Thailand: Military must halt reckless use of lethal force
Thai soldiers must immediately stop firing live ammunition into several large areas in Bangkok where anti-government protesters are gathered, Amnesty International said today.
“Eye-witness accounts and video recordings show clearly that the military is firing live rounds at unarmed people who pose no threat whatsoever to the soldiers or to others,” said Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International’s Thailand specialist. “This is a gross violation of a key human right–the right to life”.
“Deliberately firing live ammunition at unarmed people, whether they be protesters or otherwise and who pose no credible threat to anyone else, is unlawful”, said Zawacki. (statement from Amnesty International)
Better late than never. The pressure is probably mounting on thai authorities. It might explains why the army didn’t launch the assault monday, after setting up a deadline for evacuation at 3 PM.
Let’s see if it’s only a pause, or a genuine truth in order to start again negociations.
Abhisit: 66 Kills
Achievement Unlock!
“Exceed 65 kill-count from 14 October massacre”
Gain skill: Infamy
- Guaranteed to be remember in history.
Indeed Fall. But you have to put it into “context”. Many readers won’t be able to understand otherwise.
So, let me do it.
Even by standards of infamy, psychatric problems and propaganda, Thailand has won a gold medal about the 1976 “events”…
“Officially”…. 1 man was killed ! The insane Samak (you remember the PM, pushed by Thaksin ?) repeated this on CNN ! Without any blink (read here).
Dozen and perhaps HUNDREDS of studends and so called “communists” or “leftists” or “republicans” or “threats to the monarchy” people were savagely killed.
Notice the Bangkok Post wasn’t accepting reader comments this morning to articles praising Abbhisit. I found that odd as either most have been salivating over the high kill rate or they just don’t publish many anti comments. In fact many armchair generals seem to be delighting over “justice” finally being served on various blogs.
Unleashing the Thai military on unarmed civilians can only have one outcome, the only variable is how many.
Does anyone smell a revolution?
This is the end of the first phase – the peaceful way.
The second phase will be a protracted armed struggle, I do suspect. This could run for anything from 10 – 30 years before grinding Thailand downwards to a dead stop – morally & financially. Burma will probably seem like a bright light.
In the meantime Vietnam will surge ahead, happy to take Thai business opportunities. “Som nam na”.
@Jim
“Does anyone smell a revolution?”
How sad, In Licking a hurt ego; a PM triggers off a
revolution. It smells, it stink;
I thought sooner or ater, the red shirts would go home.
Now ,it will be just the begining; in all colored shirts, (except yellow, blue and multicolor,) they would pop out into all nooks and corners and carry out the nastier forms of “demonstrations”.
Goodbye, Peaceful demo.