Thai Parliament stormed; chopper rescues lawmakers

BANGKOK – Emboldened anti-government protesters briefly stormed Thailand's Parliament building Wednesday, as lawmakers scaled the compound's walls to flee and a Black Hawk helicopter evacuated those trapped by the encircling crowd.

"Red Shirt" protesters, following one of their most hardcore leaders, smashed through the compound's gate with a truck and rushed into the building while Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and other lawmakers were still inside. But the protesters later withdrew from the building at the request of opposition legislators.

The government security agency, known as CAPO, sent a Black Hawk helicopter carrying five soldiers armed with M-16 rifles to fly the ministers and lawmakers to safety, the agency said in a statement. INN television said Suthep was among those evacuated.

news.yahoo.com...

Tens of thousands of Red Shirts have been camped in Bangkok since March 12, when protests started in the historic heart of the capital. They say they will continue protests until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who they claim came to power illegitimately, dissolves Parliament and calls new elections.

Now this is how to do a protest.
It would be funny if Americans started seeing their lawbreakers, I mean lawmakers, being rescued from the roof of the Congress.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva later declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, handing the army broad powers to restore order.

The government already had placed Bangkok under the strict Internal Security Act.

But a state of emergency includes more sweeping powers. It gives the military authority to restore order and allows authorities to suspend certain civil liberties and ban all public gatherings of more than five people.

‘Red Shirt’ protesters storm Thai Parliament

strict Internal Security Act

Just sounds like a clever way to say Martial Law!

Interesting this happened in a similar way almost exactly a year ago.

Look at this thread: Thailand announces state of emergency in capital

Originally posted by MikeboydUS

Thailand announces state of emergency in capital

BANGKOK – Armored vehicles are moving in the streets of Thailand's capital following the announcement of a state of emergency aimed at stemming the tide of anti-government protest across the country.

Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd says the military's presence Sunday in Bangkok is not a sign of an imminent coup but a measure to restore order.

Associated Press reporters saw several armored vehicles in a busy commercial area of the city not long after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced the emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas.

Thailand's embattled government was humiliated Saturday by demonstrators who shut down a 16-nation Asian summit.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Edit to Add: This Red Shirt group has had a year to re-vamp, and the government has as well. Who will prevail this round?

[edit on 4/7/2010 by UberL33t]

reply to post by UberL33t

Still, some have suggested that security forces are sympathetic to the protesters' cause and unwilling to get tough.

"Also, for the first time, the prime minister must have started questioning the loyalty of the police and some in the military," the editorial said.

It sounds to me that the security forces are not blindly going along with the corrupt government but are siding with the protesters.

I extend my best wishes to Thai People and hope they install a new fresh government that will represent a People for a change and do something else except protecting a conglomerates.
This is the way they should be dealt with because gray eminences will not relinquish the power without a boot in a backside to help them on a way out. This is obviously a case of strict martial law enforced to protect a ruling class and preserve their way of life, nothing else. People spoke and they are just trying to shut them up by whatever means necessary.
I hope this kind of thing will become contagious across the world like a swine flu.

Try this move in DC and you will find an M72 rocket in the front end of your truck.

These red shirts are a feisty bunch. No mention of them being armed.

Yay for me being in Thailand!!

Will update you if anything occurs, but these guys at good at keeping their politics to themselves for the best part. I don't think tourists and foreigners are at any risk.

-m0r

reply to post by warisover
I starred and flagged you just for the comment about our congress!

Good one.

Originally posted by m0r1arty
Yay for me being in Thailand!!

Will update you if anything occurs, but these guys at good at keeping their politics to themselves for the best part. I don't think tourists and foreigners are at any risk.

-m0r

did u pack a red shirt?

you should go join the party. show them how to make a dont tread on me sign.

It is always easy to think that the protesters are the innocent party but you would be very, very wrong in this case. What gets reported on the news is not the truth (when is it ever?). The red shirt protesters UDD are just a bunch of rent a mob, paid for by the former and most corrupt prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who has been found guilty by the Thai courts of corruption and had about 1 Billion Dollars confiscated from his frozen bank accounts in Thailand.

Thaksin is in self exile to avoid the two year prison sentence that the court imposed when they found him guilty. The UDD red shirts claim that they are for democracy but refuse to listen to alternative views (yes real democracy LOL) and were not up in arms when their beloved Thaksin ruled the parliment under the same political system: i.e. they had two puppet prime ministers since the last election when they had enough seats in parliment but they were found to be corrupt and removed by law. The present prime minister is oxford educated Abhisit (Mark to his friends) and his party now control the majority seats after parlimentary defections and other parties joining with him to form the government.

The red shirts UDD are poor farmers who are being manipulated by Thaksin on a pay as you protest deal, so that he can cause enough disruption so that the people will beg him to come back as the almighty saviour and save the people and of course get his money and power back. his latest offer to recruit more protesters is to promise them 200,000 baht if they come to protest, that he will pay when he becomes prime minister again. Of course, most educated people can see right through this as he will obviously not pay that amount or steal it from the government coffers to do so. The poor people are being manipulated and lied too and of course tempted by greed. 200,000 Baht is the equivalent of about US$6,000 not bad for people who probably earn less than US$3,000 a year?

The western media are portraying this as a elite versus poor battle, i can tell you it is not! The truth is this, it is an educated against an uneducated
battle. The majority of people in Thailand are fed up with the UDD, especially the people of Bangkok who are having to endure this thug rentamob on a daily basis.

For those who think Thaksin is so wonderful and supportive of the poor, please ask yourself the following:

1. How supportive was he for the families of the 2,000 + people he had murdered under the pretence of a war on drugs?
2. Who benefitted from his war on drugs?
3. Why did he change the laws on taxes to avoid paying them, when selling shares in his telecom company to Singtel? Taxes that undoubtably could have been used to help the poor. About US $2 billion
4. Why does he continue to cause disruption when it directly affects many poor people who rely on the tourist trade to live?
5. If he is so innocent, why does he not return to thailand to face the courts and prove his innocence.

I can go on all night about the truth of the situation but time is limited but I do get annoyed when ignorant posters label the Thai government as corrupt in support of these thugs and their leader, who are the most corrupt ever seen, in a very corrupt country!

The Abhisit government, in power today, are like a breath of fresh air in Thai politics and seem to deal with the situations quite sensibly. the actions of the riots a year ago were caused by the red shirts who were violent and abusive to local residents in Bangkok. In fact, the only deaths were caused by red shirts when they were challenged by local residents to clear out of their area because of threats to ignite a petrol tanker outside their homes.

the red shirts have constantly used bullying tactics, throwing grenades into crowds, shooting RPG's at opposition protests, bombs going off in public places, firing guns at innocent civilians, the list goes on and on....The Thai government have shown great restraint over the past year!

reply to post by Hongkongphooey


pardon me for being dumb but

you know this how???

u have sources???

if not then it didn't happen
as they say on the UFO threads

reply to post by boondock-saint


I know this how? Because I have lived in Asia for over 25 years, mostly in Thailand where I have property and my 11 year old son goes to school. I speak Thai fluently and have many friends from the middle class, HiSo and Loso communities.

Thaksin Shinawatra is only popular with the uneducated North and North Eastern (issan) population because they really do believe he will give them lots of money.

Yesterday, I spoke with a young lady who works in a 5 star hotel, who is very angy at the UDD red shirts and argues with her family back in Issan over this protest. She explained that when Thaksin was in power he made government loans freely available to the poor farmers and villiagers who used the money not to improve their small businesses but spent the money on items being promoted alongside the loans by companies owned by Thaksin. She explained that her family took over 400,000 Baht in loans that they did not think they would have to pay back, that's how the poor people were duped and they still believe Thaksin will wipe out their debts. They bought Motor Bikes, TV's, expensive gold and watches. Other families took higher value loans and were also under the impression thet the loans were free!

Very clever and cunning by Thaksin to dupe the poor this way, using government coffers to arrange loans that had to be spent on products and companies he approved (ie owned). Now can you picture how corrupt he is?

This young lady says that her life was quite good working in a 5 star hotel until the demands came from her family to help repay their loans.

The Issan people are generally (not all) so uneducated that they are easily duped and used as pawns in Thaksin's thirst for greater wealth. Who wouldn't support a person that promises you free money when you don't understand the true circumstances of where the money comes from, who pays for it and how it is going to greatly impact your life at a later date when you find out that you were lied too and have to pay back the loan.

Thaksin tells the people to come out and fight for him, bring your children (WTF into dangerous situations that could explode out of control) and then on the day before the protests begin ALL his family and children included leave the country for the safety of Europe or UAE. What a hero! This has happened a number of times in the last year when ever the UDD red shirts plan a big demonstration.

BTW, the Abhisit Democrat lead government has also been trying to do much for the poor including increasing free education to mandatory 15 years and yesterday cut the loans that Thaksin gave out by 50%. They are trying to do their best for the country but it's almost impossible when Thaksin is making these silly promises to the uneducated rentamob red shirts.

Do you believe in UFO's now?

reply to post by Hongkongphooey


You're a number 1 super guy.

However I do think you have to look at this from the other angle too (personally I am only observing here).

Thaksin brought good roads and diversity to the markets of Isaan, where once there were only pineapples being sold in certain places now there are goods from many different areas. This in itself brought enough 'sanuk' change to the people of Isaan for them to want more and wanting more is what every area of a society that is under-represented wants once it knows it can have it.

What Thailand had prior to Thaksin was a ruling elite of upper middle class controlling local authority, its spending and its overall infrastructure. Thaksin brought Thailand back and beyond from the Pacific Triangle collapse of 1997 and created the economy as it is known today. Now was he without corruption? - I'd say no, I'd say he fully abused his powers and educated Thais know that and don't want it to happen again.

Should the UDD get better represented? Of course - there are more people in Isaan and Chang Mai than there are in Central Thailand. Are they going about it in right way? - well that's a matter of opinion.

Thailand has had many, many coupés in its short existence as a democracy and will probably have many,many more. They have something the French and Italians have which is people power. It's much more vocal than the UK or the US because people actually take to the streets (or like the Yellow Shirts to the airports to halt tourism [NB. Yellow shirts are the current government who did this 2 years ago] - which really bit the economy).

Through conflict comes resolution and this conflict will hopefully have the hegemonic elite release some power, well enough to appease the current protesters and set up a temporary status quo until the next time.

Trade unions, non land owners, slaves and the uneducated all did this back in Western society about 100 years ago - so don't knock it, it pays for your Leo, Singh or Heinekein.

As stated I'm only observing, it's not my place to say what is right and what is wrong here - only that there appears to be a difference of opinion on each side.

They are relatively peaceful peaceful people and will team up against us farang when push comes to shove so don't take it to heart. I like to think about it as sibling rivalry which will actually benefit both sides when looked back upon.

Anywho's catch you at the visa office and ching ching!

-m0r

At last some real sensible debate!

I agree, I am a number 1 super guy LOL and there are always two sides to a story.

Actually the roads in Issan were already quite good, as I used to drive them on business from Bkk to Korat, Khon Khaen, Udorn Thani and Ubon Ratchatani. Most governments have always improved the road networks throughout Thailand, so Thaksin wasn't really doing anything special here. his one item, one tambon initiative was good for all villiages not just Issan, but it did give poor farming families a way out of the fields. Education is what the people of Issan need more than anything as you cannot help yourself if you don't know how too!

What Thailand had prior to Thaksin was Chavalit Yongchaiyut, Banharn Silapan Archa and Snoh Tiengthong all ancient dinosaurs of military and politics who helped Police Captain Thaksin on his way up and became his best buddies when he was in power.

This ruling elite that you talk about? Thaksin was and is still part of it, he has NOTHING in common with the people of Issan at all, he is just not willing to walk away from the best gig he ever had and needs it more than ever as his only hope of living in his homeland without serving his prison sentence.

It was not Thaksin that created the boom years after the financial collapse of 1997, it was the Democrat led government of Chuan Lekpai (a man beyond reproach) who put all the fiscal policies in place that Thaksin later benefitted and rode the wave on!

In fact it was Thaksin, Chavalit and Babnharn that caused/created the currency devalution in the first place, as they knew what was going to happen (as they had already made the decision to devalue the Thai Baht) when they sent ALL their Thai Baht overseas to Singapore (causing more strain on the Baht) in the lead up to the devaluation and then brought it all back in at more than double the rate. So they caused it and then benefiited from THEIR financial policies (Thaksin was then Deputy prime Minister if my memory serves me correctly).

The UDD thugs already have representation as they are just the rentamob of Thaksin and his PuaThai party, although they are welcome to form a political party peacefully and stand in the next elections.

Thailand has had many coup d'etat's in its history and with the exception of the Chatchai Choonivan coup d'etat are usually when they are most needed, in my own experience.

I was working for the English language media when Gen. Suchinda Krayaporn (a cmilitary ooup leader) stated he would not run in the elections and then manouvered to become 'prime minister' after the elections when no one voted for him! The result was that the electorate woke up and protested at Sanum Luang, when Suchinda went too far and 100's of civillians were shot, killed and burned in buses by the military, then King Bhumibol intervened, Suchinda stepped dowm and we had Anand Panyarachun take the helm as prime minister and he proved a breath of fresh air in politics

You are unfair and wrong to say the yellow shirts (yellow is the colour of the King) PAD demonstrators are the government, in fact Abhisit publically distanced himself (wisely) from their actions, although it is true to say he has benefitted from the PAD and many of those people are supporters of Abhisit, but that is not the same as saying they are the government!

I too hope there can be a resolution to this, but ONE man, just one man Thaksin has divided a people like never before in Thailand and he does not care who gets killed or injured in his cause. I have never seen the Thai people as divided as this and it is sorry to see but I am beginning to see that Thaksin would like a civil war to get his power back.

You also misrepresent Thai attitudes when you state that they will team up against Farangs at any opportunity, true of the uneducated Thai's but not of the educated, believe me! But are they any different to the paki bashers in Europe?

Cheers for an excellent debate

reply to post by Hongkongphooey


A top class response if ever there was one; thank you Hongkongphooey - you are indeed a number one super guy!

Again, I am only observing in this current debacle and have no real side to take. I just wished to pose the alternative to your viewpoint.

I agree that there were already roads in place and good public services going (97% of all Thais are literate - check the motorcycle taxi drivers, all from Esarm [showing off now] and well versed)

I just think we Farang (who they do team up against - at least were I am living) should bow our heads, salute the great King and get on with our own business as it will clear up given time.

The western media will make a field day of this on a dull day and pass on a message that is not true of the majority of Thais - this is a good place where people are vocal, but also shy.

I say let it run its course and we shall see how much good, and how much bad, comes from it.

It is a Thai thing and as such should be left as such.

Seriously nice to hear from someone else from out here who cares about the well being of those lovely people who live out here and I hope to make your acquiescence before I leave.

-m0r

Thanks for the alternate point of view but truth is always better. I totally agree with you that it is for Thai's to deal with and not for us foreigners to get involved. I cringed this evening when reading the Nation showing farangs wearing red shirts and getting involved in the protests. One even made a speech on stage in support, what an idiot!

Farangs who make Thailand their home don't have a vote to use or sell, so it is really pathetic for farangs to involve themselves in something they probably don't even understand. One German man wearing red and protesting claimed he had no idea what it was all about but was just supporting his Esarn (you win) wife. If she cannot even explain to her husband why she is protesting, what hope for morons like that?

I hope this can be resolved peacefully but it is now looking less likely as the reds are now thirsting for blood because they think the troops are afraid of them rather than realising they are exercising restraint. Thaksin is loving this but many people's lives in Bangkok are being made miserable. how long will they tolerate it before they start to strike back, small incidents are already starting, a brawl in pattaya yesterday between local residents and reds in a superstore car park.

Thai people are usually honest and decent, they would usually share their last meal with you even when they have nothing. Rich and poor have lived side by side forever without problems, unlike other countries where there are poor suberbs and rich areas.

Now their jealous buttons have been lit and Thaksins promise to give them free money when he returns has been a huge hit with the rural poor, if they succeed what will happen when Thaksin can't deliver?