Police raid red training camp

[Khun Don]

Police raid red training camp
11 held for planning 'mission of violence'

Published: 4/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Police have arrested 11 red shirt supporters who they allege were training at a resort in Chiang Mai in preparation to launch violent acts and political assassinations.

Pol Maj Gen Chaiya Siriampankul, the acting commissioner of Police Region 5, which oversees the upper northern provinces, yesterday acknowledged the arrest but refused to provide details.

A joint police and administrative officer raid was carried out at Phu Fa resort in Chiang Mai's Mae On subdistrict on Saturday evening. Eleven people who police said claimed to be hard-line red shirt supporters were arrested on suspicion of training to carry out a mission of political violence and assassinations.

The raid came after one man who allegedly took part in the training approached a village headman near the resort to ask for directions. The headman thought Kittichai Chansawasdi was behaving suspiciously and reported him to police.

Mr Kittichai allegedly confessed to police that he had been part of a group training at the resort for a secret mission. He said he had fled from the camp because he was unable to sustain the demanding regimen and had been physically assaulted during training.

Mr Kittichai said the group had been at the resort since Sept 7 after having received arms training near the Cambodian border.

More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...-training-camp

[visionchaser45]

Ah, what would we do without these wonderful confessions? So far, we have the word of Mr Kittichai and the 'authorities' to support the veracity of the charges. Why am I not convinced? Let's see now...he was found suspicious for asking directions to a resort...the police reacted to the suspicions of the poo yai bahn...Mr Kittichai had already left the group because they abused him and the regimen was too strenuous...yet the police were able to locate Mr Kittichai (Was he standing just outside the resort? Was he on the road back to his own village? Was he hanging out in the local bar?)and extracted his confession. What exactly was the timeline for this series of events?

[stevenl]

Yes Visionchaser, keep sticking your head in the sand.

There are unfortunately some very violent elements active in the 'Red Shirt Movement'. The leaders seem to not be able (or don't want, I don't know) to get rid of these.

[Khun Don]

Police: 11 reds linked to terrorism
Published: 4/10/2010 at 04:43 PM
Online news: Breakingnews

The 11 men who were rounded up on Saturday from a resort in Chiang Mai province are part of the torrorist movement aiming to subvert national security, Pol Maj-Gen Chaiya Siri-ampankul said in a press conference on Monday.

The 11 were rounded up in a raid by police and administrative officials on Phu Fa resort in Chiang Mai's Mae On sub-district on Saturday evening.

The raid took place on information from a man, identified as Kittichai Chansawasdi, who claimed to have escaped from the resort, was taken into police custody.

Pol Maj-Gen Chaiya, the acting commissioner of Police Region 5, said the 11 were found to have been part of a terrotist movement aiming to subvert national security.

They had undergone arms training for some purposes including to assassinate important persons.

Moreover, they were involved in committing offences against the royal institution and linked to many bombings in Bangkok and other provinces, the officer said.

"Police now have the 11 in custody and kept them as witnesses. Their identities and details of investigation will not yet be disclosed. We want to know the masterminds and other groups which have undergone similar training," Pol Maj-Gen Chaiyan said.

The Police Region 5 chief said he believed there would soon be "good news" which could lead to the arrest of the masterminds and resolutions to some 200 security-related cases being handled by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

BANGKOK POST

[visionchaser45]

So, a person who questions the veracity of a specific story is keeping his head in the sand? Does that mean that someone who accepts everything he is told is enlightened and informed? It is a logical fallacy to assume that, simply because one questions the veracity of one story, that he also does not believe that there may be violent elements within the Red Shirt faction.

I know that if my elected government had been overthrown by the military, then another elected government was ousted by the manipulations of the courts, then many of my friends and neighbors were murdered for protesting those actions I would probably have some violent tendencies of my own. How can you slap someone in the face and then call them violent for slapping you back?

[visionchaser45]

The Police Region 5 chief said he believed there would soon be "good news" which could lead to the arrest of the masterminds and resolutions to some 200 security-related cases being handled by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

Given the speed with which all of the 'good news' presented in the present article was acquired, I have no doubt that much additional 'good news' will be forthcoming.

[KhaoNiaw]

I know that if my elected government had been overthrown by the military, then another elected government was ousted by the manipulations of the courts, then many of my friends and neighbors were murdered for protesting those actions I would probably have some violent tendencies of my own. How can you slap someone in the face and then call them violent for slapping you back?

Pot kettle black.

How can you slap someone in the face and then call them violent for slapping you back?

So you support the terrorists in the south?

When your elected government murdered and beat up those who protested against its actions did you express any views? Oh, it was OK because they were elected. The last elected governments showed very few democratic tendencies, and set democracy back in many ways.

The problem with the Red movement is that it remains without a platform, a programme, an organized grassroots base with clear aims. This is deliberate of course. The only goal for the leadership is elections - once that happens, they can say the people's victory is won and any actions taken by their government can be excused.

Do you see any signs of a political party or politicians that are genuinely going to represent the aspirations of the people, or give local people a say in their own affairs, AND attempt to bring genuine democratic and economic development across the whole country?

It would be great if Thailand's next election was the start of something new. But when it's only the election itself that is the goal for those behind the Redshirts, there's not much chance of that.

[stevenl]

The only goal for the leadership is elections

Don't agree with you there, I am convinced the only goal of the leadership is power, whatever way they can get it and whoever they have to use to get that.

At the next elections I think they won't get that, their support is dwindling from what I gather. But we'll just have to wait and see for that.

[paul_au]

Being referred as a democracy and actually being a functional democracy are two different things. Lets hope when election are eventually held, it's done the right way, so Thailand benefits from peaceful and sustained economic growth.