THAKSIN DEMANDS REVOLUTION

Vandals smash the car of Niphon Promphan, Secretary-General of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, at the Interior Ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, April 12, 2009. Photo: AP

T

he red mob regrouped Sunday in Bangkok, bringing near anarchy with them to the city. The capital and parts of five neighbouring provinces were placed under emergency measures, enabling the military to step up and assist the insufficient police forces. Evidently the introspection I had hoped for in Saturday's post did not materialize.

Mr. Thaksin's mobs displayed more of their thuggery, smashing cars and seriously injuring government officials at the Interior Ministry. Prime Minister Abhisit was reported to be slightly injured. His Secretary-General, Niphon Phromphan, and other officials were not so lucky. Niphon suffered head injuries and broken ribs after protesters smashed his car and attacked him.

Niphon is attacked by the mob, suffering head injuries and broken ribs. Photo: Reuters / stringer

The protesters blocked the vehicles and grabbed Pol Sergeant-Major Chanin Singlek and beat him up, before they turned to the other vehicle and did the same to two military officers, one identified as Major Pakorn Somphant, who were inside the car.

The group grabbed a pistol from Pakorn's holster and fired one shot in the air. The pistol was passed on to other protesters and all the bullets were fired in the air. Nattawut Saikua, a protest leader who went to the ministry and later spoke to reporters at the scene, accused Pakorn of shooting at the crowd of protesters, but the major denied it.

Niphon's driver was also attacked. Photo: Reuters / stringer

Niphon was trapped in his personal BMW, without help or intervention by some 100 security officials stationed in the ministry compound, while the protesters continued smashing his car for about five minutes. Niphon and all three officers were later allowed to be taken to hospitals by the protesters, who had initially stopped ambulances from entering the ministry compound.

The main stage for Thaksin's red people is located at Government House, where tens of thousands are being fired up tonight by their leaders — including video messages from Thaksin himself, calling on them to gather in greater numbers and fight.

The deposed prime minister said he will return to lead his supporters, if a coup takes place.

This would be the time for people to come out and revolt after the army brought tanks into the city, he said.

Thaksin said that should he come back, the Democrat party will join forces with a 'dictatorship' and hurt people.

He asked people to stay strong and fight for democracy for their children.

"I will monitor the situation closely. Anytime the army uses force, I will return if necessary and I will not let influential figures pressure the people," said Thaksin.

The self-exiled premier said he planned to make phone-ins throughout the night.

Unidentified official brutalized by mobs at the Interior Ministery on Sunday. Photo: Daily News / AP

Democracy for the children, that's cute. The fight is for one thing alone, and that's Thaksin's own interests. He is now getting even, having others do his fighting while he "monitors the situation." And composes his next incendiary message for the mob.

On Saturday night after the visiting foreign leaders had all left, and the leaders of the Democratic Alliance Against Democracy had declared their great victory in damaging their own country, Prime Minister Abhisit unexpectedly returned to the scene of the crime and said the following to the Thai people:

"In this loss to the country, anyone or any group of people that announces a victory should be regarded as true enemies of Thailand. Whatever status I have, I will never allow these people to become influential," he told a press conference at the summit venue.

Mobs extract a motorist for a beating, reportedly after he criticized their uncivilised actions. Photo: AP / David Longstreath

Tonight will show whether Abhisit has the support of military and police commanders, or not. I hope the jolly country ladies shaking their stupid clappers and watching Thaksin on the big screen at ground zero will be safe, but I won't shed any tears if the thugs who did what you see in these pictures get what's coming to them. They bear no resemblance to the real democracy movement I witnessed up close in 1992, and they should be ashamed for thinking of themselves that way.

But let's end here for the moment with some humour. The Chinese government-controlled Xinhua news service carried this report on Saturday morning, as the first disruptions hit Pattaya trapping Premier Wen Jiaobao and other leaders in their hotels. The dispatch was republished by the Wall Street Journal, and has disappeared from Xinhua itself.

PATTAYA, Thailand (Xinhua) -- The meeting of foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea, which was scheduled to be held here at 7 a.m. local time Saturday morning, was delayed due to anti-government protests, officials said. The protestors are demonstrating against the Chinese government's policy on Tibet, according to published reports.

AFP reported earlier that the meeting was cancelled, citing a senior Chinese official.

The meeting was scheduled to include discussion of North Korea's recent rocket test, according to published reports.

It's difficult to believe that anybody, even writing for Xinhua, could be that stupid. Tens of thousands of Thai redshirts were ransacking a resort hotel to protest Chinese policy in Tibet? Maybe they really are that paranoid over their colony, but if so it's verging on insane.

Oh, and here's the kicker of the day.

Those words don't mean what they think they mean. Photo: AP / Wong Maye-E

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Labels: Thailand

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