Don't rely on CNN or Fox News to give you the truth about what's going on in Thailand.
Both news agencies have lawsuits against them regarding false reporting and sensationalizing, undoubtedly manipulated by the U.S. government just like several months ago when the big cargo plane was searched in Don Muang airport, full of crates containing assorted weapons, which still remains a mystery to a degree...a huge farce that turned out to be a product of American bureaucratic manipulation.
The current, most reliable information to date, tells of a protest turned violent, however, the occurrences of violence are only spotty and not - as is being reported elsewhere - happening on a large scale.
An unknown number of red-shirt protesters have been injured or critically injured with the high possibility of death occurring. No percentages here simply because there is little or no organization from the UDD's leaders present in Bangkok. On the other hand, over 200 soldiers and Royal Thai police have been injured, over 90 of them critically. Four soldiers are dead, one of which was a high-ranking colonel.
Home-made weapons such as spears, metal rods and poles, machetes, mallets and knives have been recovered, and the resulting wounds are being seen in local hospitals, which are currently stretched to their limits. Home-made bombs, ultimately more dangerous than military-grade ordinance, have been found. Some of the injured soldiers and police have had their weapons stolen, and are now being seen on the streets, including AK-47's, grenade launchers, etc.
The Thai government is not backing down to the UDD's requests for Prime Minister Abhisit to step down, and are promising not only retaliation and arrests, but also daily transparency regarding the present situation.
The Prime Minister has ordered troops to return to barracks and regroup, for another possible sortie against the protesters, many of which are heavily armed now.
The ridiculousness of this whole, volatile situation is that one man, one corrupt individual, is behind all of this mess. That being the former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra. The majority of the UDD protesters are from the North of Thailand, Thaksin's stronghold. These people praise him like a god, all because during his two terms, he threw a bit of money in their direction.
Mostly poor and uneducated, money is what drives these farmers and unemployed families, many of which are in Bangkok only because they were offered money to go, and given free transportation from local bus companies sympathizing with the UDD's causes.
Terribly misguided, the UDD's core members speak of doing good for their country...of getting rid of an un-democratic government and calling a snap election to give the people a chance to vote for the right person, if not Shinawatra himself, then someone with the power and ability to liberate him, a convicted man sentenced to two years in prison for abusing his rights as Prime Minister. What they are accomplishing at present, is continued destruction of their own country.
Tourist agencies report massive cancellations. Foreign companies are pulling out of Thailand after losing millions of baht a day. Foreigners are packing up and leaving, afraid the protests will escalate even further from the current chaos. All this in a third-world country that relies heavily on the income of its tourist industry.
My source? Well, I live here. Also, my sister-in-law is a curious little thing with a lot of time on her hands, and she lives just down the road from where most of the protests are occurring.
-Jeeem-
1 comments:
More attempts made by American media to keep Americans scared of other countries. It's not American's fault... the country likes to keep us in the dark.
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