Burmese Arrested Among Redshirts
Thirteen Burmese migrant workers are among the hundreds of anti-government Redshirt protesters currently being held by the Thai authorities, according to a Burmese advocacy group in Thailand. The group, the Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB), confirmed that 13 of the 422 detained Redshirt protesters identified by the Thai government earlier this week are Burmese nationals.
The Burmese detainees, all of whom are men, remain in police custody. Ten are being held at a police station in Pathum Thani Province, two others are in another province and the remaining one is in a special detention center, according to TACDB.
“We don't know if they were arrested during the protests or because they violated the recent nighttime curfew,” said Myint Wai, an official from TACDB, adding that his group is now trying to provide legal counsel to the detained Burmese. (...)
"Burmese Among Redshirt Detainees", The Irrawaddy, June 12, 2010
What Is Conor David Purcell Up To?
Does anyone remember Conor David Purcell, the Aussie who appeared on the red shirt stage and was fighting along with the anti-government protesters? Of course you do! How else can I explain myself that my blog post on him from earlier this month is by far the most read article on this blog. It has accumulated 1,370 clicks by today and at least nearly half of them came in this week. So what happened to him that has increased the interest again? Well, the bloke's in jail!
THAI police have arrested an Australian man in Bangkok for allegedly violating an emergency decree, after a court handed him a suspended sentence for a visa infringement.
Conor David Purcell, 30, was arrested and charged for breaching emergency law, an offence which carries up to two years jail time, Thai police said.
Speaking from his cell, Mr Purcell said he was a liaison for the military because he was the only one prepared to run through the bullets, the ABC reported.
Mr Purcell, who served for seven years in the Australian army, was working in Bangkok as a language teacher.
Sources from the immigration detention centre in Bangkok said Mr Purcell was a regular speaker at recent anti-government rallies in Bangkok.
A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said the man was detained on Sunday and charged with overstaying his visa.
"Australia Conor David Purcell arrested over Thai protests", The Daily Telegraph, May 25, 2010
Purcell has been arrested alongside a Briton named Jeff Savage, who is accused to have taken part in the looting and the burning of the Central World shopping center shortly after the military crackdown on May 19, at least he was caught on tape yelling to do so.
Well, even prime minister Abhisit had something to say about these two.
"For the Australian man it's not yet clear, but in the case of the Briton he's involved with the (red shirt) movement in Pattaya," Abhisit said. He said officials would also probe other allegations against the men.
There have been reports that Purcell was a former member of the Australian army and that he received training as a sniper, however embassy sources are understood to have suggested neither claim was true. Purcell, arrested on Sunday, is now in Klong Prem prison.
Abhisit said: "Indepth investigations will be carried out to find out whether they had any other role."
"Two foreigners arrested", The Nation, May 26, 2010
Both men showed up at the court today for their first hearing and while Savage was reported to have "broken down" (source), Purcell was in a fiercely defiant mood.
Dressed in orange prison-issue shirt and shorts, barefoot and shackled in leg-irons, a furious Mr Purcell was led in to Pathumwan Municipal Court in Bangkok yesterday, protesting that he was being unlawfully held.
Visibly angry at his detention, Mr Purcell, 29, a former soldier, refused to stand when told and then yelled at the judge that he would not accept the court's right to try him. ''Nobody in this country has authority over me,'' he said.
He brushed aside a representative from the Australian embassy who was asking him to be quiet and continued his tirade, shaking and pointing at the judge. ''I'm not under Thai law. I'm only obeying international law. I'm head of the red gang,'' he yelled.
Jeff Savage, a British man also arrested for his role in the protest, sitting next to Mr Purcell in court, burst into tears.
"Australian launches tirade in Thai court", The Sydney Morning Herald, May 28, 2010
To say the least, especially with the last sentence, he's not doing himself any favor now...
In Case Against The Open Letter Against CNN
An open letter against CNN's coverage of the deadly clashes as posted on Facebook. Excerpt:
As a first-rate global news agency, CNN has an inherent professional duty to deliver all sides of the truth to the global public (...) not merely one-sided, shallow and sensational half-truths. (...) CNN should not negligently discard its duty of care to the international populace by reporting single-sided or unverified facts and distorted truths drawn from superficial research, or display/distribute biased images which capture only one side of the actual event.Mr. Rivers and Ms. Snider have NOT done their best under these life-threatening circumstances because many other foreign correspondents have done better. All of Mr. Rivers and Ms. Sniders' quotes and statements seem to have been solely taken from the anti-government protest leaders or their followers/sympathizers. Yet, all details about the government’s position have come from secondary resources. No direct interviews with government officials have been shown; no interviews or witness statements from ordinary Bangkok residents or civilians unaffiliated with the protesters, particularly those who have been harassed by or suffered at the hands of the protesters, have been circulated.
"Open Letter to CNN International" by Napas Na Pombejra, May 17, 2010
Bangkok Pundit has dissected the open letter sentence by sentence and asked the question "Is CNN's coverage really biased?". (SPOILER ALERT: The answer is NO!)
But that still does not stop many people from unquestioningly praising that letter (see the comments in BP's blog post and also the links below), especially The Nation seem to really love this letter and run with it, like the publisher Suthichai Yoon tweeting it and even reprinting it in Wednesday's paper edition...
Further reading:
- Somtow's World: Don't Blame Dan Rivers
- CNN: Life inside the Thai live fire zone (YouTube video of Dan Rivers describing his current work situation, also mentions that letter)
- Justin Alick: Open Letter to Foreign Journos (It's satire for those not seeing it!)
Good German Reports on Thailand For A Change
Those of you who follow me on Twitter might have read that I have not been a big of German journalism when it comes to Thailand. Especially during this political crisis, finding some decent reports in the German media resulted in just a few ones. So, it is more remarkable to find a good one. NDR, a regional affiliate to the national public-funded ARD channel, which also operates the South-East asia bureau, has aired a report on the victims of the deadly clashes. They interviewed friends and families of protester who was killed during the April 10 clashes and the solider who was probably killed by friendly fire during the clashes on April 28, who were both from the Isaan region. Even though the video is in German, the pictures speak for themselves (even though I'm willing to do subtitles if there're enough requests).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-zLE4vb960&w=600&h=360]"Thailand: Gewalt eskaliert" Weltbilder, Norddeutscher Rundfunk via YouTube
Another remarkably good piece can be read at he website of Deutsche Welle in an interview with the experienced freelance reporter Nicola Glass. She points out a few issues that have not been discussed that much before. Key excerpts:
[Asked about the importance of the month September] (...) The current Commander-in-Chief Anupong Paochinda is going to retire at the end of September and his current second-in-command [Chief of Staff of the Army Lt. Gen. Prayuth Jan-ocha] would be his successor. While Anupong repeatedly said he would not use force against the red shirts, his number two judged differently, as seen during the crackdown on April 10. And if there will be elections before September, and should the reds win, then they would not want to accept the current number two to be Commander-in-Chief. (...)
New elections are an important solution. They will cool down the conflict for now. (...) Normally the political opponents must accept the outcome of the votes, but in the current mood I'm not sure if that is likely.
There's another point. It very difficult to conduct a new election under the conditions. Currently the political atmosphere is heavily emotionalized. The red shirts blame the government for the victims of April 10 and I cannot imagine that government personnel to go campaigning in the Northeast of Thailand, the stronghold of the red shirts. On the other side it will be difficult for the red shirts in the strongholds of the government supporters. I think it's currently very problematic.
"Entspannung, aber kein Durchbruch", by DW-World.de, May 6, 2010
Solid arguments here, it is the first time I have read in the international media that Lt. Gen. Prayuth has been specifically named as the next possible Commander-in-Chief. I also agree with Glass that it will be difficult to see how or if tempers will cool down coming election day.
The Curious Case of Conor David Purcell
Picture of Conor David Purcell in Bangkok Post (Picture by Richard Barrow)
On April 18 an Australian man named Conor David Purcell appeared on the red shirts' rally stage to give an eyewitness account on the violent clashes of April 10.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHosYuf-HfA&w=600&h=360]Video by ThaiTVNews, watch part 2 here.
It is not the first time that we have seen farangs at the red rally, but no one has been that vocal and gained that much attention than Purcell, case in point this Bangkok Post story published on Sunday.
Conor David Purcell, a former Australian military reservist, is a long way from home. The 29-year-old has two infected hip wounds, no money, no passport and survives on handouts from his Thai and foreign friends.
But when he takes to the red shirt stage at Ratchaprasong, thousands of people stop and listen attentively to the Irish-born Aussie "military" man as he reads his speeches, which are immediately translated into Thai. (...)
The red shirt leaders nod their approval at Mr Purcell, who claims to have done "quite extensive" work with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and trained with the Singapore and Malaysia military. (...)
Mr Purcell, who claims a political science degree from the University of Western Australia, says he had always been an admirer of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his poverty-alleviation policies. (...)
He says he was injured by two silicon-coated bullets while trying to shelter behind an APC secured by the reds and now has a "dirty wound'' which cannot be stitched and has to be treated with antibiotics.
During the skirmish he lost his Australian emergency passport and 1,400 baht. He signed a statutory declaration at the Australian embassy on April 20 detailing his ordeal. "They said you have to go home straight away, then they walked back into their air-conditioned office and made themselves a cup of tea," Mr Purcell said.
"Wounded Australian on handouts takes to red shirt stage", Bangkok Post, May 2, 2010
Of course the Australian Embassy, at least one source, has told the Bangkok Post to take this fellow's story "with a big dose of salt," and was also sure that he has "actually broken quite a few Thai laws". Purcell himself has denied ever interfered in Thai political affairs, as he was only giving an eyewitness account (see above).
He made a second appearance on April 27, where he gave a statement after the deadly blasts at Silom on April 22.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEQ4a88MLkQ&w=600&h=360]Video by ThaiTVNews, watch part 2 here.
So that doesn't sound much like a witness account, more like a rally statement to me. While I don't deny everyone's right, Thais and foreigners alike, to express their political opinion, I'm skeptical about Purcell's background (and so does this fellow blogger as well).
Who does this bloke thinks he is? The Last Samurai? Lawrence of Arabia?!
"Stupid Foreigners...!"
The Nation has put up an article that can only be described as simply astonishing.
The international community is showing varying degrees of understanding concerning the political situation in Thailand. There are two groups - those who reside outside the Kingdom and are looking in through a somewhat distorted lens, and the Bangkok-based foreign community, who have to suffer through this turmoil on a daily basis like the Thai people.The first group, including some media outlets, has only a superficial comprehension of the crisis. Comments are mostly narrowly focused; they see the turmoil simply as a righteous struggle between the haves and have-nots. Moreover, they see it solely as a cry for democracy. These two key messages dominate their discourses. (...)
But one thing is missing here. The role of fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as the main culprit is seldom being mentioned by the international community and international media. Obviously, it is beyond their imagination to conceive that one person could be responsible for such massive civil disobedience. But this is exactly the point. Thaksin has channelled his money, via his divorced wife and crony associates, to finance the demonstration. (...)
Certainly, there are red supporters on the streets who are genuinely crying for a real democracy and who want to highlight and remedy all the social ills of Thailand. (...) There is no denying that extensive reforms are needed.
But these issues are symptomatic of all developing countries. The disparity between rural and urban areas - even in the most developed countries in the world - is a dichotomy that we continue to struggle with. What is strange is that nobody reacts like this in other countries. In Thailand this issue has been manipulated by certain people for their own interests.
Inside Thailand, for those foreigners who have gone through the same experience as Thais in the past several weeks, there has been a strong sense of anger, sadness and bitterness. They feel the same way as many Thais. (...)
It is imperative that the international community gains a thorough understanding of the situation. Both the media and all governmental organisations have to do their job more effectively.
"Do They Really Know What's Happening Here?", The Nation, April 30, 2010
In a related news story, foreign minister Kasit Piromya is at it again.
The crisis spilled into the diplomatic arena Thursday, with Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya censuring some foreign diplomats for meeting last week with Red Shirt leaders.
"We do not want to see that happening again," Kasit told reporters during a visit to Jakarta, Indonesia. Kasit said he had earlier met with Philippine Ambassador Antonio V. Rodriguez, dean of the Bangkok diplomatic corps, to express his concern.
In a note to other diplomats based in Thailand, Rodriguez said Kasit accused some ambassadors of voicing opposition to the constitutional monarchy and criticizing the government's handling of the crisis. Kasit was a public supporter of the Yellow Shirt movement before becoming foreign minister.
"These actions have gone beyond the limits of diplomatic practice and were unacceptable to the Thai government," Rodriguez summarized Kasit as saying. "The envoys' opposition to the government and to the monarchy was inappropriate and will not be tolerated."
"Thai protest rivals want military to end 'anarchy'", Associated Press, April 29, 2010
New Mandala has some excerpts of the memo that has been passed to the diplomats, worth a read.
Do I sense a theme here? It seems that the "being a foreigner and not in Thailand"-talk is still a legit argument for some Thais and also a convenient one to shoot down foreign criticism. Also, there is an ongoing fascinating fixation on Thaksin by Kasit and The Nation, especially since rumors of his death are persistently popping up this week again.
And don't get me started on who should do a better job...
P.S.: Remember Kasit's rant in Washington against several countries that have let Thaksin from a few weeks ago? Well, one of the countries 'strikes' back.
In a separate development, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Thai Ambassador Chalermpol Thanchitt to accept a diplomatic protest in response to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's remarks on Russia's role in sheltering Thaksin.
"Thaksin, family dispel rumours of death, coma", The Nation, May 1, 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi vs Thai Government, Round 2
Sometimes, real life is stranger than fiction... Just yesterday I wrote about the Thai government's reaction on Aung San Suu Kyi's comments about the current political situation. I was thinking about to end with a joke if she was paid by anybody (preferably by Thaksin, of course) for these comments but I didn't (Bangkok Pundit and S_Narut did though). I thought it was too stupid, even for Thailand.
Well, as I said, sometimes real life is stranger than fiction...
นายประสงค์ นุรักษ์ ส.ว.สรรหา กล่าวถึงกรณีที่ นางอองซาน ซูจี แกนนำฝ่ายค้านในประเทศพม่า กล่าววิพากษ์วิจารณ์รัฐธรรมนูญและรัฐบาลไทย จนทำให้ประเทศไทยเสียหายในสายตานานาชาติว่า คนที่กำลังจะจมน้ำตายแต่เหตุใดกลับมาเอะอะโวยวายสอนให้คนอื่นว่ายน้ำ
"ผมจึงรู้สึกผิดหวังมาก เพราะนางอองซาน ซูจีน่าจะเข้าใจประเทศไทยดีกว่านี้ จึงขอให้หาทางตรวจสอบ (...) ว่า [นางอองซาน ซูจี] มีการรับเงินสนับสนุนจากบุคคลใดบ้าง"
Appointed senator Prasong Nurak has commented on the remarks of Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who criticized the Thai constitution and the government, saying it [her remarks] damages Thailand's image internationally, "Why do you want to teach the other how swim, when he is currently drowning?"
"I'm disappointed because Ms Aung San Suu Kyi should know better about Thailand. That's why I would like to find a way to investigate (...) if [she] has received any donation money by whom."
"ส.ว.ฉุน"ซูจี"วิจารณ์ไทยทำเสียหายสายตาชาวโลก จี้ตรวจสอบเส้นทางการเงินรับสนับสนุนจากใคร", Matichon, April 26, 2010
Just to give you some context, Prachatai has some background on this appointed senator.
นายประสงค์ เป็นคน จ.ชุมพร เป็นแกนนำพันธมิตรประชาชนเพื่อประชาธิปไตยรัฐไอโอวา รัฐแคนซัส และรัฐอิลลินอยส์ ชุมนุมขับไล่ พ.ต.ท.ทักษิณ ชินวัตร ในปี 2549 (...)
โดยในระหว่างที่นายประสงค์ดำรงตำแหน่ง ได้ร่วมเคลื่อนไหวกับกลุ่ม 40 ส.ว. และพันธมิตรฯ ในการชุมนุมปี 51 โดยตลอด เช่นหลังจากพันธมิตรฯ สามารถยึดทำเนียบรัฐบาลได้แล้วในวันที่ 26 ส.ค. 51 [ต่อมา] ในวันที่ 28 ส.ค. นายประสงค์ได้ติดตาม (...) เดินทางมาให้กำลังใจผู้ชุมนุมพันธมิตรฯ โดยมีผู้ชุมนุมขอจับมือให้กำลังใจ ขอลายเซ็น และถ่ายรูปกับคณะ ส.ว.กลุ่มนี้ตลอดทาง
Mr Prasong, originating from Chumporn province, is a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy of Iowa, Kansas and Illinois, protesting to chase out Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 (...)
When in office, Mr Prasong was involved in a group of 40 senators and the PAD during the protests in 2008 after the PAD successfully seized Government House on August 26, 2008. [After that] on August 28, 2008 Mr Prasong came to [the rally site with the 39 other senators] to show support for the PAD protesters by shaking hands, giving autographs and taking pictures with the senators.
"ส.ว.สรรหาไม่พอใจ "ออง ซาน ซูจี" ทำให้ไทยเสียหายระดับโลก จี้ตรวจสอบเส้นทางการเงิน", Prachatai, April 26, 2010
Just to make this clear, he is an appointed senator who profited from the new 2007 constitution drafted by the military and thus proving Suu Kyi's point in the first place. Needless to say, he is an open PAD supporter!
But then again, this argument seems to be too logic for some if a certain fugitive former prime minister can be somehow framed in an international anti-Thai conspiracy...
h/t to S_Narut for the links on both stories
Foreigners at the Red Shirt Protest
The Nation ran an article today asking a few (western) foreigners participating in the red shirt protests.
An American appeared on the stage yesterday, despite the government's enforcement of the emergency decree. (...)While on stage, he addressed the crowd in English, saying that the United States took a long time to establish democracy. "What you're doing is amazing and I hope you achieve it," he said.
"This is becoming a people's movement. The country has been divided in the last month and I am worried about the direction it is heading in," said Frank Klose, a German who has been living in Thailand for the past 20 years.
Klose, a resident of Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani, added that it was his third time at the protests and he was hoping a dissolution of Parliament would help resolve the current chasm.
However, he admitted he was not too knowledgeable about Thai politics, and mainly came in support of his Thai wife, who is a strong activist.
A desire to see the dissolution of Parliament was shared by other foreigners present. (...)
"I am here to support freedom of speech, freedom of protest and corruption free elections. We should have a democracy without interference like in the US," added the dual American and Canadian citizen, who has been living in Bangkok for 15 years and asked to remain anonymous.
"Foreigners joining the rally", by PierLuc Gagnon, The Nation, April 9, 2010
Least to say that these soundbites do in no way represent the whole movement and it is probably impossible to pick out all westerners in the crowd. But I can see the red shirts trying to gain some credibility endorsement by the mere presence of western foreigners at the rally site (like with everything gains some prestige with a token farang standing at hand, right?) - it can't hurt.
In comparison The Irrawaddy has written back in early March that the government has warned Thai employers to bring migrant workers to the red shirt protest.
Thailand's Ministry of Labor warned Thai employers not to bring any migrant workers to join ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters, who are scheduled to launch a major anti-government protest in Bangkok this weekend.
The warning was made by Phaitoon Kaewthong, Thailand's minister of labor, after reports circulated suggesting that Thaksin supporters known as Redshirts will bring laborers including foreign migrant workers to join the Redshirt protest, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Labor on Monday.
In a written statement sent to The Irrawaddy on Monday, Andy Hall, director of the Bangkok-based Human Rights and Development Foundation's migrant justice program said: “If migrants were to attend this red-shirt rally, it would surely be because they were forced to attend by their employers, as we saw with the previous red and yellow shirt rallies in Thailand.”
“If it is not enough to exploit migrants economically and physically, now they are being exploited politically by both sides of the political conflict,” said Hall.
"No Migrants at Redshirt Rally", by Saw Yan Naing, The Irrawaddy, March 8, 2010
Bangkok Pundit has blogged about this issue as well, where migrant workers and their Thai employers were threatened with hefty fines, and already back in November 2009, citing deputy prime minister Suthep Thuagsuban's rationale on why foreigners should not protest with the red shirts.
Well, so says Deputy Prime Minister Suthep in an interview with Matichon which BP has summarized below:
Suthep stated that there were reports of others being brought in to protest against Abhisit on his trip to Chiang Mai on November 28. Suthep warns the protest letters not to allow others who are not Thais to protest because it is not possible to communicate with such people* (อย่าปล่อยให้กลุ่มผู้ชุมนุมที่ไม่ใช่คนไทยมาร่วมชุมนุม เพราะพูดกันไม่รู้เรื่อง) and they cannot be controlled (และไม่สามารถควบคุมได้). They may also create problems (คนพวกนี้อาจจะเข้ามาสร้างปัญหา).
Suthep also wanted to pass a message onto non-Thais that peaceful protests under the constitution was limited to Thais only. Therefore, if a foreigner protests, they have broken the law.
*edited this slightly.
"Non-Thais to protest with the reds", Bangkok Pundit, November 23, 2009
Suthep definitely had Burmese, Lao, Cambodian or any other Asian migrant workers in mind when telling foreigners not to meddle with Thai politics (since we can take care of ourselves very well, right?). So what about the farang red shirts? Is it also hard to communicate with them? And do these regulations apply to them and legal actions will be taken against them as well?
Further reading: