Do not think we are immune to this kind of response here in the US. If you happened to see some of the videos from the DNC and RNC convention protests you would know what I mean. Though I will give you that the police responses did not go as far as throwing grenades, but the crowds there were not as large nor as hostile either.

Personally, I wish that crowd of 30K would have shown the police there what they were made of. The problem is, no one wants to be one of the couple of hundred people who would have died in doing so. I really don't blame them. However, when the oppression gets to be too much, a crowd will do what ever it takes to release its frustration, even if that includes ripping the cops from limb to limb. Not that I am advocating such a response, non violence should always be a first response.

Oh my god.

Anyone who has seen my posts knows that I usually stick up for police forces, who are much maligned in my opinion.

But this is unacceptable. This is downright trecherous and tyrannic.

For once Im appalled but I dont know what to do about it. I'll pass this link on to anyone I know... thats a start.

This is a great and important thread. I like to comment, and have done so in the parallel thread on the Bangkok carbomb.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Now there is something I have thoght about as well, though my original stance is a bit blurred in this thread, perhaps the grotesq pictures are ment to continue to desensitise us for roit violence. In anthoer thread it was mentioned about that and this could be a contnuation. It's strange how we thrive on carnage. Post an "Explicit photos" post and people will click to see how bad it really is. I am JUST as guilty.

Just to point out, in case no one else has done their research, the PAD are middle - upper class group supported by the wealthy. They are sick of the government giving so much help to the rural people (places like Isaan), where the majority are farmers and very poor. They would rather have a majority of unelected people permanently put in place in the Thai Government. In other words, the protesters would support a less democratic (and more their way) kind of Government. I know this because i spend a lot of time in Thailand and follow their current affairs.
Of course there is corruption in the current Government, there always has been in Thai politics. Installing their own cronies would not change the level of corruption, but just transfer it to another group.

That being said, there is no excuse for this kind of police brutality, regardless of who is protesting.

reply to post by Jkd Up

---

I posted the original stream. I was aware of a couple of graphic photos on the flicker account. A few people were a little shocked by a bloody photo of victims.......one a man with his leg blown off.

However they are photos of what a huge crowd of patriotic buddhists saw, and experienced. Just quality journalism.

If you want to find CONSPIRACY in journalism, watch CNN,BBC,NBNC etc.

I apoligised to an early post for not making a graphic content warning. The link was posted because it is a series of photos taken by a thai journalist that summarise the events. Photos can lie, ESPECALLY ON MAINSTREAM NEWS CHANNELS.

As an expatriot living here for a long time I wanted to post a thread that would draw attention to a situation. The thread has become interesting.

View all the photos and you will get a feeling for the thai people. I am a news freak and this photo set is exceptional. The photographer names photos, that's it.

I was too busy shopping in this huge city, like many people, we were not there. The estimated 30,000 who were saw this, and it was recorded in photographs. It all happened in an isolated part of the city around the administrative cantre

We are trying to expose the conspiracy, not propagate it.

Thanks

It was reported in some econimic forems that this government has developed the rural sector. This is a sector that is booming in Thailand, although the base workers are the poorest in the country (Isaan) and also equate to some 30,000,000, almost half the population of Thailand. The factories, like in most other countries are owned by a very small and protected elite. Of coarse when this elite prosper so do the farmers.

They get a few US dollars a week extra.

Thailand has maintained a beuracratic infrastrusture. Health care is not privatised, public ambulances don't exist, but with all these problems the country moves forward.
The PAD are a very broad group of thais. They are Bkk based and do include the intellectual and middle classes.

They do not include the super rich. Not at all. They would be sumed up as regular modern educated thais.

The farmers in the north support Taksin not because of his rural initiavies, but because he bribes them with free rice.

He built a brilliant mobile network that most thais can afford. (good service inc GPRS etc for about 10% the cost of western countries).

He purchased the only inderpendent tv channel (the other main ones ran by the military and the government in power) and replaced all doco and investigative journalism programs with thai reality tv and talent shows, and to fill in the gap for so many bored people, he brought footy here.

Most thais love it, whether they farm rice in Isaan or work in a Bkk office.

Very clever.

That doesn't make your generalisations about the PAD valid. They are a mixed bunch of people who care. A lot of rural thais are easily convinced by his clever tactics, but unaware of his motives. Those who do understand would support PAD.

80% of the poorerst rural thais who support his party voted purely on the small bribes in cash they were given (approx $US20 for a farmer and US$1000's for a community leader). Not everyone was corruptable and community leaders in poor areas who spoke out were killed. Many cases are still been invstigated in the courts, although it is unlikely any justice will be handed down.

The people who gathered want some system where nepatistic cronies don't get to take folios they don't give a hoot for, and then spend their lives in parliament lining the pockets.

They want educated experts who do not have a direct alignment with private indusrty to see over certain fields.

Unfortunately, if Bush and Cheney can do what they do in Iraq with their private interests, I don't expect PAD to fulfill their wishes this decade.

But they are not the on trial here.

It is the actions of the security forces.

I have a decade long connection to Thailand and follow matters closely there. At the moment I'm in my homecountry and is kind of shocked to find out what's going on. Not that it hasn't been reported in European media, but for the last week financial crises has taken the headlines.

From reading Thai news I learn that the mayhem on the Bkk streets should have been caused by teargas canisters. An investigation conducted by the head of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, Pornthip Rojanasunand has stated that no residues of explosives are found on the scene or the victims.

Now this Ms Porntip isn't just anybody. She's a fierce opponent to both police and PPP politics, as she was to Thaksins TLT government. If not for her the Tak Bai massacre might never had been revealed.
No explosive residue: Pornthip

Thai press is speculating on what can have caused the injuries; faul play is suspected, teargas canisters can caused blown off limbs.

As for the motives some hints are found in this Bkk Post editorial. The newly appointed PM, Somchai Wongsawat, a brother-in-law of Mr Thaksin, pressed announcements of the government's policies in parliament, likely to cause the turmoil in the crowd gathered outside.

The motive could be to enhance his father-in-law's asylum case in the UK.
And the winner is ... Thaksin

Thank you. Yes Khun Ponthip had made interesting statement. Word o the streets here is that an underground militia (the guy in black - first photo on the flicker site) who are funded to stir both sides. One of those disasterous situations when an outsider is possibly funding professionals to cause the situation to become explosive, destablising the country.

So far it is working. Many of my thai friends who are apolitical are going to Bangkok to join the anti government protests. In 1992 the situation unfolded exactly the same way. After one week there were an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 (no one can give an accurate account as their was a media blackout and martial law) people gathered at the Victory Monument in downtown Bangkok. The situation flared, due to disruptive influences on both sides, and thousands died. The officilal inquest 10 years later put the death toll at about 50, although all thais know it was so much more. Tanks crushed unarmed protesters as they held orchids in the air, buses were hijaked by the masses and done up Mad Max style and converted into civilian tanks to fight the army. It was a blood bath.

Everyone here is praying that this situation is not about to repeat.

Chinese canisters to be recalled, destroyed

The Royal Thai Police will recall all Chinese-made tear-gas canisters that are now blamed for causing injuries and deaths to People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators during last Tuesday's clash outside Parliament.

....many PAD demonstrators had lost fingers, toes, arms and legs when police fired tear gas into them the previous day.

reply to post by serpentine

---

This should serve as a reminder to all free people, Americans especially, why it is so important to keep and bear arms. I shoot back. I would hope you would too. These people need help and support by the freethinking of the world. Thank you for posting this.

reply to post by serpentine

---

I can't U2U yet, but I am currently in Bangkok.

I thought about going to where the protests were happening to take some pictures, but had second thoughts after reading about the death and dismemberment.

Let me know if there's any information I could possibly provide you with.

I spent time in vietnam and there is only one type grenade the causes that type damage where it blows off legs but does not kill the person from frag.

That is not a stun grenade but a concussion offensive hand grenade like the MK3A2.
www.fas.org...