Flashermac Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Bangkok Post 17 May 2010 Opinion by Saritdet Marukatat All red shirt leaders except Veera Musikhapong are carrying battle wounds despite sitting safely behind the battlelines out of sight of the soldiers. They have, to put it quite simply, shot themselves in the foot. Leading campaigners of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship only have themselves to blame for making a seriously wrong move against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his government. If only they had agreed to disperse the protest after Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban reported to the Department of Special Investigation last week, they would have emerged as the winner of the political standoff. The leaders could have told the demonstrators that they successfully forced the prime minister to call an early poll. In fact, the offer by Mr Abhisit was the best ever since the red shirts converged on the capital in mid-March. And its political arm, the Puea Thai Party, also has a chance to win the election if it comes early. The party remains strong in many constituencies in the northern and northeastern provinces because of the popularity of deposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his freebies and populist policies when he was in power from 2001-2006. A quick return to administrative power is what Thaksin's supporters want to maintain the legacy of Thaksin, among other things. But that chance had slipped away from Natthawut Saikua, Jatuporn Prompan, Weng Tojirakarn and others who are masterminding the demonstration when they promptly replied with more demands from the government, including making the deputy premier turn himself in to police. The hardliners in the UDD wanted to corner Mr Abhisit with more conditions, while the moderate camp led by Mr Veera tried in vain to convince the others to stop the rally by accepting the prime minister's proposal. The hard core members miscalculated that they could press for more from the prime minister after seeing him show signs of compromise. They failed to realise that the momentum was no longer on their side. Their credibility sharply dwindled in the raid at Chulalongkorn Hospital. The army and police were better coordinated and that was proved by the dispersal of demonstrators in the Don Muang area after police were reluctant to join security operations in the beginning. It is no surprise Mr Veera eventually decided to turn his back on the rally. Now the prime minister's offer of an early poll is out of the question. The time for negotiation is gone. And instead of successfully putting more pressure on Mr Abhisit, all figureheads of the UDD have their backs to the wall following the government's decision to end all negotiation options. The mysterious shooting of renegade army general Khattiya Sawasdipol on Thursday is an answer to the red shirts that that is the only solution available now. The UDD has come up with new calls for Mr Abhisit to immediately quit and not lead the interim government while waiting for the new elections to take place. Of course, nobody in the government cares about these new conditions anymore. [color:red]All the red shirt leaders can do now is to keep protesters with them as long as possible as human shields. They read Mr Abhisit's mind that the two want to keep the loss of lives at a minimum.[/color] The government and army learned a lot from the rush to crack down on the demonstrators on April 10. What happened on that night showed that Mr Abhisit and army leader Gen Anupong Paojinda are fighting armed men well equipped with heavy weapons, including RPGs and M79 grenades. The only formula to success is to keep the UDD leaders and security men inside and do anything to weaken them by every means possible from cutting food, water and other supplies to building more pressure on them before the final order comes. The only condition for the prime minister is to immediately end the rally with no more bargains. It would not have turned out this way had the UDD leaders not made the wrong move. Rink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jitagawn Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Classic Thai posture that we see every day... they over played their hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acockasian Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 ...and now we near the desperation stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 A lot of fights/revolts are won in the "11th hour" purely out of desperation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Fantastic stuff. Reds surrounded, backs against the wall... and they issue demands. Loonie bins, all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Remember the Doonesbury cartoon where Uncle Duke is blindfolded, in front of a firing squad, and he says "...and that's my final offer!"?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Great comic! Pitiful that these actions mimic a comic strip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Manipulator wants deaths: CRES 3:01pm The terrorists and their manipulator abroad want to create violence and cause as many losses of lives as possible on the people to put blame on the government so that they can file legal cases with international organisations, Prime Minister's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said in a statement on Monday. He was apparently referring to leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Sathit said these people wanted to see the highest possible death toll on the people. [color:red]This conclusion derived from the fact that all of the clashes took place elsewhere away from the rally site when government forces were attacked from behind, causing losses to have been inflicted on innocent people outside the main rally ground, he said.[/color] [color:red]"From intelligence reports, the goal of these terrorists and their manipulator is to see the highest possible losses of lives. They have hired foreign lawyers and brought them into the country so that they can see the damage they have caused with an intention to file lawsuits with international organisations abroad and to put blame on the present administration," Mr Sathit said.[/color] The minister said high-risk people in this situation are local and foreign news reporters, health workers, and innocent people living in the areas where clashes are taking place. Meanwhile, Thaksin on Monday issued a statement calling for a sincere and genuine dialogue between the parties in conflict and for the United Nations to intervene. :content: The statement was released by Amsterdam & Peroff, a public relations firm hired by Thaksin. The following is the text of his statement: "I stand with my countrymen in this terrible hour in our history. The pictures that I have seen go beyond any nightmares that could have been envisaged. I have no choice but to state resolutely the need for all sides to step back from this terrible abyss and seek to begin a new, genuine and sincere dialogue between the parties. "The present action of the government dishonour our history and will forever weaken our institutions and democracy. How can life be revered when the government uses its live bullets against innocent non-violent protesters and civilians, many of them women and children. "I call for the United Nations to immediately engage to act as facilitator for this negotiation. That organization should not allow itself to be silenced by a prime minister who failed to understand that a right to life is a core universal value that unites us all as one." Rink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 UN intervention unnecessary Opinion by Veera Prateepchaikul There is no need for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to call in the United Nations to mediate the current political conflict as he himself is still capable of doing the job, at least to end the protest, if he really wants to. [color:red]Remember that defiant, arrogant statement: “The UN is not my father!â€Â?[/color] [color:red]It was uttered some years ago by Thaksin Shinawatra while he was still prime minister in response to criticism of his harsh drug suppression policy and the demand by human rights groups that the United Nations (UN) should investigate alleged human rights violations in connection with the extrajudicial killing of some 2,500 “suspected drug tradersâ€Â.[/color] He spurned the call for UN intervention, saying “the UN is not my father!†Now that same person who then treated the UN with contempt is appealing for United Nations intervention to end the bloodletting in Bangkok. The following is his statement issued by his international public relations company, Amsterdam & Peroff: “I stand with my countrymen in this terrible hour in our history. The pictures that I have seen go beyond any nightmares that could have been envisaged. I have no choice but to state resolutely the need for all sides to step back from this terrible abyss and seek to begin a new, genuine and sincere dialogue between the parties. "The present action of the government dishonours our history and will forever weaken our institutions and democracy. How can life be revered when the government uses live bullets against innocent non-violent protesters and civilians, many of them women and children. "I call for the United Nations to immediately engage to act as facilitator for this negotiation. That organisation should not allow itself to be silenced by a prime minister who failed to understand that a right to life is a core universal value that unites us all as one.†Let’s take a quick glance through the PR statement. It appears that the statement was crafted by someone who not only lives in an ivory tower but doesn't even bother to watch the TV pictures, including CNN or BBC, of the riot in Bangkok perpetrated by red-shirt supporters who are also supporters of Thaksin. Is this mob -- clearly seen on TV throwing Molotov cocktails, using car tyres to block roads, smashing ATMs to steal cash, and with a few seen firing an M79 grenade launcher or holding a pistol -- “innocent non-violent protesters and civilians†as fantasized by the statement written by an emplyee of Amsterdam & Peroff (A&P)? A&P should have done a better job, a job worthy of the large pay cheque from Thaksin. Instead they have made the PR firm a laughing stock. As for Thaksin’s call for all the feuding parties to step back and to seek to begin a new, genuine and sincere dialogue, that sounds reasonable and acceptable. But his call for UN intervention is unnecessary and unacceptable. Why bother with the UN when Thaksin himself is a key to help solve the conflict and put an end to the bloodshed. He is revered by the red-shirt leaders, the red-shirt protesters and the mob on the streets who have been causing mayhem in the past few days in Bon Kai, Sala Daeng, Witthayu, Din Daeng, Ratchaprarop and Victory Monument. Why can’t Thaksin just instruct the red-shirt leaders to end the protest and allow the protesters to return home instead of asking for the UN’s help? It is an open secret that the leaders are still answerable to him and often consult him. If Thaksin genuinely and sincerely wants to see an end to the senseless violence and restoration of peace and order in his own motherland - a country he used to say he dearly loves - what he should do now is not only demand the troops cease-fire, but order his own men immediately end the protest at Ratchaprasong. Also, he should urge the street mob, who are mostly red-shirt supporters, to cease their mayhem and return home. The government would certainly respond in kind, and a genuine dialogue could proceed. BP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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