15 killed in Bangkok protests

[StackerKen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1AVbQiE4b8

[StackerKen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=b4Wund3jxTM&eurl=http://www.youtube.com/user/mikey911mj5%23p/a/u/1/b4Wund3jxTM

[StackerKen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=veN894abt4I&eurl=http://www.youtube.com/user/mikey911mj5%23p/u/3/veN894abt4I#

[jedemdasseine]

Over 20 dead now, with over 800 injured from what I'm hearing now. People are getting ready for Songkran, but most of the festivities have been cancelled around Bangkok, so some people are heading out of town for a few days. I may do the same. The Red Shirts are appealing to the Thai King to intervene, a bold move to which they already know the answer. The Army is regrouping. Most of the bloodshed is purposefully centered around the tourist areas to maximize media exposure. Curfews are in place in many areas, but the BTS Skytrain has resumed limited service. Everyone is on edge, waiting to see what happens next. Myself included.

I went out to buy some orange juice the other night and when I came back I noticed there was blood on my shoes. Hmmm, I thought....that's not something that happens every day. At least my shoes weren't as bad as the PM's house, which they drenched in human blood.

To really understand this movement, ask a Red Shirt who paid for his flag, his noisemaker, and all his other accoutre. Ask him how he can afford to take time off from work to drive around the city all day causing havoc. Ask him what he means when he says he wants democracy. Ask him if he will be satisfied if new elections are held, but his side is not the winning side. Ask him about other "color movement" in other countries. Etc.

[Olmstein]

So, who's the money behind the red shirts?

[jedemdasseine]

So, who's the money behind the red shirts?


I don't know the full story, and I can't quite piece it all together. Ostensibly, Thaksin's money is behind the Red Shirts, and indeed his wealth is extraordinary. But I suspect there are greater forces at work, such as Chinese interests vying with Western interests for the inevitable power vacuum after His Majesty's passing. I'm not sure who's behind Thaksin's money, but I know he didn't become a billionaire by working overtime. Many well-connected people have intimated to me that there are major black ops in Thailand at the moment, with which the US is involved. I know for a fact that radar, telecommunications, and tracking technology is getting major backing in Thailand at the moment, and it's all being paid for by Western powers. Thailand was never overtly colonized, and the Thai people are keenly proud of this fact, and any outside power who wishes to exert control in Thailand must find more indirect inroads of influence. Chinese influence is expanding rapidly, both in terms of the population and in terms of real wealth. And it's worth remembering that His Majesty is the not only the longest reigning monarch in the world, but also the wealthiest, and that his wealth is, relative to most, less ephemeral and more tangible, such as mines, gold, roads, real estate, not to mention the largest faceted diamond in the world. It's my opinion that the Red Shirts and the current bloodshed is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

[jedemdasseine]

As I was having lunch with a friend this afternoon, the red shirts were becoming quite raucous outside. I looked out the window to see what they were doing, and after watching them for a few minutes, I noticed that all their trucks are very similar. Not to mention that it's often the same trucks and motorbikes circling round the same route over and over again to give the appearance that there are more of them than there actually are. Nevertheless, every few seconds, another truck of red shirts would drive by honking and interrupting my lunch. One after another, with bullhorns, flags, and jingoism. Also, I noticed that there were quite a few of these similar looking trucks that were not carrying any red shirts, but were there to guide the others. Who knew that in a grass-roots movement of impoverished poor country folks, that they would all have the same expensive and uniform taste in vehicles? I snapped some quick photos before returning to my meal. It took me all of about 30 seconds to take these shots, but you get the idea.


http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/5460/red7l.jpg
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1760/red6h.jpg
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/5405/red5u.jpg
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/782/red4m.jpg
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4172/red3r.jpg
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/387/red2hl.jpg
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/7392/red1j.jpg

[Olmstein]

"Who knew that in a grass-roots movement of impoverished poor country folks, that they would all have the same expensive and uniform taste in vehicles?"

You said it, right there. I wouldn't be surprised to find the US or china behind this.

Are those Toyota trucks? Maybe Toyota is behind all this. LOL

[joe_momma]

Good call on the Chinese influence - Fortunately, our current Commander (or is it Narcissist?) in Chief has such a keen grasp on foreign policy that there are no mixed signals coming from Washington to the region.

The hydro dams the Chinese are building may very well be connected to the drought/low water levels that are clobbering the Isaan (NE Thailand) farmers.

With the Mekong completely navigable from the ocean through Thailand, Laos, and China there is a huge artery for exports from the interior.

Thailand also boasts a (well deserved) reputation for, umm, its unusual emphasis on female job opportunities. There's about 30 million Chinese men looking for companionship/wives.

For the earlier poster, Thailand is a major final assembly point for motorcycles and light vehicles - Toyota and Honda.

Strong Chinese influence in Thailand would pretty well lock up Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam permanently - something like a SE Asia Monroe Doctrine- and would really put the Philippines on the spot.

[jedemdasseine]

The protest leaders have agreed to surrender on May 15.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/04/201041753853998799.html

Why May 15? Is this the end of it? I don't know, and I'm not holding my breath.


http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6180/redshirt.jpg
Does Thaksin really care about helping the disenfranchised and impoverished Thai people?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zp_eKXDTiU0/ScxFgXDB_6I/AAAAAAAAEcI/EIVqdIdoHgo/s400/red+shirt+protest+march+march+26+2009.jpg

I don't have a dog in this fight, but it sure has made life in Bangkok even more interesting than usual.

What I've noticed about Thailand is that the propaganda is quite primitive compared to the propaganda in the USA and elsewhere. After growing up in America and living in Europe, it's very easy to navigate the disinfo and lies here in SE Asia.

[jedemdasseine]

Damnit. My favorite sashimi restaurant missed its morning fish haul because the red shirts got in the way. :P

[Olmstein]

Damnit. My favorite sashimi restaurant missed its morning fish haul because the red shirts got in the way. :P


The horror!