A Dark 19th May
(Former primemister Thaksin’s Facemask in the middle of destroyed rallysite, burning flames of central world in the reflection of the water, 19. May 8:20pm)
It has been a very long day, but maybe it is the last day which is marked by so much violence. It started early in the morning. At 4am armored vehicles moved into downtown.
Din Daeng and Victory Monument were quiet until 5:20am but than things suddenly changed. Barricades, which have been Red Shirt checkpoints before, have been set on fire that no one could enter anymore.
Huge smoke clouds rising to the sky and Din Daeng sank in a dizzy chaotic scene. A medic is evacuating a dog.
I had some serious problems while taking photos and videos of the Red Shirts. They didnt want to have any reporters near their actions. While I am filming reds storming a government building, a group of six red shirts chased me, threw me off my motorbike and tried to get the camera.
I could move away and drove around the block for a few minutes. Not even 10mins later the building was on fire and the group of Red Shirts left.
Rama 4 was also marked by heavy clashes at 5:50am. Several burning barricades and angry red shirts which stopped Journalists from entering the area. However I managed to get to the barricades through some side alleys.
On theway to Sathorn Road you could see several helicopters in the air and a rising smoke cloud from Saladaeng.
In Sathorn area near to Saladaeng soldiers were getting ready and armed.
A littlebit later armored vehicles moved to Saladaeng Intersection and soldiers planned to rush the Red Fortress and area around Lumpini park.
Thearmored vehicles drove through the fortress wall and soldiers fired at remaining Red Shirt fighters.
One of the walls in the northern part was set on heavy fire and smoke clouds were rising. Army and firefighters moved slowly to the walls and slaked the fire. They also checked for bombs and shot one Red Shirt who was throwing a Molotov cocktail over the barricade.
A brave woman walked down the road, insisting to go home near the second barricade.
A firefighter in a truck moving to the flames. At this time the smell of burning rubber was terrible. Without a gas mask you could easily get a smoke intoxication.
It was really hard for the fire department to erase the fire of the burning tires. Ongoing smoke was emitting through the whole area.
After more than one hour the situation seemed stable. Firefighters exhale and calm down.
Meanwhile dead bodies of Red Shirts which have been shot by the clearance of the south part of the rally site were transported.
Soldiers relaxing or helping to dismantle the remaining tents huts in the Red Shirt Fortress.
Some of the weapon remains near the occupied entrance of the Lumpini Metro Station inside Red Shirt Fortress.
Sleuths are also used to search the park area for hidden bombs.
Meanwhile the protesters at Rama 4 were charging towards Saladaeng, they gathered hundreds of people and much more new tires.
During the crackdown of the rally site at Saladaeng the Red Shirts left Ratchaprasong partly and evacuated in a nearby temple. Remaining Red Shirts lightened up several buildings and vehicles around the area. The army and also the fire department had a lot to do in the afternoon to get things under control.
One of the biggest Shopping Malls in Bangkok is the Central World. The ground floor was completely covered with flames and at that time (5.30pm) no firetruck was able to get there.
Fire also reached to the Skywalk of the Skytrain which is connection to all Shopping Malls in Ratchaprasong.
Remainig people in the area were looting clothes and other products from the shops. Most of them didn’t care for the fire and were only interested to fetch the most valuable things.
At 7:10 there was still no sign of a fire department and still infrequent shots around Ratchaprasong. The fire at Central World reached several levels at this evening, also some walls fell apart but luckily it came to no collapse. Also all other journalists have left the area and more soldiers entered the former rally site.
Several small shops at Siam Square also burned down, the famous cinema Siam Theater was one of the buildings which was reached by the fire department at 8:30pm.
The soldiers did several runs through Ratchaprasong because sporadic shots could still be heard. Especially near the Temple.I avoided this area and moved with soldiers until midnight. They caught several Red Shirts hiding (even in burning buildings) in the rally site area. Some of them carried weapons but they surrendered immediately and were not shot by the soldiers.
Just before midnight a lot of ambulances entered Ratchaprasong and made their way to the temple to evacuate injured and dead Red Shirts. Soldiers calm down and most of them gathered at checkpoints. On my way home the city was completely quiet. On my twelve kilometers home I saw a few checkpoints and just a few taxis. The curfew is set again for the next nights to make the situation more stable. For sure this will not be the end of the conflict but major violent zones have been cleared and everything seems to calm down.
Follow me on Twitter for Live updates on the situation.
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So Sad…..
Your server is slow in the US as well.
Journalist who stayed with the red shirts said soldiers shot people at will.
Just a great thank-you for so bravely reporting what happened. I followed you on Twitter through the day. It is a sad time for a country I love and far fro over.
No,it is not people,its rebel.
Wow…you really captured dark 19th May 2010……I think it is worse than 19th May 1992….but many suffered on both days. Thanks for sharing.
best coverage online! love the pictures! also seen your new videos on aljazeera, amazing reports! keep it up!
John Stallson
Lots of self opinionated wanna be heroes tweeting pats on the back to each other and over the top dramatic messages – forgetting all along that this is not their country -a few smart and practical tweets in between but not many and one should remind the likes of Florian that only fools get shot in such situations and what happened makes you like another glory seeking young fool which is how your blogs read – Too many false heroes (CNN has a lot to answer for) and now they are all “experts “ in conflict – leave it with the Thais please – its their problem and let them resolve it – Also noticed amongst the regular tweeters as how many of them turned on the Reds once things got a bit more violent and many became army lovers overnight (Mr. Aviator (did he paint his face blue before he went a wandering) included – seen too many movies that naïve lad… – always remember – an unelected PM ordered the people of his nation to be murdered……..nuff said – however to Richard Barrow = excellent
Read more: http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php?blog=5&disp=comments#ixzz0oThc2XGW
mh i dont really get your point. i dont but any drama or false information in my tweets, i also dont favorite any party – i just tweet facts and what i see. many people may think its cool to get shot, but i dont. it just happened.
on the other side i can agree that there are many tweets and also media agencies (cnn especially) which provide very subjective information. it is very sad to see that.
None of the pictures (that are supposed to be) above loaded for me. It’s all blanks, I can only see text with the pic names. Hopefully that’s an IP problem that will fix up soon.
“FoodForThought”. You are right, how some foreigners suddenly became a bunch of pansies just because the mostly unarmed Reds lit buildings as the only means of retaliation they could exact. This is war, of course that is going to happen. I disagree with you however — the only “wannabe” type expats I see are the ones supporting the gov’t. The ones who have any rationality are able to make some sense of the Reds’ cause.
sorry for the technical mistakes, pictures should work now!
Vaitor, you did a great job! Thanks.
“Food For Thought” has obviously only just arrived on these shores with a big chip on his shoulder. OR he’d know that Abhisit was elected by a parliamentary vote – that is, EVERYONE who voted him to be PM were ELECTED by their constituents. He’s obviously been watching CNN too much.
As for the “unelected PM ordering the people of his nation to be murdered”, he’s wrong again – as best as I can recall Thaksin was also elected!
Wow, amazing photos but the site is still very slow here in Cambodia.
Awesome photos. Great job.
Good job!I followed you since yesterday.Thank you so much for sharing the thruth.
great pics and good summary of the events, thanks a lot…
Excellent pics Vaitor. I can see how some ppl might think that foreign journalists traipsing into this situation without any prior experience/knowledge of Thailand, are being naive about the whole situation.
I lived in BKK for over 7 years, incuding during 2006-09 when the tension was especially escalating. I have a social sciences degree and speak good Thai, so understood/felt what was taking place. The tension is/was VERY REAL although tourists and some foreigners living in Thailand without much sensitivity to things might think/feel otherwise. Perhaps some of what CNN reports is sensationalist, but at the bottom of things, is a VERY REAL sense of TENSION in BAngkok and throughout other parts of Thailand.
I mentioned to this to ppl outside Thailand before, although it was hard for them to imagine/take what I said seriously since Thailand has such a rosy image and people tend to downplay the tense feeling – it’s cultural. Now we see what those tense feelings have come to. This is VERY REAL – shame on you who want to downplay and think otherwise.
Been following your work since April 10 when you got shot in the arm and have total respect for your work and bravery. Great photos
Brilliant photos.
Some of the best I’ve seen.
Vaitor, excellent coverage of this day, glad you made it out alright.
Thanx for your great job.
I’m a Thai and my english isn’t vry good, I just want to share some fact that will never reach the world. I hope you people
the fact of brutality of our military has also came alive in this civil war, you should know that there is a military soldier
shoot at a women equipped with her child buying some drink from a vender, both of them died. I don’t exactly know where this happened but I heard this from an eyewitness and people who ears up to PPL CHANNEL radio (the TV. broadcast of the channel had been removed before the fullscale attack).
I also saw in youtube that a Mil. Sniper pinned a group of foreign press before shooting at the floor around them like to scares them to death before shoot one of them at the back of his groin. After the man struggled for a while the other 2 is like ‘I’m outta here,not going to lay here and die ,’ then they managed to escaped while the other 1 lie out there with the victim.
I guess this is why the gov. shutdown the ppl.channel broadcast for there’re many eagered redshirt’s camera man(or press) trying to have a record of these acts around some blinded red zone.
I believe that the gov is always hiding their bad acts from the world
thx for you photo. It’s mean a lot to thailand.
DEAR TANG,,THAILAND
I’m a thai people and I’m not good at English too.
I wanna ask you some guestions, you’re thai people,aren’t you? Have you ever watched other channels? or you watched only people channel ? I should give you some advices because you’re showing your low political skill in public and I need to explain the truth for the world. -please try to change your opinions and open your minds before you judge the other persons especially thai governments. they devotes themself for returning the peace as soon as they can .If I were them ,I might be really sad becuase they try to give the best for our country but you inculpate them ,in sprite of the fact that the worst criminal is who we know [takkie]
Great stuff Vaitor…Been following your tweets and you’re doing a great job. Site still slow, but got there in the end.
Keep up the good work…it’s needed.
Nice pictures. Try to be safe ok.
“Tang” For a while I though I wasn’t gonna see any Thai leave their comments here but,in the end, I saw yours. I just wanna say that in a “war” (or as you referred to as Civil War) situation like this, the first thing that die is The Truth. So be very careful for what you called “Fact”! I can assure you that even if you see it with your own eyes, its still may not be the whole truth. Your mind and opinion may cloud your judgment.
In your case, you heard your “Fact” from an eyewitness and also from someone who heard it from the Red’s radio. I strongly recommend you to improve your judgment of truth.
My opinion is solely on your judgment of truth, but I didnt say that your fact was a lie.
Since the rally began in March I tried to listen from both side. It was getting harder and harder to hear from the Reds as the Gov’t put them of air. However, I got to watched the Reds right to the very last second on internet as they announced their surrender, tried to end the rally, and step down. You know what I got from watching them both. A bunch of lies and bits and pieces of misled truth. For example, from the gov’t side , the number of protester was always well below accurate. Constantly created criminal, gangster, and evil images for all protesters. I believe only some of them were really terrorist (Black shirt Mercenary). As well as from the Red, a good example is from your case of foreigner press who got shot. On the Stage, the day after the incident, Jatupon announced that the French Press was dead!!! Well, thanks to the social net work, I was not surprised at all. An hour before the announcement, on my twitter, one wrote the french press is dead. Right after came the announcement message from hospital that he was alive and well.Follow by soon after the news and the speech from the french man himself on his news agency’s website.
So, I think it will be better for you to get loads of information then process them carefully. Even then you could either be inches from the Truth or light years away from it. Coz there is no Truth in War!
Thanks for your nice pics and hard work. I follow your tweet only 2 days but get many things from you. You are very brave and tough (as you wake up since 4am, it’s very early), I compliment you for these.
Thank you again from one Thai ppl.
Another great report, Florian.
The word “looting” tends to imply theft. Although what those in some pictures were doing is likely theft in a legal sense, ethically it would be a bit of a stretch to equate what they were doing with stealing.
Given that the department store was burning down, and the goods in stores were destined to be destroyed, the people takings things from the shops could just as easily be described as “salvaging” stuff as opposed to “looting.” That’s because the are removing stuff that otherwise would have been destroyed.
From an economic point of view, the “looters” were preserving wealth. Their actions benefit the Thai economy. That is to say, there is no victim.
As a (wannabe) photographer, I’m impressed about your pictures but it’s so sad to see my country burnt thought. We thought we stepped forward but we actually jumped backward big time. I’m Thai but I don’t live there but beleive me, I’m heartbroken to see this happened. It might take a year or two to renovate the buildings but to renovate people thoughts, souls and minds will take much longer.
We Thai should help eacher other to keep walking forward again. I love you Thailand.
PS – Thanks for your brave and great work.
I am Thai,I was running for my life on Oct,12 1973.
I want to live long enough to see the real democrat in Thailand.
It’s look like that I will be dead before it’s happen.
Sorry for my English but my brain still function for what’s right or wrong.
Thank for the great picture for the Thai history.
Thanks for all your troubles. Good that you are alive and unhurt from the May activities. It definitely went into situation with guns in the end. The anarchists got their part as in all demonstrations turning riots.
The temple area was sad and terrible. You read about the reporter who was stuck there?
Good thing u did not venture out there.
What type of weapons did they recover from Lumphini? Just those firecrackers and gasoline you have in a pic?
Explain the pink tape on the soldiers helmets. Please.
Good point, Jotman. Today, I think I’ll join a rally, set fire to some buildings and “salvage” others belongings in order to “preserve wealth.” After that, I’ll find one of the many banks on fire and “salvage” their cash. All to “benefit the Thai economy” of coarse.
One more thing for now:
Tun: your reply was very good. Very calm and reasonable. I live in Thailand, and have been distressed by the bad words and racism that I have witnessed during the March-May period so in light of that, you show great restraint and sense.
And also Tang wrote from heart I believe, though his third hand information would definetly need confirmation.
Joojooe: For peace and development of Thailand, I hope you would get to see it what you wish for.
The pictures on this page are distressing and so has been the events of past week. I am so glad to see some calm feedback here.
A lot of great comments here over the last few days. I read every one of them. Good to see that some Thais, with experiences, have posted their thoughts. Same for the foreigners that also have some in depth comments.
It looks like the photos are loading fine now.
Mr. V.
Thank you for providing (as best you can) unbiased comments and brave photos. A pity that you aren’t used by the big names in media to provide at least a relative balance between politics, hysteria and cultural background.
none,
You are innocent of a crime unless proven guilty. That requires evidence. The pictures only show people carrying stuff out of the building. I see no reason to assume they were the ones who lit the fire.
They are probably just Bangkok residents who aren’t very well off. They could be department store employees who will have lost their jobs as a result of the fire.
Your photo’s are very good, great work!
Just a note to “Tang”, I am not Thai but, my family is Thai! Do you know the word propaganda, dont go and spread lies to the outside world to seek attention! Question everybody should ask them self, would someone who is supporting a cause, burn down buildings, bomb a city or maybe a TERRORIST! I am not a red or yellow supporter but, I Love My King! are you a real Thai person…please open your eyes!
All of you who think Reds have a cause, please listen to this. The Reds were calling for a new election. The govt agreed to that and set the date for the House dissolution to be in Sept and the new election will be held on Nov 14 2010. PM Abhisit gave in to their demands. But Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted exPM who constantly give live rally speeches at the protest site shot in via satellite, said “no”. That is because Thaksin and his men haven’t discredited this govt yet. His agenda was not only to get a new election so his nominees could win the election so his nominees can revoke his corruption charges. (Please also research into Thaksin Shinawatra’s corruption charges) Think about it. He needs to discredit this govt first. So that the election results would be in his party’s favor. What if his nominees didn’t win the new election??? He wanted death and destruction so that this govt would be damaged. And this is not a conspiracy theory. Seriously, do your own research if you don’t believe me…. simply search PM abhisit + new election November 14, 2010 and do one on Thaksin Shinawatra + corruption charges + temasek + EXIM bank + Myanmar deal _ Shin satellite. The deal was offered by Abhisit, the Reds simply diodn’t take it because if they ended the protest without blood, Abhisit MIGHT win. And Thaksin can’t take that risk. Oh, another thing is… Abhisit was democratically elected in… Thais elect members of parliaments and these MPs have the constitutional rights to vote in a prime minister if the previous prime minister resigned or died or was kicked out. This is to cut cost on general elections and to keep the structure in place and continuous. That is Thai constitution, so please don’t compare it with US or any other constitutions. Besides, TWO of Thaksin’s nominees came to be PM through the same process prior to Abhisit. I don’t see any Reds or foreign press having a problem with that.
Nant Thananan, Thank You, someone with a brain! Why can all people not see this??
i’m disgusted by what i have been seeing over the past week … there was absolutely no reason to use real ammunition and tanks on the protesters!!! Riot gear, tear gas and/or fake bullets would have been enough! who will charge the govt with murder?
meko , m79 grenades was just a figment of our imagination and so was 27 buildings burnt down and leaving thousands jobless…. have you heard of law and order…otherwise nothing will be standing in Our Beautiful country! who will charge the arsonists and vandalism?
you are a hero @vaitor! I admire your work!
Great work covering a very sad day. It takes lots of guts and passion. Respect! Wishing and praying for wisdom and peace to come back soon to Thailand.
[...] Good blog full of photos and report of the 19th of May vaitor.com [...]
Add my thanks to all the above. Really appreciate your efforts. Let this be a memorial to all Thais of what happens when we lose our senses.
I support the Government’s actions. Whatever the Reds grievances, and I did listen to P-TV for a long time, it should not have ended this way. The Red leaders have a lot to answer for the carnage they incited. The M79s did not drop from the sky.
I should be ashamed to be thai in general and against the reds in particular.
You’ve shown the world that kind of brutal dictatorship that is hiding behind your so called government. After I saw how your military shot unarmed civilians, tourists and journalists alike I now feel disgusted every time I see your false smiles.
It’s all very said because, my family, friends and associates all used to love your country and people, but not anymore. I guess the sex tourists will keep on coming, but I guarantee you that you will lose billions in the tourist industry as well as export market the coming years – and you do deserve it!
I doesn’t matter that Taksin was a corrupted PM, that matter is your complete disrespect for human lives and democracy.
I’ll cancel all current business and avoid vacation trips (if I’ve time for such in the future) until you’ve had free elections and live by the result. Period!
PS. To shot an opposition leader in front of the TV cameras as well as using snipers on unarmed civilians, rescue workers, monks … it’s just so disgusting I can’t even find words for it. Besides the massacre in the Philippines there many journalists were killed that has happened in Bangkok is unprecedented in modern history. You’ll forever live in shame and guilt.
@Nant Thananan
So much bulls-it in one post – amazing!
Lol, do you even believe that yourself?
If so, you’re in a desperate need of educating yourself. Start with understanding the concept of democracy – the real one, not the Thai version – because the Thai version is already known under another name. Guess which? Yes, good boy, it’s called dictatorship.
@ Chris ….I agree that any loss of human life is not correct but, you have been influenced by so much propaganda! Before you believe what you are being fed, know your facts! If you do not know your facts, do not comment! Typical for you to just see the sex industry again, sorry to hear that we will loose you as a support in that area, think we will not be able to recover after your loss of business! ( Keep track of whats going on, sure you will be amazed of what you will know: Gen Say Dang, is indeed a True Hero, you will come to know who he really was and who really killed him!) Are you really Thai, will be ashamed if i were you and make comments like this!
@ Steve: Do you really think you so highly educated? concept of Democracy ???? WOW Big words but, as far as i know its not backed by money, that is not democracy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop looking down on people, great to have a mouth and comment about things you think you know about! wondering if you in someones back pocket!! Typical american attitude, you see Thai commenting negative against your Barack Obama! (PS: Ask for a refund where you were educated!) Burning, bombing buildings (10 people in Central World, died), seizing CBD, looting…..just s few is known as a Terrorist act, again not Democracy, wake up!)
Wow, great coverage. Thank you so much for all the photos.
@Jhon
” … you have been influenced by so much propaganda! Before you believe what you are being fed, know your facts do not comment!”
The only propaganda and farfetched lies I read so far is from Bangkok Post. My comment is based on embassy reports and friends in Bangkok. Journalists and people connected to my business from many different countries, Thais included.
I guess you should follow your own advice and avoid commenting.
“Typical for you to just see the sex industry again”
Please refrain from comment if your English is weak and therefore your understanding in that I write.
“think we will not be able to recover after your loss of business!”
Since I’m a member of EU-Thailand trading NGO I have access to a register of many european companies trading with Thailand. We’re working right now to contact them and will be finished before this years end. Even if only 5% of them will follow our recommendations it will affect the dictatorship. Trust me on that one. Posts like yours gives us a lot of energy to pursue this.
You seem to be too ignorant to be ashamed, but you will still pay the price for supporting a murderous regime and therefore having blood on your hands for all times to come.
People like you are a true disgrace for Thailand, just like your disgraceful habit of selling your own children.
@ Chris – I am in Thailand, not choosing sides between neither party, red or yellow ! Seeing things first hand, not from one person to the next and some people do tend to go bit overboard !
“You seem to be too ignorant to be ashamed,” — Have you overlooked all the facts before you make a statement like this??
I am not looking to fight with anybody Chris but, would rather point out some things to let you have a view from another side, which i think should be quite reasonable, else your own statement will apply to you!
1.) They say that the Red Shirt party did not have any weapons? (Do you know about the weapon work shop that was found before all this went down? M-79), the attempt to blow the main power supply on the dreadful 10th April which failed? (I can point out many of these if you want?)
2.) Gen. Say Dang, which was assassinated in cold blood, if you keep following you will soon find out that he was actually undercover, once some person found out about this, dreadfully came his death! I do take my hat off for him!
3.) Have you seen The red shirts threats to burn down all the buildings and so it was done!
If you have something to share, i will also openly listen!
There are many more point i can mention !
to answer the question of the pink sign on soldiers and army vehicles: it is a special division which is connected to the queens royal army. as far as i know at this day it was also a sign of who is in charge to work with live bullets because other divisions were not involved in fighting and just helping to clean up (even if they were armed).
Just want to excuse myself to post all this on your webpage and Chris maybe I also went overboard but, please understand if you are here in the middle of things where it all is happening you would also get quite upset!
Final note Chris, whatever you decide is in the end your choice but, after all these buildings have been burnt down by whoever they are, this leaves thousands of Thai people jobless! The economy has been scared, this is a time for Thai people to stand together and rebuild Thailand for The King and the people but, if you want to boycott The Kingdom you will be the same as the people setting the buildings on fire!
Would you not rather be part of the ones who want to rebuild it?
@ Chris– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGhplOeuw4&feature=related
@ Chris – Careful making threats !
Dear Sir,
I’m Thai who have observed the situation by myself, received any information from Thai and international sources.I know that there is some hidden agenda behind Thai media, why they must or need to be bias.
For example; The Nation, it had the conflict in ITV free channel case in Thailand against Thaksin, when he was still in his power. Then, they go against him all the time and supported PAD (Anti-Thaksin protestors). After the military coup, ITV case went to court justice (assign by the coup), then its concession was confiscated and turned back to the government. Then the government hired The Nation for 2000 Mio. Baht per years to run this media in name TPBS. So that is what they receive to follow the government.
For the other media, as I have known some journalists and moderators working on Thai free TV, three persons I known have been intimidated to report the news in the direction that the government please. One of them was called by the military officer who asked him to choose between his family and the direction he report the news.
Accordingly, I must recheck it and research more before trust it, when I watch or read the news. I’ve found a lot of information that Thai media never presented and some that they exaggerate more than the real situation and make the conclusion by themselves without the crucial evidence to support. In my opinion, most Thai media have the conspiracy. It’s necessary for them in order to survive.
We can see a lot of examples, that some Thai who believe Thai media and government’s propaganda try to insult every media andorganizations such as BBC CNN HRW ACHR MEPs Asian Foundation and other international organizations who inform what they don’t like that they don’t know the truth as them. (How do they know, what they think is true or false when they never open their mind to learn the difference?).Moreover they claim that those media is bias or receive money from someone they against.
By the way the censorship in Thailand creates an effective propaganda by telling one-sided stories. People in Thailand don’t have chance to receive variety of information for their consideration. Now, it’s worse because the court said that, from now on, who publish the media and information against the government that means they distort the incident and must go to jail.
For how Abhisit came to power, I will tell you in sequence.
Four years ago, the country was led by Thaksin, a billionaire populist who was twice re-elected. A deeply divisive figure loved by the rural poor and loathed by the country’s elite. The PAD – anti Thaksin movement, mostly the elite and middle class who lost their benefit to the poor, rallied for so long time and then the military coup came to dispel Thaksin government.
Then the coup’s government felt to rule the country. They issued new constitution which a lot of unlawful article to protect themselves and disadvantage their political foes. They assigned their new supported group of officers to work in judgment and court system. After that, they let the condition: if we didn’t accept this constitution, there‘s no new election and they could apply worse constitution as they please. So the majority accepted it with the fear for worse rule and hope for new election.
After an election, PPP; pro Thaksin party; unexpectedly won again with 233 seats from 480 seats. While Democrat gained 165 seats. So PPP had right to form the government. Then The PAD can’t accept the result, blamed that they bought vote (In fact, every other parties in Thailand also buy vote included Democrat party).They closed the street for 7 months , seized the government house for 3 months and Thai international airports about a week in total, and they didn’t ask for democratic solutions but only wanted to expel whoever who support Thaksin out of their power.
They didn’t want common election but just raised the one they preferred to get in power. Moreover they also have dangerous ideas against democracy. For example; the one so- called “70/30” which means 70% of representatives in parliament should come from an assignment of the committee contained of experts, academic professors or other selected elites and the other 30% come from an election. Another example is the idea to prohibit normal citizens who don’t hold academic degrees to vote in an election because they believe that the low-educated people are too stupid to choose a good leader.
After long protest, the court, as the tool, banned all 3 parties on government side which affected these parties’ executive committees out of the position as representatives. They also made the other politicians go against PPP. Some of formal PPP members turned to Democrat side. Consequently, the proportion of the parliament was changed. Then they brought the parties’ leaders to the military Barracks to lobby them with or without force up to cases. So people can imply that they used dirty tools to form the government. And that is how the new government lead by Democrat came to power.
Some of his supporters claim that Abhisit and his coalition came from the same parliament. It’s half-true because he took his power after he got rid of his opponents. So this is the difference between an elected one and a person who come to power by dirty elimination of his foes.
- How they use the court to unbalance the sovereignty?
- How they intimidate the other politicians?
- Is the negotiation in the military barrack to form the new government the right thing for democracy?
For the demonstration, I think we should know the root of problem first. The problem is not Thaksin or some few people.
additional link:
I can’t post all of my link here because your website identifies them as spam, so I add the keywords for you to search it on youtube.
- 2010.05.19 Someone is there? Shoot them up; said soldiers
- Words tell the assembled media that no weapons
-Facebook วีดีโอโพสต์โดยกรู เกลียดพวกกู้ชาติหมา อะไรคือผู้ก่อการร้าย
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1469377857410&ref=mf
- รถตำรวจ-มูลนิธิยังโดนยิง.mp4
- Dawn-to-dusk footage from the front line of the Bangkok crackdown
there’re many more evidences if you dig it up. But sadly some of them were shortly banned by Thai government and some were blocked if you access it directly from Thai servers.
Regards
I’m sorry if I used any wrong directed words in my last comment. I guess I have a lot to learn in using reliable sentences.
For what I talked about had been exposed in video clips and pictures yesterday on TV. excepted for the women equipped with her child is a pregnant women instead.
I will discuss about the details later.
Muupan
We can see a lot of examples, that some Thai who believe Thai media and government’s propaganda try to insult every media andorganizations such as BBC CNN HRW ACHR MEPs Asian Foundation and other international organizations who inform what they don’t like that they don’t know the truth as them. (How do they know, what they think is true or false when they never open their mind to learn the difference?).Moreover they claim that those media is bias or receive money from someone they against.
This is real and very unacceptable for me.
Just who the gov, think they are? striking the world press.
Hey Flo
you´re doing a really good and important job! But please take care! I guess there are to many people which love you over there and here in germany.
Best wishes out of germany/Mannheim
Christoph