Terrorism - Thaksin

[Fidel]

What about the bombings/shootings/grenade attacks? Were they "terrorism"?

 

Anyone who doubts the extent to which Thaksin encouraged people to engage in acts of terror should visit www.2bangkok.com and take a look at some of the material translated from "Voice of Thaksin" and other pro-Thaksin rags.

[Flashermac]

Link

[Fidel]

Here's another link, Flasher:

 

http://www.2bangkok.com/09/RedPublications.shtml

 

Images of grenades, rockets and so on. Calls for murder of government officials...

 

Serious stuff.

 

[Flashermac]

Magazines calling for such acts would not be allowed on the market in the west, nor would the red shirt radio stations either.

 

 

[shygye]

I'd call the aftermath terrorism - 36 buildings torched' date=' banks, shops and 7-Elevens looted, threatening people's life at TV Channel 3 etc.

 

[/quote']

 

What about the French riots or the Greek riots? Is that terrorism?

 

You can try to make the "It isn't terrorism, just rioting" claim try to walk for some of the problems. For Central World, which apparently was torched three (3) times, it seems a little thin.

 

However, I don't think the "It's just rioting" claim works for the time bomb left at the Four Seasons. That was a "some assembly required" job, that required materials and expertise to be brought in.

 

Or do they teach Improvised Explosive Devices 101 and 102 at Chulalongkorn University nowadays?

 

... or the military planted the bombs to further discredit the red shirts. All the other bldgs were damaged with the sophisticated molotov cocktail, just like in the French and Greek riots.

[Mekong]

 

... or the military planted the bombs to further discredit the red shirts. All the other bldgs were damaged with the sophisticated molotov cocktail, just like in the French and Greek riots.

 

Nice conspiracy theory except for one thing, I don't recall politicaly motivated leaders making speecjes such as "1,000,000 Liters of Gasoline" ot "Burn the City to The Ground" etc etc during the French and Greek Riots.

 

Premeditated is not a riot borne of civil unrest it is TERRORISM.

 

 

 

 

 

[Sporty]

TERRORISM

Warrant approved for Thaksin on terror

By THE NATION

Published on May 26, 2010

 

 

Law enforcement officials will today begin the process to extradite fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra following court approval yesterday for a warrant for his arrest on a terrorism charge for the unrest in Thailand in recent weeks.

 

The reaction from Thaksin was typically feisty. In a Twitter message, he said he was framed and accused his opponents of being hypocrites who pay lip service to reconciliation while laying false charge to label him as a terrorist.

 

"I was the prime minister who won two landslide victories, then was ousted by a coup before being framed for theft and as I am fighting peacefully for justice. I have now been branded terrorist," he said.

 

 

The Criminal Court backed a warrant to arrest Thaksin on terrorism charges after a request from the Department of Special Investigation.

 

 

In its judicial decision, the court found sufficient evidence to suspect Thaksin's involvement in terror activities.

 

 

The warrant was based on Articles 135/1, 135/2, 135/3 of the Criminal Code which were cited in conjunction with Articles 83, 84, 85 and 86.

 

 

The three key provisions refer to terrorism-related offences, including the use of force to endanger life and freedom, causing the destruction of public transport systems and inflicting serious harm to the economy with the aim to pressure the government.

 

 

The offences also cover threats to carry out terror attacks and activities abetting terrorism, such as stockpiling arms and training.

 

 

Accomplices accused of abetting terrorism face the same punishment as offenders.

 

 

Penalties for terrorism range from the death sentence to a minimum of three years jail. An offender can be fined from Bt60,000 to Bt1 million.

 

 

Those convicted of abetting terrorism face a jail term from two up to 10 years and a fine of up to Bt200,000.

 

 

The four auxiliary provisions cited in the warrant deal with the legal classification of offend?ers and accomplices.

 

 

DSI director general Tharit Pengdit said he would met today with the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to outline steps to be taken to bring Thaksin back to face justice.

 

 

Thaksin was convicted in 2007 under the anti-graft law for a conflict of interest over the Ratchada land scandal and sentenced to serve a two-year jail term. However, many countries feared that conviction was "political" and had not cooperated with previous requests to extradite Thaksin, Tharit said.

 

 

But he was optimistic that the terrorism charges would boost chances of getting the former PM back in custody.

 

 

"I believe terrorism, which is an international offence, will convince the international community to be more cooperative in arresting Thaksin," he said.

 

 

Commander of the Police's International Affairs Division Major General Therdsak Rujirawong said the warrant for Thaksin on terrorism would receive due attention from foreign law enforcement agencies, once it was circulated by Interpol.

 

 

After his legal adviser Pichit Chuenban called to inform Thaksin of the court ruling, the former PM issued a statement following his Twitter message.

 

 

In the statement, circulated by his other lawyer Noppadon Patama, he said had been set up for the charges, which were not beyond anticipation from the "perverted" justice system.

 

 

He blamed his legal predicament on a conspiracy by his opponents to deny him justice. A double standard was prevalent between two groups of Thais, he claimed. This is evident because the red shirts were demanding justice and democracy but had been killed and maimed instead, he said. This alluded to the yellow shirts enjoying lenient treatment for their protests.

 

 

He denied being involved in terrorism, saying throughout his political career, he has been a steadfast supporter of non-violence and the democratic system with the King as head of state.

 

[Wallenda]

What about the bombings/shootings/grenade attacks? Were they "terrorism"?

 

Anyone who doubts the extent to which Thaksin encouraged people to engage in acts of terror should visit www.2bangkok.com and take a look at some of the material translated from "Voice of Thaksin" and other pro-Thaksin rags.

 

Supposedly this is a government that wants to be seen as legitimate and taken seriously, right ?

 

It seems there's a strong desire by some to call those things terrorism. Why, not sure. But it's hard for people from, say, America or Britain, or Iraq or Afghanistan, or India or Pakistan, to look at what happened in Thailand and consider that "terrorism" -- but after all this military restraint in the face of increasingly outrageous protest tactics, which actually DID make teh govt seem far more reasonable and level-headed than the reds, ... to then come up with "Terrorism" charges (a bomb going off at an ATM... ok) -- now you are hearing this from someone who generally sympathizes with the govt in this and is appalled at the reds' tactics -- to me that seems shrill and disingenuous. Like, if that's what you consider terrorism, you're being kind of girly about what you consider to be terrorism. 9/11: that was terrorism. The Bombay massacre: that's terrorism. This? Please.

 

and to see that the govt is also trying to pin primary blame for the Central World arson on that one British nut -- well, they're not looking good in the credibility dept. lately.

 

Anyway, to your point... I agree Thaksin is responsible and instigated this, maybe was most responsible for the whole thing (tho it'd be better if there was some solid evidence--hoping that tape they supposedly have is that)... and that he's therefore accessory to many of the crimes that were commmitted. Where we part ways is that to me it's obvious they're not terrorism, other than if you want to use a really legalistic and faggy version of the word that would include things like yelling and attacking ATM's.

 

Mmore interesting to me though is why some guys so strongly feel that it needs to be terrorism. To me, by sticking to this line, it looks like you guys are just as guilty of the kind of exaggerated flame-fanning rhetoric that the reds are so fond of.

 

Destroying a huge mall is plenty bad. Assassinating military officers is close to as nasty a crime as you can pull. That's the kind of stuff they did. I mean if they burned down CW when it was full of shoppers and they locked them in before torching it, ok then we'd have something.

 

[Wallenda]

He denied being involved in terrorism, saying throughout his political career, he has been a steadfast supporter of non-violence and the democratic system with the King as head of state.

 

After the violence of Apr 10 when blackshirts were caught on camera firing machine guns at troops and grenades being hurled into troops, a military leader assassinated, his comment immediately after that in Montenegro in front of a group of reporters was "Keep fighting for democracy". He did not mention anything about remaining peaceful. He mentioned fighting. And continuing.

 

Anyway, rebutting every bit of nonsense that one of Thaksin's publicists issues would land anyone in a looney house. Suffice it to say, as usual he's full of shit. The mouth does one thing while the body does the opposite.

 

[Mekong]

saying throughout his political career, he has been a steadfast supporter of non-violence and the democratic system with the King as head of state.

 

 

Extrajudicial Executions of "Alledged" Drug Dealers was very non violent, as I suppose was Tak Bai.