face the death penalty.

Wearing a black shirt and headband and carrying a bamboo pole, Savage was caught on tape during the Bangkok riots, saying: “We are going to smash the Central Plaza and steal everything out of it and burn the f****r down. Trust me. We are going to loot everything, gold watches, everything.”

Central World, with its million square metres of retail space, was originally called the World Trade Centre and built on land owned by the King of Thailand. Another 34 other buildings were torched.

Caught on youtube (warning: adult language)

[PeteC]

Breakingnews » Breakingnews
Bombs found near rally site

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... rally-site

* Published: 23/05/2010 at 12:15 PM
* Online news: Breakingnews

People found a bag of 25 home-made bombs and other explosive devices near the BTS elevated skytrain station on Ratchadamri road on Sunday, reports said.

Public members had to run for their lives after they found dozens of bombs inside a black plastic bag while they were helping authorities cleaning up the area where red-shirt protesters staged an anti-government rally for about two months.

The police's explosives unit had to take the explosives away from the area.

[sargeant]

SJ Wrote

Democracy in action

Just as much as coup de tats, rigged judges and yellow shirt thugs are democratic
Steve G quoted

This quote has been appearing quite a bit on discussion sites.
This is what the then leader of the opposition Abhisit Vejjajiva said about PM Somchai Wongsawat following the death of two PAD protesters in October 2008:

"Regarding the entire incident, the prime minister cannot reject being responsible for not performing his duties, or for intending that this incident would occur. But what is worse is to blame the officials, that is, to slander the people. I could not think or dream that we would have a state that does harm to the people, even including deaths and severe injuries, and still have a state that even shifts responsibility to the people. This behavior is unacceptable.

I have heard the government asking this or that person whether they were Thai or not. But regarding your [Somchai Wongsawat] behavior, are you a Thai or not? Are you human or not? Today, politically, your legitimacy is gone already. We demand that the prime minister shows responsibility.

There is no democratic political system in this world in which the people are harmed by the state, but the government that came from the people does not show responsibility. Even if the PAD had done something wrong, the government had no right to do harm to the people."

When asked how there could be such a big crisis, while the PM could still remain in office, Abhisit answered:

"I cannot answer this. I have never been such a person. The normal human beings that I know are not of this kind."

3 weeks plus of 100,000 plus (5/6 times as may yellow shirts) peaceful Karaoke protesters end result nothing

two words-------BLOODY HYPOCRITE he also cannot be trusted to keep his word

but I doubt very much the HHAD gang would resort to burning their own children's schools down, burning to death 10 people in a shopping mall, and start a grilla worefair campaign.

Why because you think you are superior dream on try the IRA and the PROTESTANTS

You can only sit there in your smug arrogance because people a long long time ago gave up their lives for you to have a nice cushy life I respect their sacrifice you obviously dont

Yes, what he should have done was offer to dissolve the house and hold new elections in say 5-6 months time,blah blah blah

Did Mr T Samak or somchai get 5 or 6 months did or did not Abhisit say what Steve G quoted did he do what he demanded of others no

and for a simple reason they would have got hammered in any election and they knew it

I wont quote your last bit of dribble i will say i stand by it based on what information was available to me at the time but to help you as you obviously went straight to brainwashed typing mode without reading all of my post

I asked him to ask them why they didn’t accept the offer. He replied I don’t need to ask I was there, the CROWD voted NO the leaders had NO choice! That speaks volumes for the future to me. That sounds like democracy to me as well,

Lastly bitching and moaning now when the bulk were calling for military intervention (which to even the most brain dead cretin knew would mean bloodshed and carnage) is hypocricy of the highest order you never heard me call for any volence of any sort from either side in fact i continually condemned it you wanted the military option you got it now every one will suffer the consequences of that stupidity

[kendo]

That farang dick head was also on a short footage on Sky news, i hope he gets kicked out of Thailand as well as that Aussie, or maybe they should get bitten by the big tigger.
My opinion is any farang that gets involved, and yes i know one, should be delt with saverly its Thai affairs not ours.

Kendo.