Red-shirts to stage mass rally in Bangkok this Saturday

[Ricardo]

So the Red-Shirt leaders are still not upset, about the attempts by PTP to give a full-amnesty, to people who they claim ordered the murders of their comrades-in-arms three years ago ? alt=blink.png>

What very short memories, and conveniently forgetful ones too, these delightful people appear to have. alt=whistling.gif width=19 height=18>

Why do the Red-masses still trust & follow them ?

Werent Abhisit and Suthep the alleged perpetrators of the 2011 murders, exempted from the amnesty?

Political leaders were exempted from the draft-bill as proposed at the first reading, then PTP changed it in-committee before the 2nd-reading, to cover Thaksin & others, they had a clear instruction from their Big Boss to ram it through as fast-as-possible, and

I don't think believe was that much opposition, to letting-off a few low-level pawns or those who'd done a couple of years inside, it was the extension which was really self-serving and objectionable to so very many ordinary-people, which is why they came out to protest.

Even though it would have white-washed them of any charges, Abhisit & Suthep were still against the revised-bill, which is rather to-their-credit, wouldn't you agree ?

[ballpoint]

This thread started out with people saying the Reds can only muster a pathetic small group of protesters-this is nonsense; the history has been that the reds can bring out a larger number of protesters than the yellow/PAD/whatever they call themselves now. At least the reds always have a clear agenda, when Abhisit had been installed PM by the courts..The reds demanded new elections, he refused, they took over central bangkok; he offered fresh elections in 3 months, they refused and wanted snap elections, Abhisit refused and sent the army in to restore order, they got their elections about 6 months later and Yingluck won, they were satisfied and we have not heard from them since.

With the yellow/PAD/whoever it's always this conspiracy to avoid elections, they want Yingluck to quit but they don't want new elections because they'd lose, so instead they want some 'process' where 'smart people are appointed' and 'crack down on vote buying' but you really don't know what they want, their always screaming colorful words like "despot, corrupt, elected dictatorship" as if the democrat party is perfect when it comes to cronyism and corruption, it's just a bunch of vague frivolous accusations, she hasn't done anything seriously illegal but she's "corrupt and a puppet of her brother" and they think upcountry people are too stupid to engage in critical thought so their votes shouldn't matter because they are not so sophisticated as those PAD idiots that took over the airport a few years ago and threatened to burn it down. it's just a conspiracy to avoid elections and a PM/cabinet elected by the people ..they have no realistic solution to democracy, democracy isn't great but it's the only system we got. Just because there is corruption it doesn't mean that democracy is dead. You can't forget that the PAD agenda is to have 'less democracy' by having most of the parliament appointed because rural people are too stupid to vote..THIS IS LITERALLY their agenda.. there are alot of stupid people that vote in America, and there's alot of corruption there too but we don't start appointing the government by smart people.

Another issue is the amnesty bill which has already dies in the Senate, Yingluck wanted some people who had been caught up in the chaos of the coup and previous protests to be granted amnesty, not embezzlers, not Thaksin himself, it was a limited amnesty, there was an uproar, she effectively killed it by sending it to the half-military appointed Senate, BUT thats NOT ENOUGH! now the PAD wants her out because she dare suggest that some people be given amnesty.

Congratulations. It's a real pleasure to read such a humorous, satirical piece on here. And you've managed to get two of the red members to actually like this. Just goes to show, you can fool some of the people all of the time. I guess that's easy with the raw material you have. But seriously, it's a good thing that it is tongue in cheek, otherwise it would just look like a mindless rant, full of lies, and someone would be here asking exactly what part of the amnesty bill said that Thaksin and literally thousands of other corruption cases, wasn't covered; when those "sophisticated idiots", the PAD threatened to burn down the airport; and just why the reds refused the offer of elections in 2010, before burning down parts of Bangkok and provincial halls themselves?

[bangon04]

According to some posters here on TV the stadium was already full since day one.

Re Rajamangala Stadium, I was watching the TV coverage on various stations on Wednesday day and evening.

And after hearing all the Red rhetoric about "mass rallies", I was surprised to see how few people (relatively speaking) were there and how much of the stadium seating was empty. I would have believed 10,000 or maybe a bit more, but not much more than that.

Is that going to dramatically change by this Saturday???

Depending on which channel news you watch, it seems the cameramen have developed an unique way of focussing on the stage speakers through the 250 noisy grandmas clustered near the stage to try and make it look and sound like a big crowd. Of course when the stooge reporters are speaking their piece to camera, there is a vast empty stadium stretched out behind them...

[Scott]

Some off-topic posts and replies have been deleted. Please stay on topic. This thread is about the Red-shirts plan to stage a mass rally on Saturday.

[rubl]

"Because of Suthep’s action, she said that the UDD would change its slogan from “Coup by the Constitution Court” to “Stop Hijacking Thailand”."

That's a good change. "Stop hijacking Thailand" is easily explained to the interested masses. All those anti-government protesters take up too much of the limelight, TV time, etc. That's to be condemned, stopped.

The "coup by the CC" needs much more explanation and is more difficult to grasp for lots of people including red-shirts from Isaan.

Of course a previous slogan about "truth, justice and punishment for 2010" is to be buried deep and to be forgotten as long as people remember that the Pheu Thai led government tried to push through a 'blanket amnesty bill' covering NINE years and the anti-government protests got really started because of that 'Pheu Thai' style democratic action.

BTW I wonder if Dr. weng already managed to explain to his wife Ms. Thida why he only abstained and did not vote against the bill which even absolves the premeditated murder duo Abhisit/Suthep.

Edited November 29, 2013 by rubl

[waza]

"Because of Suthep’s action, she said that the UDD would change its slogan from “Coup by the Constitution Court” to “Stop Hijacking Thailand”."

That's a good change. "Stop hijacking Thailand" is easily explained to the interested masses. All those anti-government protesters take up too much of the limelight, TV time, etc. That's to be condemned, stopped.

The "coup by the CC" needs much more explanation and is more difficult to grasp for lots of people including red-shirts from Isaan.

Of course a previous slogan about "truth, justice and punishment for 2010" is to be buried deep and to be forgotten as long as people remember that the Pheu Thai led government tried to push through a 'blanket amnesty bill' covering NINE years and the anti-government protests got really started because of that 'Pheu Thai' style democratic action.

BTW I wonder if Dr. weng already managed to explain to his wife Ms. Thida why he only abstained and did not vote against the bill which even absolves the premeditated murder duo Abhisit/Suthep.

I am sure both Thida and Weng have resolved their cognitive dissonance through the generous adoption of a fiscal panacea.

One day you cant pay the electricity bill and the next you can fund a mass pro government political protest

[rubl]

If Democrats = yellow shirts what about Pheu Thai with about two dozen red-shirts as party list MPs, including three UDD co-leaders.

BTW do you know when Professor Benedict made the remark quoted?

Time Magazine gets it right.

http://world.time.com/2013/11/28/thailands-democrat-party-is-hilariously-misnamed/

[pedro01]

I don't think there's an argument to say that you don't need a middle class. You don't need a self perpetuating elite though, who survive through the absence of a meritocracy.

Thailand's fundamental problem is the education system and that has been self perpetuated by "the elite". How many sons of Issan farmers end up as airline pilots or join the middle class? Compare that to Singapore. In one generation, you have huge numbers of the sons and daughters of illiterate migrants becoming doctors, teachers and engineers to make up what is now a huge middle class in Singapore. This cannot happen in Thailand for socio-historical reasons... this is why people are on about "the elite"....they are responsible for the absence of a meritocracy that Thailand needs to develop into a modern and fair nation, but this is impossible to see happening for at least another 50 years.

An elite and a middle class are not the same thing.

So the Red-Shirt leaders are still not upset, about the attempts by PTP to give a full-amnesty, to people who they claim ordered the murders of their comrades-in-arms three years ago ?

What very short memories, and conveniently forgetful ones too, these delightful people appear to have.

Why do the Red-masses still trust & follow them ?

Because its better than the centuries of being forgotten about and repressed.

I expect many 'red shirts' are not personally keen on TS, but the thought of voting for the oldest party in Thailand who has over the years completely disregarded them is so sickening that they continue to support the PTP.

I hate the conflict now, and find it difficult to see a proper resolution, but its lovely to see these old families in Thailand who have barely lifted a finger in their lives, other than to call the hired help, get a right royal shafting:) Sadly i know they have already siphoned off 100's of million of dollars over the years out of the country and really whatever is happening here is just a minor inconvenience that they can sit out abroad.

You are so misguided by your unfounded hatred of the democrats and the elite of Thailand.

You say that the Democrat party has ignored and repressed the poor for centuries? can you gather together some evidence of this? I don't recall seeing anything in Thailand's history over the centuries.

Regardless of Thailand, over the centuries all countries have had poor people who eeked out a living from the land and lived hand to mouth including your own home country. So how can that be the fault of a current political party? Are you serious??

As a matter of fact, if it was not for the more educated classes and 'elites' as you call them in many other threads, there would be no industry, large scale farming, factories, infrastructure, commerce, running water, electricity, tourism industry, airlines, manufacturing, jobs, or future for the people of Thailand. Without these necessary forces Thailand would be 100 years behind Myanmar in development.

We would just have a nation of peasant farmers plowing the fields with buffalo with their kids running around with their <deleted> hanging out of their rags with empty bellies and no education.

It is the 'elites' that you so hate who are 'solely' responsible for the wealth and development of Thailand, and have made Thailand a MUCH better place for the people. Without the 'elites' Thailand's government wouldn't even have 10% of the GDP it has today, so your health and educations systems would not exist, because the government would not be able to afford them.

Go look in the fields, are the farm owners the ones standing up to their ankles in snake infested water? No, mostly the poor who are still only getting 150 to 200 baht a day (I wouldn't challenge me on that either, because we own rice land). So where is the massive improvement you speak of?

Thaksin has done nothing to the masses of Thailand who blindly follow him. Most of the poorest are carrying most of the debt in this country because this government fails to see the bubble economy they and their policies are creating. Lots of the farmers may now be driving shiny new D-Maxs and have a shine new Kubota harvester sat in the front of the farmyard, but it's almost all on credit and the rice pledging scheme is going to pay... Don't hold your breath.

Thaksin and the PTP have set up these exact same people whom you assume have much more enriched lives, to take a huge fall in the future and probably pushing their situation back by 30 years.

Show me the proof of the Dems totally disregarding these people over the years? It;s because of non-populist policies that these people have improved lives in general in the first place.

A proper government needs to focus where it is needed for the good of the country as a whole and that lies at the feet of the 'so called elites'... and lest you not forget that Thaksin and every other PTP minister are all elites themselves with no real interest in the people and a hell of a lot of interest in their own gains.

Give me a vote and I will always vote for the party that has the biggest credibility in growing the sector of society that does the most towards the development of the country as a whole and the poor benefit a lot more.

Smutcakes.....you sound more and more like a communist every day, and we all know communism worked don't we?

But hasnt the current pro-poor party, or some form of it, been in power for most of the past 16 years?

How are the elites to blame for the fact that in that time, the education system has at best stood still?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[whybother]

So the Red-Shirt leaders are still not upset, about the attempts by PTP to give a full-amnesty, to people who they claim ordered the murders of their comrades-in-arms three years ago ? alt=blink.png>

What very short memories, and conveniently forgetful ones too, these delightful people appear to have. alt=whistling.gif width=19 height=18>

Why do the Red-masses still trust & follow them ?

Werent Abhisit and Suthep the alleged perpetrators of the 2011 murders, exempted from the amnesty?

What murders were "perpetrated" in 2011?

[DtemJai]

Thai Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ruled out an early election, following six days of protests aimed at removing her from office.

She told the BBC the situation in Thailand was not calm enough for polls.

"I love this country. I devote myself to this country. I need only one thing for the country: we need to protect democracy," she said.

http://Thai Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ruled out an early election, following six days of protests aimed at removing her from office.

[jayboy]

If Democrats = yellow shirts what about Pheu Thai with about two dozen red-shirts as party list MPs, including three UDD co-leaders.

BTW do you know when Professor Benedict made the remark quoted?

Time Magazine gets it right.

http://world.time.com/2013/11/28/thailands-democrat-party-is-hilariously-misnamed/

Professor Anderson made the remarks at Chiangmai University just over a couple of years ago.They have recently been repeated on Prachatai but I'm afraid I don't have a link to hand.

[rubl]

Thanks. Will try to find it.

With Professor Benedict's 30 or 40 year career, it's not always easy to understand when he wrote or said what.

If Democrats = yellow shirts what about Pheu Thai with about two dozen red-shirts as party list MPs, including three UDD co-leaders.

BTW do you know when Professor Benedict made the remark quoted?

Time Magazine gets it right.

http://world.time.com/2013/11/28/thailands-democrat-party-is-hilariously-misnamed/

Professor Anderson made the remarks at Chiangmai University just over a couple of years ago.They have recently been repeated on Prachatai but I'm afraid I don't have a link to hand.

[rubl]

From the BBC interview by Jonathan Head this Friday

http://Thai Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ruled out an early election, following six days of protests aimed at removing her from office.

[Artisi]

Saw the news, hot meals are given regularly to the protestors. Even the newscaster said the protestors seemed more to having picnic;) One wonders how much each is paid daily to be there.

Another non-thinker rabbiting part of the red rabble manifesto "how much are they being paid".

Followed by "hope its not more than what we are being paid"

[bigbamboo]

Saw the news, hot meals are given regularly to the protestors. Even the newscaster said the protestors seemed more to having picnic;) One wonders how much each is paid daily to be there.

Another non-thinker rabbiting part of the red rabble manifesto "how much are they being paid".

Followed by "hope its not more than what we are being paid"

There are twenty locals near us who've gone on an expenses paid trip to Bangkok courtesy of Red Shirt Travel with 1000 baht spending money thrown in, less 100 baht for the agent (presumably his booking fee).

They say it should quite a good party and better than working. The politics is a bit of a drag though.

And I kid you not.

[rwdrwdrwd]

Hearing reports and seeing photos of groups of redshirts (absent of the red shirts) leaving the stadium tooled up and hunting down anti-gov protestors in the early hours of this morning. Rumours of a number of people already attacked by them.

Edited November 29, 2013 by rwdrwdrwd

[build6]

They did so because they went on buses provided to a previous red rally at the stadium and were paid 200 B and some rice.

When they got there they found out that those who were from Issan had been paid 1,000 B.

that's ... hilarious.

well that's what happens when you're not actually relying on "spontaneous" support

[Evolare]

According to some posters here on TV the stadium was already full since day one.

Maybe day one it was...then they got paid and went home...or they are just saying even tv showed a half empty stadium day one and when my friend was there he saud if those left didnt wear redshirts he would have assumed they where the clean up crew or something like that. I wasn't there myself but my friend usually dont exaggerate

[ballpoint]

So the Red-Shirt leaders are still not upset, about the attempts by PTP to give a full-amnesty, to people who they claim ordered the murders of their comrades-in-arms three years ago ? alt=blink.png>

What very short memories, and conveniently forgetful ones too, these delightful people appear to have. alt=whistling.gif width=19 height=18>

Why do the Red-masses still trust & follow them ?

Werent Abhisit and Suthep the alleged perpetrators of the 2011 murders, exempted from the amnesty?

What murders were "perpetrated" in 2011?

The murder of the truth by the reds. It's a serial crime that continues to this day. The police have identified the culprits and are assisting them in their crimes.

[hawker9000]

Saw the news, hot meals are given regularly to the protestors. Even the newscaster said the protestors seemed more to having picnic;) One wonders how much each is paid daily to be there.

Another non-thinker rabbiting part of the red rabble manifesto "how much are they being paid".

Followed by "hope its not more than what we are being paid"

Well, we all know who's paying the red-shirts to come and pretend to be counter-protesting. But where would these claimed payments to all these anti-government protesters be coming from exactly? Who's the yellow-shirt Daddy Warbucks?