UPDATE:
17:15pm I understand that both Sondhi L and Samak have been interviewed by CNN. The device I am using doesn't have the right flash player, but the Sondhi L interview is meant to be here.
If anyone can point to a link to the Samak interview please e-mail me or post in the comments.
Note to self: Refrain from making snide remarks that the rest of the world will see these two as reflective of Thailand.
15:30pm The left-wing, progressive unions do what such unions do:
Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) labour union leader Pian Yongnu said the union will call on the national army chief, Gen Anupong Paojinda, who has been appointed to head a committee responsible for enforcing the emergency decree to consider three conditions to resolve the civil strife.
They include the resignation of Prime Minister and Defence Minister Samak Sundaravej, the dissolution of the House of Representatives, and the military administration of the government.
According to Mr Pian, the unrest situation has spread to all corners of the country following clashes between members of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) early Tuesday, leading to one death and dozens of injuries.
The union chief further claimed that the country is collapsing, and democracy cannot move forward. Although the army has been taking a neutral stance, other state officials could not maintain the situation, he added.
Mr Pian threatened that if the union does not receive any response, it will cut off electricity to the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday.
BP: Military government for the union.
Matichon also has some photos here. You can take what you want that they only show UDD/DAAD in a bad light - general rule of thumb is PAD is in yellow and UDD/DAAD is in red - athough since I posted a photo below of the PAD in a bad light, being fair I wil post this too.Most of the photos are self-explanatory (click on a photo to enlarge), but one photo is worth considering and that is the one with the PAD lined up. They look like they are waiting. I read a couple of earlier articles that suggested that UDD/DAAD attacked the PAD.
If you read the Strait Times report below there is certainly a clash and PAD were waiting and surprised DAAD/UDD. There is some conjecture over whether UDD/DAAD were going to Government House to attack the PAD or to just set up camp at Makkawan Bridge (they had a truck with tents) to taunt them and block off access. Either way PAD have been in a seige mentality state for days so even if it was later, the PAD interpreted it as the former and it was unacceptable that there be any incursion on their "territory".
Furthermore, I find it interesting that the State of Emergency Committee is looking at taking action against NBT and ASTV as they "broadcast provoking and one-sided reports". Is NBT really as bad as ASTV? I mean does NBT use The Manager Group rhetoric of tyrants, animal from hell government and depict the PAD protesters as sub-human. I think there are some problems with NBT and they need to get rid of that ridicolous Truth Today program (the one run with the PPP MPs where they discuss events), but is the rest of NBT really as bad as ASTV? The entire ASTV programming (when I force myself with alcohol to watch it) is about painting the government as evil and suppressing dissent.
Aside from the Truth Today program, I don't see that much difference between NBT (pro-government position) and ThaiPBS (anti-government position) in the news reporting - ThaiPBS are better resourced so I prefer their coverage. Do you really think that when ThaiPBS reporters report from Government House and they have a number of PAD protesters standing right behind them (see this example here), they are going to criticize the PAD protesters? I can understand why given the PAD protesters attacked an MCOT reporter last week as their reports were biased. I have no doubt the same thing happens at UDD/DAAD protest.
NOTE: I will concede that in the immediate aftermath of the NBT seizure the NBT coverage of the PAD protests was extremely negative, but understand why as they had a group of armed thugs invade their workplace and threaten them so they were adopting a siege mentality.
12:30pm Bloomberg:
The People's Alliance has entrenched itself at Samak's office, setting up barbed-wire barriers and arming themselves with metal poles, golf clubs and knives.
``For the emergency decree to carry any weight, it has to be enforced,'' said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute for Strategic and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. ``We're looking at an intense, do-or-die brinksmanship here.''
By continuing to occupy Government House against the law, the People's Alliance is ``baying for blood,'' he added.
The pro-government supporters started gathering two days ago at Sanam Luang, a field a few miles from Government House. Comprising Bangkok taxi drivers and people from northeast Thailand, Thaksin's political base, the group decried the government's peaceful handling of the People's Alliance so far.
Two People Shot
Police officers easily gave way to the pro-government protesters last night, taking pictures on their mobile phones as they passed by. After the two sides clashed and the gunshots were fired, the police moved in again to separate the two sides and closed surrounding roads.
Three people were shot, one in the chest, the Public Health Ministry said in a statement. A 55-year-old man died from injuries to the head and body, it said.
The Bangkok Post has details of the conditions of the state of emergency:
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej imposed a state of emergency in Bangkok on Tuesday morning. It was invoked under the Executive Decree for National Administration under an Emergency Situation. It may in effect until Nov 30.
The order came after serious clashes between protesters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship of Thailand (UDDT) that left at least one person killed and about 40 injured.
Under the prime minister’s order, Army Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda, in his capacity as deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), has been appointed chairman of a committee for enforcement of the state of emergency and First Army commander Lt-Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha and Police Chief Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan his deputies.
The prime minister also issued another order prohibiting assembly of more than five people, publication of news which may cause panic or distort facts affecting law and order, and use of buildings or vehicles as specified by the army chief. People are subject to be moved out of certain areas as ordered by the army chief.
BP: Samak has said it only last for a few days although obviously depends on whether it can remove the protesters. UDD/DAAD disperse, PAD refuse.
Meanwhile, the EC has recommended the dissolution of PPP. The case now goes to the Constitutional Court for adjudication.
Other Thai bloggers who have blogged on the State of Emergency include Kitty, Fonzi, the Bugle, Jotman, and New Mandala has multiple posts on the issue.
11:59am Via a longtime reader are these Panthip threads (here and here) with various screenshots from Thai TV - images are not that graphic and updated details (in Thai only) throughout the night. INN News has regular updates in Thai only, but also a couple of photos. One is rather graphic. Another shows half a dozen yellow shirt wearers attacking a guy in red with wooden and metal sticks who is on the ground.
There are conflicting reports on whether the person shot was a PAD supporter or an UDD/DAAD supporter.
BP: There have been injuries on both sides. PAD protesters in the South are protesting the declaration of the state of emergency by blocking access to airports in Krabi and Hat Yai.
I should also note that in "Bangkok" there are press restrictions because of the state of emergency. Thai Rath reports quoting Samak that criticism/analysis and the presenting of news as normal is allowed although when he mentions ASTV (I assume he was asked), he said there the committee (state of emergency committee ???) will monitor it. The Manager website is still operating as normal and doesn't seem to have altered any of his content. It currently refers to Samak as the tryant (“ผู้นำทรราช”).
NOTE: A general rule of thumb is PAD is in yellow and UDD/DAAD is in red although this is not always the case.
10:30am PAD attempts to provoke violdence don't seem have gotten what they want as while Samak has put Gen. Anupong in control under the state of emergency, there is no coup.
10am Samak:
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said protesters must leave the main government complex they occupied one week ago, citing a state of emergency he has imposed in Bangkok.
"No one has the right to do such a thing as they have done,'' he told a nationally televised press conference.
"I had no other choice but to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok in order to solve the problem for once and for all. The military and police will carry out the implementation,'' he said.
BP: Samak's say they will remove all protesters (UDD/DAAD and PAD) although Supreme Commander Boonsang has said on TV this morning that negotiations may be held with both groups of protesters first before they are removed.
PAD Response:
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said protesters must leave the main government complex they occupied one week ago, citing a state of emergency he has imposed in Bangkok.
"No one has the right to do such a thing as they have done,'' he told a nationally televised press conference.
"I had no other choice but to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok in order to solve the problem for once and for all. The military and police will carry out the implementation,'' he said.
BP:
9am State of Emergency declared. BBC:
"Because last night there was unrest affecting the peaceful law and order in the country and obstructing the democratic process, the government has declared a state of emergency, which will affect people's individual freedoms," an announcement on state radio said.
The best report I have seen is from Nirmal of the Strait Times:
THAI Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared a state of emergency in Bangkok on Tuesday, state radio announced, hours after clashes between opponents and supporters of his government left one dead.
Mr Samak appointed the powerful army commander General Anupong Paojinda as chief of a new team tasked with enforcing the emergency decree, with Bangkok's police chief and the capital's regional army commander as his deputies.
Early on Tuesday morning, the weeks of tension and huge gulf between the Bangkok elites and upcountry rural Thailand erupted into a pitched battle on Rajadamnoen Avenue in the heart of historic Bangkok.
Some 5,000 pro-government protestors who had been pouring into Bangkok all day, at around midnight began marching up Rajadamnoen Avenue towards Makkawan bridge.
The PAD which has been occupying Government House located just beyond the bridge, lay in wait behind barricades.
The mood in the PAD camp was serious and businesslike. All the men at the barrier wore helmets and carried baseball bats. Some had slingshots. From a distance, the sound of the pro-government crowd could be heard as they approached.
The pro-government crowd, many wearing red shirts and red headbands, marched quickly towards the Makkawan bridge and was met by a double row of police in full riot protection gear but without batons. In less than five minutes the police allowed the crowd through.
Minutes later at about 1.20am the police simply walked away and watched from a distance as the almost medieval battle erupted.
Some in the crowd, armed with two by fours and rods and slingshots, began to run towards the PAD's sparsely guarded outer perimeter. The PAD guards manning the perimeter ran and the crowd chased them, throwing aside metal barriers. The men were screaming with rage as they ran at the PAD. One car window was broken and the pro-government crowd roared.
But as the few dozen young men in the vanguard of the pro-government crowd neared the PAD just after 1am, the close ranks of the PAD suddenly roared and came running out in a full charge, plowing into the pro-government crowd who were totally outnumbered and ill equipped to defend against the charge.
Simultaneously a volley of gunfire erupted from the PAD, and at least one pro-government protestor fell immediately, eyewitnesses from the pro-government group said. But Thai media reported that a PAD member had been killed.
Another report quoted a hospital source saying that the man was from Nakorn Ratchasima in the north east - where most of the pro-government crowd was from.
A pitched battle ensued where the two rival mobs met, with many at the rear of the pro-government crowd running helter skelter as they realised the PAD had the upper hand and heard the gunshots.
After an initial shot, more shots were heard at random intervals as the struggle surged back and forth for about two or three minutes.
The shots were clearly coming from the PAD ranks. Bullets zinged into the trees above me and another journalist from Bloomberg; we were the only foreign journalists there.
One of the bullets cut down a branch.
Later two bullet marks were found on the tree, and one bullet on the ground. At the burst of shots I shouted 'bullet' and we both ducked and ran with the crowd, which was climbing over walls and trying to break into nearby buildings to get away.
The situation calmed momentarily then.
An injured man was carried away to the rear of the crowd, blood pouring from his leg.
Ambulances appeared with sirens howling and raced to the site of the riot taking some of the injured to hospitals.
At least 5 ambulances took away the injured, estimated by some sources at between 25 and 35. More ambulances were standing by.
The street strewn with rubble from the battle.
The pro-government crowd appeared stunned at being shot at by the PAD. 'We brought sticks and knives to a gunfight,' one man said. Several women sat on the sidewalk with their heads in their hands.
The PAD has advanced several metres and now massed in the street in a show of strength, facing down the pro-government crowd.
A man on top of a truck in the pro-government crowd screamed into a microphone urging the men not to back off. 'More of us are coming,' he screamed.
He also shouted 'No one is above the law' referring to the arrest warrants issued against the five PAD leaders and four other key PAD people - who have all been avoiding arrest by staying inside their crowd of 10,000 odd in Government House.
At 1.30am a second wave of a few dozen pro-government supporters armed with two by fours and swords and other assorted weapons appeared.
This time, the police intervened, forming a line across the road between the two warring sides. Police officers shouted at the crowds to stand down.
A volatile calm followed as more ambulances arrived and ferried away the wounded.
The pro-government crowd screamed over the police at the PAD.
'Tomorrow we will bring many more people,' one pro-government protestor said.
The crowd had come from all over the north east and northern provinces, strongholds of the ruling People Power Party (PPP).
'I hate the PAD,' one man shouted. Another yelled 'We love Thaksin.'
A middle aged woman said, 'Today we are going to kill Suriyasai Katasila.'
Mr Chaoalit Sainaamkiew, 56, told The Straits Times, 'The PAD want to force the army to come out. Us Thais don't want to fight, but they want to force out a prime minister who had been elected by us.'
Another man who asked not to be named, said 'The legal process hasn't worked. The supposed negotiations in parliament didn't work. So there's nothing else to do but this. When the legal system and civilised debate fails, we have to go back to being barbarians. It is sad to see this happening in Thailand.'
'They (the pro-government protestors) feel this has been going on long enough, the PAD is holding the country to ransom. There will be a bloodbath if this carries on, not today but within two or three days. We are expecting 40,000 people.'
He said it was possible the pro-government protestors were 'set up' because their intention had been to establish tents and a picket line up close to the PAD line, and had been told the police would be there to separate the two.
But there were no police, leaving the pro-government men open to the PAD's murderous charge.
'This has been going on for years. The issue is the ruling elites won't let Thai people share the wealth of the country.'
At around 2.45am over 100 soldiers arrived with riot control gear and no weapons. An army source confirmed on the phone that the army was not on alert, but four companies of riot control soldiers had been sent out. The men in camouflage fatigues and holding riot shields fell in to support the police at around 2.45am.
Big trucks then started appearing, carrying tent poles and canvas and stacked with cases of drinking water for the pro-government crowd.
By 3.30am the chance of another clash appeared to have diminished, but the mood remained dangerously volatile. One pro-government protestor was seen pinning a print-out in Thai on a tree which read 'We have taken back Rajadamnoen.'
Last Tuesday the PAD - a coalition of royalists with significant backing from the capital's royalist-military-bureaucratic elite, and from wealthy business families, invaded a government TV station, shut down three airports in the south disrupting over 15,000 travellers for two days, and overran and occupied Government House.
The PAD is demanding that prime minister Samak Sundaravej and his Cabinet who they say are corrupt puppets of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, resign.
Mr Samak has refused to do so, insisting that as an elected prime minister he will not cave in to a minority.
But the situation has been locked in a deepening stalemate, which broke last night in the mayhem on Rajadamnoen.
BP: According to Suriyasai of PAD it was UDD/DAAD who had the guns, but from Nirmal's report you can see it is PAD - the TV images seemed to show it was people in "red" (UDD/DAAD) colours who sustained more injuries. It seems clear that UDD/DAAD wanted a clash to end the Government House occupation.
AP and AFP also have articles.
Now, what will happen?
___
There are clashes on the street between PAD and UDD/DAAD about an hour or so ago near Ratchadamonern and Makawan Bridge. There is talk of guns. Channel 3 reports that one UDD/DAAD was reported to be shot. No one who started it or who attacked who first - expect both sides to blame each other. PAD seem to be distinguishable as they have motorcyle helmets, yellow shirts, and sticks. UDD/DAAD are not so well-prepared, but do have some sticks and red clothing. They also had some motorcycles.
From what I can gather from the PAD side is that they heard the UDD/DAAD were going towards Government House and so intercepted them at Rachadamnern Road. UDD/DAAD don't have their own media network so not sure what they have to say.
One can see half a dozen people lying on the street whose bodies are bloodied - they don't appear to be dead.
NOTE: The police don't appear to be anywhere at the tme of the violence, but then again to be honest I don't blame them as there were hundreds of people on the street with weapons. If they do anything, they will have used "force" and they will be castigated by the media for doing so. Now, they seem to be separated by about 200 metres and 1,000 police.
NOTE: As is typical with TV broadcasts, we see the presenter speaking and immediately behind them are half a dozen supporters of either PAD or UDD/DAAD. The current reporter has PAD supporters with helmets on. One could speculate that this affects coverage....
Early tv reports at 5 am said one elderly man was killed and many injured in the clashes. I pity and sympathize with the victim(s) because they got hurt while their leaders are safely surrounding themselves with human shields. A repeat of the 1992 bloodshed? Chamlong was the leader then and also this time. He does not mind human casualties as long as he attains his objective. Is this what his Buddhist sect teaches?
Terrific reportage from the Straits TImes...great find, BP. Did Thai TV get all this action, or were they asleep? I haven't seen much of it this morning.
(From Matty) The news account from BP: "The pro-government crowd, many wearing red shirts and red headbands, marched quickly towards the Makkawan bridge and was met by a double row of police in full riot protection gear but without batons. In less than five minutes the police allowed the crowd through.
Minutes later at about 1.20am the police simply walked away and watched from a distance as the almost medieval battle erupted."
Seems to be that this was a governmetn set-up. Police allowed the pro-government mob to attack the PAD mob . . . and naturally violence would follow (death too).
Samak could have declared a State of Emergency anytime because PAD had clearly unlawfully occupied the PM's office. Why Samak had to contrive violent confrontation before doing so is shameful and disgusting.
Remember during elementary school dodge ball games there was always one student who spoiled the game for everyone. Before the game was played, everyone agreed upon the rules; the most important one being that if you get hit by the ball you have to sit on the sidelines until the next game. Despite the pre-agreed upon rules, this one kid would always blatantly disregard the rules, often times creating a big enough stink to force the teacher to end recess prematurely.
When this kid got hit by the ball, he had all manner of excuses to try and stay in the game. Sometimes he would flat out lie and say that he didn’t even get hit by the ball, even though everyone clearly saw him get hit square in the behind. Other times he would accuse the thrower of cheating. On his worst days, he even had the nerve to puncture the ball or kick it down the hill so that nobody could play anymore.
To some degree this childhood dodge ball game is being played out right before our eyes in Thai politics. The boy who could never accept losing is Mr. Sondhi Limtongkul and the PAD. Elections were held in December and the PPP won. No matter how much one dislikes or even hates the PPP, the results have to be respected if the country wants to become a democracy, avoid the coup cycle, and most importantly avoid a bloody civil conflagration. Democracy is not perfect-it is riddled with imperfections including corruption and sometimes populist demagoguery. There are bad governments that creep in from time to time, but eventually they get voted out or leave because of term limits. The alternative to this system, which is apparently what the PAD wants, is a lesser form of democracy or a bloody civil war, which the country is on the verge of right now.
Mr. Sondhi and his PAD have certainly been hit by the ball (PPP electoral win) and now they are refusing to sit on the sidelines and wait for the next game (next election after PPP’s term expires). The PAD have acted like the boy in the metaphor: they have called the other players cheats; they have refused to acknowledge having been hit; and they are in the process of, or may have already, punctured the dodge ball (democracy) so that nobody can play anymore. They may get their victory but at what cost? civil war? devastated economy? military rule? In the dodge ball game, the boy never cared about the value of the game of the consequences of its destruction. Is the PAD the same?
The minor flaw in this metaphor is that Mr. Sondhi and the PAD never played in the game to begin with. They didn’t "play" in the December elections and have never even formed a political party. It is quite ironic that they call themselves the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). There is nothing democratic about this group at all. A group that does not form a political party and compete in elections when they are dissatisfied with the status quo is not interested in democracy. A group whose leadership is not democratically chosen is not interested in democracy. A group that flaunts the rule of law by destroying government property and trouncing on the rights of the rest of the law abiding public is not interested in democracy. What the PAD wants is to take Thailand back into the past where the government structure is unelected and unaccountable and the countryside is left to neglect on all fronts (education, health care, wages, etc.)
The latest news is that the PAD and pro-government supporters are clashing. We could all foresee this coming. With the police unable to dislodge the PAD from Government House, who is left to enforce the laws? It was inevitable that the pro-government forces would fight back if the police wouldn’t or couldn't. Here is where things getting interesting.
This is exactly what Mr. Sondhi wants! He wants another large group to come and challenge him so that the military will intervene. If that happens, then the boy in our dodge ball metaphor wins, Mr. Samak loses, and Thai democracy suffers another kick in the face.
Mr. Samak has to have seen this coming? Why didn’t he tell all government supporters to stay home? He must know that bringing them out risks a return of the military.
Mr. Samak is often derided by others about his language and intellect, but he has been around Thai politics forever and one thinks he must know how to play his cards better than this. My guess is that he does know better and he has one or two aces up his sleeve.
Mr. Samak has let his people out into the street because he has been unable to gain back Government House through traditional means. The legacy of 1976 and 1992 has crippled this government from being able to do what it should be doing--enforcing the law. It can not take back state property because there is a risk the police may hurt or kill someone in the process. This would be instant death to the government because the media would report it and the “public” would fall behind the PAD. I have absolutely no clue why Mr. Samak wants his people on the streets, but maybe it is part of his ace in the hole strategy to destroy the PAD. Perhaps, if there is minor unrest, then the military can come in temporarily and “clean up” the situation. In its clean up, the PAD is broken by the military and its top levels of leadership arrested. The military retakes government property, it sends pro-government supporters home, and Mr. Samak wins this round.
Could this disaster in the making have been prevented? It is debatable of course. I said earlier to friends that a potential civil war was brewing because Mr. Sondhi, Gen. Chamlong, and Mr. Samak have never shown signs of flinching. They have no past history of giving in to the other side. Gen. Chamlong even went on a hunger strike in 1992 to prove his point. In all public speeches they have made it clear that they will have their way even if it means destroying everything in the process. They are not compromising sorts of people.
Will we see a repeat of earlier episodes in Thai history when a royal intervention has to take place to stop an all out civil war? Is there anyone man in the world who can make Mr. Sondhi listen and teach him how to play dodge ball by the rules? The PPP and the Samak government are not a pretty bunch to be fair; they are many unsavory monied elites who are ill fit for government in their ranks. Nevertheless, if you don’t like them and want them out, do it the right way- form a political party, win the vote, and then run the show how you like it.
It is being reported the dead man was a PAD supporter recently arrived from Khorat to demonstrate. Gun shots to the stomach and head injuries.
Matty of course it was a government set up to get agreement from others to agree to SoE. They've come down. They've ahcieved what they wanted and they will now disperse.
I wouldnt be surprised if both sides had firearms.
Who knows what happens next, but even clearing the streets will not do anything to alleviate underlying tensions.
By the way the EC have just recommended PPP disolution unanymously, which is unusual as they havent had a unanaymous decision for ages.
Anyway now is not the time for side takers cheerleading. We already have a death and other injuries and this should give pause for thought to all.
Can anyone really come up with something that will resolve the underlying problems?
occasional poster
Can anyone really come up with something that will resolve the underlying problems?
OP, many countries are split down the middle when it comes to politics - IMO that is not the problem - the problem now in Thailand is that compromise is a dirty word.
(it may happen in back room deals to share the spoils, but in public it's a no go)
btw, please feel free to tell me why my proposed solution would not have been better than letting things get to this stage?
Military government for the union.
Again, it's not surprising.
Unions in Thailand (but actually in many other countries) are conservative.
Their only aim is to take care of their troops and their honey pot, to prolong the status quo.
In Thailand it's even more obvious, or I should they take the logic beyond the border of normality.
Thaksin is evil because privatizations.
Privatizations are of course the beginning of the end of any union in public companies.
Therefore, "left" unions see no problem to ask for army help to oust the gvt !
Full circle done.
Hobby I amke you right on compromise being a dirty word. There is also too much face loss in backing down.
More generally Gen. Anupong's words were extremely mild and calm. Negotiations between rival groups were best. Not in his remit to sort out differences between Samak and PAD that was up to parliament. No use of force against PAD at Government House. People allowed to travel into Bangkok.
I wonder if that was the kind of SoE that Samak wanted? Then again the way it was manipulated into place was probably not the way Gen. Anupong wanted to see either.
Anyway it must be said it si good to see someone level headed with power right now.
occasional poster
A link to CNN's Samak interview appears on the same page as the Sondhi one. 'A coup or not a coup, I cannot guarantee,' says Samak. Cheerful news!
What I've seen on tv is that several groups are now proposing that a 'national unity government' headed by an 'acceptable and neutral' PM should be formed to solve the crisis. While this might sound good to some, let's not forget that this constitution doesn't allow a non-MP to be prime minister. Most tv reporters fail to bring up this point, it seems. So now I wonder who can possibly be the so-called acceptable PM in such a government.
PAD tried to establish the "right to riot," though they sought a monopoly on it. That's just one of the things that opened the door for the bloody events of early Tuesday morning.
-BP Fan
SAMAK Interview CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/18/talkasia.samak/index.html
A very small point, but an important one: why does BP consider the state enterprise unions "left-wing, progressive unions"? While these unions have been the strongest since 1975, they are also the labour aristocracy that have been close to all kinds of military and bureaucratic leaders. They have been like a stuck record on opposing privatisation; that is their only claim, always. I may have a poor memory, but what other so-called progressive policies have they consistently promoted?
Now the Bangkok Post web site says of the Monday night/Tuesday morning fatality:
"The dead man was identified as UDD member Narongsak Krobthaisong, 55, the Narenthorn Emergency Response Centre said."
For most of Tuesday morning it had identified the victim as being from the PAD, sourced to what were described as (unnamed) friends of the victim.
If he was one of the people whom videos shown being beaten repeatedly as they lay unprotected and unresisting, I'd call that murder. Will there be any effort to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice?
-Reader