I have tried to give a little information on the situation in Thailand over the last year. I have 2 nephews living in Bangkok and have been getting periodic updates.
Last year we saw the old Prime Minister Thaksin deposed in a Yellow Shirt protest. The Yellow Shirts represented the urban, educated Thai population who viewed Thaksin as the embodiment the corrupt system which has governend Thailand for years.
Of course, the new government wasn't much better. Abhisit Vejjajiva, the present prime minister is less visibly corrupt, but he has managed to enrage the rural, less educated population that Thaksin sees as his power base. Now, through a number of mis managed programs, Vejjajiva has alienated the urban poor as well.
The Thaksin inspired movement are the Red Shirts. They moved into Bangkok over a month ago and have managed to shut the city down. The movement is now an anti government movement that has drawn in many fringe groups. The movement was originally funded by Thaksin, who is still immensely wealthy and powerful. He has paid groups of thugs who have fomented violence as the protest grew.
Thaksin, has since vanished along with the billions he has reputed to have stolen from the Thais. He actually has been granted Montenegran citizenship, which seems a fitting place for a criminal ex prime misiter thug to retire to.
Meanwhile, the anti government movement has grown through the mismanaged response by the Thai Administration. A rogue General of the Thai army, Khattiya Sawasdipol, known as Commander Red with a talent for self promotion tried to highjack the movement as a one man insurrection. He has quite a history.
On Wednesday, he was attempting to conduct his own negotiations with the government when he was shot in the head by a sniper. Whether the sniper was a government agent or a member of one of the Red Shirt factions remains to be seen.
So, the Thai governemnt has vowed to shut the protest down. Now there are over 40 dead and hundreds wounded. If you know Thailand and the Thai people, this kind of violence is hard to understand. The King, who is a revered figure and usually can calm the people down has been strangely silent these days.
I expect that with the removal of Commander Red, and the attempts of various Red Shirt leaders to negotiate with the governement now that the army is closing in, we will see the insurrection fade this week.
The media is trying to present this as a civil war, but perhaps this is more hype than reality.
What is evident, is that the problems that have caused the general discontent that grew into the Red Shirt Movement are not going to go away. If the Thai government doesn't agree to hold new elections and adopt reforms, this will only repeat itself in a bigger and uglier and perhaps more organized fashion.
Here are some more up to date links about the violence in Bangkok:
Latest update from 2bangkok.com is exceptionally well written, balanced, and gives a fantastic insight into how things got so bad so quickly.
A link to an editorial in the Bangkok Post, which effectively mirrors what I have personally been thinking all weekend - that this "Protest" has actually turned into a rebellion or insurrection.
Here is "citizen journalist" video from "Ace Wushu" [embedded above]. He's updating at least every hour or so from his apartment complex, where it sounds like he's barricaded in with a bunch of frightened Thais.
And this video, "Red Shirt Got Shot" is just... so distressing. I am literally in tears at most of this footage. Din Daeng, earlier on Saturday, May 15. I don't think I can stand to watch any of this stuff anymore. I'm so upset at what is happening. Tonight I'm meditating on peace for Thailand very very hard.
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