Thailand’s Red Shirt protests came to an end today as the group’s leadership surrendered in the face of a massive military assault on the thousands of protesters in Central Bangkok.
“I apologize to you all, but I don’t want any more losses,” Jatuporn Prompan, one of the leaders, told the crowd before he was led away by police. The Thai Army has temporarily halted its attacks, which killed several dozen protesters and bystanders, to allow the thousands still trapped in the area to flee.
Though other leaders also announced they were quitting the current protest in the face of what could have been a massacre, they urged the protesters not to give up on the fight for political change.
But many of the protesters appear not to have been particularly keen on having a multi-month protest end simply because the Abhisit government ordered in troops, and reports are that fires have been set across the city, including at the stock exchange, at a TV station, and at one of the largest shopping malls in the nation.
Thailand’s Army called the protesters “terrorists” and promised to continue operations against them, even as most of them seem to be heading home in defeat. The resentment will likely have far reaching ramifications in a nation increasingly polarized between urban and rural populations.
The Red Shirt protesters were a pro-democracy group that were calling for the ouster of the Abhisit government, which was never elected but was rather the result of a deal made in the wake of a previous protest which ousted the Somchai government in 2008, and sought fresh elections.
Notice the total, total lack of interest amongst the Liberals and on the Left, amongst the same people who changed their facebook color to green and were all about solidarity when it came to the oppressions in Iran. Hmmmm. Why do these bleeding hearts care about government mayhem in Iran, but never anywhere else? Why are they soooooo eager to demonize Iran?
It is because the Empire wins either way. The pro-monarchy government patched together after the coup, and fleeing of Taksin — had to give up much of Thai sovereignity to certain corporations in oder to keep the power. But then, it was easy for Taksin with the help of his sponsors to restart the whole mess, and get a whole lots more concessions. The most innane notion is that Taksin is pro rural ! Taksin has been paying for the protest, and even day wages to protesters. When in power, he initiated a number of rural projects to get the vote. But all he (and his sponsors) want is the fall of monarchy, and final, glorious entry of British into the long denied Thailand. To avoid too close an association with London, Taksinprocured residence (and some say citizenship) in another modern-day colony of Montenegro. He is often seen there at St. Stephan resort.