Prime ministers, murderers and Judy Garland

Published: 13 Dec 2012 at 09.21
Online news: Opinion

During the London G-20 summit protests in 2009, Ian Tomlinson, an English newspaper vendor, an innocent bystander, was caught up in a melee and later died from internal injuries. Constable Simon Harwood was charged with manslaughter, but found not guilty.

I am certain that Tarit Pengdit, chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), would agree with me that the person who should have been charged instead of, or as well as, the police constable was former UK prime minister Gordon Brown. After all, the DSI chief found it fit to charge former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva with the death of an innocent bystander, not a protester, during the political violence in April and May 2010.

Of course, I realise that if you are a Thaksinista, then Thaksin Shinawatra, the Pheu Thai Party and the red-shirt UDD is the holy trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost - while the opposition is Satan incarnate. But let's try to view the issue objectively, even if it's difficult or downright impossible.

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peterl
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Discussion 30 : 13 Dec 2012 at 19.5330
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I also saw the BBC interview. Abhisit said he authorized the army to use live amunition to retaliate when they were being fired on by people, particularily black shirts, using live ammunition. It is difficult to disagree with that logic, or at least I find it difficult. I don't see how rubber bullets or water cannon could be particularily effective in controlling, or defending yourself against, protesters using live ammunition. To me it is a sad reflection on how violent Thai society is.
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katsumoto
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Discussion 29 : 13 Dec 2012 at 19.4029
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@ D26: And what about Sah Daeng's widow and family? Murdered by a sniper probably acting under orders! And don't bother with the conspiracy theories - they make no sense and have no logic. The only people who wanted him out of the way had a simple motive - he was able to command and manage the red shirt defensive, yes defensive, actions. Neither would the military act against a serving Army General - one of their own!
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katsumoto
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Discussion 28 : 13 Dec 2012 at 19.3128
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Simply put, the international rule of engagement for all police officers who have the primary public safety role (and for military as well) is " the force used to prevent the action must not be disproportionate to the action trying to be prevented". In very few democratic countries do the military have any role in domestic matters unless it is to provide "military aid to the civil power" which is only ever invoked by the highest political office holder in the most dire of circumstances.If there is a document signed by either of these two authorising lethal force by the military on record, by international standards, they have a case to answer
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peterd
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Discussion 27 : 13 Dec 2012 at 19.1527
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The tirade for the death penalty is just to accentuate the drama, intentionally. It's not a murder at first degree. In fact, it's normal in democracy that the politics are responsibles and accountables of their acts. TS same the others. Now the author is absolutely right,
too much Manicheism and simple thought in Thailand and too much of stupid and sterile hatred.
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blobber
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Discussion 26 : 13 Dec 2012 at 18.5926
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Discussion 22. It's kind of hard to use tear gas and pepper spray when the other side is using grenades and firing live rounds at you.
Why don't you ask Col Romkalo's widow what happened when they tried to use the protestors using tear gas and shields.
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Rab.Madar
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Discussion 25 : 13 Dec 2012 at 18.5225
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Disc 22. bkposter. You said more in your few lines than Voranai said in a page.
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Mi1231
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Discussion 24 : 13 Dec 2012 at 18.3124
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As pointed out by many posters, Abhisit took control of the situation and directly is responsible for what happeened. Let's not forget that the Army faced the protesters as if they were an invading foreign army. The trouble is that the elite, Democrats and PAD people treat Red Shirts see themselved entitled to treating Red Shirts the way they did.
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genii
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Discussion 23 : 13 Dec 2012 at 18.2923
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In the case with AV and Suthep there never was any serious efforts to compromise in order to prevent conflict and loss of life. If you remember there was only one face to face meeting and it was simply my way or no way. Both sides should have made much greater efforts to obtain what they wanted through more dialouge with the interest of the peoples safety first in mind. The fact is both sides knew there would be violence if the protestors were confronted by force. Both sides let it happen and both are responsible.
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bkposter
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Discussion 22 : 13 Dec 2012 at 18.0522
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In my humble opinion the allegations of "Murder" for both Abhisit,and TS are over reaching. Murder means you actually had a plan for someone specifically would die. Abhisit is probably guilty of negligent abuse of power only because he called out the Military, armed them with all the wrong and lethal weapons, gave them no training on crowd control,and deprived them of any of the usual weapons for crowd control such as tear gas or pepper spray. The military is not equipped or trained for this type of operation and the resulting loss of life should have been evident to the leadership from the start.No clean hands here on any side.
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dickemery
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Discussion 21 : 13 Dec 2012 at 17.4821
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what hope is there for justice,what are the chances of the police or the DSI bring charges against the fugitive tor murder in the deep south and in the north 80 odd and 2500 killed and he should also be made responsible for instigating and ordering violence in bangkok,when he is king kong of the police forces not even had his rank taken away,and as if his sister will ever hold an investigation against him,and they call themselves democratic ?
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