Another crackdown, more bloodshed expected
Another crackdown, more bloodshed expected
By Sopon Onkgara
The Nation
Published on April 20, 2010
All was set as of yesterday afternoon for "operation payback" by teams of troops to disperse the red shirts who are still occupying Rajprasong intersection. But there had been no action as of press time. The forces were still awaiting the final green light from Army chief General Anupong Paochinda.
Maybe the plan has to be fine-tuned to ensure minimal loss of life. Casualties must be avoided on both sides. If there is to be some collateral damage, the level must be contained to avoid a backlash.
But the military obviously does not want the bitter events of April 10 to recur. The heavy losses suffered during the security operation in the Rajdamnoen area were a disaster, as well as a tactical blunder, from the military point of view.
The upcoming mission is inevitable now that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has given the go-ahead order by appointing the Army chief to handle the task - despite the PM's extreme reluctance to command a military crackdown on the red shirts.
The general, due to retire at the end of September, has to choose between national survival, together with that of the monarchy, or a regime that sees Thaksin Shinawatra's triumphant return via the help of the red shirts.
The rred shirts are no longer regarded as genuine campaigners for democracy as they have claimed. In the eyes of fair-minded observers, the ringleaders have committed high treason. Armed terrorists are their fearsome supporters, who carried out indiscriminate shootings at soldiers and civilians on April 10.
The red shirts know that their days are numbered. They can never walk around like free men again. But surely they want to live to spend the fortune they have extracted from Thaksin through his campaign funding. But the circumstances and the severity of their crimes simply forbid such an opportunity. The red shirts must fight to win so that they can get amnesty later.
The longer the Army chief vacillates on the decision to order his men to take action, the greater the damage resulting from the eventual action. And the damage will be very hard to write off when the full account, and the full body count, is complete.
If the red shirts can mobilise more supporters by today, the crowd could spill from Rajdamri into Silom Road, the heart of the central business district. If that happens and the area is brought to a standstill, it would be a calamity for the national economy.
Already, five-star hotels around the Rajprasong area are waiting to temporarily shut down, now that guests have moved out to more secure places. At the same time, red shirts are hollering that they have been marked for certain death, with snipers and marksmen also in position.
Business operators in Rajprasong and nearby areas have already begun counting their losses. Billions of baht have been lost and the numbers continue to climb as the days pass. Worse, they have no idea when their ordeal will end and the red ink will stop flowing.
The military spokesman at the operations headquarters has talked tough over the past few days. Terms such as "acceptable collateral damage" have been heard, to test public reaction. But there is a common awareness that the country now faces the gloomy prospect of urban terrorism.
A crackdown is certain. The only question left is when. Some troops are eager to take revenge for their fallen comrades and those suffering long-term medical treatment and recuperation. Many will never be the same after their discharge from hospital.
The red shirts are also aware that they are pariahs, increasingly feared and despised by Bangkok residents who have been tormented by the lawlessness of these hired goons now enjoying extra income out of Thaksin's pockets.
What is most likely to happen in the next 24 hours? Another confrontation between the red shirts and troops, possibly involving Silom residents fighting to protect their interests. That means more bloodletting and a high number of casualties on both sides. The innocent people mobilised by Thaksin's money will fall victim in the firefight, just like the mayhem 10 days ago.
Another crackdown, more bloodshed expected
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Wanted to put this in MKP but I 'aint allowed so I put it 'ere.
Expressing an opinion is one thing but only the Nation would pay someone to write this kind of Editorial drivel.
' Operation payback ' WTF ?
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