Phnom Penh denies Thai red shirts trained for unrest in Cambodia

Wed, 02 Jun 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - The Cambodian government on Wednesday rejected claims carried by a Thai television station that Thai opposition supporters crossed into western Cambodia and were trained in fomenting unrest.

A government spokesman said Cambodia followed a policy of peaceful co-existence with all nations, and would not interfere in another country's internal affairs.

ASTV on Monday carried a report in which a Thai military commander claimed that red shirts had crossed into Oddar Meanchey province, where they were trained in techniques to stir up social unrest.

The Thai commander, identified by the Cambodian government as Vivalit Chhonsomrit, then alleged that the training was a step towards declaring that north-eastern Thailand was under opposition control.

The Cambodian government said foreign military bases were not permitted on its territory, and called on the Thai media to refrain from distributing "baseless information, which would mislead national and international opinion."

The two-month showdown between anti-government protestors and the Thai government left at least 88 people dead and hundreds injured in Bangkok. Troops finally dispersed the demonstrators on May 19, sparking off rioting that destroyed numerous buildings in the capital.

Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who has close ties to the protest movement, is an ally of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Thaksin's appointment last year as an adviser to the Cambodian government sparked a diplomatic rift between the two nations that has still not healed.

Where Thaksin went wrong

19/04/2009
By Voranai Vanijaka
Bangkok Post

Remember hundreds of thuggish men armed with axes, machetes and other weapons attempting to take over Bangkok and succeeding in vandalising the Royal Cliff Beach Resort's convention centre in Pattaya?

Remember an angry mob trying to kidnap Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and sending Asean leaders scurrying away? Secretary-general to the PM Niphon Phromphan left with broken ribs?

Remember gas trucks planted in different areas in Bangkok - their explosions can wipe out entire city blocks?

Remember reports of two civilians supposedly gunned down by the red shirts; taunting and wielding of weapons, burning of buses and tyres?

Remember that one guy, who unzipped and urinated on the street, in an act of mocking defiance, in front of soldiers and all the cameras?

Remember - and this is by far my favourite - the two red-shirt women ranting and raving, running up to a group of men? One, a flabby woman perhaps in her forties, took off her shirt, revealing a black bra, in rage, posturing and taunting the men? While the other one simply jumped on a man and attacked him?

Images on TV. What went through your mind while watching? Many thoughts, no doubt. Though I would venture that most of our thoughts more or less came to the same conclusion. Which was: "Holy crap! Somebody better do something! Call in the marines! Where's spider-man?! These thugs are going nuts! Wait a sec! Are they gonna come after me next?" Chaos, anarchy, the absence of law - scary stuff.

That, fellow citizens, residents, illegals and everyone else, is why Thaksin Shinawatra and the red shirts failed in their uprising. He wanted, needed popular backing. But instead of inspiring and rallying, the red shirts scared the pah khao ma (traditional sarong), the Gucci pants and fisherman's pants off the poor, the rich and the farang respectively alike.

TV images of thugs running amok all over the city is too unsavoury. It turned public opinion against him. Not all, of course. But enough to lose the Songkran War for Thaksin.

Thaksin was banking on his popularity, sure of a mass uprising to support him and oust the Democrat-led coalition government, paving the way for his exoneration and return to power - that was the goal. It could have happened. I, for one, have always thought that Thaksin is the most popular man in Thailand. Well, next to singing sensations Golf & Mike, of course - we Thais have our priorities straight.

But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

You can blame it on poor generalship. Whoever is chief advisor to Thaksin should be fired. Hire me instead. I want a flat in London and a life-time supply of free chips at a Cambodian casino. I read Sun Tzu's Art of War once in elementary school, so I'm qualified!

Why did yellow succeed and red fail? Both started as peaceful demonstrations, then graduated to terrorism.

The PAD's "final solution" was taking the airport hostage. Sure, there were weapons, violence and deaths. But there was also organisation to the movement. Key leaders were always visible, leading the charge, keeping the mob under control. For the rest of us Thais, Suvarnabhumi is way over there - isolated, way, way, way over there. It was annoying. It was unfortunate. It was inconvenient. But it did not threaten people of their properties. It's not right outside our windows. Unless a trip was planned, it didn't directly touch us.

The UDD's "final solution", on the other hand, was to take over Bangkok. Oops. Who thought that one up? An armed mob running amok all over the city. Key leaders were nowhere in sight. Citizens were threatened and killed. Yup, that will win over public opinion alright. Their actions were way, way, way too near and menacing for comfort. People's revolution? Nope, mob rule.

Like in many cultures and societies, we Thais too prefer to bury our heads in a rice bowl - see no evil, hear no evil - as long as evil is a safe distance away. But this one was right in our faces, and no amount of mascara or skin-whitening cream could hide our terror. It's a matter of proximity, and we won't stand for it.

The red shirts came undone because of images on TV. No wonder they threatened the media with violence, for being so bias as to capture realities with cameras.

So here we are. PM Abhisit emerged from the Songkran War looking prettier than he usually does. People are quick to forgive his earlier misjudgment and indecisiveness. He recovered well enough. Through careful orchestration, and perhaps sheer luck, the military did not end up killing anyone - at least not that we know of at the moment. Many now call him a national hero for exercising the virtue of patience and taking control of the situation.

Thaksin, meanwhile, in reports from Dubai on Friday, has softened his stance and said he's willing to talk. Well, that's what he said.

Is it over? Of course not. Also on Friday, there was an attempted assassination on PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul. Fortunately, if not miraculously, he survived a close range attack by gunmen with automatic weapons, who fired almost 100 rounds. Well, whatever Buddhist relic Sondhi was wearing, look for copies to become the hottest selling items in Thailand since Roti Boy. Anyway, this conflict might go underground and get even uglier.

Is it over? Of course not. This is beyond Thaksin, Sondhi, red or yellow. History has shown that, be it coup, murder, corruption, uprising, terrorism or whatever other evils the rich and powerful orchestrated - rarely, if at all, does anyone ever get punished. Rarely, if at all, does anyone ever get held responsible. So there will always continue to be coups, murders, corruption, uprisings, terrorism and others. Why not? Rarely, if at all, are there ever any repercussions.

Is it over? Of course not. This is beyond Thaksin, Sondhi, red or yellow. When disaster strikes due to the incompetence and ineptitude of officials, no one is ever fired or jailed. At worst, they get transferred to continue being incompetent in another government post. How that's for encouraging criminals into believing they stand a good chance of terrorising the country?

All these, of course, are mai pen rai. But don't post any inappropriate content on the internet, or the wrath will be upon you like white on jasmine rice! We Thais have our priorities straight.

Thai Administration Reaches Out to Foe

Supporters of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra carry posters bearing his image during a protest outside Government House in Bangkok. (By Apichart Weerawong -- Associated Press)

Protesters Force Government's Hand

By Tim Johnston
Washington Post Foreign Service

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, April 1 -- Thailand's four-month-old government, under increasing pressure from opposition demonstrations, has offered a tentative olive branch to its most potent adversary, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"If talks can bring peace to the country, I am ready to meet him anywhere, because Thaksin is the only person that can end the siege," Suthep Thaugsuban, the deputy prime minister, said Wednesday.

Thaksin is in self-imposed exile after being sentenced to two years in jail for violating conflict-of-interest laws, but he has been broadcasting nightly speeches by video to thousands of supporters besieging Government House in Bangkok.

The demonstrators, known as "red shirts," have promised to keep expanding their protests until they force the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government. Abhisit is in London attending the Group of 20 economic summit.

A spokesman for Thaksin cautiously welcomed the proposal.

"I think Mr. Thaksin would like to see the conflict in Thailand solved peacefully. If there is anything he can do, I'm sure he is willing to do it," said the spokesman, Pongthep Thepkanjana.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, said the olive branch extended by Suthep could form the basis of a deal that might help bridge Thailand's deep political divide. But he warned that it will take long and complicated negotiations to resolve the problems posed by Thaksin's conviction.

Abhisit gained control of the government in a parliamentary vote late last year after enticing enough of Thaksin's parliamentary supporters to leave his camp. Thaksin's appeal is rooted in the disenchantment that the population feels with the Abhisit government and with the influential elite that assisted Abhisit's rise to power.

"I have been very surprised at the traction the red shirts have gained. Many people, especially in the establishment, have underestimated how many people are unhappy with the status quo," Thitinan said.

[Thai] 'Red-shirts' group lodges complaint to ASEAN members

BANGKOK, Jan 30 (TNA) - Anti-government 'Red Shirt' protesters on Friday presented letters to the ambassadors of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bangkok, urging the neighbouring countries to review the legitimacy of Thailand's Democrat-led coalition government.

Veera Musikapong, Nattawut Saikua and Jakrapob Penkair, key leaders of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), together with supporters, went to the embassies of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in Bangkok to hand over letters to the three countries' ambassadors to Thailand, amid tight police security from the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

According to the UDD, the letters said the current government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva does not genuinely represent the people and does not have legitimacy to administer the country.

Also, the Abhisit administration appointed Kasit Piromya, who once supported the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in its two main airports siege late November, as foreign minister.

The UDD leaders urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian countries (ASEAN) to review their stance towards the Democrat-led coalition government and the appropriateness of Mr. Kasit's appointment.

The 'Red Shirts' had earlier submitted letters to six other regional grouping members, so that now all nine ASEAN members other than Thailand,are aware of the UDD position.

Meanwhile, 'Red Shirt' protesters in the northern province of Lampang gathered at the provincial railway station for free rail transport on the Chiang Mai-Bangkok line to join the UDD's mass anti-government rally on Saturday.

Key UDD leaders earlier announced that the group will demonstrate at Sanam Luang Saturday evening before marching to blockade Government House, to press the government to take legal action against the PAD and to remove Mr. Kasit from the post.

As for the comments by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban that police would strictly monitor the UDD's mass rally and would arrest those who commit illegal actions, UDD leader Nattawut Saikua said Friday that the deputy premier himself has no authority to act against the UDD's movement, as he and his Democrat Party had already sided with the PAD.

"The Democrat Party is not impartial, as they have already sided with the PAD," Mr. Nattawut said.

"So the Democrat-led government cannot be considered as the government of all Thais," according to Mr. Nattawut, a former Government spokesman.

The UDD key leader enphasised that what the Red Shirts will do on Saturday is to exercise their freedom
and rights under the democratic system.

Mr. Nattawut said he was informed that the government has been attempting to block the UDD supporters in many upcountry provinces to join the mass protest in Bangkok, but he insisted that the government could not stop the UDD.

"Saturday's demonstration will prove it," he said.

He added that if the UDD demonstration and their march to Government House was not blocked or interrupted, the rally would be ended on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Pol. Lt-Gen Suchart Mueankaew, Bangkok metropolitan police chief, said the UDD rally must be law-abiding and that the protesters cannot enter Government House grounds or block the entrances of the complex. He warned that violators will be arrested promptly.

Gen. Suchart said the police would not use tear gas or commit any violence against protesters but will carry shields to protect themselves and will remain unarmed.

Meanwhile, government officials boosted security and packed up valuable belongings and documents to avoid losses and damage as when their offices were vandalised during the PAD occupation last year.

Thailand's anti-govt 'Red Shirt' protesters petition embassies

BANGKOK, Jan 23 (TNA) - Leading members of a high-profile anti-government group on Friday submitted letters to the Myanmar and Singapore embassies here to protest against Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya attending the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Thailand in late February.

The 'Red Shirt' United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), an anti-government group led by key supporters of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra --Jakrapob Penkair, former minister to the prime minister's office and Nattawut Saikua, former government spokesman, presented their letter to representatives of the Myanmar embassy and Singapore embassy respectively.

The letter said the group opposed the Thai prime minister and foreign minister leading a Thai delegation to attend the ASEAN summit, arguing that the Abhisit government came to power through undemocratic means.

Speaking to reporters after handing the letters to embassy representatives, Mr. Jakrapob said the representatives promised to give the letters to their ambassadors and governments respectively.

"We would not block the regional summit, but we oppose the designated Thai delegates attendence at the summit," Mr. Jakrapob said.

He also vowed to petition all embassies representing ASEAN member countries next week.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Thailand has several times changed the venue and date of the summit from the original schedule of mid-December in Bangkok after a previous group of anti-government protesters, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) occupied Bangkok's two commercial airports in December, which led to the toppling of the then Somchai Wongsawat government and the coming to power of the current Abhisit government.

The ASEAN summit has been rescheduled to be held in Thai resort town of Hua Hin from February 27 through March 1.