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Around 20,000 red shirt supporters yesterday attended a gathering at Ratchaprasong intersection to mark the one-year anniversary of the clashes between red shirt protesters and security forces on May 19 last year.
Red shirt supporters gather at the Ratchaprasong intersection yesterday to mark the one-year anniversary of the military crackdown in Bangkok. APICHIT JINAKUL
The violence resulted in 91 deaths in the capital and one upcountry.
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Red-shirt supporters have expressed dismay over ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's call for them to set aside their anger and frustration over social and legal injustices for the sake of national reconciliation.
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Discussion 24 : 20/05/2011 at 05:47 PM24
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Dis 20 Old Thai Hand - 1. To say rural Thais don't understand democracy and therefore should not have their voices heard is undemocratic in itself. 2. To imply that those from Bangkok or other wealthier parts of Thailand are so much better educated about politics is simply not the case. Thailand's education system is consistently ranked among the lowest in Asia and its media is heavily censored. 3. Even in the Western democracies, the masses are generally an uninformed electorate with a simplistic understanding of issues facing their country. In my country (the UK), most people are clueless about politics. But that does not mean they should not have the right to vote or that the UK is 'not ready' for democracy.
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Discussion 23 : 20/05/2011 at 04:05 PM23
Dis#23 Geoffo, I feel for the people who lost their jobs and were hurt which begs the question as to why didn't the military use a firmer but less lethal method to deal with the situation. The aftermath was ugly only after the military use lethal weapons. And when you are shot at and threatened, irrational and impulsive reaction takes over. I am not condoning the Red rampage but only wondering if a better crowd control method was employed, we could have a much different consequences. I would said, crowd control as they did with the PAD.
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Discussion 22 : 20/05/2011 at 04:02 PM22
to Bula #22 What we remember is that redshirt leaders (Nattawut, Jatuporn, Veera & others) has been paid by Taksin to make a pseudo revolution and prepare a red carpet to welcome their boss/dictator/president Taksin. Then they lured poor farmers from E-san to play the warriors of this pseudo revolution. The behavior of the redshirts was so ugly, so insane so that Bangkokians became fed up of them so much. The redshirt pseudo revolution failed on 19th May 2010. The 19th May is the day of defeat... Why people has to memory a defeat day ??? Better to get lesson from the defeat, isn't it?
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Discussion 21 : 20/05/2011 at 03:16 PM21
Business as usual, if the red shirt don't organiced the demonstration, how can rural people have an income???
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Discussion 20 : 20/05/2011 at 03:07 PM20
disc 21 Dao. 100% correct. Except, the rural people don't really understand democracy or helping themselves. They think democracy is having the right to protest until Thaksin comes back to give them handouts. The masses are not an informed electorate. They have at best, a simplistic understanding of issues facing the country and a rather one-track mind. This is the main reason why people question whether Thailand is ready for democracy.
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Discussion 19 : 20/05/2011 at 01:54 PM19
There is nothing wrong with the reds holding a mass vigil to respect their dead and what they had been fighting for (whether we disagree with their political ideology or not). This happens in all sectors of life,all around the world, and with so many deaths and injured, deserves some form of attention. The vigil was probably a good thing to remind us that we still do not have answers, conclusions or independent reviews a year on from what happened, with people behind bars without charge. All this hate and bitterness is best dealt with through providing answers.
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Discussion 18 : 20/05/2011 at 01:35 PM18
D14 Eric, your comment is completely insensitive. Who do you think were the 15,000 that lost their jobs last year during the red rampage. Do you think all the non red shirt dead and injured people were only Bangkok people. They were Thai people from all over the country. I know a former Red shirt loving couple who are now red shirt haters. The husband was repeatedly roughed up on his way to work in Lang Suan by red guards trying to take his money. The mother had to flee her home with her grandchild when red shirts came to burn down Bon Kai. She said the red shirts doing the burning were from Lao recruited by red shirts because they had no relatives to be concerned about.
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Discussion 17 : 20/05/2011 at 01:24 PM17
Those who are attacking UDD/red shirts Do you know or remember the events and circumstances that took place before there was a UDD/red shirt? What were the events that took place in Thai history before UDD/ red shirts rallies and demonstrations turned violent? Daily attacking them is raising the feeling of bitterness, hurts, pain and injustice.
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Discussion 16 : 20/05/2011 at 12:39 PM16
No fun is being made here of rural people .Short sighted people that prolong the this ridiculous movement are holding the country back .You want rural representation then drop the fugitive and find a real leader that doesnt pay you for your vote .Someone who is actually from the countryside who maybe actually cares about the people and how to develop rural policies that teach the people to help themselves . Not just throw a bunch of cash at them .
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Discussion 15 : 20/05/2011 at 12:12 PM15
I always thought an anniversary was a once yearly occasion?
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