The massive military operation began at dawn Wednesday with hundreds of police and soldiers moving toward the Rajaprasong protest camp. Red-shirt protesters defiantly set fires behind their barricades with chocking black plumes of smoke seen over the city.
Journalists shot by Thai military snipers: Anti-government 'red shirt' supporters assist Nelson Rand, a Canadian journalist working for France's TF1 network, to safety after he was shot three times covering clashes with Thai army soldiers near Bangkok's Lumpini Park on May 14, 2010.
Credit: Adrees Latif, Reuters
Rand, based in Bangkok, is one of the network's two Thailand correspondents.
In his last report before being shot, Rand spoke to France 24 by telephone from Bangkok and described a chaotic scene at one of the smaller protest areas occupied by the Red Shirt protesters.
"The soldiers have been trying to clear the avenue for about 45 minutes now," Rand said. "They've been firing tear gas. The protesters have been moving back."
The 34-year-old Rand, from Calgary, Canada was seriously wounded after he was struck by three bullets in his leg, abdomen and wrist May 14 while reporting on the protests.
His mother Barbara Rand said her son doesn’t know who got him to safety after the shooting, but told his parents, “whoever did saved my life.”
“He’s been in more dangerous situations than this,” she said. “One of his comments was, ‘I’m glad I wasn’t in the Burmese jungle when this happened or I wouldn’t be here today.’”
Canada's Foreign Affairs advised all Canadians against non-essential travel to and within Bangkok because of the political demonstrations and stronger warnings — telling citizens to avoid all travel — have been issued for other parts of Thailand.
The Red Shirts have been protesting in Bangkok's streets for nearly six weeks. Clashes between the protesters and the army have become increasingly violent.
Renegade Maj.-Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol, who sided with protesters, was shot in the head during an interview with the New York Times on May 13.
At 58 years of age, the Thai major-general who supported the Red Shirt protesters, also known as "Seh Daeng, was shot in the head by a military sniper on May 13 during a live interview with the New York Times near the area where thousands of anti-government protesters have been encamped for weeks.
The outspoken general had been in intensive care since the shooting, which coincided with the start of a government effort to seal off the Red Shirts' protest site by cutting power, blocking roads and allowing military snipers to fire into the streets below.
Shot during media interview: Major General Khattiva Sawasdipol moments after he was shot by a military sniper during an interview with the New York Times on May 13.
As part of the operation, the Thai army had warned it would deploy snipers in downtown Bangkok, but denied shooting and killing the general.
Supporters of Thai Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdiphol pay last respects at his funeral Monday, May 17, 2010, in Bangkok. Gen. Khattiya, the military strategist of the Red Shirts, succumbed Monday to a gunshot wound from a sniper attack last week. Red Shirts offered peace talks to end raging street battles in Bangkok but was rejected by the Thai government. Credit: AP Photo: Vincent Yu
In the three days since his shooting, many more civilians have been shot by Thai military snipers, and it is reported that one member of the military has also died in clashes that erupted between Red Shirts and troops on the fringes of the demonstrators' camp.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva accused the now assassinated Major-General Seh Daeng - who was suspended from duty in January - of trying to prevent an end to the demonstrations.
But the high-profile Reds supporter had been able to wander freely in and out of the demonstrators' fortified encampment, and to meet journalists despite being wanted by the police.
Authorities accused Seh Daeng of involvement in a series of unexplained attacks in Bangkok, but he said he was not involved, and spent his time inspecting the barricades of fuel-soaked tyres, bamboo poles and razor wire that he had erected to protect the Red zone.
Key Reds' leader Jatuporn Prompan announced Seh Daeng's death on stage at the demonstration site, where the thousands of protesters stood in homage.
"Although he was a general of the army he fought for democracy with us," Jatuporn told protesters.
It still remains unclear which Thai military sniper shot and killed the general.
Agence-Press France Reports May 17 ~
"Hundreds of mourners turned out for the funeral on Monday of a renegade general allied with "Red Shirt" protesters who was shot dead last week, in a ceremony that mingled cheers, tears and rage.
Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, known as Seh Daeng, or "Commander Red", was shot in the head on Thursday night during an interview with a foreign reporter near to where thousands of anti-government protesters have been camped for weeks.
"I loved Seh Daeng. He was fair and just," said a mourner named Panitha at the traditional Buddhist funeral, paid for by the royal family, at a pagoda in Bangkok's historic district, hours after his death in hospital aged 58.
The crowd cheered the arrival of their slain hero, dressed in his trademark camouflage jungle hat, then began weeping as the service commenced.
The mood later turned to rage as mourners tore apart bouquets sent by the Thai military command and a pro-establishment television station.
The outspoken general had been in intensive care after the shooting, which coincided with the start of a government effort to seal off the Red Shirts' protest site by cutting power and blocking roads.
As part of the operation, the army had warned it would deploy snipers. However the military denied shooting the general and it remains unclear who shot him.
In the three days since his shooting, 34 civilians and one member of the military have died in clashes between Red Shirts and troops on the fringes of the demonstrators' camp.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had accused Seh Daeng -- who was suspended from duty in January -- of trying to prevent an end to the demonstrations.
Protest guards were seen pouring kerosene over a 10ft high wall that forms one of their main barricades as troops and armored personnel carriers were seen nearby on Silom Road in Bangkok's business district.
Ominous Signs: Thai soldiers take up positions in front of anti-government protesters' encampment May 19, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai troops & armored vehicles converged early Wednesday around the barricaded encampment of anti-government protesters in downtown Bangkok and opened fire in what appears to be a final crackdown to disperse them.
Photo: Wong Maye-E/AP
About 3,000 of the mostly rural and urban poor protestors, who broadly support former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, remain in the encampment in Bangkok's high-end shopping, hotel and diplomatic district, refusing to leave.
They accuse the British-born, Oxford-educated Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of lacking a popular mandate after coming to power in a controversial parliamentary vote in 2008 with tacit backing from the military, and have demanded immediate elections.
Troops have thrown a cordon around the protest site, a "tent city" at the Rachaprasong intersection, paralysing the heart of Bangkok. Hundreds of women and children have taken refuge in a temple inside the protest area.
The Red Shirts have stockpiled plenty of food, water, and supplies in their encampment since Thursday when troops began an operation to isolate them, sparking several days of street fighting that has killed 39 people and wounded nearly 300 in Thailand's deadliest political violence in 18 years."
"This is D-Day," said one soldier when asked if this was the final push to clear the protest zone. The demonstrators have occupied much of central Bangkok since mid-April to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva; the dissolution of Parliament and immediate elections.
Associated Press reporters saw the troops firing automatic rifles from an overpass overlooking the encampment Wednesday morning. Minutes later a massive cloud of black smoke rose from a building nearby.
Calling for democratic elections: Thai protesters take to a street half dressed to prove that they are unarmed Tuesday, May 18, 2010 in Bangkok. The Thai government rejected a proposal Tuesday for peace talks with leaders of the Red Shirts to end the deadly mayhem gripping Bangkok, saying negotiations cannot start until protesters disperse. Credit/Wason Wanichakorn/AP
Groups of soldiers fired from crouching position on the tracks from the elevated tracks of a light rail system that runs over the encampment.
Credit/Stringer for Reuters
An army commander said some Red Shirt protesters were about 200 yards (meters) inside the barricade.
Soldiers extended their blockades around the protest site at dawn Wednesday and used loudspeakers to tell all people to return to their homes. Smoke billowed above the city skyline as a government building was on fire in another part of Bangkok.
At least 39 people have been killed and more than 300 people wounded in seven days of clashes in Bangkok between the protesters and troops. All but one of those killed are civilians who were shot.
Hundreds of troops and police, many armed with M-16 assault rifles, were seen in nearby streets and alleys Wednesday morning.
Three armored personnel carriers were parked in front of the upscale Dusit Thani hotel, across the street from the southern edge of the barricade.
Their machine gun mountain turrets pointed toward the barricade wall of tires and bamboo sticks, and troops crouched behind the vehicles.
Wednesday's troop movement came after Abhisit rejected protesters' unconditional offer to negotiate May 18 and insisted there would be no talks until the dwindling anti-government movement abandoned its encampment in Rajprasong, a ritzy area of central Bangkok.
From the looks of things May 19-20, it appears that a bloodbath is about to take place on the streets of Bangkok.
Once again, I am sad to report that the global transits continue to show the strong inclinations of the Cardinal T-Square Transits.
Here is the latest as of late Sunday night, May 16th from the BBC.
This post contains disturbing images out of Thailand, so if you are not able to stomach the scenes then please do not view them.
What is going on? I keep hearing this from nearly everyone these days. From economic crisis in the world, to social unrest, Wall Street intrigues, and international tensions from the weight of the global economic crisis ~ people are ticked off and hitting the streets in droves.
The fourth Saturn/Uranus opposition began April 26, and is now active. The fifth, and last opposition of both planets relative to the Earth is July 26. This last opposition is on the Aries/Libra axis, where the previous four were on the Pisces/Virgo axis.
The fifth opposition is part of the Cardinal T-Square configuration this summer in the northern hemisphere.
This is also a strong seismic month, and I expect another large magnitude earthquake to occur as well. I would urge ministers and their governments to tone things down, or the entire world will get very upset.
These are not world transits to take lightly, and they can have far-reaching consequences not expected by even the most experienced policymaker.
If some have been worried about Greece sparking off things globally, you haven't been paying attention to Thailand.
These, and other nations continue to see unrest, so, at this time in history, it is time for those who are wise, prudent and who believe in fairness to step forward for the benefit of serving justice, and common humanity.
These are surely heady times, and I continue to say that true leaders always step up to the plate when things need calming down. This year is one of those times.
Would love to see more strong diplomatic effort out there. This is the time to shine, isn't it? That's what we get paid for, yes?
Latest reports are not favorable, nor are the global transits. Some say Thailand is on the verge of revolution.
That's why I love & fear the Immortal God and why I'm on the winning team. Momma did not raise a fool.
Would you believe Burmese generals actually try to read astrological transits and run their government with their ephemeris? Yes, it is true. They are real spooky about it. Weird like. The problem is that they only see what they want to see.
That's big no no in mundane astrology. Just see what's there. No projections from thyself, thank you very much.
All they have to do is to read the signs in the heavens. Correct interpretation is one thing. Confusing matters with one's own ideology, no good self-interest, greed, corruption and sensitive personal sensibilities is quite another.
I tell you the truth: The Immortal God sees, hears, and knows all that you do. Just whom do you think regulates the global transits?
Here's a flash from the past and a prophecy. The year, 1983 - David Bowie in Bangkok seeing a spiritual man who can cleanse him. This is 27 years ago.
Anyhow, I digress. It is apparent the Thai military is not wholly united, and some Thai soldiers have joined forces with their own people against a government they say is illegitimate, and murderous. Thai civilians who are called the "Red Shirters" are the majority of average everyday Thai folks calling for democratic elections.
They are young, male, female, old, poor, and fed up with how they are treated. They want fresh, free elections. Why shoot and kill your own people if you are indeed a democratic nation?
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House in Bangkok July 21, 2009. photograph: REUTERS/Sakchai Lalit/Pool
I am rooting for Hillary Clinton. Let's give her all the support our Secretary of State needs in these times and this Thailand crisis. May our prayers also be with President Barack Obama as he faces the international and global challenges.
We are all certain the White House and State Department both step up to the plate and get the United Nations off its duff, shall we?
Each day where this situation is not resolved, is a day closer to the powerful cardinal inclinations of June, July & August.
However, I do not think it will be that long before this all gets out of hand. It has already started...
But if "overseas" is your home, what to do?
The Cardinal transits show event looking to get worse if international diplomacy and common sense does not prevail ~ because it is obviously not calm out there people.
2. Mr.Sanae Ninlearng (Kluaynamthai Hospital)
3. Mr.Piyaphong Kitiwong (Police Hospital)
4. Mr.Prajuab Siraphan (Police Hospital)
5. Mr.Somsak Silarak (Police Hospital)
6. Miss Santhana Sappasri (Phyathai1 Hospital)
7. Mr.Chaiyan Wannajak (Phramongkutklao Hospital)
8. Mr.Boonthink PanSili (Ramaclinic Hospital)
9. Mr Kitiphan Kanthod (Rajavithi Hospital)
10. Mr.Sornkaisri Maungpoon (Rajavithi Hospital)
11. Mr.Phan Kamkong (Phyathai2 Hospital)
12. Male Unknown name (Phyathai2 Hospital)
13. Male Unknown name (Rajavithi Hospital)
14. Mr.Samorn Maithong (Phyathai2 Hospital)
15. Male Unknown name (Rajavithi Hospital)
16. Mr.Thipneat Jearmphon (Rajavithi Hospital)
Latest reports has him on life support, barely hanging on for his life.
BANGKOK – "The health of a renegade Thai general allied with anti-government "Red Shirt" protesters deteriorated Sunday after he was shot last week in their Bangkok rally site, said a hospital official.
Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, known as Seh Daeng, was shot in the head Thursday night [May 13] during an interview with the New York Times and other journalists near the area where thousands have been rallying against the government for the past two months.
"Seh Daeng's condition is not well, he has low blood pressure and kidney failure. Doctors are keeping a close watch on him," Vachira hospital director Chaiwan Charoenchokthawee told AFP.
The general, 58, was unconscious and given a low chance of survival when he was rushed for treatment.
The shooting of the outspoken general coincided with a government effort to seal off the protest site by cutting power and blocking roads. As part of the operation, the army had warned it would deploy snipers.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had accused Seh Daeng, who was suspended from duty in January, of trying to prevent an end to the demonstrations.
But the high-profile Reds supporter had been able to wander freely in and out of the demonstrators' fortified encampment, and to meet journalists despite being wanted by the police.
- {Warning: Graphic Images > Read about & see Nick Nostitiz's harrowing day in Bangkok here: "In the Killing Zone."
Reports from several westerners in Bangkok have depicted a very tense, uneasy calm as of May 16th.
Two Australians, some of the most straight-forward people you will find in the world (got to love those Aussies) are in Bangkok & described what's going on around them ~
Gunfire and explosions continued throughout the night and into the morning. There are periodic blasts now.
On Friday [May 14] I went down to see what was happening and was caught in the crossfire - a truly frightening experience.
There are soldiers everywhere and I assumed with the huge army presence I may be safe. But the protesters began throwing things at the army and they started shooting back.
I had to run down the side of a building to gain cover. I waited for the firing to stop then I ran back home and haven't left since.
I'm a development worker and have lived in Pakistan and Afghanistan but I feel more worried right now. The atmosphere is really tense because there is such a build-up of soldiers and weapons.
Protesters battle Thai government: hand-to-hand combat on the streets of Bangkok
Many roads are blocked off and taxi drivers have stopped taking people in this area. There is barbed wire everywhere.
It's going to get messy for sure tonight. Many people I know here are thinking of leaving Bangkok. Everything is building up to a big confrontation tonight.
Let's hope that this will be over soon and this peaceful city can continue to thrive."
"I'm imprisoned in my apartment very close to where the protests are happening.
There is just one apartment building between me and the confrontation.
I have no intention of leaving the building in the near future. I looked in my fridge just now, and for the first time in my life I'm thinking about rationing my food.
On my way home on Friday, at around 1600, I was abandoned by my taxi driver...
He saw roadblocks ahead and realized we were close to the clashes. He left me in the car and ran off!
I walked out amid a hail of gunfire. It took a couple of minutes for me to realize what was going on...
Eventually I found someone on a motorbike to give me a lift close to my home in the central Sathorn District.
But close to my home I was blown off my feet by what must have been a huge petrol bomb!"
The shooting and bombings were non-stop for about an hour with rifle fire hitting an office building next to me. I can also see the burning tires...
It's now getting dark and it feels like the calm before the storm...."
There is a sense of uneasy calm now. But there is the anticipation that the government forces will move against the protesters tonight [May 16].
There are armed soldiers on every corner with M16 rifles and walkie-talkies.
Asia Heats Up?
- March 14: Red-shirts converge on Bangkok, hold first big rally, occupy government district
- March 16: Protesters splash their own blood at Government House
- March 30: A round of talks with the government ends in deadlock
- April 3: Red-shirts, civilians and families occupy Bangkok Shopping District
- April 7: Prime Minister Abhisit orders state of emergency
- April 10: Troops try to clear protesters; 25 people are killed & hundreds injured
- April 22: Grenade blasts kill one and injures 85 near protest hub; each side blames the other
- April 28: Policeman shot in clashes in northern Bangkok
- May 13-14: 16 killed in Bangkok clashes
- May 15: Eight more killed in street battles
- May 16: ominous weekend, curfews & evacuations
"If they really want to talk, they should not set conditions like asking us to withdraw troops," said Korbsak Sabhavasu, the prime minister's secretary-general.
"It's a positive sign but if there is going to be a talk, there has to be more detail.
"But they cannot make demands if they want to negotiate," said Sabhavasu.
{Does that strike anyone else as odd? How can one negotiate without any demands? It's only the Klingons who don't take prisoners? Right?}
This curfew would have been a rare for Bangkok, well known for it healthy, robust nightlife. Still, Thai troops with M-16 rifles, shotguns, and military snipers continue to fire live rounds to disperse people armed with Molotov cocktails, rocks, homemade slingshots, fireworks, crude rockets, and handmade pistols.
A protester catapults a firework with his slingshot.
Credit: Manish Swarup/AP
Heavily-armed Thai soldiers take up positions in Bangkok
Photograph: Apichart Weerawong/AP
"We cannot retreat now," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a televised statement on Saturday, May 15th.
The heaviest fighting was taking place in the Bon Kai area of Rama IV, a major artery to the business district. Troops and snipers fired machine guns as protesters hurled petrol bombs and burned walls of kerosene-soaked tires to camouflage themselves.
One protester was shot in the head by a military sniper, a Reuters witness said.
By afternoon, as clashes intensified, a grenade was tossed at troops, who responded with gunfire that scattered the demonstrators into nearby alleys, the witness said.
The government says it is seeking "cooperation" with protest leaders to dispatch Red Cross workers and other human rights volunteers to persuade people to leave. Soldiers can shoot if protesters come within 36 meters (120 ft) of army lines, said army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd, adding more soldiers were needed to establish control.
Analysts and diplomats said the military appears to have underestimated the resolve of thousands of protesters barricaded in district of luxury hotels and shopping malls for six weeks.
Thousands of protesters were massing in a separate area in working-class Klong Toey area near the fighting on Rama IV. A new protest site would vastly complicate attempts to end the protests and resolve a crisis that has battered the economy.
As Bangkok braced for more unrest, many residents stayed indoors or hoarded food and other supplies from grocery stores. "We don't know how much longer this nightmare is going to last and how far it will spread," said Panna Srisuwan, a Bangkok resident waiting in line at a supermarket. "I am stocking up for the rest of the week."
He did not appear to be a protester.
The government says many protest leaders now face "terrorism charges" that carry a maximum penalty of death ~ raising the stakes in a two-month crisis that has paralyzed parts of Bangkok, stifled Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy and decimated tourism.
The U.S. Embassy has offered to evacuate families and partners of U.S. government staff based in Bangkok on a voluntary basis, and urged its citizens against travel to Bangkok.
The government's strategy of starving protesters out of their encampment was shows signs of having an effect. Supplies of food, water and fuel were starting to run thin as the red shirt delivery trucks were being blocked. But they said they still had enough to hold out for days."
Children of the families of protesters are given name tags as they seek shelter in a Buddhist temple.
Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters
The fighting flared as the army moved to isolate a fortified protest camp.
Thousands of people who say Mr. Abhisit came to power undemocratically remain behind makeshift barricades of rubber tires, sandbags and bamboo stakes in the Ratchaprasong commercial district. People have been making homemade sling-shots to defend against military soldiers.
Here, in this unbelievable clip, see young Thai men take on military armor that wandered into their neighborhood.
"We cannot leave the country in a situation where people who don't obey the law are holding hostage the people of Bangkok, as well as the center of the country," he said.
"We can't allow a situation where people set up armed groups and overthrow the government because they don't agree with it."
A wounded child is helped after being shot during clashes between Thai army soldiers and anti-government protesters in central Bangkok May 16, 2010. Credit: Damir Sagolj/Reuters
"But authorities will not set a deadline because without effective planning there will be more loss of life."
More than 50 people have been killed and at least 1,500 wounded in total since the protests began in mid-March, Thai officials have said.
Despite claims by the Thai government that the situation was under control and its soldiers had only fired in self-defense, army snipers have been accused of targeting protesters armed with little more than slingshots and civilians trying to get out of the line of military firepower in an urban environment.
Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, better known as Seh Daeng (Commander Red), is in a critical condition and hangs on to life as late as Sunday, May 16, according to
The clashes have raised questions about the stability of Thailand, Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.
Thai soldiers take aim
Photograph: Rungroj Yongrit/EPA
"The current situation is almost full civil war," said one of the protest leaders, Jatuporn Prompan. "I am not sure how this conflict will end."
Duck & Run: Thai civilians carry a man who was shot by Thai military snipers
Photograph: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images
Many of the protesters are from poor rural areas in northern Thailand where support is still strong for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.
They say Mr Abhisit was put into power in a parliamentary vote by an alliance of the Bangkok elite and the military and want him to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections.
He had offered polls in November - but the two sides failed to agree a deal because of divisions over who should be held accountable for a deadly crackdown on protests last month.
Crisis in Thailand: The smell of thousands of rubber tires burning amid widespread clashes in Bangkok is sure to have effect on world markets.
Mundane transits show the Cardinal T-Square Transits are also prime to affect Asia just as the rest of the world.
The militants also planned to take over hotels and kill foreigners, they said. The announcement came a day after three suspected militants were detained in the latest in a series of anti-terror raids.
Police said the men were linked to a militant training camp discovered in Aceh in February. Dozens of suspected Islamists have been detained since then and a number killed.
The announcement, by National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri, came at a briefing on raids by carried out by the authorities since the discovery of the Aceh training camp.
"They planned to attack and murder state officials at the 17 August celebrations," he said.
"Their plan was also to launch attacks in Jakarta against foreigners - especially Americans - and attack and control hotels within certain communities, imitating what happened in Mumbai," he said.
The Mumbai attacks in 2008 left 174 people dead, nine of them gunmen. The militants attacked two luxury hotels, a train station and a Jewish center.
The discovery of the Aceh camp raised fears that terror networks re-emerging in Indonesia.
BBC -- Kyrgyzstan's interim government issues Warning
Deputy leader Azimbek Beknazarov said that allies of Mr Bakiyev would be closely monitored.
Escorted by a dozen armed body guards, Mr Beknazarov arrived in Jalalabad's central square.
He addressed a group of people who had gathered in front of the regional government headquarters - the scene of fierce fighting on Friday between supporters and opponents of the interim authorities.
Mr Beknazarov said that the interim government was keeping a close eye on the main allies of the ousted president. He also said that many people were now armed and as many as 2,000 weapons were in circulation.
In Friday's clashes, supporters of the interim government regained control of the government headquarters, which had been seized by their opponents a day earlier.
They later marched towards the home village of the ousted president and set fire to the deserted homes of some of his relatives.
In normal transit times, one might be able to skate over people, but in these times, with these particular world transits, that is impossible to do. And, it will be so for quite some time to come, according to global transits.





































































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