Asia Provocateur on the Keiser Report

I was invited onto RT's Keiser Report this week to talk about the protests in Thailand.

Watch the following video from about 12mins 45secs to see me. 

Terror, Human Shields, Lies and the BBC

Most people who read this blog or follow me on other social media know that I make my sympathy for Thailand's Red Shirt explicit. I believe that the Red Shirts represent, in the broadest terms, a movement committed to democracy and political rights for all Thais.

What I have no sympathy for whatsoever are acts of terrorism - and the attacks on the PDRC rallies which resulted in the deaths of several children can only be defined as such. 

Thai children on the barricades at a PDRC rally

Regardless of their political affiliation I hope the perpetrators of these vicious acts are arrested and thrown into prison for a very very long time. To equivocate about this reveals no commitment to any kind of progressive or democratic values whatsoever. Firing semi-automatic weapons or grenades into areas where there are unarmed civilians is the kind of thing we've come to expect from Abhisit, Suthep and the Thai Army, not the Red Shirts - one reason why my mind is still very much open as to who committed these acts of terror.

After the terrorist attacks at Ratchaprasong yesterday I tweeted that the PDRC have been using children and families as human shields. I re-emphasised this by stating that the PDRC are using children and families as human shields as a systematic policy. I stand by this.

I was very quickly condemned for tweeting these comments and was accused by persons clearly supportive of the PDRC of colluding with the murder of children. 

Yet it is abundantly clear the PDRC have deliberately and systematically used families and children as "cover" for their rallies, creating events that would attract families into these rallies, wherein the PDRC leaders then engage in routine and repeated hate speech and calls to violence. 

Violent often drunk PDRC guards also patrol the barricades and fringes of these rallies and extort, beat, attack and even torture those whom they deem deserve such treatment. 

After engaging in such actions these "guards" then disappear back into the "family friendly" areas, knowing that the authorities will not risk a fire fight near so many unarmed families and children that may result from pursuing the "guards".

There are literally 100s of photos of children at PDRC protests. There have been images of the children adorned in PDRC regalia sat on the barricades, images of children who've obviously been in the frontline of the protests dealing with the after effects of tear gas, images of children seemingly acting as "close protection" for noted Thai fascist, Suthep Thuagsuban and even video clips of very young Thai children dressed in PDRC garb singing fascist fighting songs.

There is no doubt at all that the PDRC have placed children at the centre of their political struggle. Given Suthep's noted recklessness regarding human life - in 2010 he said that children and Red Shirts who died after troops he'd ordered onto Bangkok's street shot them had "run into the bullets" - I think it is reasonable to assume he has no problem with this. After all Suthep can always run back to one of his luxury hotels when the bullets start flying.

Yesterday UNICEF brought a blast of reason into this terrible series of events and demanded that ALL children be forbidden from attending the PDRC rallies. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Violent fascist rallies are no place for kids - only a dangerous and reckless idiot would think otherwise.

And only someone who is as morally and ethically bankrupt as those terrorists who attacked the PDRC would deny that the PDRC are deliberately placing kids and families in harm's way. 

And for some reason the BBC's Jonathan Head decided to propagate a lie yesterday and claimed, completely falsely, that the children killed at Ratchaprasong were not attending the protest. 

Why he did this - why he failed to do even the most basic work of a journalist and report the facts, however uncomfortable those facts may be - is a question I've asked him but he's refused to answer. Head is shaping up to be a perfect President for the obsequious FCCT.

Let's look at the facts. There's no doubt that the children who died at Ratchaprasong were dressed in PDRC garb and were also behind the rally barricades when they died. There are numerous video clips and photographs that proves that beyond all reasonable doubt (sorry, but I'm not sharing clips of dead children here - you can search and find them yourself).

Yes, to some it may be distasteful to point these facts out. Those same people may also question these facts' relevance to a terrorist attack. 

There may be some basis to that distaste - I understand why someone might find it difficult to read such truths after such a tragedy.

But surely knowingly lying about these tragic events is far far worse.

Those commenting on and analysing Thailand's present crisis must aim for truths however uncomfortable they are. 

There is no place for children at the PDRC rallies. They are not "family friendly" places, there are no "family zones" and to claim these vicious, violent rallies are anything other than fascist hate festivals is a disgraceful and disgusting lie. 

It's time to end the falsehoods about the PDRC rallies that are being circulated by Jonathan Head, PDRC supporting-expats and the PDRC leadership themselves.

Like UNICEF have made clear - the PDRC rallies are not child-friendly places.

EXCLUSIVE: Suranand Vejjajiva - "No Snap Election".

A former government minister and now the Secretary General to the Prime Minister of Thailand, Suranand Vejjajiva is a well-known political figure who has been close to the machinations of Thai power for over a decade.

Recently I had the chance to conduct an exclusive interview with Suranand on Thailand's present predicament and possible ways out of the crisis. 

I started off by asking him to give a brief outline of the situation right now as he sees it.

 The on-going protests can be divided into three groups, more or less. The first are those who disagreed with the blanket amnesty bill and came out to show their discontent. These dispersed when the government “backed down” and the Senate dropped the bill.  The second group led by the opposition Democrat Party is now trying to capitalize on the large turnout against the blanket amnesty bill and use it as a political tool to topple the government – extending to a call for ousting of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and eliminating the “Thaksin regime.”  The third group is a composition of remnants from the Yellow Shirts who calls for “political reform” through a coup d’tat.  Alliances are being formed and positions negotiated amongst the opposition groups. They are hoping to get another large turnout in order to pressure for change, not necessary in a democratic manner.   

Was it a mistake to attempt a blanket amnesty?

 The intention of the blanket amnesty bill is based on to forgive (but not forget). Many countries with violent political conflicts eventually end up with amnesties as a mechanism to set the country back on track. It is not a mistake but maybe a little too naive and “off” in terms of timing and communicating to the general public.  

 Is the amnesty now dead as a policy? 

The sad part in this episode is the victims of the protests especially people who came out to join the protest rallies and were charged with criminal cases, some still serve time and many have to fight court cases. Time had passed and they should be given amnesty. The government have to find a way to help and relieve them from the burden they did not deserve to take.  

 Is the government considering a snap election? 

No, and the Prime Minister has no intention to resign.  

 Are you surprised that those who were completely silent regarding the amnesty for the 2006 coup leaders are at the head of the protest against this amnesty?  

I am not surprised and always have been disappointed. The 2006 amnesty for coup leaders was not the first time. There have been more than 20 amnesties since Thailand became a democracy in 1932. Most amnesties are for coup leaders, and the people remained silent because the amnesties were usually passed by an appointed legislative body set up by the coup leaders themselves. The current amnesty bill, despite the controversy, was proposed through democratic process via an elected parliament as stipulated by the Constitution. It is embarrassing for Thai political history.   

How real is the threat to Thai democracy right now? Do you think the opposition are committed to democratic means? 

The threat to Thai democracy is always real throughout since 1932. There are groups of elites who believe they are superior and do not believe in the voices of the common man. They allied with the military and businessmen in many occasions to topple democratically elected governments. The opposition [led by Abhisit Vejjajiva, Surnand's cousin] has always been the tool of the elite, and especially more so since they lost the last five elections over past two decades. 

How much does the Pheu Thai party need the Red Shirts right now? 

Pheu Thai and the Red Shirts are inseparable. There may be differences in opinions, but they fought and need to continue the fight for democracy together.   

Critics claim the govt let down their supporters by not reforming laws like lese majeste or not doing enough to free the Red Shirt prisoners - what would you say to them? 

The government has been trying to work to free the Red Shirt political prisoners as hard as possible. Some has been released but many remained, stuck in the judicial maze. The work will need to continue. As for lese majeste, the law remains a sensitive issue in Thailand.   

There's been some talk of the govt bring in the ICC - how likely is this? 

Unlikely. 

Finally, how can the govt achieve a sustainable reconciliation? 

We need to work to create trust between stakeholders and the Prime Minister proposes to use the reform forum initiated by the government as the venue to discuss how the country can move ahead.

Abhisit at UK Parliament: Is Korn lying again?

Thailand's former Finance Minister Korn announced today on his Facebook page that both him and former Thai PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva - who was just been charged with the murder of taxi driver Phan Khamkong, during protests in 2010 - have been invited by the UK Parliament to speak about a reputable UK-based children's charity this coming Monday, 10th December.

As it is the weekend it's hard to fully confirm whether this event is taking place or not but I've been unable to find any mention of it on either the UK Parliament's own website or that of the children's charity concerned.

I did however manage to speak to my own parliamentary contacts today and they seemed to think it would be simply incredible for Abhisit to be let anywhere near the UK's lawmaking body given his recent murder charge. So one has to wonder if Korn is just making stuff up in order to bolster Abhisit's appalling public image. Obviously if Korn has lied - and I'll be speaking to the UK Parliament's press office on Monday to confirm the situation - this will only humiliate him and Abhisit further.

Shocking footage of 17yr old Thai student, Samaphan "Cher" Srithep, after being shot by Thai Army in 2010

What is also extraordinary is that Abhisit, a man who sent Thai Army snipers onto Bangkok's streets in 2010 to shoot young people and children, would use a reputable children's charity to promote himself.

Take the case of 14year old Kunakorn "Isa" Srisuwan who was shot on May 15th 2010 in central Bangkok during the bloody and brutal crackdown ordered by former PM Abhisit when pro-democracy protests were being held after his party were installed in power via court and army chicanery in 2008. Kunakorn was shot and killed by the Thai Army during the same incident which killed Phan Khamkong, the taxi driver whose murder Abhisit is being prosecuted for. 

I've posted the case of 17yr old Thai student, Samaphan "Cher" Srithep before. He was left to bleed to death on a Bangkok street after being shot, in the head, by Abhisit's Thai Army snipers. His sister's moving  account of  her brother's death should be read out to every board member of the Thai Children's Trust.

Today he was impertinent enough to go into the danger zone. Someone in there was cruel enough to shoot him until he fell. The blood from his head left a long trail. I guess he didn’t die immediately. He must have suffered immense pain. I don’t know what it feels like for a body to still be breathing, for the pulse to still be racing, while your head lies smashed on the pavement like a watermelon dropped from a great height.  

He laid there for almost an hour before the rescue people managed to bring out that faintly breathing body. The soldiers would not let anyone go in to help him. They shot everyone who tried to do so. One of the rescue people nearly got shot in the arm. 

The doctor said he died at the hospital. That shocked me and made me cry. It meant that for an unbearably long time Cher must have been aware that it was his own head lying on the pavement like a smashed watermelon. 

Letting the snipers and dogs loose, Democrat Party style

An air of desperation seems to be creeping into the Democrat Party leadership of late.

Not only are Abhisit and Suthep facing a possible criminal investigation regarding the death of an unarmed Red Shirt taxi driver in 2010, it's also been revealed, once again, that their brutality is matched only by their incompetence.

Amid looney accusations from Democrat Party deputy leader, Korn, that Yingluck's government is like "Hitler" and off the back of this weekend's Pitak Siam protest debacle, when protesters drove trucks into police lines and threw tear gas, Abhisit's party is foolishly attempting to take some kind of moral high ground.

However, no-one is fooled by the Democrat's silly posturing. Least of all a group of elderly peaceful cassava farmers who had the temerity to protest against the then Chuan Leekpai Democrat Party-led government on October 27th 1999. Back then the Democrats sent these farmers a message they'd never forget - they set a pack of German Shepherds on them.

Of course the Abhisit regime's appalling and brutal handling of protesters in 2010 overshadows this event by some margin. In 2010 the Democrat Party set the snipers loose and shot unarmed civilians just like 17year Samaphan "Cher" Srithep in the video below, who was left to bleed to death on a Bangkok street.

Bangkok's foreign media and the re-distribution of the Bangkok Post's lies

UPDATE: Zoe Daniel has accused me of committing defamation with this blog post and is threatening to sue me. Just to be clear I am not accusing Ms. Daniel of lying, nor suggesting she has lied in her reports. I can see why she might think the orginal title of my blog may convey that so have amended it, accordingly.  I stand by assertion that members of Bangkok's foreign media corps have almost certainly lied and continue to do so in regards to the cover-up that is being perpetuated for the Bangkok Massacre in 2010. I also don't know why Zoe can't just answer my question and, instead, reverts to false accusations of rudeness and an hysterical over-reaction with threats to sue. Would it be reasonable to ask Ms.Daniel if she has something to hide?

Had a very revealing twitter exchange with ABC’s (Australian Broadcast Company) Bangkok correspondent Zoe Daniels aka @seacorro this morning (see below).

To be fair Zoe is not the worst of Bangkok’s toadying international media corps but, like most of them, does seem to overly rely on obvious Yellow-tinged English language sources such as the Bangkok Post and seems a bit in hock to those charming Democrat Party people who lunch at the FCCT. (What's also odd is so few of these long-term foreign correspondents ever quote or translate a Thai newspaper source - they're often more balanced and certainly offer a much broader view than the Post or the Nation -  I'm just a blogger and I can cite Thai news, so why can't the well-paid/resourced international media?)

Yesterday, after violent far-right Yellow Shirt extremists were caught on camera attacking a peaceful gathering of Red Shirts, the Bangkok Post ran a short piece with some photographs. It contained a couple of lines from “reporters” (AKA as liars) who decided, in true Bangkok Post style, to make some stuff up about what had happened there.

 Zoe, usually a reliable source, decided to tweet a link to this Bangkok Post article but failed to point out that the Post is controlled by the Democrat Party and is sympathetic to the Yellow Shirts. Zoe could’ve tweeted links to other sources that offered an alternative view to the Bangkok Post but didn’t. 

 Given that almost every single Thai language newspaper blamed the Yellow Shirts for starting the violence, something backed up by this video clip which shows a Yellow Shirt guard trying to calm down his own activists as they start the violence, and this report which states that at least one Yellow Shirt was armed with a pistol, it’s my view that Zoe, by only offering the Bangkok Post’s version, was not giving a balanced, truthful or fair representation of what occurred yesterday.

So I decided to ask Zoe directly what happened. My questions were direct and to the point. In the end Zoe, instead of answering any of my questions, accused me of being “uncivil”, “rude” and “antagonistic” and then blocked me. I don’t believe I was any of those things and can only conclude she’d been “caught out” and didn’t have an explanation.

It’s my view that the foreign media in Bangkok still have some very serious questions to answer about how they've portrayed events over the last few years. It’s also my view that many of them have knowingly lied about what happened during the Bangkok Massacre in 2010 and have been unwavering in their support for the Democrat Party and the Thai elites. 

They portray one very obviously partial version of events as neutral and consider any alternative to be biased. They very clearly don’t like being questioned on this and routinely seek to personally denigrate and exclude anyone who dares to criticise them. They stand accused of being complicit with a cover-up of crimes against humanity and the journalists/media who realise this is happening but say nothing are equally as bad. It is a collective failure for which they have collective responsibility. 

I didn't really want to single Zoe out and, as suggested above, don't think she is the worst, but the twitter exchange below is instructive in that it reveals the mindset of your typical Bangkok foreign correspondent. They struggle when it comes to their being questioned on anything.  No wonder Zoe ended up blocking me - I had her in a corner and it was obvious flight was better than answering me.

"Me to @seacorro am curious if you consider the Bangkok Post a reliable news source.

‪Zoe to @andrewspoooner I'm skeptical of most sources except my own eyes

‪ Me to @seacorro So the jury system should be trashed and investigations are pointless then? I mean they don't witness anything firsthand.

Me to @seacorro Once again > Are the BKK Post a reliable source? I would say v obviously not. Does ur skepticism stop with them?

Zoe to @andrewspoooner Andrew. don't pick a fight with me for no reason, thanks.

Me to @seacorro A direct question is not a fight unless you feel defensive. You cite BKK Post as a source. Surely you must think they are credible

Zoe to @andrewspooner No, I linked to photographs on the Post website, those who read the article can make their own decisions. Goodbye

Me to @seacorro That wasn't just photographs but a report as well. The BKK Post are not "neutral" in anyway and shouldn't be portrayed as such

Me to @seacorro I get this sense that BKK international media corps really don't like be questioned. They get overly defensive. Can't think why.

Me to @seacorro And, as I said, why are you guys so defensive and evasive when asked difficult questions? You have a responsibility.

Zoe to @andrewspoooner Because you are rude and antagonistic. Unnecessary for civil discussion."

Anyone can follow my lively twitter discussions here at @andrewspoooner