BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTING!

[Guile]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI


Thai PM says country "calm", curfew to continue
Posted: 23 May 2010 1023 hrs

Cleaners sweep the grounds in Bangkok that were occupied by anti-government protesters for over two months.

BANGKOK - Thailand's premier said Sunday the capital was calm and returning to normal after a massive clean-up, and defended a crackdown on protest rallies that unleashed a rampage of arson and looting.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that schools, streets and government agencies would reopen Monday after being shuttered to keep civilians out of central Bangkok during clashes between security forces and "Red Shirts" protesters.

"Everything is calm and returning to normalcy," he said in his regular Sunday television address, appearing relaxed and confident as two months of crisis abated. However, he indicated that a curfew in force for four nights in Bangkok and 23 other provinces could be extended for another two nights.

Squads of workers were out on Bangkok's thoroughfares, completing a campaign to remove tonnes of debris and garbage after Wednesday's offensive on a protest encampment that had paralysed the top shopping district for six weeks.

The security checkpoints, road closures and rolls of razor wire were being scaled back as Thailand prepared to get back to business after the civil unrest that has left 86 dead and 1,900 injured.

Abhisit defended the security authorities' conduct in the final crackdown, which left 36 major buildings torched when enraged militant Reds went on the rampage after their leaders were forced to surrender.

"The losses (of life and injuries) were caused by clashes between groups of people attacking authorities' efforts to set up checkpoints to secure the area," he said. "All weapons use was based on international standards. Weapons were used for self defence and to establish peace and order."

The government on Saturday displayed a huge cache of weapons it said had been collected from the ruins of the rally encampment, to quash criticism from international rights groups as well as the Reds who said they were unarmed.

However, Abhisit admitted there were serious concerns over fighting at a temple within the Reds camp which had been designated a "safe zone" but where six bodies were found after the chaotic protest dispersal. "The most distressing were the deaths at the Pathum Vanaram temple," he said, maintaining there was no military action at the time of the shootings but that the events would be investigated by an independent committee.

Concern has been growing over rights abuses in Thailand, with the European Union the latest to call on the authorities to respect the rights of protesters and saying the violence had harmed the nation. Human Rights Watch has also expressed alarm over a "draconian" emergency decree introduced during the crisis to hold prisoners in secret detention.

Abhisit has admitted that Thailand faces "huge challenges" in the aftermath of the rally campaign by the Reds, who are pushing for fresh elections and condemn his government as illegitimate.

The Reds are mostly supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. The billionaire was accused of gross rights abuses and corruption, but won grassroots support with his populist policies.

Thaksin's elected allies were later ejected in a controversial court ruling, paving the way for Abhisit's administration to be appointed in a 2008 army-backed parliamentary vote.

- AFP/ir

 

[M.Bison]

Red Shirts to rally in north


May 24, 2010
Red Shirts to rally in north

<!-- by line --> <!-- end by line --> CHIANG MAI (Thailand) - FRUSTRATED, homeless and bitterly disappointed - this is the reality for 'Red Shirt' Parichart Chanmanee as she returns to her northern hometown after two months of protesting in Bangkok. The single mother-of-two made the long journey back by bus on Thursday after a deadly military crackdown forced the anti-government movement's leaders to surrender, sparking looting and major arson attacks by hardcore protesters.

As she came home angered by the protest's failure to bring about the government's downfall, the 52-year-old faced another blow: she was homeless, with her belongings thrown out for failing to pay rent while she was away. Yet Ms Parichart's destitution has not softened her enthusiasm for the Red Shirts' cause - a campaign, they say, for democracy, justice and equality against the mainly Bangkok-based Thai elites. 'I am happy Bangkok was in flames. Let the rich feel what suffering means.

Abhisit must tumble,' she said, referring to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose government the Reds say is illegitimate and army-backed. Thailand is largely split between the Reds, thousands of whom left their heartlands in the rural north and north-east to travel for the Bangkok protests which started in mid-March, and the rival, pro-establishment 'Yellow Shirts'. Many of the Reds back Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive former premier who was ousted in a 2006 coup, for his populist policies when in power, while Thai elites see him as corrupt, authoritarian and a threat to the revered monarchy. -- AFP

 

[M.Bison]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

A policeman walks past the collapsed section of Thailand's biggest shopping mall - Central World - in downtown Bangkok. - AFP

A Thai soldier arranges war weapons that authorities discovered and seized from an area where anti-government protesters have occupied. - AP

Thai school children and locals wash and sweep a road during a cleanup operation after Wednesday's Thai army assault on anti-government protesters in downtown Bangkok. - AP

 

[M.Bison]

Thai court to rule on Thaksin terrorism charges


Thai court to rule on Thaksin terrorism charges
Posted: 24 May 2010 1600 hrs
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BANGKOK - Thailand's criminal court will rule Tuesday on whether to issue a warrant to arrest fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges in connection with deadly street rallies, officials said.

Department of Special Investigations (DSI) chief Tharith Pengdit said his agency, tasked with investigating violence surrounding the anti-government "Red Shirt" demonstrations, had submitted evidence on Thaksin's involvement.

"The court has questioned three witnesses from DSI, and the DSI also submitted two more files of evidence which show Thaksin's coordinating role," Tharith told reporters Monday.

The government has accused Thaksin, a billionaire tycoon ousted in a 2006 coup, of bankrolling and masterminding Thailand's worst political violence in recent history which has left 88 dead since the Reds' rallies erupted in March.

Thaksin lives in exile to avoid a jail sentence for corruption, but the government has exerted pressure on countries he has visited and moved to freeze his finances.

Terrorism charges carry a maximum penalty of death in Thailand, but the warrant appears aimed at boosting attempts to extradite Thaksin who has found sanctuary in several countries.

Defence lawyer Thanadej Puangpool told reporters the court refused his objection to the terrorism charges, ruling that his power of attorney does not apply to the case.

"We still have the right to appeal. The court has refused to receive our objection request. We will seek a new power of attorney which we believe will be done in one week," Thanadej said.

Thaksin is idolised by many Reds for his populist policies, including cheap healthcare and village funds, but Thai elites see him as corrupt, authoritarian and a threat to the revered monarchy.

Thaksin's image featured on T-shirts, banners and headbands worn by Reds during the two months of rallies crushed in an army offensive Wednesday, but opinion is divided on how much control he now exerts over the movement.

- AFP/ir

 

[M.Bison]

Thai capital gets back to business after protests


Thai capital gets back to business after protests
Posted: 24 May 2010 1456 hrs
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BANGKOK : Thailand's capital whirred back into life on Monday after last week's deadly unrest, as businesses and schools reopened and citizens returned to streets cleared of debris left by arson and looting. Thoroughfares which for six weeks had been occupied by "Red Shirts" anti-government protesters, who established a fortified encampment in the top shopping district, were finally open to traffic.

Office workers returned to their jobs, children went to school and retailers rolled back shutters after the worst civil unrest in recent memory which since mid-March has left 88 dead and nearly 1,900 injured. The Reds, who are campaigning for fresh elections to replace a government they condemn as illegitimate, disbanded last Wednesday in the face of a military offensive that forced their leaders to surrender.

Enraged militants within the movement went on a rampage of looting and arson that left 36 major buildings ablaze including the stock exchange and Thailand's biggest mall, which now stands in ruins. Downtown Bangkok was scrubbed clean over the weekend in a frenzied operation involving thousands of city workers wielding brooms and power houses, as well as enthusiastic volunteers including foreigners.

The embassies of Australia and Japan, located near the disbanded Reds encampment, reopened while the United States said it would resume full services at its mission on Tuesday. "It's very much back to normal, we're trying to get things back together this week," said Kim Clarke, press officer for the British embassy.

New economic data said the Thai economy grew at a breakneck pace of 12 percent in the first quarter, but that the deadly unrest would clip the full-year growth forecast by 1.5 percentage points. "The Thai economy has repeatedly experienced crisis and managed to revive, but whether it can achieve that this time or not depends on our people," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters.

Thai share prices were 1.5 percent weaker in morning trade as trading resumed after the stock exchange was forced to close mid-way through Wednesday's session when it came under attack from the arsonists. Shares in Central Pattana plummeted 8.3 percent after its flagship mall Central World, which contributed nearly a quarter of the firm's total income, was left in ruins and partly collapsed.

Dozens of people stood outside Central World Monday, solemnly snapping photos of the wreckage with cell phones and digital cameras. "Almost every weekend my family and I came here to go shopping, see movies and eat some food. Now everything is gone, so I'm very sad," said Mito Shiko, 50, a Japanese construction company owner who has lived in Bangkok two decades.

Sangchai Saetang, a 55-year-old food vendor, stood in his apron after taking a break from his roadside stall to see the damage at Central World, which five days after the fire is still being doused with hoses. "It's too much. Whoever did this should not have done it," he said, lamenting that he had been forced to shut his small business for a month. While Bangkok was fast returning to normal, authorities have extended a curfew in force in Bangkok and 23 other provinces, saying the measures would remain in place until Tuesday "for security reasons".

The Reds are mostly supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed in a 2006 coup. The billionaire was accused of gross rights abuses and corruption, but won grassroots support with his populist policies. Thaksin's elected allies were later ejected in a controversial court ruling, paving the way for Abhisit's administration to be appointed in a 2008 army-backed parliamentary vote.

- AFP/il

 

[ahleebabasingaporethief]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

The Thais in Bangkok are now boycotting CNN for it report on the KING. The video has since been removed by CNN but can still be seen on the net. I had the link but erased it by accident. If anyone has the video link by CNN on the KING, please post here. Thanks!




Rich-poor divide underpins Thai crisis

By Kevin Voigt, CNN<script type="text/javascript">cnnAuthor = "By Kevin Voigt, CNN";</script>
<script type="text/javascript">if(location.hostname.indexOf( 'edition.' ) > -1) {document.write('May 19, 2010 -- Updated 0626 GMT (1426 HKT)');} else {document.write('May 19, 2010 2:26 a.m. EDT');}</script>May 2010 2:26 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• <!-- google_ad_section_start -->
• A rift between the economic elite and rural poor is feeding a unique political divide
• Availability of cheap telecommunications countrywide is helping fuel protests
• "It's (now) more about why 2 percent of the population gains 80 percent of the GDP"<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

(CNN) -- A rift between Bangkok's economic elite and the growing clout of Thailand's rural poor is feeding a unique divide in a country that is no stranger to political turmoil.
"We have had conflicts in 1973, 1976 and 1992, but this is unlike anything we've seen before," said Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the governor of Bangkok, as government troops moved on the area near the city's business district where thousands of protesters have been encamped since March. "Those conflicts were more political, but here they go right into the heart of society."
Past divisions where more a clash of political personalities than a class division, said Paul Quaglia, a former CIA officer and head of PSA Asia, a Bangkok-based security firm. Access to affordable telecommunications across Thailand also is helping transform the nature of this conflict.
"It's impossible to overstate how important the ability of the rural poor to communicate beyond government censors has been in this protest," Quaglia said. "Everyone has cell phones, everyone has access to the Internet, to <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; -moz-background-size: auto auto; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_0" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_0')" leohighlights_keywords="twitter" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dtwitter%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dtwitter%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Twitter</leo_highlight>; the community radio stations in rural areas have been very active."
Moreover, the health of the nation's revered king has raised questions over the future role of the monarchy in Thailand, Quaglia said.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 82, has been hospitalized since September after complaining of fever and fatigue. King Bhumibol, the world's longest reigning monarch, wields little direct political power, but serves as a stabilizing force in Thai society. "We may be coming to a time when there is a sea change in the unofficial control the monarchy has on society," Quaglia said.
What are the Thai protests all about?
<!--startclickprintexclude--> <script type="text/javascript"> var currExpandable = "expand1"; var currExpandableHeight = 360; </script>

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<cite class="expCaption">Video: Long running protest in Bangkok</cite><script type="text/javascript"> var mediaObj = new Object(); mediaObj.type = 'video'; mediaObj.contentId = ''; mediaObj.source = '/video/world/2010/05/18/sot.thailand.govt.statement.mcot'; mediaObj.source = mediaObj.source.replace('/video/',''); </script>
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<cite class="expCaption">Video: Gunfire heard in Bangkok</cite><script type="text/javascript"> var mediaObj = new Object(); mediaObj.type = 'video'; mediaObj.contentId = ''; mediaObj.source = '/video/world/2010/05/18/bpr.rivers.thailand.tensions.cnn'; mediaObj.source = mediaObj.source.replace('/video/',''); </script>
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<cite class="expCaption">Video: Thailand protest aftermath</cite><script type="text/javascript"> var mediaObj = new Object(); mediaObj.type = 'video'; mediaObj.contentId = ''; mediaObj.source = '/video/world/2010/05/18/rivers.bangkok.aftermath.cnn'; mediaObj.source = mediaObj.source.replace('/video/',''); </script>
<script type="text/javascript"> mediaObj.lgImage = $(currExpandable).select('img.box-image')[0].readAttribute('src'); mediaObj.lgImageX = 640; mediaObj.lgImageY = currExpandableHeight; mediaObj.origImageX = $(currExpandable).select('img.box-image')[0].readAttribute('width'); mediaObj.origImageY = $(currExpandable).select('img.box-image')[0].readAttribute('height'); mediaObj.contentType = 'Video'; CNN.expElements.expand4Store = mediaObj; </script> <!--endclickprintexclude-->"This has evolved into something much more than complaints about Thaksin being ousted," said Quaglia, referring to the billionaire former prime minister who was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006. The protesters at the heart of the current conflict support Thaksin.
"It's becoming more about why 2 percent of the population gains 80 percent of the GDP," Quaglia said.
Class barriers and class differences are now at the heart of the conflict, the Bangkok governor told CNN.
"In Thailand, there is a great deal of social mobility, especially mobility upwards ... this is one of our strengths," Sukhumbhand said. "I think we have to go back to the traditional values of our society and build from the ruins we have witnessed today and are continuing to witness."
Indeed, the street scenes of dark smoke rising against the backdrop of tanks and gunfire is hard to reconcile with Thailand's reputation as the tolerant "land of smiles." The Southeast Asian nation draws millions of visitors to its pristine southern beaches and to tribal areas in the mountains north near the Laos and Myanmar border.
Thai Finance Minister <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; -moz-background-size: auto auto; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_1" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_1')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_1')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_1')" leohighlights_keywords="korn" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Korn</leo_highlight> Chatikavanij told CNN that outside of the areas directly affected by the protests and military crackdown business continues in most of Thailand. However, he acknowledges the damage that the conflict has done to tourism, which accounts for just over 6 percent of the country's total economic output.
Many foreign companies have moved executives and their families out of the center of Bangkok and closer to the international airport in case they need to evacuate, said Quaglia, the security specialist.
<!--startclickprintexclude--> It's becoming more about why 2 percent of the population gains 80 percent of the GDP
--Paul Quaglia, security specialist



<script type="text/javascript"> var cnnRelatedTopicKeys = []; </script> RELATED TOPICS

• <script type="text/javascript"> cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Thailand'); </script>Thailand
• <script type="text/javascript"> cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Bangkok'); </script>Bangkok
• <script type="text/javascript"> cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Protests_and_Demonstrations'); </script>Protests and Demonstrations

<!--endclickprintexclude-->There also has been a sell-off in Thai stocks by foreign investors. The Stock Exchange of Thailand closed after its morning session Wednesday due to the escalating conflict on Bangkok streets.
"Investor sentiment is shot," said <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; -moz-background-size: auto auto; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_2" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_2')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_2')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_2')" leohighlights_keywords="korn" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Korn</leo_highlight>, the Thai finance minister. "However, our stock market is robust -- in fact, it went up yesterday (Tuesday)."
"Thailand is an open economy ... we will recover from this," <leo_highlight style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 255, 150); background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 50%; -moz-background-size: auto auto; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_3" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_3')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_3')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_3')" leohighlights_keywords="korn" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Korn</leo_highlight> said. "The economics I'm less concerned about ... What I'm worried about is the political division and social division."
He said the government has done a poor job communicating all it has done to subsidize rural farmers, bolster education and increase the social safety net for aging citizens.
"This message has not been received sufficiently at the rural level -- the perception is that we haven't done enough for the rural poor, although the reality is something different," <leo_highlight style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 0%; -moz-background-size: auto auto; cursor: pointer; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" id="leoHighlights_Underline_4" onclick="leoHighlightsHandleClick('leoHighlights_Underline_4')" onmouseover="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver('leoHighlights_Underline_4')" onmouseout="leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut('leoHighlights_Underline_4')" leohighlights_keywords="korn" leohighlights_url_top="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsTop.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_url_bottom="http%3A//shortcuts.thebrowserhighlighter.com/leonardo/plugin/highlights/3_1/tbh_highlightsBottom.jsp?keywords%3Dkorn%26domain%3Dedition.cnn.com" leohighlights_underline="true">Korn</leo_highlight> said.
CNN's Colleen McEdwards contributed to this report
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[M.Bison]

Thai authorities recommend week-long curfew extension


Thai authorities recommend week-long curfew extension
Posted: 24 May 2010 1949 hrs
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Thai soldiers take position next to smoldering trash at a barricade set up by anti-government protesters in downtown Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: AP) </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
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BANGKOK - Thai authorities will ask the government to extend a curfew in Bangkok and 23 provinces for another week in the wake of a crackdown on anti-government protesters, an army official said Monday.

Army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said emergency officials would recommend the government maintain the midnight-to-4am curfew for another week, at a cabinet meeting Tuesday.

"There are still some movements to incite unrest. The curfew will facilitate the authorities' work," Sunsern said.

"If the curfew begins at midnight, it will affect the public less," he added.

Five nights of curfew have been enforced after a rampage of arson and looting broke out in the capital in the wake of a Wednesday crackdown on anti-government protests.

The new curfew hours have been gradually shortened. - AFP/vm

 

[M.Bison]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI


May 25, 2010

BANGKOK RECOVERS
US partially reopens embassy

WASHINGTON - THE United States said its embassy in Bangkok opened for 'limited operations' on Monday and would fully reopen on Tuesday after being closed more than a week amid violent protests. 'In Thailand, our embassy was open for limited operations today (Monday) and we anticipate resuming full operations tomorrow,' State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. <!-- by line --> <!-- end by line -->

The United States closed its embassy in Bangkok on May 13. But it later offered some emergency services and limited routine consular services to US citizens at a luxury hotel in the Thai capital during the morning hours. Mr Crowley announced the partial reopening as Bangkok whirred back into life on Monday with businesses and schools reopening and citizens returning to streets cleared of debris left by arson and looting.

Thoroughfares which for six weeks had been occupied by 'Red Shirts' anti-government protesters, who established a fortified encampment in the top shopping district, were finally open to traffic. Office workers returned to their jobs, children went to school and retailers rolled back shutters after the worst civil unrest in recent memory, which since mid-March has left 88 dead and nearly 1,900 injured. -- AFP

 

[SIFU]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

stupid thailand people no need war can destroy their own city.

very good. keep up the good work.

 

[M.Bison]

Wanted for terrorism


May 25, 2010
Wanted for terrorism

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The tycoon-turned-premier was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile, mainly in Dubai, to avoid a jail term for corruption. If found guilty, Thaksin could in theory face the death penalty, but the warrant appears aimed at boosting attempts to extradite Thaksin, who has found sanctuary in several countries. -- PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK - A Thai court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges, which carry a maximum penalty of death, in connection with recent violent protests. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government has accused Thaksin of inciting unrest and bankrolling the mass rallies by the opposition 'Red Shirts', many of whom seek the return of the former telecoms tycoon.

'A court found there was enough evidence so it issued an arrest warrant,' Naras Savestanan, deputy chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), told reporters after the closed-door hearing at the Criminal Court. 'Now it's the attorney general's job to enforce the warrant,' he said. The tycoon-turned-premier was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile, mainly in Dubai, to avoid a jail term for corruption.

If found guilty, Thaksin could in theory face the death penalty, but the warrant appears aimed at boosting attempts to extradite Thaksin, who has found sanctuary in several countries. The government has exerted pressure on countries he has visited and moved to freeze his finances. Abhisit said the court ruling and the severity of the charge would help the government's efforts to have Thaksin extradited. 'It will make our work with foreign countries easier,' he told reporters.

'We still have to monitor his movements and seek cooperation in line with existing agreements. As of now many countries are banning him, but not all.' The DSI, tasked with investigating violence surrounding the anti-government demonstrations by the Red Shirts, said on Monday it had submitted evidence 'which show Thaksin's coordinating role' in the unrest. Thaksin last week denied he was the 'mastermind of the terrorists'. -- AFP

 

[M.Bison]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

Residents and a foreigner (L) clean up Rama IV road in Bangkok, 2010 following anti-government protests. - AFP



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[chobolan]

Two foreigners arrested for joining red shirt protests


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</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="content_subtitle" align="left"> Wed, May 26, 2010
AFP, The Nation/ANN </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15">

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Two foreigners arrested for joining red shirt protests <!-- TITLE : end--> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" height="15">

</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" class="bodytext_10pt"> <!-- CONTENT : start --> [Photo: Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva; Inset: Australian, Conor David Purcell, 30, was arrested and charged with breaching the emergency law. ]

The Australian, Conor David Purcell, 30, and the Briton, Jeff Savage, 49, were arrested and charged with breaching the emergency law, an offence which carries up to two years imprisonment, police said. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the pair were arrested for violating the state of emergency "and for their roles on stage during the rally". "For the Australian man it's not yet clear, but in the case of the Briton he's involved with the (red shirt) movement in Pattaya," Abhisit said.

He said officials would also probe other allegations against the men. There have been reports that Purcell was a former member of the Australian army and that he received training as a sniper, however embassy sources are understood to have suggested neither claim was true. Purcell, arrested on Sunday, is now in Klong Prem prison. Abhisit said: "In depth investigations will be carried out to find out whether they had any other role."

The PM said he was confident that Savage was systematically involved with the red shirts, based on his comments to the British media. Savage has been accused by the government of inciting protesters to set fire to a major shopping mall, Central World, after red shirt leaders called off their rally and surrendered after the military crackdown last Wednesday.

According to British media reports, he has denied being involved in arson attacks last Wednesday. The street rallies, which were broken up last week by the army, paralysed central Bangkok and descended into riots. Some 88 people were killed and 1,900 others injured in clashes since the red shirts' protest began in mid March.
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[chobolan]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

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Thai men transport a safe through a movie theatre burnt by anti-government "red shirt" protesters in central Bangkok, May 21, 2010.
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A poster of Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva is seen as firefighters extinguish the remaining smouldering area near the TV3 television station at Rama IV boulevard
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Workers clean a main Bangkok road at the shopping district occupied for almost two months by anti-government "red shirt" protesters, May 22, 2010.



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[chobolan]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

A Thai woman holding a child looks at a damaged shop burnt by "red shirt" protesters in Bangkok, May 20, 2010.

Workers clean up the wreckage from a branch of the Bangkok Bank which was ransacked during recent clashes between anti-government "red shirt" protesters and Thai troops in central Bangkok, May 22, 2010.

Workers remove tyres and trash from a road where "red shirt" protesters had setup a barricade in Bangkok, May 20, 2010.



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[chobolan]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

A police officer gives donations to Thai monks during a joint mass prayer at Lumpini Park in Bangkok on May 26, 2010 to bless the Nation after a week after a deadly anti-government protest crackdown.

People give donations to Thai monks during a joint mass prayer at Lumpini Park in Bangkok on May 26, 2010 to bless the Nation after a week after a deadly anti-government protest crackdown.



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[Taishi Ci]

2 dead, dozens injured in twin bombings in Thai south


2 dead, dozens injured in twin bombings in Thai south
Posted: 26 May 2010 1222 hrs
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Thai security forces gather at the site of a bomb blast in Thailand's restive south </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
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YALA, Thailand: Two bomb blasts in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south killed two people and wounded dozens in the latest violence of a six-year insurgency, police and hospital staff said. The rebellion across the southern provinces by a shadowy band of separatist Islamists fighting for greater autonomy in the area bordering Malaysia has left more than 4,100 people dead.

There have been fewer attacks recently in the south because insurgents knew their cause had been overshadowed by two months of deadly anti-government protests in Bangkok, said analyst Srisompob Jitpiromya at Deep South Watch. At least 55 people were wounded -- five seriously -- in the blasts in Yala, the main town in the province of the same name, said the provincial hospital.

The bombs were hidden on motorcycles and exploded near the business district of the town, police said, pointing the finger at Islamist militants. "Provincial authorities had been warned of the attack beforehand, but the warning was for May 28 to 30," said Krisada Boonrach, the Yala governor.

"Currently there is an 11-day provincial fair until June 5 and as security is strict in the town centre, the militants chose to attack in the outer part of town," he added. The first bomb detonated at 10:15 am (0315 GMT) in front of a car showroom and the second went off ten minutes later, wounding rescue workers and police who had come to investigate the first attack.

The rebels have targeted both Buddhists and Muslims with shootings, bombings and gruesome methods such as beheadings and crucifixions. There is no link to the anti-government "Red Shirt" protests in the Thai capital, which were broken up last week by the army and had sparked several outbreaks of violence that left 88 people dead since mid-March.

"In the last few days, they've tried to increase their operations because the situation in Bangkok has quieted down," said Srisompob of Deep South Watch, an independent monitoring group. "In the coming days or weeks maybe, there will be more attacks. That is part of the political tactics of the insurgency," he added.

The region was an autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate until it was annexed in 1902 by mainly Buddhist Thailand and tensions have bubbled there ever since, escalating into the current insurgency in January 2004. Successive governments have struggled to contain the unrest in the southern provinces, where emergency rule has been imposed for nearly five years.

Rights groups have however blamed the continued state of emergency for encouraging a culture of impunity for alleged rights abuses by the security forces. - AFP/jy/fa

 

[Taishi Ci]

Thaksin lawyers challenge 'terrorism' arrest warrant


Thaksin lawyers challenge 'terrorism' arrest warrant
Posted: 26 May 2010 2013 hrs
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Thaksin Shinawatra </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
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BANGKOK: Lawyers for Thaksin Shinawatra asked a court on Wednesday to revoke a warrant to arrest the fugitive former Thai premier on terrorism charges in connection with recent deadly protests.

Thailand's Criminal Court on Tuesday approved the warrant after the government accused Thaksin of inciting unrest and bankrolling the mass rallies by opposition "Red Shirt" protesters, many of whom seek his return to power.

"The arrest warrant was wrongly issued and based on inaccurate evidence and distorted information," Thaksin's lawyer Thanadej Puangpool told AFP.

"Thaksin's lawyers had no chance to defend him during the court hearing before it decided to issue the warrant," he said, adding that a ruling was expected on June 18 on the request.

Thaksin was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile, mainly in Dubai, to avoid a jail term for corruption.

He said in a statement issued Tuesday that the terrorism charges were "politically motivated".

If found guilty, Thaksin could in theory face the death penalty, but the warrant appears aimed at boosting attempts to extradite the tycoon-turned-premier, who has found sanctuary in several countries.

The government has exerted pressure on countries he has visited and has moved to freeze his finances.

The Reds' street rallies, which were broken up last week by the army, paralysed central Bangkok and sparked several outbreaks of violence that left 88 people dead since mid-March, mostly civilians, and nearly 1,900 injured. - AFP/fa

 

[Watchman]

Re: Thaksin lawyers challenge 'terrorism' arrest warrant

If terrorism such a strong word to use to invoke necessary powers from a state .

Then Singapore could use terrrorism charge on Chee for provoking public disturbance ?

 

[M.Bison]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

Anti-government protest leader Jatuporn Prompan (C) reports to the Department of Special Investigations in Bangkok to be interrogated over his alleged violation of the emergency decree. - AFP

A shop employee prepares for business in downtown Bangkok, Thailand, following a military crackdown on anti-government protesters. - AFP



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[lianbeng]

Re: BANGKOK: More than 100K at 9pm. Many More Coming. JAMS 50km Long. ArbiSHIT SHITTI

<cite class="expCaption">Video: Long running protest in Bangkok</cite><script type="text/javascript"> var mediaObj = new Object(); mediaObj.type = 'video'; mediaObj.contentId = ''; mediaObj.source = '/video/world/2010/05/18/sot.thailand.govt.statement.mcot'; mediaObj.source = mediaObj.source.replace('/video/',''); </script>

this guy kana targeted liao.