Red Shirt protest in Thailand

last SG · 2010-04-23T16:23:01+00:00

'Red Shirt' guard arrestedBANGKOK - THAI police said on Tuesday they had arrested a 'Red Shirt' guard in connection with an arson attack on the country's big...

QX179R SG

Blasts kill 1, wound dozens

BANGKOK - AT LEAST five grenades exploded on Thursday in the center of Bangkok near a massive encampment of anti-government protesters, killing one person and wounding at least 50, sending panicked people running through the streets and fleeing an elevated train station.

The area of the explosions has been the site of a tense standoff between Red Shirt protesters, who are demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva resign, and armed troops over the past several days. More recently, a rival group of protesters has rallied in the area, occasionally hurling stones and insults at the Red Shirts, creating a volatile mix. Several of the blasts were near where the rivals have gathered, under the elevated tracks of a Skytrain station.

Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said five M-79 grenades were fired from grenade launchers. Among them were three that fell through the roof of the Saladaeng Skytrain station, along Silom Road, the center of Bangkok's business district. A fourth exploded on the pavement near the five-star Dusit Thani Hotel and the fifth near a bank, he said.

TV stations reported several more blasts. Previously, explosions at the site have been from fireworks. The government's Erawan emergency center said the blasts killed one person, identified as a Thai male, and wounded at least 50.

The TPBS television network reported three foreigners were among the wounded. Associated Press reporters saw at least four people injured after four blasts, two with serious wounds who were not moving.

The streets were full of people tending to the wounded and carrying away casualties. The Red Shirts, who believe Mr Abhisit came to power illegitimately and are pushing for him to call elections immediately, have rallied in the streets for several weeks. On Thursday, the army warned that time was running out for the protesters to clear the streets, warning they would crack down soon. -- AP

JJxJJ SG

walan... all play shirt one.

QX179R SG

Seek peaceful, durable way

SINGAPORE on Friday urged Thais to set aside their differences and seek a peaceful, amicable, and durable resolution in the 'overall interest' of their country.

It made the call when commenting on the tense face-off between government security forces and agitated protestors in Bangkok following Thursday night's grenade attacks, which killed one and wounded 86.

Said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, responding to media queries: 'We are deeply concerned by the bomb blasts which have resulted in many casualties.

'We hope that all Thais, irrespective of their political views, will set aside their differences in the overall interests of Thailand, eschew violence, and seek a peaceful, amicable and durable resolution. This is crucial not just for Thailand, but for Asean as a whole.'

MFA again advised Singaporeans against non-essential travel to Bangkok, and those who are already in the Thai capital to remain indoors and avoid travel within the city and the areas where demonstrations are taking place.

Singaporeans in Bangkok should also eRegister immediately if they have not done so at http://eregister.mfa.gov.sg/ so that the MFA and the embassy there can contact them if they should need help in case of emergencies.

-- ST

^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~ SG

walan... all play shirt one.

It's been ages since I last heard ppl say this...

Fallen-Angel SG

Now Thailand cannot go, Batam cannot go, European countries cannot go. PFFFT.

QX179R SG

Bangkok CBD crippled

BANGKOK - THE Thai capital's main financial district was partially crippled on Friday following deadly grenade attacks and a tense standoff between die-hard, anti-government demonstrators and a government that has yielded vital areas of Bangkok to them.

Many banks, offices, restaurants and a major shopping complex were closed along Silom Road, known as Thailand's Wall Street.

Traffic was light in the normally jammed four-lane thoroughfare, and even many small-time food vendors had left their patches of pavement.

The late-night attacks involved five M-79 grenades shot from near where anti-government Red Shirt protesters have been encamped for weeks, and the blasts struck areas where counter-demonstrators gathered, but the government stopped short of directly blaming the Red Shirts.

The late-night attacks killed at least one person and wounded 86, according to the government's Erawan Emergency Center, which handles victim counts in crises and disasters.

The head of a key security agency, Tharit Pengdit, urged the general public to avoid the area near the protests and warned that anyone involved in 'terrorism' will face the death penalty. -- AP

QX179R SG

Officials consider demands

BANGKOK - THAI government officials huddled on Saturday to consider a peace overture by tens of thousands of protesters demanding elections in an increasingly deadly six-week street rally in Bangkok.

The red-shirted supporters of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said on Friday they will end a three-week occupation of Bangkok's ritzy shopping district if the government dissolved parliament and called elections in 30 days, softening a previous demand for immediate polls.

It was unclear whether the military-backed government of embattled Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would agree to that timetable. Analysts say he is running out of options after weeks of unrest by protesters who have gained a clear upper hand.

'The government might have to agree to a three-month timeframe, but this doesn't mean this will ease the tensions,'said Pitch Pongsawat, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University. 'There doesn't seem to be any real control about what's been happening on the streets.' Thai government officials were meeting on Saturday to consider the red shirts offer after talks with protest leaders late on Friday.

Underscoring the tension, a series of grenade blasts killed one person and wounded 88 on Thursday in the heart of Bangkok's business district. The risk of further violence remains high. Thousands of armed troops keep watch over red shirts at a city intersection. Royalist pro-government protesters often gather outside their barricade, sparking minor clashes.

Among their new demands, the red shirts want Abhisit to begin an independent probe into a clash that killed 25 people and wounded hundreds in a failed attempt to disperse the protesters on April 10, and for troops to withdraw from their protest site. The demands came shortly after army chief Anupong Paochinda offered an olive leaf of his own, telling commanders there would be no crackdown on the protesters camped out in the capital because it would do more harm than good. -- REUTERS

TTFU SG

Xia tai lah....

QX179R SG

Abhisit to address Thailand

BANGKOK - THAILAND'S prime minister and army chief are set to address the nation Sunday, due to outline their plans for handling the political crisis after rejecting a compromise offer from protesters.

General Anupong Paojinda joined premier Abhisit Vejjajiva for his pre-recorded weekly TV address, due to be aired at 9:00 am Thai time (0200 GMT or 10am Singapore time). The address had been cancelled for the past two weeks with no reason given.

It comes after hopes for an agreement to end weeks of protests, which have been punctuated by deadly street clashes, were dashed as Abhisit on Saturday ruled out the 'Red Shirts' offer to disperse if polls were called in 30 days.

'No, I reject it. Because they use violence and intimidation, I cannot accept this,' Abhisit said of the proposal which would have seen a ballot held in 90 days and was a softening of earlier demands for snap polls.

'The dissolution (of parliament) must be done for the benefit of the entire country, not just for the Red Shirts, and it must be done at the right time,' he told reporters.

In an immediate response, the Reds said they would now prepare for a military crackdown to clear their heavily fortified rally encampment which has paralysed Bangkok's upscale district for three weeks.

'Abhisit has ordered a crackdown on protesters within 48 hours, that is the information I have learned,' said Reds leader Nattawut Saikuar. -- AFP

QX179R SG

Abhisit address interrupted

BANGKOK - A HIGHLY anticipated television address by Thailand's prime minister and army chief went blank for several minutes Sunday after an unidentified party interrupted the satellite signal, officials said.

The pre-taped address, by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and General Anupong Paojinda, began at 0200 GMT (10am Singapore time) but after a short while, the television station it was being broadcast on went off the air.

'Someone has interrupted the satellite signal,' government minister Sathit Wongnongtoey told reporters. Several minutes later, the television station went back on the air and began screening the programme again from the start.

Abhisit and Anupong were expected to detail their plans for handling weeks of political crisis after rejecting a compromise offer from 'Red Shirt' protesters demanding fresh elections. -- AFP

QX179R SG

Abhisit declares crackdown

BANGKOK - THAI authorities will retake the anti-government protest site in Bangkok, the prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday in a television address made with the army chief, without disclosing when.

The 'Red Shirts' rally encampment has for three weeks occupied the Ratchaprasong intersection in the heart of Bangkok's retail district. The protesters fear a crackdown is looming.

Mr Abhisit said: 'There will be a retaking of Ratchaprasong but the process, the measures, how and when it will be done, we cannot disclose because it depends on several things. The solution process is ongoing but may not please everyone. The government, and not only the military, is preparing to be ready for what would lead to the next level. I admit, I didn't expect to see such a force ready to go this far.'

Army chief General Anupong Paojinda appeared alongside the premier in an apparent gesture to show they are united, after Anupong earlier this week indicated he was extremely reluctant to launch a crackdown.

'We are an army for the nation, for the monarchy and for the people. We will do our job without taking sides. We will follow government policy,' Anupong said.

He also addressed rumours of rifts in the army, which has been sending out mixed signals on how it prefers to handle the demonstrators, after April 10 clashes that left 25 dead and more than 800 injured.

'As for a rift in the army, it is possible there will be rifts in a big organisation but the number of people who have different ideas are not many, and this will not cause problems.' he said. -- AFP

QX179R SG

Vow to hold key sites

BANGKOK - THAI protesters occupying key areas of Bangkok vowed on Sunday to fight until victory following a breakdown of negotiations and a televised appearance by the prime minister that offered no solution to the protracted, sometimes bloody crisis.

The so-called Red Shirts also urged their supporters in provincial areas to confront police and military reinforcements from entering Bangkok. Thai media reported that more than 1,000 protesters were setting up roadblocks along a major highway leading to the capital from the northeast to prevent security forces from reaching Bangkok.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva spoke in a nationally televised interview alongside the army chief on Sunday, in an apparent effort to dispel persistent rumors of a rift between Mr Abhisit and the military. The broadcast came a day after Mr Abhisit's rejection of a compromise offer by the so-called Red Shirts - who say the current government is illegitimate and are demanding new elections - dashed hopes that a peaceful way could be found to end the standoff.

'We won't go home until we win,' a protest leader, Khwanchai Praipana, told supporters following Mr Abhisit's appearance. He said many police and soldiers in the provinces were siding with the protesters, and they had even asked Red Shirts to prevent fresh security forces from reaching Bangkok. 'Most police based in the provinces don't want to come deal with the Red Shirts in Bangkok,' he said.

The Nation TV channel reported that negotiations were under way between authorities and Red Shirts who had stopped 178 policemen along a highway from Udorn Thani in the northeast by deflating their tires.

Mr Abhisit said on Sunday he was working to end the crisis. 'The solution process is ongoing but may not please everyone. The government, and not only the military, is preparing to be ready for what would lead to the next level,' Mr Abhisit said in a short statement to the television interviewer. -- AP

QX179R SG

Thai king speaks to judges

BANGKOK - THAILAND'S ailing king spoke on Monday for the first time since his country's political chaos began, but failed to directly address the sometimes violent crisis that has paralysed Bangkok.

Many in the country had seen the revered monarch as the best hope for peacefully resolving the standoff.

But addressing newly appointed judges from the hospital where he has been for more than seven months, King Bhumibol Adulyadej spoke vaguely, leaving his comments open to interpretation.

The 82-year-old king said the judges should set an example by performing their duties well.

'It will show that there are officials in the country who perform their duties with strong, clear will and are determined to maintain stability in the country,' he said. 'This will give people the determination to perform their own duties as well.' The government has been accused of failing to keep order when faced with the militant protesters.

The US-born Bhumibol, the world's longest reigning monarch, stepped in to stop bloodshed during a student uprising in 1973 and again during antimilitary street protests in 1992. Both events lasted just days. -- AP

QX179R SG

Thailand's Red Shirt leaders to sue government for accusing them of overthrowing monarchy

Thailand's "Red Shirt" protest leaders say they would sue the government for accusing them of attempting to overthrow the kingdom's revered monarchy.

Thai authorities on Monday handed out diagrams to reporters that detailed an alleged network of conspirators working to undermine the royals, including core leaders of the anti-government Red Shirts and two former prime ministers.

Strict legal provisions in Thai law can land anyone guilty of insulting the royal institution with up to 15 years in prison.

Army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told reporters that anti-monarchy figures had used the media to defame the royal family.

Deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the accused would be summoned to appear in front of the authorities.

But one of the Reds' leaders, Nattawut Saikuar, who has led a determined street campaign against the government, said the movement would counter the accusation with their own defamation law suit.

-- 938Live

Arapahoe SG

i wonder if there is going to be a coup soon? or a blood bath....I hope the military don't pull the trigger.....

QX179R SG

Thai protesters mull PM offer of November elections

Thailand's Red Shirts will today consider a new government proposal for elections in mid-November.

A spokesman for the protesters said last night the movement would discuss the new proposal before responding.

The new offer was made yesterday by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as part of a peace plan aimed at ending a 2-month old political crisis.

He had previously said he would call a poll in December, a year ahead of schedule.

Speaking on national television, Mr Abhisit said that the proposed timetable is subject to all parties agreeing to a five-point reconciliation process.

These include respect for the monarchy and an independent probe into the current political crisis.

The Red Shirt protesters have occupied parts of Bangkok since mid-March.

Their rallies turned violent last month when clashes between them and security forces left 27 people dead and over a thousand others injured.

-- 938Live

Clivebenss SG

Ex-Thai PM Thaksin urges reconciliation
Posted: 04 May 2010 1751 hrs

BANGKOK - Thailand's fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra called on his supporters on Tuesday to seek "reconciliation" following an offer by the premier to hold November elections to end a political crisis.

"Reconciliation is good for everybody," he said in a phone-in to a meeting of the opposition Puea Thai Party. "Today, don't think about the past, but look to the future. That is how national reconciliation will happen."

Hinting at a possible breakthrough in the long-running impasse between the government and his supporters, Thaksin said he hoped that "good things" would happen on Coronation Day on Wednesday, calling it an auspicious date.

"I think there should be the start of talking to create a good climate," Thaksin said, adding that it was up to opposition Red Shirt protesters to decide whether to accept Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's offer of November 14 polls.

Thailand's anti-government protesters said earlier they were seriously considering the premier's offer, but that they needed more time to discuss it.

Thaksin, who was in office between 2001 and 2006, was ousted in a bloodless military coup and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Many of the "Red Shirt" anti-government protesters who have been staging rallies in Bangkok since mid-March are seeking the return of the telecoms tycoon-turned-politician, hailing his policies for the masses.

- AFP/al

QX179R SG

Thailands's Reds optimistic on ending weeks of rallies

Thousands of Thai anti-government protesters remain barricaded inside their encampment in Bangkok.

They're demanding more details on the government's proposed roadmap aimed at ending the tense standoff.

The Red Shirts yesterday agreed to join Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's proposed reconciliation process.

But they are still refusing to disperse, calling on Mr Abhisit to make clear when he will dissolve parliament for elections.

They also want him to withdraw troops.

On Monday, Mr Abhisit said that he was ready to hold elections on November 14 if all parties accepted his reconciliation plan.

But the protesters said the premier should spell out when he will dissolve parliament and leave it to the Election Commission to set the poll date.

Thailand's fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for the two sides to settle their differences.

Arrest warrants have been issued for many leading Red Shirts, who have been defying a ban on rallies under a state of emergency in the city.

But a government source says the authorities are ready to discuss an amnesty for protest leaders.

-- 938Live

QX179R SG

Protest must end: Abhisit

BANGKOK - THAI anti-government protesters showed no sign of ending their two-month rally in Bangkok after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told them to quit by Wednesday and warned the public to expect trouble.

Thousands of 'red shirt' protesters remain in a fortified camp in an upmarket shopping district in the centre of Bangkok. Music and speeches blared from powerful loudspeakers on their stage through the early hours of Wednesday as leaders tried to keep their supporters awake and alert. Most nights the volume is turned down a little until dawn.

Mr Abhisit has offered an election on Nov 14 - just over a year before one is due - to try to end a movement that began in mid-March with a demand for an immediate poll. Twenty-nine people have died in clashes and more than 1,000 have been wounded.

The protesters, mostly supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a coup in 2006, have accepted the election date but are now pushing other demands, in particular wanting a deputy prime minister to be charged in connection with a bloody clash with troops on April 10 in which 25 people died.

Mr Abhisit's tone has hardened in the past two days and late on Tuesday he told reporters the cabinet had decided that the security forces needed to 'take measures' quickly.

'This may affect people in the area, not just protesters but also people who work there and people who live there,' he said. 'So we ask that the protesters make a gesture by going home tomorrow. Other issues can be discussed later if they are sincere about reconciliation.' -- REUTERS

Arapahoe SG

We are witness a start of a political evolution in Thai I hope that the authority will work out a compromised and have some sort of a shared govt......

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