The Morning After

Another of the PAD’s many D-Days passed. Two people killed, over 400 injured, some requiring amputations, with the PAD vigilantes retreating to Government House. Getting ready for further chaos, positioning women, housewives and – in some cases – even children at the battle front.

Yesterday’s crime of the government: Trying to open parliament … The PAD have become an end in itself. I’m neither left nor right, just observing. But imagine a PAD succeeding and writing the rules of the game.

So far avoiding the due processes of parliament, you’ll always find a paid PAD mob on the streets should the PAD leadership disagree – yes, of a paid yellow mob, as mighty donors are financing the PAD. Promoting violence as the only language understood.

Call me a paid Thaksin hack. Then you don’t understand proper English. Scroll the archives. Thaksin is gently pulled to pieces. Fact is: Thailand has reached dangerous crossroads as the establishment openly sides with the PAD.

Skeptics are denounced as heretics. A modern-day witch hunt – with the PAD running out of options as the government does what a government has to do: Crowd control measures. The PAD’s remaining options: Asymmetric warfare.

Peaceful means? You’re joking.

I mentioned it: One’s freedom fighter is another one’s terrorist. A first car bomb in Bangkok? Protesters shooting at police? Wouldn’t any intact government speak of terrorism.

One of the many definitions of terrorism being: “Terrorism is the premeditated, deliberate, systematic murder, mayhem and threatening of the innocent to create fear and intimidation in order to gain a political or tactical advantage, usually to influence an audience.”

PAD, you got the majority’s attention if you participate, if you approach the poor by means of grassroot programs, stop sabotaging honest business and declare war on the elite’s double standards.

Participate.

Don’t hide behind barbed wire, weapons and anger under some moral pretext, constantly waving Thai flags.

Ultranationalist fanaticism bordering on fascism doesn’t feed anyone. Or maybe Asia forgets the lessons of back then too easily.

Participate.

And you’ll be justly judged.

Photo above by David Paul Morris




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October 8, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, Society 

Comments

11 Responses to “The Morning After”

  1. eh on October 8th, 2008 9.39 am

    This whole blog is so biased against the PAD!

  2. BangkokDan on October 8th, 2008 9.49 am

    I wish it would be different eh, I sincerely wish.

    The government’s a disgrace, but still the lesser of evils.

    BangkokDan

  3. SBThailand on October 8th, 2008 11.35 am

    Amen BKKDan! Calling it like you see it and the truth is not what most want to hear. The sad thing is the international media fails to report the REAL story and just jumps on the Thai media bandwaggon.

    Best wishes and speedy recovery to those poor officers that were hurt due to this “peaceful” protest.

  4. Somchai on October 8th, 2008 4.41 pm

    Hey eh,

    Bias isn’t always bad, like when there are many good reasons to be biased. PAD gives us many reasons every day to be biased against them. As Thai I am glad to see some people can see the same thing as me which is the danger of PAD.

    eh, do you really want people who act like them to be in charge here? They are fascist. Do you know what that means? Here’s a definition for you from Wikipedia:

    “Various scholars attribute different characteristics to fascism, but the following elements are usually seen as its integral parts: Nationalism (including national socialism, socialism, national syndicalism, along with collectivism and populism based on the nationalist values); totalitarianism (including dictatorship, major social interventionism, and statism); third way (including class collaboration, the economic ideology of corporatism, economic planning,) and militarism.”

    If this doesn’t match PAD I don’t what does. eh, please lift up your head from wherever it is and look at the history of fascism and compare it to what is happening here. No one could really want this for our country.

  5. eh on October 8th, 2008 4.47 pm

    Well, actually I agree with you but if the government is a disgrace and the PAD’s ultimate goal of “new politics” is a scary form of elitist fascism, what is the answer? There is no third alternative.

    At the risk of sounding like a PAD leader let loose on the mic, it would be nice to clear out all the old political cronies and anyone remotely connected to Thaksin and start all over again. However this fresh start should also remove all the so-called PAD intellectuals and leaders who are just as corrupt and greedy as their PPP counterparts.

    I propose starting a new group. we will be known simply as the “people.” Our colors will be yellow, red, green, blue, pink and any other color we wish to wear that day. We will camp out in our homes, offices and the grounds of our everyday lives until both the current government and the PAD are dissolved.

  6. Pattama on October 8th, 2008 5.18 pm

    Two people killed, over 400 injured and government still have nothing wrong with this? And you think this is “Promoting Violence” by a paid mob?

    Oh, “a paid yellow mob.” Do you know the father who lost his daughter will give all the money he received as a donation to PAD? And you still call them a paid mob?

    I’m sure my English is bad but i know i’ve got more lines of truth than yours.

  7. SBThailand on October 8th, 2008 5.39 pm

    Pattama, they are a paid mob and frankly they meet the definition of terrorist as well. The police have been totally justified in their actions and have shown incredible restraint in dealing with people SHOOTING at them. Do you deny the fact that at least 3 police officers were shot yesterday? One police officer was skewered? Peaceful protesters, my butt!

  8. bosunj on October 8th, 2008 7.55 pm

    The ship is going down, yet here you are – merely arguing about where to put the deck chairs.

  9. BangkokDan on October 9th, 2008 7.53 am

    I wish I could follow your logic Pattama.

    A provokes B.

    A instigates turmoil, threatens major further chaos and does again and again break the law – while B …

    The whole country laughingly knows why Chamlong got himself arrested on Sunday. Even Pallop told us so.

    Your fight may be honorable Pattama, but the means you choose to fight you’re fight denude your allegedly better world.

    You’re dangerous, that’s it.

    For one time the PAD got outmaneuvered. The latest chaos action with the occupation of parliament was intended to revive the movement and deliberately provoke the authorities.

    Everybody in this country knows this. Why not you?

    People carrying home-made bombs – what’s next?

    Nobody feels safe anymore, thanks to your honorable quest.

    BangkokDan

  10. JJ on October 9th, 2008 4.17 pm

    Found this comment on the pro-PAD website of http://www.thailandoutlook.tv:

    Shame on those accept PAD conquering the Parliment and bringing down the majority. Shme on the Police and Army taking too late action to stop the seize of Parliament and the countries majority rights. PAD alway claims votes buying? How sure are they ( including Democrats)too? Just set up a body with power to curb vote buying. Polish up this area. How can an elected govt to be taken by the neck of these bunch of law breaker. Corruption is a catch word use by the PAD after observing them. Where is peace and prosperity after Thaksin. A little evil is better than bigger evil now. You have destroyed all those who have make the country rich and strong in the past. Even the communist countries overtakes us, Thailand now. Shame on us from the Highest to the Rock bottom Thais. I should change theme “corruption” to theme “greed”. History of mankind repeat itself. It is the majority than support the system and not the minority. Same goes to all govt and dynasty. Sonthi Pati
    Sonthi , BKK

  11. BangkokDan on October 9th, 2008 9.59 pm

    Here a New Mandala-comment by German photographer Nick Nostitz who was at the Black Tuesday:

    I have been very busy the last days, but i hope i can find some time to make a more extensive post with pictures on what i have seen at the 7th of October.

    I have seen Police only using teargas grenades, no “dirty bombs.” They had rubber bullet guns, but I have not seen them using them.

    I do believe the reason that limbs have been torn off is that those grenades were from older Russian manufacture, and not more modern and less lethal ones. Also, when people are tightly packed, the explosive power is naturally higher.

    The problem is with police being badly under budgeted. They did not use so called “excessive” force. I do absolutely believe that it was the right decision to use gas grenades, as it avoided more direct hand to hand confrontation, which would have most definitely cost far more lives.

    From what i have seen, police has used appropriate force, and would have been justified to use much harsher methods.

    It is horrible that people lost their limbs, I have seen several of those injuries. Police did not go out intending to hurt people that way, but they had to use what equipment they have had.

    PAD, as portrayed by their supporters and members, was not peacefully protesting. PAD has used handguns (at one moment bullets shot by PAD were flying around me), they have used iron balls and screws in slingshots (I have a large bruise from one of them on the stomach, resulting from a PAD attempt to attack metropolitan police headquarters at midday). They have also flung their own teargas grenades, and other explosive devices, which I have seen on numerous occasions during that day and night.

    PAD has used cars and lorries trying to overrun police, I have seen several such attempts, which were only stopped by police firing teargas grenades directly at those vehicles. I have photographed one police officer who was over run by such a car, and injured.

    Please do not forget – the law was on that day on the side of police, and not PAD. PAD was, and still is, an armed group whose purpose is escalation, including the use of extreme violence against its opponents. Regardless the picture they and their supporters try to paint.

    BangkokDan

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