Thailand - Justice Under Fire

[Randy Cornhole]

This is currently on the BBC iplayer (if you can get it over there?)

In Thailand a charismatic woman leader has just won a general election promising justice for the victims of army violence. Last year more than ninety people were killed in bloody clashes between demonstrators and the army in central Bangkok.

Award-winning correspondent Fergal Keane investigates the struggle of victims' families as they seek the truth about what happened to their loved ones. He explores claims of cover-up and impunity for the powerful.

[Spitfire]

Thailand - Justice Under Fire

Must be a small target if it is..........anyone got any telescopic sights?

[Vital Spark]

Just found this to download from my favourite TV site. I haven't watched it yet (it's still downloading), but it could be interesting...

Here's the blurb:
DOCUMENTARY: This World
On: BBC 2 North (2)
Date: Sunday 7th August 2011 (Already shown)
Time: 22:30 to 23:30 (1 hour long)

Thailand - Justice Under Fire.
International investigative documentary series. In 2010, more than 90 people were killed during bloody clashes between demonstrators and the army in central Bangkok. In the wake of a general election where the winning candidate has promised justice for the victims of army violence, Fergal Keane investigates the struggle of victims' families. He explores claims of cover-ups and impunity for the powerful.

VS

[sandman67]

as I tried to comment on various Bankok Post articles on this nonsense

1) The BBC has been sold hook line and sinker the victim card without ever examining what actually led to the shootings = bombs going off, grenade attacks, paramilitary rioters shooting at army and police, Sae Dengs shabby terrorist cell, barricades and petrol soaked tyres, etc etc. The BBC convientently ignore that.

2)Pull that stunt in any western capital and see what happens.

Utter crapola. Victims my arse.

[STEVE G]

Victims my arse.

I saw some of this programme on BBC and whilst obviously not all of those killed were innocent, the ones that were highlighted on the part that I saw were cases such as the medical staff and journalists that certainly seemed to be.

[caller]

I've recorded it to watch in the next day or so, I'll give my feedback then. I'm currently watching a new episode of 'London's Burning', to be followed by a repeat of the old 'Softly, Softly' Police series and ending with 'Casualty'!

[Takiap]

as I tried to comment on various Bankok Post articles on this nonsense

1) The BBC has been sold hook line and sinker the victim card without ever examining what actually led to the shootings = bombs going off, grenade attacks, paramilitary rioters shooting at army and police, Sae Dengs shabby terrorist cell, barricades and petrol soaked tyres, etc etc. The BBC convientently ignore that.

2)Pull that stunt in any western capital and see what happens.

Utter crapola. Victims my arse.

[caller]

Have you seen it?

[Takiap]

No disrespect caller, but I really don't have much time for politics. All I know, is that in my opinion, the army did not overreact. If you fire on the military, what on earth do you expect.The army were sent in to disperse an extremely hostile and heavily armed mob..........and at the end of the day, that's what they did, after, if I might add, giving several warnings. Now, if I had been there at the time, I would have had enough common sense to leave.

I still can't see why there's so much fuss over 90 people, when Taksin never had to answer for the thousands he ordered killed in his little war on drugs, or the Gestapo type killing of all those Muslims down south when they were packed like sardines in a truck. Selective memory I guess.


Hey, I think the UK police could learn a thing or two......lol. Maybe they could then put an end to the mayhem in London....

[mo1]

Takiap wrote
"I still can't see why there's so much fuss over 90 people"
I wonder whether you would have felt the same if one of your loved one was among the 91 victims?
or maybe your political views are blinding your Humanity!

[STEVE G]

Pol Lt Col Somchai Pateprasert, Chair of the House Committee on Military Affairs and a Phue Thai MP for Nakhon Ratchasima, disclosed an account of ammunition disbursed by the army during the crackdown on red shirts early last year.

597,500 rounds of ammunition were disbursed by the army from its arsenal to support the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation’s activities from 11 Mar until the end of the rallies, and 479,577 rounds were returned. That means that 117,923 were used.

The total number includes 3,000 sniper rounds of which 880 were returned, and 10,000 blank rounds of which 3,380 were returned, he said.
MCOT

[wpcoe]

I found this short section from the program on YouTube mentioned on another forum:

[Takiap]

Takiap wrote
"I still can't see why there's so much fuss over 90 people"
I wonder whether you would have felt the same if one of your loved one was among the 91 victims?
or maybe your political views are blinding your Humanity!

Heartbroken I would be, but I hope and trust that I am able to raise my kids in such a way so that they would have more sense than to challenge armed troops. And, let us not forget, it was not only civilians who got killed.

Now, I wonder if you have ever personally been in a similar situation to those troops? Having a gun and a uniform, believe it or not, doesn't magically transform an ordinary person into some sort of fearless super hero.



Anyway, back to topic...........if the red shirt leaders had spent less time in their plush hotel rooms, they could have warned and advised the angry children to go back home instead of torching half the city. It will be interesting to see how Thaksin handles any future trouble, should it occur. My guess is, the death toll will be a lot higher.

[charlesh]

Shades of the Empires great expedition in WWI with the lower classes being coerced by those in power with pistols behind them - just in case, and was mirrored by our Soviet comrades in WWII with political commissars and just in case (machine gun squads) cajoling the unruly masses to greater glories! Funny how history repeats itself in various guises (and excuses).