This thread is about political unrest, violence and protests, please start another if you wish to discuss agriculture.Political un-rest and rally
Re: Political un-rest and rally
This thread is about political unrest, violence and protests, please start another if you wish to discuss agriculture.
Re: Political un-rest and rally
BANGKOK, June 26, 2010 (IPS) - With the force of an emergency law behind it, the Thai government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is tightening the screws on an opposition protest movement that, if mishandled, could extract a heavy political price.
On Jun. 28, the powerful department of special investigations (DSI) will begin to question 83 individuals and companies named as the alleged funders of the protesters, known as the ‘red shirts’ for their signature protest colour, who had occupied iconic areas of Bangkok for over two months, till May 19.
The wide-ranging powers of the emergency law is pivotal to trace the flow of money linked to the red shirt movement, admits Tharit Pengdit, the DSI’s director-general, who plans to summon the clan of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former cabinet ministers, retired senior military and police officers and leaders of the red shirts.
Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives in exile to avoid a jail term for corruption, served as the political godfather of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), the now silenced red shirt movement that attracted tens of thousands of supporters drawn to pressure the Abhisit government to dissolve parliament and call for an early election.
Violent clashes between heavily armed Thai troops and an armed wing of the UDD in April and mid-May resulted in 88 deaths, 80 of whom were civilians, and the injury of some 1,800 people during the period when the troops were ordered to clear Bangkok’s streets.
The emergency law was first invoked in early April to deal with the red shirt dissidents in Bangkok and nearby provinces, and expanded weeks later to cover provinces in the rural, rice-growing provinces of north-east Thailand, where the UDD enjoys wide support.
"We want to make sure that the situation returns to normal. To do so, key security factors and concerns must be met," says Panitan Wattanayagorn, the government spokesman, in justifying the emergency law. "We are looking into the money used to support illegal activities, the use of media to create confrontation and the use of arms and weapons."
"The money trail the DSI is investigating is part of the security factors," he tells IPS. "The emergency law enables us to use many agencies to work together before all the cases are forwarded to the courts."
The emergency law, which has a three-month duration, has enabled the government to wage a lopsided propaganda war against the dissidents to ensure that the Abhisit administration’s version of events is reinforced in the mainstream media.
On the funding front, for instance, the government initially declared that the list of suspects responsible for providing assistance worth millions of dollars to the red shirts had 170 names of people and companies, before it was slashed to 83. Newspapers gleefully splashed these private banking details, made possible because the emergency decree overpowers other laws.
And to drive home the message that the red shirts were more interested in sowing violence on the streets of the Thai capital, 39 leading figures of the UDD have been detained on terrorism charges. Thaksin, in absentia, was slapped with a similar charge in accordance with the government’s narrative – that the red shirts have to shoulder the blame for torching at least 30 buildings and using weapons during the confrontation with the troops.
The red shirt media – built around a wide network of television stations, community radio stations, a clutch of magazines and websites – have been unable to counter this state propaganda drive with their customary bellicose rhetoric. Many have been muzzled by the emergency law, while other operators of the red shirt media admitted to IPS that they have been compelled to remain silent or risk being arrested.
"The emergency law is problematic. It does not allow for the freedom of the press," says Pitch Pongsawat, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. "The law has helped to create the image of the protesters as violent."
That the government is sticking to such a tough line while also promising to heal this South-east Asian kingdom’s political divide through a reconciliation initiative is leaving it open to charges that it is undermining its repeated claims of being a standard bearer of liberal democratic values.
Critics say that the 18-month-old Abhisit administration is proving what the red shirt protesters had said all along – that it was a military-backed administration reluctant to go to the polls to secure its legitimacy. The latter view stems from the role the country’s powerful army chief played in shaping a backroom deal in a military compound in December 2008 to ensure that Abhisit had an alliance of parties to secure a victory in a parliamentary vote.
The government is talking of reconciliation, but the country is witnessing a political transition since the crackdown that points to signs of an "authoritarian regime" emerging, says Chaturon Chaisaeng, a former cabinet minister in a Thaksin-led administration and a regular speaker at red shirt rallies. "There is a close alignment between the civilian government, the military, the elite and the mainstream media."
Even newspapers traditionally sympathetic to the Abhisit administration have begun to sound the alarm that the current use of the emergency laws – giving the military, police and the DSI extraordinary powers to target the red shirts – could prove counterproductive.
"To continue (with the emergency law) now that the (red shirt) rally has been dispersed only raises the question of whether the government wants to hold on to these extra powers simply to quell its ‘enemies’ and strengthen its political advantage," the English-language daily ‘Bangkok Post’ commented Friday in an editorial.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51961
On Jun. 28, the powerful department of special investigations (DSI) will begin to question 83 individuals and companies named as the alleged funders of the protesters, known as the ‘red shirts’ for their signature protest colour, who had occupied iconic areas of Bangkok for over two months, till May 19.
The wide-ranging powers of the emergency law is pivotal to trace the flow of money linked to the red shirt movement, admits Tharit Pengdit, the DSI’s director-general, who plans to summon the clan of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former cabinet ministers, retired senior military and police officers and leaders of the red shirts.
Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives in exile to avoid a jail term for corruption, served as the political godfather of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), the now silenced red shirt movement that attracted tens of thousands of supporters drawn to pressure the Abhisit government to dissolve parliament and call for an early election.
Violent clashes between heavily armed Thai troops and an armed wing of the UDD in April and mid-May resulted in 88 deaths, 80 of whom were civilians, and the injury of some 1,800 people during the period when the troops were ordered to clear Bangkok’s streets.
The emergency law was first invoked in early April to deal with the red shirt dissidents in Bangkok and nearby provinces, and expanded weeks later to cover provinces in the rural, rice-growing provinces of north-east Thailand, where the UDD enjoys wide support.
"We want to make sure that the situation returns to normal. To do so, key security factors and concerns must be met," says Panitan Wattanayagorn, the government spokesman, in justifying the emergency law. "We are looking into the money used to support illegal activities, the use of media to create confrontation and the use of arms and weapons."
"The money trail the DSI is investigating is part of the security factors," he tells IPS. "The emergency law enables us to use many agencies to work together before all the cases are forwarded to the courts."
The emergency law, which has a three-month duration, has enabled the government to wage a lopsided propaganda war against the dissidents to ensure that the Abhisit administration’s version of events is reinforced in the mainstream media.
On the funding front, for instance, the government initially declared that the list of suspects responsible for providing assistance worth millions of dollars to the red shirts had 170 names of people and companies, before it was slashed to 83. Newspapers gleefully splashed these private banking details, made possible because the emergency decree overpowers other laws.
And to drive home the message that the red shirts were more interested in sowing violence on the streets of the Thai capital, 39 leading figures of the UDD have been detained on terrorism charges. Thaksin, in absentia, was slapped with a similar charge in accordance with the government’s narrative – that the red shirts have to shoulder the blame for torching at least 30 buildings and using weapons during the confrontation with the troops.
The red shirt media – built around a wide network of television stations, community radio stations, a clutch of magazines and websites – have been unable to counter this state propaganda drive with their customary bellicose rhetoric. Many have been muzzled by the emergency law, while other operators of the red shirt media admitted to IPS that they have been compelled to remain silent or risk being arrested.
"The emergency law is problematic. It does not allow for the freedom of the press," says Pitch Pongsawat, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. "The law has helped to create the image of the protesters as violent."
That the government is sticking to such a tough line while also promising to heal this South-east Asian kingdom’s political divide through a reconciliation initiative is leaving it open to charges that it is undermining its repeated claims of being a standard bearer of liberal democratic values.
Critics say that the 18-month-old Abhisit administration is proving what the red shirt protesters had said all along – that it was a military-backed administration reluctant to go to the polls to secure its legitimacy. The latter view stems from the role the country’s powerful army chief played in shaping a backroom deal in a military compound in December 2008 to ensure that Abhisit had an alliance of parties to secure a victory in a parliamentary vote.
The government is talking of reconciliation, but the country is witnessing a political transition since the crackdown that points to signs of an "authoritarian regime" emerging, says Chaturon Chaisaeng, a former cabinet minister in a Thaksin-led administration and a regular speaker at red shirt rallies. "There is a close alignment between the civilian government, the military, the elite and the mainstream media."
Even newspapers traditionally sympathetic to the Abhisit administration have begun to sound the alarm that the current use of the emergency laws – giving the military, police and the DSI extraordinary powers to target the red shirts – could prove counterproductive.
"To continue (with the emergency law) now that the (red shirt) rally has been dispersed only raises the question of whether the government wants to hold on to these extra powers simply to quell its ‘enemies’ and strengthen its political advantage," the English-language daily ‘Bangkok Post’ commented Friday in an editorial.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51961
Re: Political un-rest and rally
We already missed the Saturday showings but I understand this documentary is on again at 1130 hours Sunday, and 1230 hours Monday. Pete 
http://www.bbcworldnews.com/Pages/Progr ... ureID=1294
http://www.bbcworldnews.com/Pages/Progr ... ureID=1294
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Political un-rest and rally
I just watched it and I don`t believe it summed up, or shows anything new. Part of it follows a Thai couple from Isan with their comments, mostly about how Taksin saved the whole country.prcscct wrote:We already missed the Saturday showings but I understand this documentary is on again at 1130 hours Sunday, and 1230 hours Monday. Pete
http://www.bbcworldnews.com/Pages/Progr ... ureID=1294
Followed by numerous shots of dead and injured bodies laying around, with the inference that the Army were responsible for all of them.
At least that ridiculous Rachel Harvey did not have any airtime!
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: Political un-rest and rally
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it even though, I agree, doesn't show anything new and maybe in fact a little "missing the point"Nereus wrote:I just watched it and I don`t believe it summed up, or shows anything new. Part of it follows a Thai couple from Isan with their comments, mostly about how Taksin saved the whole country.prcscct wrote:We already missed the Saturday showings but I understand this documentary is on again at 1130 hours Sunday, and 1230 hours Monday. Pete
http://www.bbcworldnews.com/Pages/Progr ... ureID=1294
Followed by numerous shots of dead and injured bodies laying around, with the inference that the Army were responsible for all of them.
At least that ridiculous Rachel Harvey did not have any airtime!
It is funny though, the idea that Thaksin saved the country. Looking at his contributions to the farmers during his time, he kept spending at around the same levels as the previous government. In fact, it is hard to find anything he did that was completely new or not already done by a government before or after...hmmm.
Re: Political un-rest and rally
Not long ago, Abdullah Sunata was a poster child for Indonesia's efforts to persuade jailed terrorists to give up their violent ways. He was given furloughs to attend lawn parties and police helped pay for hospital bills when his wife gave birth.
But immediately after his release on good behaviour one year ago, Sunata allegedly returned to his old ways, catapulting to the top of the country's most-wanted list.
He was arrested on Wednesday for suspected involvement in a plot to carry out a Mumbai-style attack in the capital Jakarta and several high-profile assassinations, including one on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Sunata's turnaround, experts say, highlights weaknesses in the country's deradicalisation programme. While officers provide financial help to reformed inmates and their families, and sometimes help negotiate early releases, little is done to challenge radical religious tenets, such as the goal of imposing Islamic rule.
"Many of those who are supposedly deradicalised remain committed to those goals," said John Horgan, director of the International Center for the Study of Terrorism at Pennsylvania State University.
This will obviously be a model de-radicalising model for use on the "red shirts charged ha, ha.
But immediately after his release on good behaviour one year ago, Sunata allegedly returned to his old ways, catapulting to the top of the country's most-wanted list.
He was arrested on Wednesday for suspected involvement in a plot to carry out a Mumbai-style attack in the capital Jakarta and several high-profile assassinations, including one on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Sunata's turnaround, experts say, highlights weaknesses in the country's deradicalisation programme. While officers provide financial help to reformed inmates and their families, and sometimes help negotiate early releases, little is done to challenge radical religious tenets, such as the goal of imposing Islamic rule.
"Many of those who are supposedly deradicalised remain committed to those goals," said John Horgan, director of the International Center for the Study of Terrorism at Pennsylvania State University.
This will obviously be a model de-radicalising model for use on the "red shirts charged ha, ha.
Re: Political un-rest and rally
BANGKOK, July 5 - Thailand's Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) on Monday decided to extend the State of Emergency in the Thai capital and 23 other provinces citing continued attempt to stir up disorder as its rationale.
CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said after the agency met that it resolved unanimously that the Emergency Decree which was due to expire July 7 should remain in force to maintain order in 24 provinces, including the capital, as the situation remains uncertain.
The Emergency Decree has been enforced in Bangkok since early April following an intensified campaign by the Red Shirt movement against the
Democrat-led coalition government, followed by similar law enforcement in 23 provinces in the north and northeast which are strongholds of the anti-government movement.
Col Sansern said the meeting considered situation assessments and intelligence reports from many concerned agencies including the national
police bureau, the army and the interior ministry and found that there are still attempts to distort information to instigate the public.
The CRES spokesman added that the security forces ammunition seized by Red Shirt protesters during the disorder has not yet been returned to the authorities.
The action reflects the CRES belief that "extending the Emergency Decree will help officials maintain law and order" and "economic stability," said Col Sansern.
The spokesman said that CRES director Suthep Thuagsuban will propose the CRES resolution to the Cabinet meeting Tuesday. (MCOT online news)
CRES spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said after the agency met that it resolved unanimously that the Emergency Decree which was due to expire July 7 should remain in force to maintain order in 24 provinces, including the capital, as the situation remains uncertain.
The Emergency Decree has been enforced in Bangkok since early April following an intensified campaign by the Red Shirt movement against the
Democrat-led coalition government, followed by similar law enforcement in 23 provinces in the north and northeast which are strongholds of the anti-government movement.
Col Sansern said the meeting considered situation assessments and intelligence reports from many concerned agencies including the national
police bureau, the army and the interior ministry and found that there are still attempts to distort information to instigate the public.
The CRES spokesman added that the security forces ammunition seized by Red Shirt protesters during the disorder has not yet been returned to the authorities.
The action reflects the CRES belief that "extending the Emergency Decree will help officials maintain law and order" and "economic stability," said Col Sansern.
The spokesman said that CRES director Suthep Thuagsuban will propose the CRES resolution to the Cabinet meeting Tuesday. (MCOT online news)
Re: Political un-rest and rally
Here we go again ...
Suthep: Reds planning fresh unrest
Preparations are being made for another round of unrest by certain anti-government elements, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday.
Mr Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, said leaders of such elements had been going out to meet various groups of people in a campaign to generate hatred of the government.
"They are making preparations for anti-government activities. They have told the people they meet to be ready for action at a time yet to be fixed," he said without mentioning sources of information.
Asked about a claim by Democrat Party leader's personal spokesman Tepthai Senpong that the party had obtained information about three weapons training hideouts run by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship UDD), Mr Suthep said he did not know where Mr Tepthai got the information from.
However, the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) had also been informed that there had been arms training courses for the red-shirts. Mr Tepthai's information would also be checked out, he said.
Full Story: Bangkok Post
Suthep: Reds planning fresh unrest
Preparations are being made for another round of unrest by certain anti-government elements, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday.
Mr Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, said leaders of such elements had been going out to meet various groups of people in a campaign to generate hatred of the government.
"They are making preparations for anti-government activities. They have told the people they meet to be ready for action at a time yet to be fixed," he said without mentioning sources of information.
Asked about a claim by Democrat Party leader's personal spokesman Tepthai Senpong that the party had obtained information about three weapons training hideouts run by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship UDD), Mr Suthep said he did not know where Mr Tepthai got the information from.
However, the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) had also been informed that there had been arms training courses for the red-shirts. Mr Tepthai's information would also be checked out, he said.
Full Story: Bangkok Post
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Political un-rest and rally
I think this idiot got off lightly in the circumstances:
BANGKOK (AFP)— A Briton who was arrested for joining violent "Red Shirt" street protests in Thailand will be freed Thursday after pleading guilty to violating a state of emergency, his lawyer said.
Jeff Savage was given six weeks in prison but will be released because he has already served his term, said the lawyer, Prachaya Vijitpokin.
"The court found him guilty and sentenced him to three months in jail but due to his confession the sentence was reduced by half," Prachaya told AFP.
He will be taken to the immigration authorities and is expected to be deported because he has overstayed his visa, he said.
Savage, who used to work for Queen Elizabeth II's royal household, was arrested in May and charged with breaching emergency law, an offence which carries a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment.
He was accused by the Thai government of inciting protesters to set fire to a major shopping mall, Central World.
He was seen on a video clip saying of Central World: "We're going to loot everything, gold, watches, everything, and then we're gonna burn it to the ground."
The two-month-long opposition protest in central Bangkok descended into several outbreaks of violence that left 90 people dead since mid-March, mostly civilians, and nearly 1,900 injured.
After a bloody army crackdown ended the rally in May, hardcore demonstrators set dozens of buildings ablaze including the stock exchange and Central World, which now stands in ruins.
The authorities have used their emergency powers to arrest hundreds of suspects, including most top Red Shirt leaders.
BANGKOK (AFP)— A Briton who was arrested for joining violent "Red Shirt" street protests in Thailand will be freed Thursday after pleading guilty to violating a state of emergency, his lawyer said.
Jeff Savage was given six weeks in prison but will be released because he has already served his term, said the lawyer, Prachaya Vijitpokin.
"The court found him guilty and sentenced him to three months in jail but due to his confession the sentence was reduced by half," Prachaya told AFP.
He will be taken to the immigration authorities and is expected to be deported because he has overstayed his visa, he said.
Savage, who used to work for Queen Elizabeth II's royal household, was arrested in May and charged with breaching emergency law, an offence which carries a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment.
He was accused by the Thai government of inciting protesters to set fire to a major shopping mall, Central World.
He was seen on a video clip saying of Central World: "We're going to loot everything, gold, watches, everything, and then we're gonna burn it to the ground."
The two-month-long opposition protest in central Bangkok descended into several outbreaks of violence that left 90 people dead since mid-March, mostly civilians, and nearly 1,900 injured.
After a bloody army crackdown ended the rally in May, hardcore demonstrators set dozens of buildings ablaze including the stock exchange and Central World, which now stands in ruins.
The authorities have used their emergency powers to arrest hundreds of suspects, including most top Red Shirt leaders.
Re: Political un-rest and rally
This country has some huge problems. Keeping it together and progressing to a better future in light of this thread's ongoing subject problems and the other things like corruption/nepotism/personal greed/indifference to all, even other family members when it comes to avarice does not bode well. I think foreigners and what they think are the least of their worries. A good long look in the mirror is needed.
Sometimes I have major reservations about the future here and the direction of the progression of social values when I start to think about it, but then its probably just me being overly dramatic as it seems to be a common problem here in all Asian countries.
Yes Steve, that prat did get off lightly, should've got something more severe for inciting arson. Maybe they've just got bigger fish to fry right now and don't want the embassy getting involved.
Sometimes I have major reservations about the future here and the direction of the progression of social values when I start to think about it, but then its probably just me being overly dramatic as it seems to be a common problem here in all Asian countries.
Yes Steve, that prat did get off lightly, should've got something more severe for inciting arson. Maybe they've just got bigger fish to fry right now and don't want the embassy getting involved.
Resolve dissolves in alcohol
Re: Political un-rest and rally
Seems we have a confession. Pete
Close aide of Seh Daeng arrested
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1 ... g-arrested
* Published: 15/07/2010 at 03:24 PM
* Online news: Local News
A fugitive close to the late Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, or Seh Daeng, has been captured and has admitted to being one of the "men in black" who shot at the security forces, police said on Thursday.
Surachai Thewarat, alias Rang, aged 25, He is on the Department of Special Investigation's (DSI) "most wanted" list.
He was arrested in room 11 at the For You Hotel in Lop Buri's Muang district on Thursday morning during a raid led by Pol Maj-Gen Thanapol Sonthes, commander of the Special Patrol and Operations Division, or 191 police.
Pol Maj-Gen Thanapol said Mr Surachai is wanted on three warrants on charges of terrorism, violating the emergency decree and bodily assault.
The fugitive had fled to Cambodia after May 19 and returned to Thailand on June 26.
He reportedly went into hiding in the North, Northeast and East regions before ending up at the hotel in Lop Buri where he was arrested.
Pol Col Panurat Lakboon, deputy commander of the 191 police, said a preliminary interrogation of the suspect revealed Mr Surachai had been involved in many violent incidents in Bangkok.
During preliminary interrogation, Mr Surachai confessed to having been a close aide of Maj-Gen Khattiya for many years and that he helped the late general in the training of "King Taksin warriors".
He said he was one of the "men in black" who fired M79 rounds at a Lumpini police flat on May 15. It was he who opened fire with an M16 rifle at a security checkpoint at the Sala Daeng intersection on May 8, killing two policemen.
Seh Daeng planned and commanded every attack, he said, but declined to reveal how many people were involved, according to police.
Mr Surachai also said Maj-Gen Khattiya took him and other "men in black" to undergo weapons and tactical training in Taiwan, Pol Col Panurat said.
Mr Surachai returned to Thailand from Cambodia on June 26 and regrouped with former subordinates of Seh Daeng.
He contacted his wife, saying that he was staying in a hotel in Lop Buri and would send her some money after completing an important mission, leading to his arrest on Thursday morning.
DSI chief Tharit Pengdit said said he had been in contact with Pol Gen Panupong Seehara na Ayutthaya, a deputy national police chief.
Since Mr Surachai was arrested under a warrant on terrorism charges, not for violating the emergency decree, he would not be detained by police but would be handed over to the DSI later on Thursday, Mr Tharit said.
The DSI chief also said that during the police interrogation Mr Surachai confessed to having been in one on the "men in black" and having taken part in a number of armed attacks during the mass protests of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.
Close aide of Seh Daeng arrested
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1 ... g-arrested
* Published: 15/07/2010 at 03:24 PM
* Online news: Local News
A fugitive close to the late Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, or Seh Daeng, has been captured and has admitted to being one of the "men in black" who shot at the security forces, police said on Thursday.
Surachai Thewarat, alias Rang, aged 25, He is on the Department of Special Investigation's (DSI) "most wanted" list.
He was arrested in room 11 at the For You Hotel in Lop Buri's Muang district on Thursday morning during a raid led by Pol Maj-Gen Thanapol Sonthes, commander of the Special Patrol and Operations Division, or 191 police.
Pol Maj-Gen Thanapol said Mr Surachai is wanted on three warrants on charges of terrorism, violating the emergency decree and bodily assault.
The fugitive had fled to Cambodia after May 19 and returned to Thailand on June 26.
He reportedly went into hiding in the North, Northeast and East regions before ending up at the hotel in Lop Buri where he was arrested.
Pol Col Panurat Lakboon, deputy commander of the 191 police, said a preliminary interrogation of the suspect revealed Mr Surachai had been involved in many violent incidents in Bangkok.
During preliminary interrogation, Mr Surachai confessed to having been a close aide of Maj-Gen Khattiya for many years and that he helped the late general in the training of "King Taksin warriors".
He said he was one of the "men in black" who fired M79 rounds at a Lumpini police flat on May 15. It was he who opened fire with an M16 rifle at a security checkpoint at the Sala Daeng intersection on May 8, killing two policemen.
Seh Daeng planned and commanded every attack, he said, but declined to reveal how many people were involved, according to police.
Mr Surachai also said Maj-Gen Khattiya took him and other "men in black" to undergo weapons and tactical training in Taiwan, Pol Col Panurat said.
Mr Surachai returned to Thailand from Cambodia on June 26 and regrouped with former subordinates of Seh Daeng.
He contacted his wife, saying that he was staying in a hotel in Lop Buri and would send her some money after completing an important mission, leading to his arrest on Thursday morning.
DSI chief Tharit Pengdit said said he had been in contact with Pol Gen Panupong Seehara na Ayutthaya, a deputy national police chief.
Since Mr Surachai was arrested under a warrant on terrorism charges, not for violating the emergency decree, he would not be detained by police but would be handed over to the DSI later on Thursday, Mr Tharit said.
The DSI chief also said that during the police interrogation Mr Surachai confessed to having been in one on the "men in black" and having taken part in a number of armed attacks during the mass protests of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Political un-rest and rally
In Thailand unrest, journalists under fire.
Two journalists died and several others were injured during the country’s political unrest. A CPJ investigation has found that both security forces and protesters engaged in reckless behavior—and in the aftermath, the government has done little to bring anyone to account.
A CPJ special report by Shawn W. Crispin:
http://cpj.org/reports/2010/07/in-thail ... r-fire.php
Two journalists died and several others were injured during the country’s political unrest. A CPJ investigation has found that both security forces and protesters engaged in reckless behavior—and in the aftermath, the government has done little to bring anyone to account.
A CPJ special report by Shawn W. Crispin:
http://cpj.org/reports/2010/07/in-thail ... r-fire.php
Re: Political un-rest and rally
Bangkok city officials say they are humbled and inspired after receiving Travel + Leisure magazine's "Top City" award, despite recent street riots that sent tourists packing.
Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra told a news conference that the award offers a morale boost to the battered capital and called on political protesters to behave themselves. The recent political upheaval prompted dozens of international travel advisories and emptied hotels.
"What we have in our hands is very precious," said Sukhumbhand. "We must prevent troubles and any more losses from happening in our beloved city. We should not damage it any further."
A grenade explosion Sunday in a central Bangkok shopping area killed one person and wounded 10. Authorities have declined to speculate if it was politically related.
The No. 1 ranking in the magazine's top 10 cities list appears in the August edition of Travel + Leisure, which was based on a poll of readers who cast votes from December to March to rate their favorite cities, islands, hotels, airlines and other categories. Nearly 16,000 readers participated. The polling stopped a few days before civil disorder erupted in Bangkok that lasted 10 weeks and ended May 19 with nearly 90 dead and 1,400 hurt.
During the chaos, several top hotels and upscale department stores closed because they were surrounded by thousands of anti-government protesters. Dozens of buildings were damaged or burned as the protests were broken up in a military crackdown.
Nationwide hotel occupancy in May — the end of tourism's high season — was 32 percent, down 10 percent from the same period last year, said Prakit Chinamornpong, president of Thai Hotels Association.
The Bangkok governor visited New York last week to pick up the award from the magazine's publishers and said he met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and asked for advice about New York's post 9-11 recovery.
"'Bad things happened, but we must move forward. We can't stop. We must keep up the morale.' That's what Mayor Bloomberg told me," he said.
New York City ranked 10th among favorite cities in the poll. Second was the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, followed by Florence, Italy; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; and Rome.
Bangkok No 1 or NY No 10, I don't know which is more laughable.
Travel + Leisure must be a real prestige publication with authors from the blind school ha, ha.
Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra told a news conference that the award offers a morale boost to the battered capital and called on political protesters to behave themselves. The recent political upheaval prompted dozens of international travel advisories and emptied hotels.
"What we have in our hands is very precious," said Sukhumbhand. "We must prevent troubles and any more losses from happening in our beloved city. We should not damage it any further."
A grenade explosion Sunday in a central Bangkok shopping area killed one person and wounded 10. Authorities have declined to speculate if it was politically related.
The No. 1 ranking in the magazine's top 10 cities list appears in the August edition of Travel + Leisure, which was based on a poll of readers who cast votes from December to March to rate their favorite cities, islands, hotels, airlines and other categories. Nearly 16,000 readers participated. The polling stopped a few days before civil disorder erupted in Bangkok that lasted 10 weeks and ended May 19 with nearly 90 dead and 1,400 hurt.
During the chaos, several top hotels and upscale department stores closed because they were surrounded by thousands of anti-government protesters. Dozens of buildings were damaged or burned as the protests were broken up in a military crackdown.
Nationwide hotel occupancy in May — the end of tourism's high season — was 32 percent, down 10 percent from the same period last year, said Prakit Chinamornpong, president of Thai Hotels Association.
The Bangkok governor visited New York last week to pick up the award from the magazine's publishers and said he met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and asked for advice about New York's post 9-11 recovery.
"'Bad things happened, but we must move forward. We can't stop. We must keep up the morale.' That's what Mayor Bloomberg told me," he said.
New York City ranked 10th among favorite cities in the poll. Second was the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, followed by Florence, Italy; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; and Rome.
Bangkok No 1 or NY No 10, I don't know which is more laughable.
Travel + Leisure must be a real prestige publication with authors from the blind school ha, ha.
Re: Political un-rest and rally
Here's an interesting new approach:
Thailand's perfect solution
http://www.smh.com.au/business/thailand ... 11zup.html
Thailand's perfect solution
http://www.smh.com.au/business/thailand ... 11zup.html
Re: Political un-rest and rally
Interesting analysis from Britain:
Programme Paper: Thailand: No Longer the Land of Smiles?
SUMMARY
· The recent protests in Thailand represent a move beyond the
initial ‘colour-coded’ tension between the anti-Thaksin People’s
Alliance for Democracy (‘yellow-shirts’), and the pro-Thaksin
United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (‘red-shirts’).
There is now a sharp divide between the conservative elites who
have traditionally governed Thailand and those who view
themselves as the underclass.
· Without early elections and genuine political, social and economic
reform, it appears likely that political instability in Thailand will
remain. This will have repercussions for the economy and the
rest of the region.
· The international community may be able to play a role in
encouraging the reforms needed to resolve Thailand’s political
divide, if it can manage the delicate balancing act of maintaining
good relations with both sides.
· If the situation continues down the current path, with a unilateral
reconciliation process, no fixed date for elections, and little
genuine effort to address the grievances of urban and rural poor,
there is likely to be a deepened political divide and renewed
violence, exacerbated by former prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra’s continuing role.
http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/17 ... brungs.pdf
Programme Paper: Thailand: No Longer the Land of Smiles?
SUMMARY
· The recent protests in Thailand represent a move beyond the
initial ‘colour-coded’ tension between the anti-Thaksin People’s
Alliance for Democracy (‘yellow-shirts’), and the pro-Thaksin
United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (‘red-shirts’).
There is now a sharp divide between the conservative elites who
have traditionally governed Thailand and those who view
themselves as the underclass.
· Without early elections and genuine political, social and economic
reform, it appears likely that political instability in Thailand will
remain. This will have repercussions for the economy and the
rest of the region.
· The international community may be able to play a role in
encouraging the reforms needed to resolve Thailand’s political
divide, if it can manage the delicate balancing act of maintaining
good relations with both sides.
· If the situation continues down the current path, with a unilateral
reconciliation process, no fixed date for elections, and little
genuine effort to address the grievances of urban and rural poor,
there is likely to be a deepened political divide and renewed
violence, exacerbated by former prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra’s continuing role.
http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/17 ... brungs.pdf
"We're all living proof nothing lasts" - Jay Farrar