A Thai soldier inspects the damaged vehicle of Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the People's Alliance of Democracy (PAD), in Bangkok. The Thai activist, who led a blockade of the kingdom's main airports last year, was shot and wounded in the head Friday morning in an assassination attempt the government said was aimed at inciting fresh unrest. (Pairoj / AFP/Getty Images)Thailand extends state of emergency
After Bangkok street violence that claimed two lives and injured up to 100, the Thai prime minister also calls for a probe of the attempted assassination of a protest leader.
April 18, 2009
By Charles McDermid and Jakkapun Kaewsangthong
Los Angeles Times (California, USA)
Reporting from Bangkok -- The prime minister of Thailand extended a state of emergency Friday and pledged to launch an investigation into the assassination attempt on a prominent protest leader that occurred here earlier in the day.
The early-morning ambush of media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the movement that toppled the previous government, could dash hopes that Thailand will return to normal soon in the wake of violent street battles Monday that left at least two dead and as many as 100 wounded.
"We will continue applying the state of emergency, but for as short a period as possible, in order to restore peace and normalcy in Bangkok and its vicinities," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a televised address.
Gunmen in a pickup truck without a license plate opened fire on Sondhi's vehicle with automatic weapons about 5 a.m. as he was heading to work to host a television program. Jinttana Damrong, 56, a food vendor, was setting up her stall when the brazen attack took place.
"I went out to prepare food as usual. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a car speed up and then they started shooting. It was like an action movie -- they kept shooting nonstop. I told my son to hide, then I ran to hide."
Maj. Gen. King Kwangvisetchaichai said the assailants first aimed to shoot out the car's tires before riddling it with as many as 100 bullets. Sondhi, who founded the protest movement known as the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, was shot in the shoulder and had a bullet surgically removed from his skull, according to reports.
Sondhi's secretary and driver were also injured. Sondhi has been moved from Vajira Hospital to an undisclosed facility under police protection.
Police say they recovered 84 bullet casings from AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles. A dud M-79 shell was also found, according to local media.
"I have already ordered authorities to check how it is that war weapons emerged and were used in the capital," Abhisit said in his address.
Battlefield weapons were seen across downtown Bangkok on Monday as government troops dislodged red-shirted anti-government forces from sites they occupied around the capital, including their last redoubt at Government House, the office of the prime minister.
The street battles capped a week of violent protests in which the "red shirts" -- supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- stormed a key regional summit, forcing its cancellation and the airlift evacuation of several Southeast Asian leaders. About 3,000 remaining protesters surrendered to the government Tuesday morning even as some of the movement's chiefs vowed to intensify their struggle from underground.
Thaksin-aligned lawmaker Worawut Ua-apinyakul was quoted in the local press Thursday as saying that the protesters would unleash a "covert struggle."
Sondhi's PAD movement has been instrumental in toppling two Thaksin-aligned governments, most recently in late 2008 when his "yellow shirts" overran Bangkok's two international airports. One of the demands of the red shirts, in addition to the resignation of Abhisit, has been the prosecution of the ringleaders of the airport seizures. Sondhi and Thaksin are former business partners and, according to reports, onetime friends.
Thaksin, a billionaire telecom tycoon who is in hiding after being sentenced to jail on corruption charges, has given a spate of interviews in international media in recent days. He has called for a "people's revolution" to overthrow the Abhisit government and has also promised to return to Thailand.
According to a report Tuesday by analyst Shawn Crispin, "operatives had for the past two years funneled arms through Cambodia to Thaksin-aligned supporters in the country's northeastern provinces, where his grass-roots support runs strongest."
PAD has thus far remained silent in the escalating political crisis.
"As far as I know, at this time we won't move yet. The leaders have said we will move when it is the right time," said Pattama Deemee, a 48-year-old Bangkok business owner and PAD supporter. "In my opinion this is the beginning of underground activity meant to make us feel unsafe. This is a hard game for Abhisit and the Thai people. We will never know what will happen next."
McDermid and Kaewsangthong are special correspondents
April 18, 2009
By Charles McDermid and Jakkapun Kaewsangthong
Los Angeles Times (California, USA)
Reporting from Bangkok -- The prime minister of Thailand extended a state of emergency Friday and pledged to launch an investigation into the assassination attempt on a prominent protest leader that occurred here earlier in the day.
The early-morning ambush of media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the movement that toppled the previous government, could dash hopes that Thailand will return to normal soon in the wake of violent street battles Monday that left at least two dead and as many as 100 wounded.
"We will continue applying the state of emergency, but for as short a period as possible, in order to restore peace and normalcy in Bangkok and its vicinities," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a televised address.
Gunmen in a pickup truck without a license plate opened fire on Sondhi's vehicle with automatic weapons about 5 a.m. as he was heading to work to host a television program. Jinttana Damrong, 56, a food vendor, was setting up her stall when the brazen attack took place.
"I went out to prepare food as usual. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a car speed up and then they started shooting. It was like an action movie -- they kept shooting nonstop. I told my son to hide, then I ran to hide."
Maj. Gen. King Kwangvisetchaichai said the assailants first aimed to shoot out the car's tires before riddling it with as many as 100 bullets. Sondhi, who founded the protest movement known as the People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, was shot in the shoulder and had a bullet surgically removed from his skull, according to reports.
Sondhi's secretary and driver were also injured. Sondhi has been moved from Vajira Hospital to an undisclosed facility under police protection.
Police say they recovered 84 bullet casings from AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles. A dud M-79 shell was also found, according to local media.
"I have already ordered authorities to check how it is that war weapons emerged and were used in the capital," Abhisit said in his address.
Battlefield weapons were seen across downtown Bangkok on Monday as government troops dislodged red-shirted anti-government forces from sites they occupied around the capital, including their last redoubt at Government House, the office of the prime minister.
The street battles capped a week of violent protests in which the "red shirts" -- supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- stormed a key regional summit, forcing its cancellation and the airlift evacuation of several Southeast Asian leaders. About 3,000 remaining protesters surrendered to the government Tuesday morning even as some of the movement's chiefs vowed to intensify their struggle from underground.
Thaksin-aligned lawmaker Worawut Ua-apinyakul was quoted in the local press Thursday as saying that the protesters would unleash a "covert struggle."
Sondhi's PAD movement has been instrumental in toppling two Thaksin-aligned governments, most recently in late 2008 when his "yellow shirts" overran Bangkok's two international airports. One of the demands of the red shirts, in addition to the resignation of Abhisit, has been the prosecution of the ringleaders of the airport seizures. Sondhi and Thaksin are former business partners and, according to reports, onetime friends.
Thaksin, a billionaire telecom tycoon who is in hiding after being sentenced to jail on corruption charges, has given a spate of interviews in international media in recent days. He has called for a "people's revolution" to overthrow the Abhisit government and has also promised to return to Thailand.
According to a report Tuesday by analyst Shawn Crispin, "operatives had for the past two years funneled arms through Cambodia to Thaksin-aligned supporters in the country's northeastern provinces, where his grass-roots support runs strongest."
PAD has thus far remained silent in the escalating political crisis.
"As far as I know, at this time we won't move yet. The leaders have said we will move when it is the right time," said Pattama Deemee, a 48-year-old Bangkok business owner and PAD supporter. "In my opinion this is the beginning of underground activity meant to make us feel unsafe. This is a hard game for Abhisit and the Thai people. We will never know what will happen next."
McDermid and Kaewsangthong are special correspondents
21 comments:
Why not arms smuggled to Thailand. Our responsibility is to support the movement of our Khmer Brothers to fight for their "Identity Freedom."
I don't how much the claim are true that weapons have been smuggled to northeastern part of thailand. But thus far, many false accusations have been made by thai authority in order to link Cambodia to the crisis in their country. We heard from them that Vietnam sent trouble to help cambodia in disputed border, Thaksin was spotted in Koh Kong or around Hun Sen house.
Whatever the problems are, they always want to link that to Cambodia. That's a nature of Khmer traitors who pretended to be Siamese or SUPERIOR to Khmer Kandal or Khmer Angkor.
There were too much for God to excuse you.
Thailand has ability to spy and monitor Hun Sen rag tag military activities.
As for PAD leader assassination like attenpt was a set up by military insiders to incriminate Thaksin and UDD.
Next thing to legitimize its tight control over Thailand population is to create a war like incident with Cambodia so the anti dictatorial regime fighters had no way to build up base along Cambodia or Laos or Burma.
Thailand crisis is a regional issue and Thailand wants it all.
Otherhand Hun Sen is too dumb to see the scope of Thai intelligence and wit.Abhishiit returned sculptures but not step back from Khmer land near Preah Vihear.Dumbo Hun Sen talks tough by himself not even consult with Assembly in case an all out war broke out. This is how stupid Khmer leaders not foreseeing enemies strategies and Longwaek or Angkor were annihilated by Siam or Yuon.
Hunn Sen is too dumb to see Thailand is China sattelite state since all the ruling clan including Bhumibol are chinese people anyway. Also Thailand will always got support from Beijing.
Considered from the guns used (M-16, M-79, AK-47), this was surely a setup by military. Or perhaps by the palace. In Thailand there is a proverb saying, "when you finish a war, kill your top generals" before they will demand things from you and may rebel against you.
Stupid Thai Gov't playing their dirty tricks!
Thailand think the whole world is dumb! they are invading cambodian territroy and still playing dumb games...
greedy bastard!
The leader of PAD Sonthi Thongkol and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kasit Pirom they always look down on our country (Khmer). Please remember that Thailand is two-faced with our country since from the pass times and forever.
Most of the high ranking officers or ministers in Thailand is like 99% Chinese.
This is guy PAD Sondhi is the news clan owner. He can publishes whatever he wanted. That's why Thailand have never accept the reality of the Preah Vihear. They have always manipulated the story from white to black.
Look at us Cambodia, we have lost so much than just Preah Vihear. Almost the whole of Thailand is belong to Cambodia, with our leaders in the past failure to keep them in the empire we kept loosing our lands a bid at a time and now come to be the smallest.
As of today, we accept this regrettable past. We still want our brothers/sisters in Thailand and Vietnam to rise up and rediscover their roots and identities and come back to join the motherland in near future.
Please revive our former glory day.
Khmer Empire.
Solution to resolving Khmer-Thai conflict: E=MC^2
The Roman Empire lasted 500 years before collapsing. For us we can wait, even if it takes centuries. The winner thinks everying is OK, but the loser (Chams, Khmers, Mons...ect) has the fire burning inside for losing their dignity. One day we will have a high-energy May Day with Youns and Siems, and we will reclaim the vast Khmer Empire territories back.
6:49 PM
Thailand has been US sattelite state since 1788, but Thaksin is working on it that's why he was kicked out from Thailand.
For economic power reasons, US chose Vietnam as its satellite state. A lot of troubles in Thailand may be from the Vietnamese, and Hun Sen is just a puppet. He is dumb but he may have listened to his Chinese advisor not American or Vietnamese advisor.
One time was enough for each nation. This time it will be China.
Empire of the Red China.
Cambodia had a chance and the Khmer people became lazy. Look what they did to their own country?
In Schools not many Khmers study to be engineers and Computer sciebce like Chinese or Vietnamese, and how are Khmers hoping to be again an empire?
Hun sen conspires with Thaksin to topple Thai Monarchy,
if siam is to see its normal peace, it needs to consider what is going on in Phnom Penh first by removing Hun Sen through supporting khmer compatriots.
hun sen needs to be removed at all cost,
hun sen killed hok londy. (period)
I am seriously believe that this accident will be alleged that it was a Red-shirt leaders' responsibility...! This is HUN SEN's style to any protest would happen again...
Stupid analyst...
Why don't you think the tricky Thai is killing stupid Thai...Don't link Cambodia to your stupid internal problem. Buddha will blame you and you will go to hell...
Cambodia will deserve the retaliation from Thailand if it is not as a victim
While the focus is on Thailand, the CPP and the Vietnamese continue to pillage Cambodia. The pic of Thaksin playing golf with Hun Sen is worth a thousand words. Thaksin's Koh Kong deal is a fact, not a rumor. No Thai government would trust a Cambodian government led by Hun Sen. The relations between Thailand and Cambodia will continue to be testy and Cambodia's people will suffer. The Thais will be blamed while Hun Sen and the Vietnamese are laughing.
6:49PM you migh well aware of south east asia conflict but thing you don't know is the one eye siamese King is a Chinese khmer descedent but he's American citizen. He was educated in USA, though Siam state was being support by US Gov't & United King Dome Gov't through his throne. Therefore the Siam state and the king himself especially colonized by these two supper power since then. Chinese Gov't did not help much compare to their boses. This one eye King wanted to belonging the big boses and he enjoy a colonial hat with crest.
This is the reason that he wanted Taksin be dismental emidiately, because the King increasing fear of Mr. Taksin democraticly popularity and his supporter shirt color. The King doesn't want to see any other Thai leader gain more popular than him self in front of his eye.Dispite of these he must use his autority to eliminate Mr.Taksin, there are more bad thing about this King toward his blood relative, his own civilians and to ward Khmer all.
9:16pm
And Hanoi has 8 facese to the world
Hun Sen sent the weapons and helped Thaksin.
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