Both sides blamed for violence
Commission says 'men in black' may have got cooperation from red shirts
The long-awaited final report from the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) on the 2010 crackdown, which was obtained in advance by The Nation, shows that the so-called "men in black" had received cooperation from red-shirt guards. It also said that security officers eventually used live bullets, deployed snipers and were likely responsible for the six deaths at Wat Pathumwanaram on May 19, 2010.
The 515-page report appeared to hold both sides responsible for the 90-plus deaths and said the clashes on April 10, 2010, where more than 20 people were killed including Army Colonel Romklao Thuwatham, were seminal in creating a climate of animosity between the red shirts and the Army. The report is scheduled to be made public next week.
The men in black and April 10, 2010
"Both [sides] believe they were victims. The operation by the 'men in black' were very instrumental in creating and elevating the violence with the aim of provoking the Army to use weapons against protesters and wanting to exact the loss of lives," page 184 of the report read.
The TRCT explained that after the night of April 10, 2010, the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) had started using the term "terrorist" and had permitted security officials to use live bullets for self-defence. Abhisit Vejjajiva's government created the commission with chairman Kanit na Nakorn personally chosen by the premier.
When Colonel Romklao was unexpectedly attacked and killed by a bomb and some senior officers injured, "it led to the confusing and out-of-control use of weapons by soldiers", the report said. It added that soldiers then used rifles and fired "many" live bullets in the direction of the red-shirt protesters. "Many protesters died from bullet wounds," the report stated, without explicitly linking the deaths to soldiers.
The report links at least one of the "men in black" to Army Maj-General Khattiya "Seh Daeng" Sawasdipol, who would later end up being shot down by an unknown sharp shooter on May 13. The report does not reveal the name of the "man in black" believed to be a close aide of Khattiya. On pages 163 and 164, the report says that somebody saw a group of men in black step out of a white van at 7pm on April 10 near the Democracy Monument only to be "surrounded" and escorted by red-shirt guards toward the direction of the deadly confrontation. The guards "barred people from taking photos and some protesters shouted 'a helping hand is here', but were later prevented from speaking".
The report failed to shed light on who might have killed Reuters photographer Hiroyuki Muramoto that night, but it did point out that the first death on April 10 had taken place in front of the Education Ministry when a red-shirt protester was killed by a bullet from an unknown assailant. This was well before the men in black showed up.
Death of Maj-General Khattiya
The TRCT report said that Khattiya, a key red-shirt ally, was shot in the head by a "high-velocity" but unspecified gun on the night of May 13 with bullets that "probably" came from the Silom Plaza Building, which was "under the control of the authorities since April 18".
Six deaths at Wat Pathumwannaram
After Khattiya was killed, violence escalated on both sides and the TRCT report noted a photograph taken by Agence France-Presse, showing what was later examined by weapon experts to be the shell of a live bullet flying out of a soldier's rifle aiming his gun toward protesters. The report noted on page 208 that security officers shot live bullets from both rifles and handguns.
On May 19, at around 10.50am, the report said that clashes occurred between soldiers and armed men in black who were holed up inside Lumpini Park and stated that some protesters may have been killed when bullets were fired from the park.
As for the six killed at Wat Pathumwannaram on the evening of May 19 after demonstrators had been dispersed, TRCT said that on May 19, some 4,000 people had entered the temple, which had been declared a sanctuary area. A sign stating temple's sanctuary status had been posted since May 17, after peace advocates had managed to have the government agree to the idea. The report noted an eyewitness account saying men in black had been spotted inside the temple compound on May 15.
The report noted that: "At around 6pm [of May 19, 2010] seven soldiers were deployed on the first floor of [BTS] Skytrain track in front of Wat Pathumwannaram and five [soldiers] at the Siam Centre BTS Station. All of them were armed with M16 rifles and live bullets.
"It was discovered that officers aimed at and shot in the direction of Wat Pathumwannaram.
On the first-floor Skytrain track, two .223 bullet shells were discovered and they had been fired from the same gun.
What's more, a senior monk at the temple said he had seen a number of soldiers on the Skytrain track and had heard my gunshots fired around the front of the temple at dusk.
"It is highly likely that this was the cause of the deaths and injuries around Wat Pathumwananram," the report concluded, adding that one soldier told the TRCT that he had fired into the temple because there was an armed man in black on a tree inside the temple.
An M16 was later discovered inside the temple, the report added.
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This article came as no
This article came as no surprise to me whatsoever.
In Pravit's recent piece on the PIC's report - which condemned the Abhisit regime - he wrote it more as an op-ed
where he positioned the PIC report as "one side of the argument" and that some consider it "biased".
When the Abhisit-stooge filled TRCT give out their report, Pravit offers a "straight" take on the TRCT with no mention of bias, no op-ed or other opinions.
Of course, Pravit, despite his close links to the elite and the extreme rightwing Nation, is considered by some to be a leading "liberal" and "progressive" voice. This says more about the wider discourse on Thai notions of what constitutes "liberal" and "progressive" than Pravit himself who is, actually, not that progressive or liberal.
The entirely predictable and insidious nature of how Pravit has presented the TRCT and PIC reports is there for all to see.
One is fact. The other is opinion.
The truth?
Forget the truth.
For Pravit "consensus" - dominated by his friends and associates in the Thai elites - is far more important than the facts ever emerging. That way Pravit and his narrow social strata keep a grip on the "truth."
Same old, same old.
Our wealthy upper class
Our wealthy upper class friend Andrew here is of the opinion that the soldiers "shot themselves."
"They just turned their rifles on each other and started shooting," Andrew said in an interview with his sock puppet named Barbie.
Although I do not agree with the wording of Pravit's piece, I do think it is fairly accurate. The black shirts worked for someone in the red leadership. Though you cannot blame the black shirts for killing of innocents. The soldiers who shot at unarmed protesters are murderers whose negligence resulted in death. They ought be punished.
But by the sounds of it, this report aims to stop that by giving the impression that all sides are to blame so no one can be held responsible. This makes sense in the black and white world that Andrew and his arch enemies in his fellow elite have created with each other.
"It's all of nothing," Andrew Spooner's sock puppet Barbie went on. "The world is black and white. You are good or evil. That's it. That's the depth of my perception. So since I back the red shirts, they must be the good guys and innocent of everything."
When Barbie was asked whether she thought Andrew was a total dick, the sock puppet refused to comment.
Red Reaper I think I'm going
Red Reaper
I think I'm going to paste your comment on my FB as all my friends and family will laugh hysterically that anyone anywhere thinks I am a part of any kind of "wealthy elite".
According to the Bangkok Post's defence expert, Wassana, and the non-politicised People's Information Centre, the well-armed Men in Black (as opposed to Seh Daeng's balckshirts) were most likely an army faction with the resulting deaths being "green on green".
As I stated previously there needs to be a proper investigation - not some TRCT politicised nonsense where the head of that committee makes absurd comments comparing Thaksin to Hitler. It's garbage I'm afraid.
And, just so you know, Pravit is an intellectual lightweight who has to rely on internet trolls in a pathetic attempt to win an argument. He received all that posh education that he's so fond to remind everyone of because, like Abhisit, his Senator and former Ambassador dad made sure.
it's still the same old
it's still the same old game
So again it is the people's eyes are smeared with meaningless words
where is the truth ? 2 1/2 years for guesses?
- reconcilation ? ? ? ? ? ?? ?????
- who is responsible ? ?? ?
- who will take responsibility?? ? ?
- than you can talk about reconcilation
The TRCT consisted of only
The TRCT consisted of only those hand-selected by Abhisit, and many of the members were also PAD members at the time. No one from the opposition was allowed at any point to participate in either the member selection process or the committee itself. Members of the TRCT committee were denied access to evidence and witnesses, and the army refused to participate.
I haven't read the report, but this summary clearly shows an anti-red shirt bias. It is trying to link all protester deaths as the fault of the protesters themselves.
The red leadership (UDD and
The red leadership (UDD and others) needs to take responsibility for it's disgusting actions during the events.
As well as responsibility for the escalation on PTV during 1 year leading up to the events.
Actions that led to 90+ ppl getting killed.
Further more, the military needs to be truthful and take responsibility for it's actions.
Just as the police must take responsibility for it's lack of actions (Chalerm oh Chalerm.. where were you then?).
As long as these people don't - reconcilliation will never happen.
News for you my
News for you my son.
Reconciliation in Thailand will happen when the Thai people pull the reins of power from the cold dead hands of the elites and when all the royalist myth-making propaganda stops.
Which will be no time very soon.
Sorry and all that, but you know what kids are - and Thais are kids. They have to have their playground bullies - someone to look up to. If they don't have playground bullies to look up to they don't know what their proper place in society is. Nobody to tell them - you see?
That's why the guy at the top has survived for 6 decades and why the politicians are still the same old mafiosi.
Sorry and all that, but Thais are a lost cause, they'll never have the balls to do what has to be done. They're just pre-pubescent kids do you see? No balls.
If you ask me what I came
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.