[Tlc] T-Violent clashes in BKK

Sun Jul 22 21:21:41 PDT 2007

FYI. There are photos if you go to the links.
justin

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKSP15480720070722?pageNumber=1

listen to the sound recording at

http://www.thupload.com/download/40bf7b17117fe400184907ee84325578.html

Thai police clash with demonstrators protesting
military-installed government
The Associated Press
Published: July 22, 2007

BANGKOK, Thailand: Demonstrators opposed to Thailand's
military-installed government clashed with police Sunday night
in the most violent protest since a military coup ousted the
country's elected government last September.

Several thousand protesters staged a rally outside the house
of former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, whom they accuse
of instigating last year's coup against former Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra.

The demonstrators broke through police barricades to march to
the house, but more serious fighting between the two sides
developed after police tried to detain the protest leaders as
they spoke from a makeshift stage on top of a truck.

Sporadic charges by police set off street fighting and wild
chases through the area, a usually quiet district with
military and government offices that is far from commercial
areas of the Thai capital. Police responded with pepper spray.

The protest was led by former top members of Thaksin's now
disbanded Thai Rak Thai party.
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Prem is the top adviser to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the
protesters demanded that he resign from that post.

The demonstrators left the area voluntarily at about 11:30
p.m., about three hours after the violence began.

Nearby Vachira Hospital said about 30 people had come in with
various injuries, about half of them policemen. Witnesses said
dozens of other people were also hurt.

Police Col. Kamonsanti Klanbut, a police chief in the Sansaen
district where the clashes occurred, said at least five
protesters were arrested.

After the first police effort to detain the protest leaders
failed, the crowd began throwing bottles and other objects at
the security forces as they retreated.

"The police have exercised utmost patience but they (the
demonstrators) have tried in every way to hurt the security
officials there and break through the blockades the police set
up outside the house," said Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd,
spokesman for the military's Council for National Security.
"They are trying to create chaos and cause a rift in society
and we had to make sure that they don't block traffic."

The council is comprised of the military chiefs who staged
last year's coup and remain the power behind the interim
government they installed. New elections are expected in December.

Sansern said there were 3,000-5,000 protesters, and charged
that most were "misinformed" about the political situation,
and that some were paid to take part. He said about 2,000
policemen were present.

Although the police appeared to exercise restraint, protest
leaders accused them of abuse.

"The police didn't try to negotiate with protest leaders at
all," said Anukorn Waithanomsak, a protest organizer.
"Policemen definitely overreacted ... they beat protesters up
with batons and dozens of protesters were injured."

The protest leaders at one point sang the King's Anthem � as a
sign of patriotism � and called on the police not to hurt people.

Military spokesman Sansern said police would take action
against the protest leaders.

"They have left us with no choice but to crack down, but the
police are using the mildest means they can to control the
situation," he said.

Bangkok police chief Lt. Gen. Adisorn Nontree said police
would seek arrest warrants for 10 protest leaders on Monday.

The Sept. 19 coup was welcomed by many who had wearied of
Thaksin's autocratic style and his alleged corruption and
abuse of power. An interim government led by a respected
former army commander, Surayud Chulanont, was appointed, as
was an interim legislature and a committee to draft a new
constitution.

But in recent months, the popularity of the military-installed
government has declined and there have been increasing calls
for a relaxation of political restrictions imposed by the
military.
Thai police clash with protesters

An anti-coup protester clashes with police in the Thai capital
Bangkok
Police used tear gas and a baton charge to disperse the protesters
Several thousand protesters opposed to Thailand's
military-backed government have clashed with police in the
capital, Bangkok.

The crowd staged a rally outside the house of Prem
Tinsulanonda, a senior adviser to Thailand's king.

The protesters say Mr Prem was behind a bloodless coup which
removed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Rocks and bottles of water were thrown at police, in the most
violent demonstration since the 2006 coup.

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______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu