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A scheduled police questioning of a yellow-shirt woman accused of defaming a red-shirt leader drew crowds of her supporters and rival red-shirts, a confrontation which quickly turned violent.

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The confrontation turns violent as bottles and fists are thrown instead of just angry words. Photos by Surapol Promsaka Na Sakornakorn.

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CSD stand-off erupts in violence

Red-yellow tension seen escalating, unity elusive

Aekarach Sattaburuth,
Voranai Vanijaka,
Wassayos Ngamkham

Confrontations between the red- and yellow-shirt groups are likely to intensify after yesterday's clash outside the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) left scores of people from both sides injured.

This was not a crowd of angry youngsters. Many, on both sides, likely had long experience with political rallies.

The clash erupted around noon during a stand-off between red shirts and yellow shirts who had gathered outside the CSD.

The yellow shirts, led by Suwat Apaipak, a lawyer for the People's Alliance for Democracy, turned up to show support for Manasnant Nookham, 31, a former teacher who last month publicly accused key red-shirt supporter Darunee Kritbunyalai of defaming the monarchy.

Ms Darunee filed a defamation charge with the CSD against Ms Manasnant, who was summoned for questioning yesterday.

Red shirts also turned up to show support for Ms Darunee, and both sides waved placards and banners, traded insults and threw water bottles at each other despite the presence of a police riot squad which was called in to maintain order.

A man smashes the windshield of a truck belonging to red-shirt radio station FM90.25 whose presence angered the yellow-shirts.

Tensions escalated about 11am when a group of yellow shirts smashed the windshield of a truck belonging to red-shirt radio station FM90.25.

An ensuing scuffle left red-shirt member Visorndaeng Traisuwaan, 35, with a head injury.

Red shirts take one of their wounded away for medical treatment.

A yellow-shirt member, Chatchai Sutheesopon, 48, who was accused of carrying a hand gun by the red shirts, also suffered a head injury after he was hit in the back of the head during the scuffle. Police who searched him later found no weapons on him.

Payap Pankate, a United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) co-leader and a Pheu Thai Party list-MP, said the violent stand-off is a sign that the government's reconciliation policy remains off-track.

He anticipates tensions will increase because lawsuits involving red shirts and security forces are now underway.

"The government's efforts to bring about reconciliation won't materialise easily. I think there will be attempts to escalate confrontation," he said.

He said red shirts would have to exercise restraint so that they do not play into the hands of the other side.

Police clear a safe path for a red-shirt mother who, for some reason, brought her young child along.

UDD chairwoman Tida Tawornseth, however, said yesterday that the situation would not spiral out of control. The UDD has urged red shirts to toe the line and act within the law.

However, she warned that reconciliation will remain elusive until the truth about the political violence in 2010 is established. "Give us justice, real justice. Unless justice is served, reconciliation will be hard to achieve," she said.

Democrat secretary-general Chalermchai Sri-on yesterday called on the government to hold talks with red shirts over the incident.

He said more violent clashes could break out if no action is taken to address yesterday's incident.

"It is not enough for the government to say how badly it wants to bring about reconciliation. The government or the UDD leaders need to talk to the red shirts," he said.

Mr Suwat yesterday met CSD deputy chief Pol Col Prasopchok Prommoon to inquire about the defamation case. Mr Suwat said he did not think the allegations against Ms Manasnant had grounds and that the CSD should not take the case. "It looks to me like they had a quarrel and the case doesn't warrant CSD involvement," he said.

Members of both sides who were involved in the violence were later detained inside the CSD compound while the rest of the rival groups continued to camp out in areas on each side of Phahon Yothin Road from where they hurled verbal abuse at each other.

The ugly confrontation carried on for about two hours before supporters of Ms Manasnant began to retreat to nearby department stores, seeing they were outnumbered by red shirts whose numbers grew with new arrivals.

The stand-off ended about 3pm after the area around the CSD compound along with most of Bangkok was hit by heavy downpours.

Pol Col Prasopchok yesterday promised justice for both Ms Manasnant and Ms Darunee, saying Ms Manasnant could file a counter-charge against Ms Darunee if she wanted to.

He said the CSD has decided to postpone the questioning of Ms Manasnant until Oct 29.

Neither Ms Manasnant nor Ms Darunee showed up at the CSD headquarters yesterday.

confrontation – a situation in which people or groups are arguing angrily or are fighting การเผชิญหน้า
violent – involving the use of physical force, with the intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people รุนแรง
fist – your hand when your fingers are closed tightly กำปั้น, หมัด
stand-off – a disagreement or fight in which neither side can do anything to win การทะเลาะวิวาท ความขัดแย้ง
erupt – to start suddenly ปะทุขึ้น
tension – the feeling caused by a lack of trust between people, groups or countries ความตึงเครียด
escalate – to become much worse or more serious, or to make something do this ทำให้เลวร้ายลง
unity – a situation in which people, groups, or countries join together or agree about something ความเป็นเอกภาพ, ความเป็นอันหนึ่งอันเดียวกัน
elusive – difficult to describe, find, achieve or remember ซึ่งหลบหลีก, ยากที่จะหา, ยากที่จะเข้าใจ
intensify – to get stronger เข้มข้นขึ้น
clash – a brief fight between two or more people การปะทะกันสองฝ่าย
suppression – stopping illegal activity การปราบปราม
scores – large numbers of จำนวนมาก
injured – hurt in an accident or attack ซึ่งได้รับบาดเจ็บ
youngster – a young person or a child  คนหนุ่มคนสาว
rally – a large public gathering of people to support someone or to protest against something การชุมนุม
erupt – to start suddenly ปะทุขึ้น
lawyer – an attorney ทนาย
People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) – the union of several groups protesting against the Samak, Somchai and Abhisit and now Yingluck governments and which staged large protests against the Thaksin government as well พันธมิตรประชาชนเพื่อประชาธิปไตย  
turn up – to come somewhere มาถึง
key – very important ที่สำคัญ
defame – to say or write something bad about someone that is not true and makes other people have a bad opinion of them ใส่ร้ายป้ายสี, ทำลายชื่อเสียง
monarchy – a type of government in which a country is ruled by a king or queen  การปกครองที่มีพระมหากษัตริย์เป็นประมุข
file – to take official action like making a complaint  ยื่นคำร้อง
charge – an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime ข้อหา
summon – to officially order someone to come to a place  เรียกตัว
placard – a large written or printed notice that is put in a public place or carried in a march or protest  ป้ายประกาศ, แผ่นประกาศ
banner – a wide piece of cloth with a message on it  แถบผ้า ป้าย
trade – to exchange something that you have for something else แลกเปลี่ยน
insult – to say or do something to someone that is rude or offensive พูดแดกดัน, พูดจาบจ้วง
presence – the fact of being in a particular place, thing or situation การเข้าร่วม, การมีอยู่
riot – a violent protest การจลาจล
riot squad – police who are trained to deal with violent groups of people ตำรวจปราบจราจล
maintain – to keep รักษา
order – a situation in which everything is well organized or arranged ความเป็นระเบียบเรียบร้อย
windshield – the large glass window at the front of a vehicle; a windscreen กระจกหน้ารถ
ensure – to make certain that something happens or is done  ให้การยืนยัน, รับรอง, ให้ความมั่นใจ
scuffle – a short and sudden fight, especially one involving a small number of people การต่อสู้กันอุตลุด
search – to look somewhere carefully in order to find something ค้นหา
wounded – injured, especially where your skin or flesh is damaged, usually seriously บาดเจ็บ
United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) – the group originally formed to demonstrate against the 2006 coup and which supported the Somchai Wongsawat government against the PAD and which led the fight against the Abhisit government. They are known for wearing red shirts แนวร่วมประชาธิปไตยต่อต้านเผด็จการแห่งชาต
sign – a piece of evidence that something is happening or that something exists  ร่องรอย
reconciliation – a new and friendly relationship with someone who you argued with or fought with การทำให้ปรองดองกันอีก,  การสมานฉันท์
policy – a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
off-track – not doing the right thing in order to achieve a particular result ไม่ได้ทำสิ่งที่ถูกต้อง; ผิดพลาด
anticipate – to guess or expect that something will happen คาดการณ์
lawsuit – a case that a court is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two people or groups คดีที่ยื่นฟ้องต่อศาล
underway – happening  กำลังเกิดขึ้น
materialise – to happen or become real กลายเป็นจริง
exercise – to use ใช้
restraint – the quality of behaving calmly and with control การอดกลั้น
play into the hands – to do something, especially to make a mistake, to give an opponent an advantage ทำให้คู่ต่อสู้ได้เปรียบ
spiral – to increase (get worse, etc.) faster and faster
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
toe the line – to say or do what somebody in authority tells you to say or do, even if you do not share the same opinions, etc แค่ทำตามที่ต้องการ,แค่ทำตามกฎ
establish – to discover, prove, or decide that something is true พิสูจน์, แสดงให้เห็น
justice – fairness in the way people are dealt with ความเป็นธรรม, ความถูกต้อง, ความยุติธรรม
incident – something that happens, usually something bad เหตุการณ์
address – to deal with a problem จัดการปัญหา
deputy – a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง
inquire – to ask someone for information about something ถามถึง, สอบถาม
allegation – an accusation; a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal even though this has not been proved ข้อกล่าวหา
grounds – reasons for saying or doing something เหตุผล
quarrel – an argument or strong disagreement การทะเลาะเบาะแว้ง
warrant – to be/make necessary or appropriate in a particular situation มีเหตุผลอันสมควร
involvement – the act or process of taking part in something การเกี่ยวข้อง
detain – to keep someone in a police station or prison and not allow them to leave กักตัว ควบคุมตัวหรือฝากขัง
compound – an area enclosed by a fence or wall in which people work or live บริเวณ
rivals – opponents; people you are fighting or competing against คู่แข่ง, คู่ต่อสู้
hurl – to throw something using a lot of force  เขวี้ยง ขว้างปา
verbal abuse – attacking someone with strong, often impolite words
retreat – to move back or away  ถอยกลับ
outnumber – having more people than another group มีคนมากกว่า
downpour – a lot of rain in a short time ฝนตกหนักมาก, พายุฝน
file a counter-charge – to make an accusation against someone who has made an accusation against you; to file a lawsuit against someone who has previously filed a lawsuit against you ฟ้องกลับ
postpone – to delay; to decide that something will be done at a later time เลื่อนออกไป
show up – to arrive at a place แสดงตัว, ปรากฏตัว
headquarters – the place where an organisation or company has its main offices กองบัญชาการ

Related search: Yellow-shirts red-shirts clash, Darunee Kritbunyalai