What IS The Latest News On Red Shirts

[USVirgin]

Hey, when you can delineate that fine line between thinking and thinking too much, let me know.

 

 

Sorry for the interruption.

[chuckwoww]

Ask a Thai.

[drogon]

Well I could completely be wrong but:

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/178267/coalition-parties-still-with-democrats

 

If the 'partners', some of them who were less than happy with the coalition, still stick together with the government (rats didn't change sides) even after the week end

-> doesn't that imply they know (after all the under the table and behind the doors talks)who is going to 'win' this round?

 

 

 

[ThaiHome]

18 May 2010

(Adrees Latif/Reuters)

 

Is this the end of democracy in Thailand?

 

 

Thailand's fledgling democracy is now all but dead; bloodied and battered on the streets of Bangkok. How did this happen?

 

...[color:blue]

Andrew Walker and Nicholas Farrelly[/color] are Southeast Asia specialists in the ANU's College of Asia and the Pacific. They are the co-founders of New Mandala, a blog on mainland Southeast Asian politics and societies.

 

 

Another propaganda piece straight out of Thaksin’s PR trying to justify this as a social movement. I actually feel a bit sad for these western left wing socialists who are going to be so disappointed when the dust clears and it turns out that nothing has changed. These downtrodden people will continue to elect the same people to Parliament with the same result.

 

If they were demonstrating in their home towns against the local godfathers and their families I would be 100% behind them.

TH

 

 

[LizardKing]

Another propaganda piece straight out of Thaksin’s PR trying to justify this as a social movement. I actually feel a bit sad for these western left wing socialists who are going to be so disappointed when the dust clears and it turns out that nothing has changed. These downtrodden people will continue to elect the same people to Parliament with the same result.

 

If they were demonstrating in their home towns against the local godfathers and their families I would be 100% behind them.

Exactly. That's where is rotting stink is, but no one seems fussed about it and instead tries to pretend it is all every Bangkokian's fault.

 

"All politics is local" is something I hear a lot in Western democracies. And for good reason. It's true. Hold your local politicians to high standard and the rest takes care of itself right on up the food chain. That's the whole point of a representative form of government.

[Julian2]

Uh oh....

I have no real link, just turned up in email.

 

From the Bangkok Post:

 

Their Majesties the King and Queen will graciously sponsor the funeral of Maj-General Khattiya “Seh Daeng†Sawasdipol who succumbed to brain injuries yesterday morning. The three-day prayer rites at Sommanas temple are also under Royal patronage. The prayers started yesterday and will continue until tomorrow. The bathing rite held yesterday was attended by a large number of red-shirt supporters as well as his lone daughter Khattiyah and sister Jiaranai Matchakijborribal. The general’s wife died several years ago.

[Flashermac]

Traditional and automatic with a high ranking officer. Sponsor does not necessarily mean attend. Someone will be designated to represent them.

 

 

Meanwhile ...

 

 

Banharn's message to UDD

 

1:52pm

 

 

Former prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa, chief adviser of the Chart Thai Pattana Party, on Tuesday called for the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to end the protest rally today or tomorrow.

 

[color:red]In an urgent statement, Mr Banharn said once the UDD agreed to do as he asked he would immediately ask the government to withdraw the troops and police now confronting the protesters.

 

If the government refused to do so, the Chart Thai Pattana Party would withdraw from the government, he said.[/color]

 

Mr Banharn said too much damage had been done to the country and this can not be allowed to continue.

 

 

 

BP

[LizardKing]

Kinda humourous. Barnharn trying to look the hero by repeating an offer already on the table by the government...

[Nervous God]

New Mandela isn't a Thaksin mouth piece, if you don't like it, fair enough, but the people involved are very straight shooters (No pun intended)

[Flashermac]

Reds accept senate speaker's offer to mediate

 

 

2:17pm

 

 

The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) said on Tuesday it unconditionally accepts Senate Speaker Prasopsuk Boondej's offer to mediate truce talks with the government.

 

UDD leader Natthawut Saikua said the UDD accepted the offer, wanted to urgently end the ongoing violence, and had called on the government to stop shooting at the protesters.

 

[color:red]"The UDD agrees to accept the offer by the senate speaker to mediate the talks, and we are ready to take part from now on," Mr Natthawut said.[/color]

 

The UDD was unconditionally ready to negotiate. However, senators who would mediate the talks must not include members of the group of 40 pro-government senators, he said.

 

Mr Natthawut said the UDD had left it to Mr Prasopsuk to arrange the talks with the government.

 

Weng Tojirakarn, another UDD leader, said the red-shirts were still able to occupy the Ratchaprasong rally site. Some protesters were able to move in and out of the protest site, food was still abundant, and smaller stages had been set up around the main stage at Ratchaprasong.

 

UDD core members were trying to enter talks with the government for a ceasefire, he said.

 

Earlier on Tuesday, Jatuporn Prompan, a UDD leader and Puea Thai MP, confirmed that Mr Prasopsuk's offer was being considered, adding that the situation now was far more serious than that during the Black May incident in 1992.

 

He said the violence on Ratchaprarop road and in Bon Kai area was beyond control because the protesters were highly emotional.

 

The protesters set car tyres ablaze so they could hide in the smoke and avoid being shot by soldiers, especially snipers, Mr Jatuporn said.

 

He denied having a conflict with UDD chairman Veera Musikhapong, but admitted they held different opinions.

 

Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was aware of the UDD's new stance and would speak out on this matter himself.

 

"We have no position on that yet. The prime minister has been informed but does not have an immediate position on it," Mr Panithan said.

 

He added that Korbsak Sabhavasu, the prime minister's secretary-general, had negotiated with Mr Natthawut many times. Mr Natthawut kept changing his position on a daily basis and had increasingly become hard to understand.

 

However, the government was always ready to consider any possible resolution of the problem, provided that the UDD stop the ongoing riot and recall the protesters who were scattering back to Ratchaprasong.

 

Mr Panitan said Mr Nathawut was in a position to respond to this call right away.

 

He said the prime minister was closely monitoring the situation.

 

Former prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa, chief adviser of the Chart Thai Pattana Party, on Tuesday called for the UDD to ugrently end the protest rally today or tomorrow.

 

Mr Banharn said once the UDD agreed he would immediately ask the government to withdraw the troops and police now confronting the protesters.

 

If the government refused to do so, the Chart Thai Pattana Party would withdraw from the government, he said.

 

Mr Banharn said too much damage had been done to the country and this could not be allowed to continue.

 

Street fighting continues throughout the capital on Tuesday, with a 12-year-old boy arrested in the morning for allegedly settng fire to buildings around Din Daeng intersection.

 

The unofficial death toll from clashes between troops and protesters has risen to 37, with 282 people injured, Erawan emergency centre said in the morning.

 

 

 

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