New Clashes Erupt Outside Bangkok, One Soldier Killed by Friendly Fire
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One soldier has died, reportedly from a shot fired by a member of the security forces, and at least 16 people have been injured.The protesters had earlier left their fortified camp in central Bangkok to drive to a rally 50km (30 miles) away.
(...) Many remained behind in the camp as the convoy set off for the rally at the Talad Thai market. But up to 1,000 protesters boarded pick-up trucks or motorbikes to make their way there.
There was no initial attempt to stop the convoy but hundreds of security forces had set up a checkpoint in Bangkok's northern suburbs. Some fired warning shots into the air.
The BBC's Rachel Harvey in the Thai capital said the soldier who died appeared to have been shot in a "friendly fire" incident during a lull in the clashes. Local hospitals said at least 16 people had been injured.
Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Associated Press news agency: "We brought force out to stop them. Society finds it unacceptable to have protesters travelling in a motorcade like this."
The convoy has now reportedly headed back to its central Bangkok base. One protest leader, Kwanchai Praipanna, said Wednesday's rally had been planned to thank local people for their support.
Our correspondent says the convoy had been going to a northern suburb where earlier in the week protesters had set up a checkpoint to search vehicles for any troops being brought in to reinforce Bangkok.
"Thailand violence flares as red-shirts and troops clash", BBC News, April 29, 2010
About 2,000 red shirts left the main rally site in Rajaprasong and ventured out to Pathum Thani to show support to the 11 red shirts who were arrested after they stopped a military convoy in a roadblock on Monday.
Just past Don Muaeng airport the caravan came to a halt on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road when clashes with security forces erupted when traffic was still flowing and subsequently civilians in their cars were trapped in the crossfire.
Later that day a video surfaced online (aired on an internet news channel I honestly have never heard of) that supposed to show where the soldier was killed by friendly fire.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUYsp-OYt-w&w=600&h=360]
The video was taken from a cross walk bridge when a group of soldiers on motorcycle are approaching a military roadblock. In the first seconds you can hear one gunshot and one of the nearest three is falling down, followed by onlooker yelling "They are shooting on themselves!". The remaining troops are stopping at the side and are running for safety behind the bridge piers.
18 red shirts have been reported arrested and despite rumors of red shirt co-leader Kwanchai Praipana's capture, he managed to escape and later appeared back in a McDonald's near the Rajaprasong rally site!
In the evening the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) addressed the public, saying it was difficult to distinguish the protesters from other people since the red shirts are not actually wearing red anymore, in order to avoid arrest in case of a crackdown. There has been no mention if the soldier died of friendly fire or not.
In another major development, security forces are reported to have seized 63 M-79 grenades from the protesters. Initially The Nation reported that the weapons were found with a motorcycle rider during a security check, but later during the CRES presser it was implied that the motorcycle driver dropped the bag with the grenades and ran away. The grenades have been displayed at the presser and can be seen here (at the 7:14 minute mark).
As a consequence of today's incidents, the pressure on the red shirts has been even more increased as forces have tightened measure and blocked all roads leading to the rally site.
Red Shirts' Rural Uproar
While the focus of the protests is on Bangkok, there are also reports of red shirt activities coming from the countryside of Thailand. Last week red shirts have stopped an army train carrying soldiers and equipment in the northeast province Khon Kaen, suspecting it goes to Bangkok in order to increase the number of troops. The military claims that the train was on the way to the deep south. Ultimately, a compromise was found and some red shirts hopped on the train to see if it was really going to the south.
But that wasn't the only incident on that day:
In another district of Khon Kaen overnight, hundreds of red-shirted protesters stopped three military buses with soldiers aboard and forced them to return to their base.
And in a third incident nearby, the army said that 200 soldiers were detained by protesters but later released.
"Thai red shirts release army train", Al Jazeera English, April 22, 2010
Tensions outside of the capital mounted during the weekend again as, fearing a crackdown by the security forces, red shirts have set ups road blocks at various spots outside of Bangkok in order to stop incoming forces.
About 500 km (310 miles) north of Bangkok, hundreds of "red shirts" formed a roadblock in northeastern Udon Thani province and stopped a convoy of 150 police from heading to the capital to strengthen security operations, a local official told Reuters.
They formed another roadblock in Pathum Thani, about 50 kms (30 miles) north of Bangkok, preventing around 200 policemen from entering the city.
Police reinforcements are being brought into the capital to forcibly disperse thousands of protesters occupying some central areas, said red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompang.
"We will try to block every spot we can in a bid to stop killing. We don't want to see anybody die," he told Reuters.
"Thai "red shirts" vow to intensify campaign", Reuters, April 25, 2010
Television footage (I haven't found them online yet, so any help would be appreciated) has shown how swift and easy the police forces were overrun by the red shirts. One police officer told into the camera that his squad pulled over for a fuel stop and seconds later they were 'trapped' by the protesters. No violence has been reported though. Of course these actions by the red shirts are a major inconvenience for the civilians caught in the middle as The Nation has collected some accounts.
Another article over the weekend reports of a grenade attack in Chiang Mai aimed at a police station. No one was injured, only some damage to the building. The article also specifically points out the used weapon was a M-79 grenade launcher, which has been used in dozens of attacks in Bangkok over the last few months including the Silom blasts last Thursday which has killed one person.
It is a well-known fact that many parts of Thailand, particularly the North and Northeast Isaan region, are almost red shirt country and thus are much more capable of organizing roadblocks and such. It has ye to be seen if there will be a surge of rural uproar that will also heat up the mood in the capital.
Further reading:
- New York Times: Rebellious Mood Takes Root in Rural Thailand
BREAKING: Deadly Blasts Rock Face Off Between Pro-Government Protesters, Red Shirts At Silom
UPDATE 3 (19.50 h CEST):
Police have released the five suspects in the five bombings at Silom intersection on Thursday night.
One of the suspects, Jaturon Noppakit, 36, was a red-shirt supporter of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
Mr Jaturon said he was travelling from Wongwian Yai to join the red-shirt protesters in Silom but insisted he was not involved with the bomb attacks.
The other four were supporters of the multi-coloured group who opposed the red-shirt's movement. They had digital cameras and video cameras containing footages of the soldiers working at Silom intersection.
"Police release 5 supsects in Silom blasts", Bangkok Post, April 22, 2010
UPDATE 2 (19.30 h CEST):
A series of grenade blasts that hit Bangkok's business district on Thursday killed at least three people, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban told reporters. He also said the government had no plan to crack down on anti-government protesters in the area, because women and children are among them.
"Bangkok grenade blasts kill 3, deputy PM says", Reuters, April 22, 2010
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said in a national television broadcast at 11.30pm that the grenades were fired from behind the monument of King Rama IV, at the entrance of Lumpini Park, where the red-shirts were gathering. "They were fired from the red-shirts' side," he said.
He told the pro-government group, who called themselves the Love Silom group, to retreat.
(...)After the explosions, the two rival groups clashed again about 10.45pm near the Dusit Hotel. Both sides were seen hurling bottles at each other. Security forces reportedly had a difficult time controlling the area, according to television reports.
"3 killed, scores injured in Silom attacks", Bangkok Post, April 22, 2010
UPDATE 1 (19.00 h CEST): Reuters now reports three dead.
Shortly after the blasts occurred an angry mob is reported to have attempted to storm the red shirts barricade, but have been stopped by a line of police, which then was attacked, too.
---------------------------Original post---------------------------
A series of grenade blasts that rocked Bangkok's business district on Friday killed at least one person and wounded 75, hospitals and the Thai media said.
Five M-79 grenades hit an area packed with heavily armed troops and studded with banks, office towers and hotels. Four of the wounded had serious injuries, including two foreigners, according to witnesses, hospital officials and an army spokesman.
"Bangkok blasts kill one, injure 75 - Thai media", Reuters, April 22, 2010
This was the third night after the red shirt protestors have barricaded the intersection with bamboo fences, closing a road leading to the rally site. There have been standoffs between police, red shirts and pro-governments "no colors" protestors (while it is possible that man of them are yellow shirts in disguise) in the last few days at that very same spot. See Richard Barrow's map for detailed location.
Gregoire Glachant has video of the aftermath after the first blast. You can see one injured foreigner (probably Australian), also it shows a hole in the roof of the BTS Skytrain station.
UPDATED Do 'Watermelon Soldiers' Cause Split in the Thai Military?
Anasuya Sanyal, Channel News Asia's Bangkok correspondent, has reported on the apparent divisions inside the security forces. The transcript can be found here, including the link to the video of her report.
The term 'watermelon soldiers' may sound cute, but it's a phenomenon that's increasingly dangerous for the Thai military. It refers to soldiers who wear green on the outside but harbour Red Shirt sympathies on the inside."Those influences have contributed to failure to bring an end to the six-week long protest that has roiled the Thai capital.
The situation turned violent when masked gunmen coolly opened fire on the Thai army last Saturday, taking out three officers and injuring scores of others, before a truce was called.
Said Thai Army Spokesman, Colonel Sansern Kaewkwamnerd, "Of course soldiers have their own political views. But when they are on duty, they are acting on behalf of the army. They cannot disobey orders.
"However, we are trying to examine whether any officers leaked intelligence to violent Red Shirt protesters. I believe every officer understands his role. However, if we find any, they will be punished accordingly."
Military law prohibits unauthorised personnel from giving out any information to the media.
But Thailand's most famous rogue officer, Major General Khattiya Sawadipol, "Seh Daeng", has come to epitomise the fissures in the military establishment.
And as a Red Shirt supporter, he explains the sentiment among the Kingdom's rank and file, and common origins and a similar socio-economic background make for mutual understanding.
"The military is completely red, excluding the top commanders. The army could disintegrate at any moment, but chain of command and military discipline is holding it together for now. But [rank and file soldiers] see their parents are in the protest, so their loyalty to the military is in question," said Major General Khattiya.
A week before Saturday's deadly clashes, there were many displays of friendship between the Red Shirt protesters and those sent to disperse them.
"'Watermelon soldiers' increasingly dangerous for Thai military", by Anasuya Sanyal, Channel News Asia, April 16, 2010
The video also shows some scenes of police forces showing their sympathy to the red shirts. The issue of security forces fraternizing with the protestors has been mentioned here before.
There's also still the question of a 'third force' that has fired into the crowd last Saturday. There have been hints to gunmen dressing in black roaming through the chaos, like this picture showing a masked man with an AK-47. The aforementioned Major General Khattiya alias Sae Daeng has also hinted that "Ronin warriors" were firing grenades at the soldiers. Also one reporter at The Nation thinks it was "not a botched anti-riot operation nor a lynching mob gone berserk. It was a head-on skirmish between two well-trained armed forces - one in fatigues and another in black. The red shirts were just props in the battlefield." Prachatai features an account of an unnamed soldier during the clashes, basically describing being overwhelmed in the chaos.
Al Jazeera English has also a report on the armed forces' role, with mentions of the rumored divisions and the military spokesman denying them.
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One does not want to imagine what would happen if the military starts turning onto each other, if they haven't already begun.
UPDATE: Shawn Crispin has also written a thorough analysis on this topic at Asia Times. It also makes references to the seemingly random grenade attacks in recent weeks.