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May. 13 2010 - 08:32 pm View comments (21)

		20	The, Blockade

23:59: Video from Japanese TV just after Seh Daeng was shot.

23:10 No more news about Seh Daeng's condition except that it is still serious. More shooting though. ThaiPBS reporter at red shirt rally reports sound of gunfire into reds. Saw one red lying on ground with head wound. At least one dead. Many injured. Journalist Andrew Marshall is at the scene and tweets "More gunfire. Soldiers are shooting live rounds on unarmed protesters".

21:10: TNN reports that Seh Daeng was shot by a high velocity gun.

20:25: ThaiPBS reports that CRES is currently checking news of Seh Daeng being shot, but says no news of Seh Daeng being shot on red shirt stage.

20:15: NYT reports that Seh Daeng shot while being interviewed by IHT.

BP: Well, NYT and IHT are basically the same so they should know - story byline is by both their reporters in BKK.

20:10: Now Tulsahit reports National Channel has retracted that report.

20:00: From Tulsathit of The Nation states Seh Daeng is dead and this is from Nation Channel.

BP: This is the only source reporting this, but have spoken to a journo who spoke to Seh Daeng's aide who confirmed Seh Daeng had been shot in the head so his death is more than a possibility.

19:45: ThaiPBS reports that Seh Daeng shot in the head and is seriously injured.

UPDATE: 19:30 ThaiPBS reports that sounds of gunfire also heard near Sala Daeng intersection and was fired into the red shirts. TNN reports it was Seh Daeng who was shot.

Ok, finally have some time to blog. AP:

Thailand's government planned a massive lockdown Thursday on a posh Bangkok neighborhood occupied by thousands of protesters, and warned that troops will not hesitate to shoot armed "terrorists" who resist.

Armored personnel carriers and snipers will surround the so-called Red Shirt protesters who have barricaded themselves behind piles of tires and bamboo spears in the 1-square-mile (3-square-kilometer) area, said Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the spokesman of the agency charged with ending the protest.

The agency "has shifted its strategy toward complete blockade and interception," he said.

Separately, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajvia said he has rescinded his offer to hold elections on Nov. 14 because the protesters have refused to end their sit-in.

With the lockdown looming, leaders of the Red Shirts were defiant, saying their supporters would never "surrender" and were not afraid to die.
...
Sansern said sharpshooters with live ammunition will take up vantage positions; water and electricity supplies to the area may be cut off, Sansern said.

Massive traffic jams snaked across Bangkok as people rushed home from work early. Long lines formed at train stations in the area before the government shut them down at 6 p.m. (1100 GMT). A pier on the Chao Phraya river used by river taxis also was closed. But there was no sign of armored personnel carriers on the streets as night began to fall.

The government told medical centers to have doctors, nurses and ambulances ready for contingencies. Businesses were told to let employees take the day off Friday. Many banks and shops in the area put up signs, telling customers they were closing early.

The steps signaled a sense of desperation in the government that has been ineffectual in dislodging the Red Shirts from the Rajprasong neighborhood, lined with malls, upscale apartments, two hospitals, parks and embassies, including the U.S. and British.

"During the closing-in operation today, it's possible that terrorists in the area would move in and encounter the officers. Therefore, the authorities must execute measures according to international standards and rules of engagement. Live ammunition will be used," Sansern said.

The warning raised the specter of a repeat of the clashes between protesters and security forces on April 10 in another part of Bangkok that killed 25 people and injured 800. Later violence related to the protests have caused four deaths and injured 600.

Sansern said troops will use rubber bullets first but will not hesitate to use live ammunition in self defense if attacked.

"In addition, another unit of ... sharpshooters will be on the lookout and will shoot terrorists who carry weapons," he said.

From behind their barricades, leaders of the Red Shirts were defiant as they addressed supporters including women and children.

"Our brothers and sisters are not afraid to die. If the troops move in, our people will surround them," said one leader, Jatuporn Prompan.

"We will never surrender. Please have faith in the fight," he said. "As soon as troops move in, the Red Shirts in the provinces and Bangkok will rise together."

The U.S. and British embassies announced they would close all services to the public on Friday. "Please do not come to the Visa Application Centre until further notice," the British Embassy said on its website.

The U.S. Embassy will operate with limited staff Friday, said spokeswoman Cynthia Brown. Personnel living in the area have been given the option to relocate to temporary housing.

The Red Shirts, who are largely drawn from the rural and urban poor, see Abhisit's government as serving an elite insensitive to the plight of most Thais. The protesters include many supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist leader who was accused of corruption and abuse of power and ousted in a 2006 military coup.

Thaksin, a former telecommunications billionaire who fled overseas to avoid a corruption conviction, is widely believed to be helping to bankroll the protests. He claims to be a victim of political persecution.

After agreeing last week in principle to Abhisit's offer of November polls, the protesters later said they would stay put until the deputy prime minister faces criminal charges for violence during the protests.

BP: Will update this blog post throughout this evening as time permits. Q: Will blockade be successful? How long will it take? Will pressure be placed on the Crime Suppression Division to press charges against Suthep? (Note mere charges doesn't mean there will even be a court case). Will the red shirts be satisified with that? So many Qs. It is almost anyone's guess now.

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by Anonymous
on 05/13/2010 11:47 pm

During the interview with the reporter!...if this sniper was a state soldier and I were an ambassador from another country I would absolutely livid. What if the sniper had missed? The we'd have had a dead NYT reporter with blood splattered everywhere. Wonder if Amb. John (perfect name for an Amb. to Thailand by the way) will lodge any protest given that the journalist is an American. Just goes to show how much the Abhisit government cares about the media and protecting journalist safety. Who is the assassin?

by Steve
on 05/14/2010 03:45 am

Bangkok Post's version of Seh Daeng's shooting: "was shot and seriously wounded during a melee"

The Nation's version: "The incident took place shortly before or around 7 pm, almost in parallel with a commotion in the area caused by mysterious explosions, gunshots and sounds of firecrackers".

So - NYT's reporter only imagined that Seh Daeng was talking to him just 2 feet away when he was shot?

by Anonymous
on 05/14/2010 03:56 am

A little presumptuous to assume the shooter was from the government side isn't it? 'Taking out' Seh Daeng would be beneficial to many different elements, including the saner red-shirt factions.

by Anonymous
on 05/14/2010 07:10 am

I would not jump to any conclusion about who shot Seh Daeng. Consider: A) The Red leadership and Thaksin and Chavalit appeared to have lost control of the man, B) the style of shooting was very similar to the shooting of the Army colonel on April1 10, and C) this government's inability to organize a booze-up in a brewery much less a precision hit. We may never know who shoot COmmander Red.

by Anonymous
on 05/14/2010 08:57 am

>> What if the sniper had missed?

by fall
on 05/14/2010 09:23 am

Perfectly legal and conform to international standard (or at least China's and Burma's standard). From soft-to-hard respond, softest by starting with sniper round through the head and hardest by nuke'em up.

Do Abhisit really have a wish to topple the kill-count of October massacre or something?

But shooting protest leader goes both way, RED and YELLOW. Imagine if the time that PAD occupied government house during Thaksin's government, and Sondhi or Chamlong was sniped. What would the reaction of the media be?

Hopefully, there would be no reciprocal counter-attack to government official. Chaos ensure in the long run.

by Anonymous
on 05/14/2010 10:24 am

My guess, the shooter came from the yellow side, attempting to cause chaos...then a military crackdown.

by Anonymous2
on 05/14/2010 10:30 am

Me thinks shooting a person who is giving an interview with a sniper rifle is a dastardly act.

The shooter must be condemned. His supervisor who gave the order must be identified and exposed.

A guy with Oxford education must be asked to give his views on this incident.

by No Color Thai
on 05/14/2010 12:23 pm

http://www.ihtinfo.com/pdfs/IHTbio_EditorialSpokespeople.pdf
Thomas Fuller serves as the IHT’s Southeast Asia correspondent, has been a reporter for the IHT since 1997. From 1995 to 1997 Mr. Fuller worked as a copy editor and reporter at Asia Times, a daily newspaper owned by the Manager Group and based in Bangkok.

by Anonymous
on 05/14/2010 01:16 pm

Awesome shot! Why be livid? He didn't miss and a treasonous terrorist is brain dead. Win-win for everyone. Now, its going to be hard to prove it was the government. If you ask who would benefit, the answer is "the entire nation."

Let's hope this "sniper diplomacy" continues to be used against the UDD leadership so we can spare the lives of these ignorant peasants unwittingly serving as meat shields for these cowards.

by Steve
on 05/14/2010 03:27 pm

"B) the style of shooting was very similar to the shooting of the Army colonel on April 10,"

A bullet in SD's head is "very similar" to a grenade exploding next to the colonel? If you say so.....

Fair point about not jumping to conclusions - and I also think it's unlikely the culprit will ever be identified. I will, though, take into account the good Col Sansern's own public statement - "Snipers will be deployed in the operation” - when considering who the candidates are.

by Anonymous
on 05/14/2010 03:48 pm

My God have you all lost it? Especially this last comment. Since when is the loss of human life justified and "ignorant peasants". Please! It is quite clear that you have lost the argument. The result of this is no less than outright civil war! Abhisit will and shall be indicted as a war criminal along with the whole cabinet. Or are we, farang, only obfuscated when the Chinese do it in Tianam Square?

by No Color Thai
on 05/14/2010 05:05 pm

Anonymous on 05/14/2010 01:16 pm said:
"Now, its going to be hard to prove it was the government. If you ask who would benefit, the answer is 'the entire nation,'"
but I would rather think the government would benefit most, if Se Daeng was taken out before the crackdown.

by Anonymous3
on 05/14/2010 05:18 pm

A bullet can go both ways ...

by Chamlong
on 05/14/2010 06:11 pm

I smell civil war in the air. And the Yellow Shirts are prepared for the fight with our brothers in green. Our actions in the past have prepared us to take over power and to restore the Kingdom to all its glory. Remember with pride when we sacked Government House. Remember with pride when we attacked the police. Remember with pride when we invaded the airports. Remember with pride all the Thai people who cheered us on. Now rise Thai patriots!!

We have a list of Red Shirt supporters who live in the Cha-am and Hua Hin areas (and it is very long) and we have included foreigners as well. We will pay them a visit and give them a choice. My paramilitary friends and I call it Operation Rwanda. Long live the Land of Thais!!

by Krid
on 05/14/2010 06:49 pm

@Anonymous:
I can't think of a more cowardly act than shooting someone in the head from a protected sniper position while the victim is exposed on a stage and not suspecting an imminent attack.
As for the government involvement, there was a Thai military spokesman on Deutsche Welle-TV last night saying the government had the right to shoot anyone dead carrying "weapon", however small and no matter if he had any intention to use it. It sounded like they admitted the shooting. And next time you sit in a restaurant with a knife in hand, better look around the rooftops.
Of course today, the cowardly government denies all responsibility, just like last time they denied using live ammo against protesters.
Shooting political opponents with snipers is the most vile and base employed only by thuggish, undemocratic regimes. And I don't want see the next elected government shoot the leaders of the yellows either.

by THUNDERMARE
on 05/15/2010 12:36 am

Anonymous
on 05/14/2010 01:16 pm

Because of the thinking like this that we have a bloody Thailand today.

by Mithran
on 05/15/2010 11:56 am

Annonymous: "awesome shot": thanks for that insight into the mind of a certain yellow Thai mentality (and I'm using 'mind' in it's widest possible sense here). It's nice every so often to be reminded what the Red Shirts are protesting against.

btw I don't mean yellow politically.

by Anonymous
on 05/15/2010 02:35 pm

UDD and SD especially declared war on the government and military. SD being an open traitor, and having been behind the attacks on the army on April 10th, gave the army all the justification it needed to extra-judicially execute him.

It was a matter of military law, not civil, and to call it a political assassination is a cop out and quite frankly, retarded. But when has that stopped any of you?

by Anonymous-from-above
on 05/15/2010 04:02 pm

Regardless who who actually fired the first shot, looks to me they just made Se Daeng a political martyr instead just another gun-toting fanatic ...

by banphai
on 05/15/2010 06:08 pm

"It was a matter of military law, not civil, and to call it a political assassination is a cop out and quite frankly, retarded. But when has that stopped any of you?"

That's interesting - specifically which military law allowed the shooting of Seh Daeng?

Please tell us "retarded" folk on this site.

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