High tension in Thailand: May-July 2007

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Editorial cartoons from 1992 - July 7, 2007

Above: Bangkok Post, November 31, 1991 - Fears about a military-drafted constitution

Above: Bangkok Post, February 2, 1992 - Questioning a senate composed of many military men.

Above: The Nation, August, 1992 - In the aftermath of Black May when politics was regrouping, there was a wave of phoned-in bomb hoaxes.

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Govt won't rain on the mobs - Bangkok Post, July 7, 2007
The government has not created artificial rain to disperse protesters, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Saturday.
Gen Surayud said the government does not need to do that since it allows protests, but they must be peaceful.
He insisted that neither the government nor the Council for National Security created artificial rain to stop protests at Sanam Luang.
He added that articial rain is not made for political purposes but for agriculture.

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New intro graphic at the PTV website - June 22, 2007
Come, people
Come and unite
To fight for democracy
And drive out dictatorship
CNS, get out
The forces, do you hear
Shouts and yells
Against Kingdom's devils?

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From the Hi-Thaksin website mailing - June 22, 2007
Top: One text message each day to drive out the CNS
Middle: What do you think about murder of Thai Rak Thai Party
Bottom left: CNS, get out!

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Anti-coup protests lose steam - Bangkok Post, June 18, 2007
...Pichai Rattanadilok na Phuket, a lecturer of the National Institute of Development Administration, said the anti-coup protesters appeared to have reached a dead end in their battle with the coup makers.
Although some demonstrators would stay put at Sanam Luang, they could hardly make any significant political impact now.
Their reasons for staging rallies carried little weight, since it was obvious that the gatherings were engineered to pander to only one person--deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Mr Pichai said...

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Protests a subway ride away - Bangkok Post, June 16, 2007

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Stalled? - 4:16am, June 16, 2007
2Bangkok.com editor Ron Morris comments: I am not sure I trust our webhost in the U.S. anymore. There have been too many incidents on critical news days where an "unexpected" problem stalls us from posting updates and news for a day or so.
On Friday night a "freak accident" (their words) on the server removed a day's worth of forum posts, bounced back all emails sent to 2Bangkok, and prevented the update of the site.
We do have all of the missing forum posts from the last 24 hours and will attempt to restore the information today.

(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)

Rak Prathet Thai Lerk Talorkan - June 17, 2007 The Rak Prathet Thai Lerk Talorkan (Love Thailand, Stop Fighting One Another) peace run ends at the Royal Plaza on Sunday morning (above) . The group urges those who have remained silent so far to speak up for peace and not to form protest mobs (right).

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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)

Protest newspaper - June 16, 2007 This is a newspaper given out to protesters at Sanam Luang on June 9, 2007 The headlines read: * Democracy fighters flock to Sanam Luang * Five Thammasat lecturers oppose Court's ruling, saying it is unlawful * FACT says ICT lies about web ban, politics-related webs closure

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Saprang not dead - June 14, 2007
GWR notes: Do you at any point see any article on the coup rumor and its rebuttals that mentioned that Gen. Saprang had either been assassinated or that there had been an attempted assassination on him? ...but Channel 11 Newsline mentioned this rumor twice this evening. They were obviously treating it as groundless, but he certainly didn't appear in public to deny it...
On the forum

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CNS: Situation under control - Bangkok Post, June 15, 2007
...CNS deputy secretary-general Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr said rumours were circulated to give the impression of a country grinding to a dead end.
Rumours also spread of a group of military officers disloyal to the CNS plotting a counter-coup and that the CNS would impose a curfew to crack down on the demonstrators.
Gen Saprang was also a target. Over the past two months, rumours have circulated claiming he had been assassinated...

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Bomb found in Bangkok - Xinhua, June 12, 2007
Bomb experts destroyed a bomb under a security level after it was found near a golf yard in Bangkok early Tuesday...

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Thaksin supporters threaten self-immolation - TNA, June 12, 2007
About 30 protesters rallied in front of Thai Army headquarters on Rajdamnoen Avenue Tuesday while some threatened to burn themselves to death in protest if the military Council for National Security (CNS) members do not resign...

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Attack of the mob - June 10, 2007

On Saturday night protesters at Sanam Luang marched to army headquarters in an attempt to storm the premises and hopefully trigger a violent overreaction from the authorities. Originally the final march to army headquarters was scheduled for June 24 with the unstated, but clear goal to discredit the government and capture public opinion before the final draft of the constitution is presented to the public on July 6. However, once the protest schedule was announced, the government immediately responded by hinting the constitution could be completed earlier than scheduled. This means there is no time to lose for those behind the protests. There is a real risk the public will focus on the next elections, accept the new political order, and simply forget about the banned TRT executives. The time for action is at hand...

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"NEWS HEADLINE: HM the King’s song will be commencing playing TOMORROW" - PRD, June 8, 2007
...The Office of Prime Minister revealed that the song will be played Nationwide TOMORROW at 09.00 a.m. and will be continuously aired in public places to encourage people to learn the song...

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SMS from the CNS - June 9, 2007 Left: SMS from General Sonthi - The CNS has been mass-SMSing Thai mobile phones with admonitions to remain peaceful. The chief commander and chairperson of CNS wants to see the nation in peace and in conciliation and asking each side to do the best of their duty and seize the peaceful way Sonthi urges everyone to embrace peaceful approach via SMS - The Nation, June 5, 2007 Council for National Security chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin urges everyone to do their duty and embrace peaceful approach via SMS. In a message sent to cell-phone users, Sonthi said doing one's duty and peaceful approach would ensure public order and reconciliation in the country. Sonthi is also the army chief.