Thursday, April 29, 2010

Bangkok Hospital Evacuates Patients

ABC Radio Australia News: Thai hospital evacuates patients amid protests
A hospital in the Thai capital Bangkok has evacuated some of its patients after protesters forced their way into the grounds looking for soldiers they thought were there preparing an attack.

More than 200 "Red Shirt" protesters burst into the grounds of Chulalongkorn University Hospital, located next to the encampment of anti-government protesters, late on Thursday night.

They reportedly left after roaming for an hour through the grounds without finding any soldiers. Protest leaders ruled out a return to the hospital grounds today to make sure there were no troops left.

"We have told them it was an inappropriate move. We truly apologise for any inconvenience caused," protest spokesman Weng Tojirakarn told reporters.

Observers say the incursion raises concerns about how much control the leaders have over their followers at the sprawling protest site in Bangkok.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Citizen Journalist Gets the Shot


These four frames are from a video of the April 10th, 2010, red shirt protest in Bangkok, Thailand. The protest turned violent. The government claimed that only teargas and rubber bullets were used; however, the video from my first post on the unrest in Bangkok leads me to believe that live ammunition was used. In the slideshow above I've highlighted in green the location of a rooftop sniper who was shooting down into the crowd. In the video you can also hear gunfire that correlates with this sequence. In the fourth frame, I've highlighted in red what I mistakenly thought was a bullet impact. After reviewing the clip, I'm certain that the flash in the red circle is from the strobe of a camera's red-eye reduction.

Here's the complete video. There are shots from the roof at 0:18 and 0:50.


At this point, all sides in Thailand seem to be working toward a peaceful settlement. That settlement is complicated by several factors:

  1. The unidentified rooftop sniper(s) discussed above
  2. Soldiers loyal to the red shirts having fired on fellow army officers
  3. The possible involvement of red shirts (UDD) in the grenade attack earlier this week

My most up to date comments about this story are on Twitter.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Unrest in Thailand

Red Shirts building a fort in Bangkok, Thailand, originally uploaded by newleypurnell

Tuesday I got word from a friend in Bangkok, Thailand, that tensions were escalating between the pro-government yellow shirts or Peoples' Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the followers of Thaksin Shinawatra known as the red shirts or United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). I spoke to him that evening to get some background and links on the situation. At present, the red shirts have built a "fort" near Central World Plaza and units from the Thai army loyal to the government are encamped two blocks south on Silom Rd. The red shirt "fort" is several meters high and appears to have been assembled from old tires and bamboo. That seems unwise, since some red shirts are carrying Molotov cocktails.

On April 10th, the situation in Thailand took a turn for the worse when the Thai army tried to clear the red shirts from one of their make-shift camps in Bangkok. There are allegations that snipers on rooftops opened fire on the protesters. Over twenty people were killed, including several Thai soldiers, and over 800 people were wounded. WARNING: The following video is EXTREMELY graphic! An unarmed, flag-waving red shirt is shot and killed on April 10th.

While a calm has returned to the city, so to have red shirt reinforcements. The red shirts are predominantly farmers and lower class workers while the yellow shirts are predominantly business owners and middle class workers. The BBC has an overview of both sides and the issues. After the April 10th clashes, people sympathetic to the red shirts began joining their camps often bringing materials that could be used to fortify those camps. The violence also led one blogger to observe that: "[t]he Thai government appears to have mindlessly shot its way in a corner."

However, the situation is more complicated than that. As the clashes began on April 10th, one top military commander was targeted and killed by assassins and two others were maimed. These leaders were primed for promotion later this year leading the Asia Times to speculate:
The sophisticated nature of the targeted attacks, including the use of laser-guided spot and shoot teams, and the apparent leak of confidential information concerning troops' plans and formations, has suggested to analysts possible military involvement in the assaults. Officials have claimed that "terrorists" rather than rogue soldiers orchestrated the violence. But the uncertainty has raised critical new questions about army unity at a pivotal juncture in the country's violently escalating five-year-old political conflict. 
Towards the end of the week there was a call for martial law to be imposed. However, the Siam Daily News reported over the weekend:
The Center for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) has declined a necessity for the government to declare martial law in order to control the current situation.
CRES and Army Spokesperson, Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd, said the current enforcement of the state of emergency is adequate to maintain peace and order within the kingdom; however, security officers need to enforce the law against those violators more strictly and in a straightforward manner.
Nonetheless, the United States, Australia, and other nations have issued travel alerts for Thailand as a result of the state of emergency there. The Thai army's decision to switch from rubber bullets to lethal ammunition has probably also contributed to those travel alerts.

The violence is not limited to Bangkok. A car bomb exploded injuring at least ten people in Thailand's southern province, Pattani. Thai Photo Blogs reports that a policeman was killed in a separate attack: "A grenade followed by a car bombing killed a policeman and wounded 60 people in Thailand's restive Muslim south on Wednesday, the latest attacks in a bloody six-year conflict."

Perhaps unrelated... six Afghanis posing as Nepalese were apprehended in Kolkata, India. The Times of India reports:
The six — Karim Ali, Kasim Ali, Fayez Ali, Golam Reza, Muhammad Yasin, Mohammed Ismail — were booked on a Kingfisher flight to Bangkok. When they reached the airport on Tuesday morning, the immigration official on duty suspected that the passports were forged. 

Further Reading:

Monday, April 19, 2010

Tax Day Tea Party Wrap-up


St. Louis's Tax Day Tea Party brought a couple thousand local patriots to downtown Clayton, MO, for speeches from Jim Hoft, Bill Hennessy, Jay Stewert, Gina Loudon, Adam Sharp, Stephanie Rubach, Jon Burns, and Lt Gov Peter Kinder. While healthcare, financial reform, and cap and trade were discussed, the focus of the rally was on becoming activists.

Video Playlist Index:
  1. Jim Hoft (GatewayPundit.firstthings.com) kicks off the 2010 St Louis Tax Day Tea Party in Clayton, MO
  2. Randy Mayfield sings the National Anthem
  3. Eagle Scout Nick Martin leads the Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Jim Hoft (GatewayPundit.firstthings.com) speaks at the 2010 St Louis Tax Day Tea Party
  5. Jon Burns (www.StopTheProp.com) talks about activist training
  6. Fred Sauer talks about the slippery slope to socialism
  7. Lt Gov Peter Kinder (www.HealthCareInAction.com) talks about the privately-funded, grassroots lawsuit he's leading against healthcare reform
  8. Bill Hennessy (www.StLouisTeaParty.com)
  9. Jay Stewart (TheGreyFalcon.wordpress.com)
  10. Gina Loudon (DrGinaLoudon.com)
  11. Jim Hoft (GatewayPundit.firstthings.com) recognizes some of the homemade signs at the 2010 St Louis Tax Day Tea Party
  12. Adam "Jackpot Brother" Sharp (www.SharpElbows.NET) talks about moving from the audience at last year's Tax Day Tea Party to the stage
  13. Stephanie Rubach (MoveOnUp.ning.com) talks about supporting black conservatives
  14. Dana Loesch (DanaRadio.com) speaks at the 2010 St Louis Tax Day Tea Party
  15. Lyda Loudon (Lyda at Big Journalism) and Chris Loesch lead the crowd at the St Louis Tea Party in God Bless America
Cross Coverage:

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Complete Video Coverage of St. Louis's Tax Day Tea Party


More to follow...

Friday, April 16, 2010

St. Louis's Tax Day Tea Party Pictures

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Freedom of Speech and Flags

Instapundit has a link to the John Locke Foundation in the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham, NC). The John Locke Foundation quotes the News and Observer:
Organizers of a tea party event planned for Thursday at the state Capitol are unhappy they can’t carry flags on poles because of state officials’ fears that they could be used as weapons.

The prohibition applies to the American flag, North Carolina’s state flag or anything else carried on a pole more than a foot in length. Scott Hunter, chief of the State Capitol Police, said that the group will be allowed to carry tiny flags of the kind handed out at parades and Fourth of July events.

“It’s sad our country has come to this,” said Laura Long, the Apex woman who applied for the permit on behalf of Triangle Conservatives Unite.
Perhaps North Carolinians should exercise their freedom of speech and turn up the heat on their "betters" in Raleigh by burning the state flag at Thursday's Tea Party. Has an enterprising flag waver asked the ACLU to help with the legal fight when they exercise their freedom of speech by bringing a flag to Thursday's Tea Party?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Full Video Coverage of last Saturday's Jefferson County Tea Party


Here's complete video coverage from last Saturday's Jefferson County Tea Party in Arnold, MO. The first of the twenty-two videos in the playlist above is of the North Carolina Militia presenting the colors. Ken Horton, the man behind the Jeff Co Tea Party, really wanted to have a militia there to tweak the establishment.

Video Playlist Index:
  1. North Carolina Militia Presents the Colors at the Jeff Co Tea Party
  2. Susan Scott sings the National Anthem
  3. Jason Ervin, the youth pastor at First Baptist Church Of Arnold, offers the invocation prayer
  4. Ken Horton (www.JeffCoTeaParty.com) kicks off the Jefferson County Tea Party (part 1)
  5. Ken Horton  (www.JeffCoTeaParty.com) kicks off the Jefferson County Tea Party (part 2)
  6. Charles Huey (www.hueyformissouri.com), Republican Candidate for the 101st District currently held by Tim Meadows
  7. Richard Blowers (www.blowersformohouse.com), a Constitution Party Candidate for the 102nd District currently held by Jeff Roorda
  8. Ken Horton (www.JeffCoTeaParty.com
  9. Paul Wieland, a Republican Candidate for the 102nd District currently held by Jeff Roorda
  10. Edward Crim (www.EdwardCrimForCongress.com), a Democrat running for the U.S Congress in the 3rd Distict currently held by Russ Carnahan (D-MO)
  11. Derrick Good speaks about the new Charter Government in Jefferson County (part 1)
  12. Derrick Good speaks about the new Charter Government in Jefferson County (part 2)
  13. Bill Hennessy  (www.StLouisTeaParty.com) introduces Jon David
  14. Jon David (www.AmericanHeartMusic.com) performs "American Heart" at the Jefferson County Tea Party
  15. Ken Waller, candidate for Jefferson County Executive
  16. Bill Hennessy (www.StLouisTeaParty.com) talks about freedom at the Jefferson County Tea Party
  17. Ed Martin (www.EdMartinForCongress.com), GOP candidate for Missouri's Third Congressional District—the seat currently held by Russ Carnahan (D-MO) (part 1)
  18. Ed Martin (www.EdMartinForCongress.com), GOP candidate for Missouri's Third Congressional District—the seat currently held by Russ Carnahan (D-MO) (part 2)
  19. Ken Horton (www.JeffCoTeaParty.com)
  20. Dana Loesch of  www.971talk.com and www.DanaRadio.com (part 1)
  21. Dana Loesch of  www.971talk.com and www.DanaRadio.com (part 2)
  22. Dana Loesch of  www.971talk.com and www.DanaRadio.com (part 3)

Previously:

Monday, April 12, 2010

Jefferson County Tea Party Pictures *UPDATED*

As promised, here are some more pictures from the Jefferson County Tea Party this past weekend. Videos of the speeches are still uploading now online, so those will follow in a future post. Meanwhile, checkout the coverage at these Tea Party blogs:

UPDATE: Thanks for the Instalanche, Glenn! Welcome fellow Instapunditeers! If you're in the St Louis area this Thursday, please come out to Clayton for GatewayPundit's Tax Day Tea Party. There's also a great Tea Party planned in the scenic river-side community of Washington—Washington, Missouri, that is.

UPDATE 2: The following photo from the set above captures a moment of bipartisanship at the Jefferson County Tea Party. The man on the left is Edward Crim, one of Russ Carnahan's (D-MO) Democrat primary opponents. On the right is Ed Martin who is running as a Republican to unseat Russ. They agree that "Rubberstamp" Russ has got to go (and that Missouri's Third Congressional District would be better served by someone named "Ed"). Both Crim and Martin spoke at the Tea Party and both need your support. Follow the links on their names above to learn how you can help them.

MOGOP Open House


This past Saturday, the Missouri GOP held an open house at their new office on Watson in Sunset Hills. I stopped in briefly and got the pictures above.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Jefferson County Tea Party

Family by the Fountain at the Jefferson County Tea Party

More later. For now, checkout my TwitPic feed.