Comments on: The crushing of the Red Shirts

By: Jatuporn claims Kasit gave orders to spy - TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum

Jatuporn claims Kasit gave orders to spy - TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:05:33 +0000

[...] On Monday April 13, my wife woke me up at 4 am in the morning, at the same time a friend rang me. It had begun, they said, in Din Daeng. I arrived at Samliem Din Daeng, the corner of DinDaeng Rd. and Ratchaprarop Rd., shortly before 5 am. It was dark, and in the close distance single shots were being fired, and there were brief bursts of automatic gunfire. There were ambulances, angry Red Shirt protesters, and a few Thai photo journalists. As I walked carefully towards the fighting, Red Shirts were running towards me, away from the sound of bursts of automatic rifles. They shouted that the Army was coming. I ran with them, my bullet proof vest, the heat and plain fear slowed me down. But it calmed down again. Agitated Red Shirts told me of people having been killed, and dragged by soldiers into lorries. I have no way of verifying this. This was obviously not a situation where I could cross the lines and make polite inquiries. I waited. Black smoke wafted from burning tires. Young Red Shirts prepared for the assault with petrol bombs in their hands. One of them tried to incinerate a few tires with a petrol bomb, but the fuel splashed over his legs, and he was briefly on fire until his friends could put it out. Source and photos: Here [...]

By: New Mandala turns 3

New Mandala turns 3 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:01:53 +0000

[...] action post – Crushing the Red Shirts by Nick [...]

By: Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:28:27 +0000

Sidh: Thanks. I had thought that you were referring to the March-April phone-ins. Any idea where the one for 25 January might be available? I googled a bit and couldn’t find it. Maybe it is blocked in Thailand?

The upcoming red shirt rally was, at one time, planned to begin on 24 June. That isn’t a coincidence.

By: Sidh S

Sidh S — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:20:51 +0000

Ralph #200
A quick google with “ทักษิณ ชินวัตร โฟนอิน เนลสัน แมนเดลล่า” gave 51,300 hits. It’s too much to go through but from the three news site:

http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1232889169

http://news.mcot.net/politic/inside.php?value=bmlkPTI1MDQzJm50eXBlPWNsaXA=

http://www.dailynews.co.th/web/html/popup_news/Default.aspx?Newsid=189020&NewsType=1&Template=1

PMThaksin made the comparison at a phone-in the “Truth Today” episode of 25th January this year. He was being interviewed by the Red Leadership – Jatuporn, Natawut and Veera. Matichon and MCOT news station paraphrased the interview while Dailynews presented as a direct quotation:

“ผมถือว่าการต่อสู้ทางอุดมการณ์เป็นสิ่งที่สูงสุด แต่สิ่งที่มากกว่านั้น คือ การต่อสู้ทางอุดมการณ์แล้วไม่ได้รับความยุติธรรมถือว่าเป็นสิ่งที่ไม่มีใคร ยอมรับได้ โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่ง ตนเพิ่งเดินทางไปที่เซาท์แอฟริกาหรือแอฟริกาใต้เป็นเมืองที่เขานับถือ “เนลสัน แมนเดลล่า” เป็นรัฐบุรุษของเขา เพราะเขาเป็นนักต่อสู้ที่ไม่ได้รับ ความเป็นธรรมถูกจำคุก 40 ปี เมื่อออกจากคุกก็ได้รับเลือกเป็นประธานาธิบดี ผมเองภาวะจิตใจตอนนี้ ต้องอดทนและเข้มแข็ง เพราะต้องต่อสู้กับความไม่เป็นธรรมต่อไปต้องแสวงหาความเป็นธรรมให้เจอ ไม่ว่าจะเจอบนสวรรค์หรือขุมนรกต้องเจอให้ได้ เพราะผมเชื่อว่าความเป็นธรรมต้องมี”

We also know now that the Reds have scheduled 27 June with some sort of “impact” within 3 months according to Nattawut Saikeur:

http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1243780392&grpid=00&catid=01

The assets seizure case starts on July 16th? Coincidence?

If you believe PMThaksin’s words that he is “non-violently” and “peacefully” fighting for “bigger ideals” and “true democracy”, you shouldn’t be too suprised that he has compared himself to a modern day saint. Really, it’s not beyond him.

By: Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:26:46 +0000

I agree Portman, just because there is no evidence doesn’t make a rumour false. But it doesn’t make a rumour true, either.

By: Portman

Portman — Sun, 31 May 2009 09:49:38 +0000

Ralph

Unfortunately, the recipients and senders of the cash are reluctant to produce remittance advices and receipts and the written agreement to provide the funding has been inexplicably mislaid. This is perhaps understandable since the protest organizers could be liable for income tax on the difference between the cash received and the actual cost of the riots and VAT on the total amount! Just because there is no documentary evidence, that doesn’t mean it is not true, e.g. where are the bodies?

By: Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:00:07 +0000

Portman makes a big claim: “Some senior red shirts were allegedly muttering in private that Thaksin failed to provide all the funding he promised for the Songkran riots which they claim is the reason they failed in their big push for the capital.” Is there any evidence at all for this claim? Again, this is a real question, not a criticism.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:06:03 +0000

Thanks, Sidh. I didn’t think you’d suddenly changed sides – just couldn’t see the point. I do now. I had no idea Thaksin (& Kasit, too) had elevated himself in this way. What a sleaze!

By: Portman

Portman — Sat, 30 May 2009 08:59:39 +0000

Sidh #199

“No responsibility nor accountability – I understand not even money to treat and support the maimed Red protesters (please correct me if I am wrong).”

This is quite believable, Sidh. Thaksin has a reputation for being extremely tight fisted with his own money. Some senior red shirts were allegedly muttering in private that Thaksin failed to provide all the funding he promised for the Songkran riots which they claim is the reason they failed in their big push for the capital. Another 100,000 protesters trucked in would have made all the difference.

He brought the coup on himself by refusing to compromise over the profits from his dubious sale of Shin Corp which most urban people rightly or wrongly thought he should have been willing to pay tax on. His greed and selfishness is his undoing. This is a weakness that Newin knows well from bitter experience and is now aggressively seeking to exploit. Thaksin has provided Newin with the opportunity to attract more and more corrupt provincial politicians away from Thaksin in the hope that he will deliver the spoils that the Big Boss only ever promised to most of them as jam tomorrow.

Predictably Thaksin’s Building for a Better Future Foundation that you pointed out above appears to have done nothing apart from its initial PR puff.

By: Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden — Sat, 30 May 2009 08:06:43 +0000

Sidh: Can you remind which phone-in this was where Thaksin compared himself to Mandela and give me a place where I can find it? I think I missed it, but I can’t claim to have listened to all of them in detail. I do recall Suthep saying that Thaksin had done this and I did see Kasit make the comparison. Real request.