http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Thailand-Police-Fire-Tear-Gas-At-Red-Shirt-Protesters-In-Bangkok/Article/201005215631684?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15631684_Thailand%3A_Police_Fire_Tear_Gas_At_Red_Shirt_Protesters_In_Bangkok

Latest update from te BBC. BBC News.

just heard from friend that lives close to nana plaza that there are armed troops at nana plaza

dont look good

Bomb has gone off on Sukhumvit.

 

Ubon and Udon airports have been closed.

Bomb has gone off on Sukhumvit.

 

Ubon and Udon airports have been closed.

 

thanks for the update.

I'm not a religous man, but i'm going to pray for Thailand.

:( not good at all.

Clashes Continue, Turning Central Bangkok in Virtual Warzone

 

BANGKOK: -- After starting their “all out’ crackdown against the red shirt protesters last night, military personnel intensified their operation at around noon today.

 

Soldiers closed down North Sathorn Road and worked their way down to the Wireless Road area.

 

Gunshots and bomb-like sounds were heard continuously throughout the day. Several injuries have been reported, including a Mathichon photographer, who was shot in the hip and a foreign journalist who was shot in the hand.

 

The foreign journalist has been identified as France 24 journalist Nelson Rand, a Canadian who has been resident in Thailand for at least 5 years.

 

Clashes have occurred along the Rama 4 Road, from the expressway all the way to Silom Road.

 

Soldiers have been seen the perimeter of Lumpini Park, shooting what is believed to be rubber bullets into the park, where red shirt protesters have set up camp.

 

Demonstrators have since retaliated by seizing a police truck and torching it on Wireless Road. They also successfully seized two army trucks and damaged it to the point that it has been deemed useless.

 

They have also been firing firecrackers back at the soldiers.

 

At the Thai-Belgium Bridge on Rama 4 Road, protesters have torched tires, one very close to a PTT gas station, prompting fears of a possible explosion. The fires have been since put out.

 

Reports indicate that military personnel have been able to secure Wireless Road. Military helicopters have been seen circling the area, believed to be scoping out hot spots in the protest area.

 

Meanwhile, public transportation in the area has completely ceased.

Thai troops open fire in standoff with protesters

 

by Patrick Falby

 

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Thai troops opened fire on the streets of Bangkok on Friday as they ramped up pressure on "Red Shirt" protesters to give up their campaign to topple the government after a two month standoff.

 

Volleys of gunfire sent residents fleeing in panic near the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, popular with tourists, while protesters set fire to an empty police bus and vandalised army vehicles and water cannon.

 

Two journalists, one of them a Canadian with the France 24 television channel and the other a Thai photographer, were shot and wounded. Their conditions were not known.

 

Troops were seen repeatedly firing into Lumpini Park, close to the Red Shirts' sprawling encampment, which has been fortified with razor wire, truck tyres doused with kerosene and sharpened bamboo poles.

 

It was not clear if the troops were firing live ammunition, but the army has warned in the past it would use lethal force against "terrorist" elements.

 

A line of about 100 soldiers carrying assault rifles was seen near the park, according to an AFP reporter. Three Red Shirts were seen being detained by the security forces.

 

Army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said there were about 2,000 Red Shirt protesters in the area and that the order was given Friday morning to disperse them after they had "intimidated authorities with weapons".

 

Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon said the operation was meant to force the movement's leaders back to talks with the government.

 

"The military operation aims to put pressure on the Red Shirts to come back to the negotiating table," Prawit told AFP.

 

An army spokesman, however, said the military had no plan to force protesters out of their main fortified rally site on Friday.

 

Around the wider protest area, which extends for several square kilometres (miles), soldiers blocked roads and set up checkpoints to seal off the area.

 

"The total seal-off measure took place since yesterday evening," said Sunsern, adding that the electricity company had cut off the power to part of the capital.

 

As part of the operation, some of Bangkok's commuter rail system was shut, including a section through the key tourist area of Sukhumvit Road.

 

The army had warned Thursday it would deploy snipers around the Reds' protest site and use armoured vehicles to prevent more demonstrators joining thousands who have occupied a large area of central Bangkok for two months.

 

The army's decision followed the shooting late Thursday of renegade Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, a high-profile Reds supporter, who had been accused of trying to stymie government moves to reconcile with the protesters.

 

He was unconscious in the intensive care unit of Vahira hospital with a "low" chance of survival from a head wound, said Chaiwan Charoenchokethavee, the hospital director.

 

Another demonstrator died after being shot in the head in clashes with security forces Thursday night. Eleven others were wounded.

 

Core Red leaders had publicly distanced themselves from Khattiya, known by his followers as Seh Daeng, but after his shooting one top protester vowed there would be no surrender.

 

"If you think the shooting of Seh Daeng will scare leaders and make them not dare to take the stage, you are wrong," one of the protest leaders, Jatuporn Prompan, said at the rally site. "We will not leave here as losers."

 

The army denied involvement in the shooting as protesters dug in.

 

The fresh violence came after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva shelved a plan to hold early elections in November and hopes faded for a resolution to the crippling political crisis.

 

The mostly poor and working class Reds, who launched their campaign in mid-March for immediate elections, initially agreed to enter the peace process but efforts to reach a deal that would see them go home eventually broke down.

 

The Reds consider the government illegitimate because it came to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court ruling ousted elected allies of their hero, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was unseated in a 2006 coup.

 

Obviously there is no indiscriminate firing going on

The red-shirt leaders Friday announced they would no longer compromise with the government and toughened their demands for the administration to comply with.

 

The red-shirt leaders demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to meet the five demands as following:

 

1) The government must cease fire immediately.

 

2) The government must withdraw troops immedidatetly.

 

3) The government must lift the state of emergency immediately.

 

4) The House must be dissolved immediatley.

 

5) Abhisit and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban must resign and must not be in the caretaker Cabinet.

 

The Nation

 

 

Natthawut Saikua, a red-shirt leader, Friday demanded Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve the House immediately and pull out troops or a big tragedy will happen to the country at night.

 

"If the prime minister does not order ceasefire, tonight will likely see a big tragedy. It is likely that Thai people will be forever feel pain in their heart because of what will happen tonight," Natthawut said.

 

He said the prime minister must dissolve the House and stop using violence against the protesters.

 

He said he did not mean the red-shirt protesters would use violence but confusion could prevail at night.

 

The Nation

Edited May 14, 201016 yr by Cerberus

I live in Silom, about a five minute walk from Molly Malones, seven minute walk from PatPong.

 

Work was canceled so I spent the day indoors. A bit past noon the helicopters began buzzing overhead and the "pops" and "booms" from a few blocks away ratcheted up in intensity. I can't see Lumphini because of the buildings in the way, but I could see a few clouds of smoke coming from the area. Around 4pm I went to the 7-11 to stock up on food in case things got bad. It wasn't far, but the soldiers I passed looked grim. More than grim, they looked professional. As in, markedly different than the ones that have been hanging around here the last month.

 

I got a bit of a bad feeling (plus I saw Molly's was closed) so headed back home until dinner time. Just got back from a restaurant in the direction away from the fighting. Some cabs and some buses. People queuing up though. The area is much, much quieter than it should be at this time of the week. As I was finishing my dinner, two armored personnel carriers took a left onto my street. I don't see them now so they must have headed towards the fighting.

 

The whole time I write this there have been pops in the distance. Don't know what they are. Possibly fireworks though, as the reds have been using them.

 

GDT

Cerberus I am no expert but I am pretty sure you cant fire repeated rubber bulets from an automatic rifle - not with little brass shels popping out anyway.

 

maybe you can correct me.

 

Watch the vdo on this page to see what I mean. Where they are firing through the park fence especially at 02.30 minutes in.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8681833.stm

My contact in Ubon has now said the Reds control the governors house and the airport there.

 

Little is being said of the momentum in the provinces.

 

She says they will burn the governors house down if one more protester is shot and that is the signal that civil war is declared.

 

She also says a statement will be issued at 18.00 or 19.00 by the UDD leadership. That MAY be what Cerberus has already reported.

 

This lady is 56 years old and a university professor. She is quite high up in the UDD movement. I have no reason to doubt her.

 

She is in permanent and constant contact with the leaders in BKK. Unfortunately I have to go out now so have stopped chat to her.

 

Finally she has sent me photographs of the two protesters shot last night - I am not posting them now as they are bloody and gruesome.

Cerberus I am no expert but I am pretty sure you cant fire repeated rubber bulets from an automatic rifle - not with little brass shels popping out anyway.

 

maybe you can correct me.

 

Watch the vdo on this page to see what I mean. Where they are firing through the park fence especially at 02.30 minutes in.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8681833.stm

 

That what you see is soldiers firing live ammunition, some indiscriminately and others aimed shots. They themselves are not under fire so this is little more than attempted murder, (or perhaps murder but we cannot see the end results), by government forces

Seg Daeng is apparently dead. My contact said he died last night but the government have suppressed this news.

 

This is unconfirmed but she seems very sure.

Seg Daeng is apparently dead. My contact said he died last night but the government have suppressed this news.

 

This is unconfirmed but she seems very sure.

 

It was general knowledge in Bangkok that he was dead, but placed on a a heart lung machine so that they could say he was alive but in a coma. he took a direct shot from a sniper in temple, the internal damage would have been immense.

Pheu Thai condemns use of violence against red shirts

By The Nation

 

The Pheu Thai Party Friday condemned the government for its use of force against the red shirts and demanded the prime minister to step down as a gesture of responsibility for the casualties of innocent people.

 

Chief opposition whip Witthaya Buranasiri said Abhisit Vejjajiva no longer had the legitimacy to cling to office.

 

"The government has abused its power in trying to dislodge the crowds from the Rajprasong rally site," he said.

 

Witthaya said the security forces had failed to follow the crowd control procedures as ordered by the Civil Court, resulting in a huge number of deaths and injuries.

 

He called for all sectors of society to demand for Abhisit's resignation. The main opposition party would consider the government ex-communicated so long as Abhisit refused to step down, he said.

 

Among the measures for ex-communication included the possibility for Pheu Thai MPs to boycott the House meeting next week, he said.

 

The House is scheduled to hold its last session on Wednesday before its recess on Friday.

 

Pheu Thai MP Wichan Meenchainan called for the National Counter Corruption Commission to launch a probe into the April 10 violence. He said the government had no justification to invoke the emergency rule in order to crackdown on the red shirts.

 

In a separate development, the National Human Rights Commission issued a statement calling for all sides to immediately stop the use of force and resume negotiations before violence would spiral out of control causing irreparable divisions.

 

The NHRC voiced utmost concern for violence related to the Rajprasong rally.The loss of life, a gross violation of human rights, has continued unabated, including latest incidents happened on Thursday, it said in the statement.

 

"The NHRC would like to plead for all sides to put the national interest above everything else in order to return to the negotiating table and those refusing the talks are the ones bent on harming the country."

May 14, 2010

 

A bullet that went through Seh Daeng's right temple before passing through his throat and the back of his neck appears to be shot from a Winchester .308 rifle.

 

A military expert has told me that the angle of the travelling bullet that struck Seh Daeng down was somewhere between 45 to 75 degree. This can only mean that a sniper must have stalked up Maj Gen Khattiya Sawasdiphol or Seh Daeng at one of the tall buildings nearby.

 

A military expert told me that the bullet, which hit Maj Gen Khattiya’s right temple before passing through his throat and neck in the back, was travelling with an angle of somewhere between 45 to 75 degree.

 

“This can only mean that the sniper must be a real pro or part of the national team, who had been stalking at seh daeng from a tall building,” he said.

 

Maj Gen Khattiya was giving an interview. A video camera of a reporter started to roll and the camera's light beamed at his face. Within that second, Thomas Fuller, a correspondent of the New York Times and who was a metre away from the general, heard a loud noise like a firecracker that lightened the sky.

 

Fuller filed his report, Thai General Shot; Army Moves to Face Protesters (New York Times, May 14, 2010) as follows: “The reporter, who was two feet away and facing the general, heard a loud bang similar to that of a firecracker.

 

“The general fell to the ground, his eyes wide open, and protesters took his apparently lifeless body to a hospital, screaming his nickname: “Seh Daeng has been shot! Seh Daeng has been shot!”

 

The loud bang that Fuller heard came from a firecracker – not the gunshot from the Winchester .308 rifle, which was equipped with a silencer.

 

The sniper fired his rifle within that second when he could see Seh Daeng clearly by the help of the light.

 

Seh Daeng dropped like a stone when the bullet passed through his right temple and his throat.

 

A weapn similar to what they are talking about The Winchester .308 rifle

 

just heard from friend that lives close to nana plaza that there are armed troops at nana plaza

 

Correct: fighting in Soi Nana Nua (i.e. Soi 3) - started about 2 hours ago; not being reported by Thai news agancies.

wow getting close to home.

 

Hope they stay that end of sukhumvit rd.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8681833.stm

Thanks for the info guys.

 

Grim times.

Take care of yourselves.

This one looks nasty.

Civial war is a step closer.

The next 7 days will show us much IMO.

Thanks to all the guys reporting & as some member said above lets pray for Thailand they need it at this time.

May & June just could be a no go as if Civial war breaks out I for one would not want to be in Thailand.

I think they should ask the UN for some help & some advice quickly.

Just got back NEP. Trafic is using the intersection as a uturn point. Bigger mess than usual. The sidewalk between sukhumvit and NEP was almost totally vacant. Two or three soldiers on guard duty and few people walking up to NEP.

 

 

I would bet the next major move by the government will be to push troops through somewhere south of sukhumvit road to split them into two groups.

Edited May 14, 201016 yr by lostagain

Hope you out there stay safe

keep us posted guys

yep things arent good. The next few days will determine is its going to get better or worse. Might be time for a trip to australia for me and the family