Starting Points: Korn Chatikavanij

Jun 2, 2010

Thai Parliament Reflects Nation’s Anger

Narong Sangnak/European Pressphoto Agency

Sathaporn Maneerat, an opposition legislator, showed his solidarity with the red shirts in Parliament on Tuesday in Bangkok.

By SETH MYDANS

BANGKOK — Thailand’s conflict moved from the streets of Bangkok to the chamber of Parliament this week, as angry and irreconcilable as ever, with members from both sides trading accusations late into the night.

Interspersed with video clips that brought the sound and horror of battle into the chamber, the debate revived unanswered questions about snipers, arsonists, killings at a Buddhist temple and mysterious assassins dressed in black.

Framed as a parliamentary no-confidence motion against the government, the session on Monday and Tuesday provided the first public forum to debate the violence during a two-month demonstration by an antigovernment movement known as the red shirts that ended when the military moved in on the protesters’ encampment on May 19. A total of 88 people were killed and more than 1,800 wounded during the protests and crackdown.

The no-confidence motion was defeated on Wednesday in a 246-to-186 vote, The Associated Press reported. But no possible outcome seemed likely to ease the intensifying polarization of the nation, in which the rural heartland seems increasingly disconnected from the more comfortable life of the capital.

During the sessions, opposition members accused the government of shooting unarmed demonstrators as well as medical workers, and of placing snipers on an elevated railway track to fire at protesters taking shelter in a temple.

The government blames the protesters for instigating the violence, going so far as to suggest that black-shirted gunmen among them killed their own people to frame the government.

For nearly two months, mostly poor protesters occupied parts of Bangkok, particularly the commercial core of the city, demanding that the government step down and hold a new election. By the time Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva offered to hold an election in November, it appeared that compromise was no longer possible, and the violent eviction followed.

In Parliament, the opposition accused the government of unprovoked massacre, echoing the position of its figurehead, the fugitive former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who had hired an expert on war crimes to bring international charges against the government.

The government has in turn brought terrorism charges against Mr. Thaksin, accusing him of being behind the violence. He remains abroad, evading jail time for a corruption conviction.

Mr. Abhisit said the government had never ordered the killing of protesters, and the finance minister, Korn Chatikavanij, suggested in an interview that the killings had been staged by the protesters as provocations.

“There have been certain incidents in which the paramilitary arm of the red-shirt movement were quite willing to shoot their own to place the blame on the government,” Mr. Korn said.

In addition to the killings and the burning of more than 30 buildings on the final day of conflict, the police said Tuesday that during the crackdown there were 62 bomb attacks, 39 cases of arson, 18 cases of manslaughter and attempted killing, and 34 cases of robbery and looting.

Suthep Thaugsuban, the deputy prime minister in charge of security, denied that snipers had fired at a Buddhist temple, Wat Pathum Wanaram, a haven that became a trap for thousands of people taking refuge in the core of the protest area. But Mr. Abhisit conceded that many such questions remained to be investigated by an impartial panel he had promised.

Though the parliamentary session was unlikely to sway opinions, it gave opposition politicians a chance to put forward their views at a time of strict censorship. Citing the crisis, the government has shut down thousands of Web sites and pages, as well as opposition radio stations, prompting condemnation from within and outside Parliament.

May 23, 2010

Bangkok riots spark frenzy on net pages

Published: 23/05/2010 at 12:57 AM

Social media have become the new frontline of Thailand's political scene with Facebook and Twitter activity exploding over recent weeks in Bangkok.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Facebook page has over 300,000 followers, while Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij's page has over 61,000. Many popular groups have emerged, such as ``STOP! Ruined [sic] Thailand'', which has over 22,000 members.

The political unrest has given rise to many other Facebook groups as people use the website to express their political views without fear of government censorship.

``Thailand Chaos Update'' (9,877 members) Thailand Chaos Update (9,877) posts updates about the current situation, missing people, danger zones and safety warnings for Bangkok residents.

``Watch Red Shirt'' (51,549) provides updates on the red shirt movement.

Many groups have also been created to counter a perceived pro-Thaksin bias in reporting by foreign news agencies. ``Real BBC_Bloody Bulls**t Corporation'' slams what the group calls the British broadcaster's ``biased, unethical and irresponsible approach to international journalism''.

Likewise, the group ``CNN Please Fire Dan Rivers'' targets what members regard as the biased reporting of the CNN journalist.

The ``I Support PM Abhisit'' (86,700) has had more posts than the prime minister's official page as people express support for him.

The ``Over one million Thai people miss CentralWorld'' page was created shortly after reports of the devastating arson attacks on the shopping centre and now has over 28,000 fans.

Meanwhile, Twitter has become the medium of choice of many for breaking news and analysis.

Traffic on the micro-blogging network reached a frenzy in the run-up to and immediately following the arson attacks throughout the capital.

Twitter users sent pictures and videos of everything from fires to protesters hit by sniper fire as well as live reports from the US embassy town hall meeting of American citizens in Bangkok.

Users of the service captured unforgettable images, perhaps none more so than those of a baby being held above a red shirt barricade sent by user @freakingcat.

Along with eyewitness accounts, came a sea of emotion as Twitter users expressed sorrow - and often outrage -at unfolding events.

The Thai ``Twittersphere'' has grown up. Gone are the days when it was primarily a conduit for the rumour mill.

Newspapers and TV channels have taken up the medium. At The Nation, both its former and current editors were tweeting breaking news, gossip and other stories, as well as polling Twitter followers for ideas.

The majority of reliable reports came from professional reporters in the field rather than citizen journalists.

Gossip or news from unreliable sources was routinely challenged for sources and clarification.

Twitter also had translators such as the Bangkok Post's Terry Fredrickson (@terryfrd), who provided English translations of what was being said on the red shirt stage as well as announcements from the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation.

The spectrum of views expressed on Twitter over the past week was wide, and included expatriates who expressed support for Thaksin as the democratically elected leader of Thailand and disdain for Mr Abhisit, as the head of a military-backed government. Views on the monarchy were expressed that are not fit for print.

Beyond Facebook and Twitter, Google Guru is quickly becoming another Pantip.com. Designed as a venue in which questions can be posed, Guru is quickly making a name for itself as a replacement for Pantip.com's Ratchadamnoen forum, which is now closed.

About the author

Writer: Sasiwimon Boonruang and Don Sambandaraksa