Thai PM meets international press on Bangkok violence
PM Abhisit (centre) is seen briefing the foreign press about the recent Bangkok violence
Last Saturday, ten days after the violent riot in Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok ended with arson attacks and lootings, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had an official meeting with the representatives of foreign media, after a briefing to foreign envoys and representatives of international organisations, to explain what had happened during the two-month-long protest of a group called the “United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD)” or the “Red Shirts” and what the government plans to do as the rehabilitation and reconciliation programmes after the incidents.
Prime Minister Abhisit emphasised that the government had tried its best to seek a peaceful resolution to the political problems, starting by offering a negotiation with the protest leaders which was unfortunately called off by these leaders and later by proposing a reconciliation plan with early elections to be held in November but the UDD leaders failed to call off the protest as a means to accept the reconciliation plan.
The Thai premier said the government’s decision and operations were based on the attempt to restore order with minimum losses, as seen on April 10 when the army’s operations to reclaim some areas in the Phan Fah proceeded for six hours without any casualty but the losses of life on both the officers and the protesters, occurred once M-79 grenades were launched from armed people among the protesters.
With the fact that there were armed people willing to use weapons against officers and innocent people, Abhisit said, the government decided not to go to Rajaprasong to disperse the protesters but, after the reconciliation plan was rejected, the government decided to cordon off the protest area by setting up check points, which began on May 14.
However, during the following few days, there were more losses occurring outside the main protest area of Rajaprasong but during the clashes around the area and at check points, particularly at Din Deang and Rajaprarop areas and the Klong Toei/Bon Kai/Rama IV area, and a lot of grenades and weapons used were stored in the areas next to Lumpini Park.
When a group of senators and some NGOs on 18 May wanted to mediate and he was contacted by the president of the Senate, the premier said, he was told that the Red Shirts would offer a ceasefire from 6 p.m. as a gesture of good will but such thing did not materialised as grenades continued being launched in the evening into the night.
In stead, he said, he was again contacted by the NGOs who proposed that if the security officers were to retreat from their check points, all the people rallying or engaging in violent activities in Din Daeng and Klong Toei areas would join those in Rajaprasong but he believed such proposal was not practical and rather counterproductive because it would only worsen the situation.
During the early hours of May 19, he said, what the security officers did was to reclaim the areas next to Lumpini Park, not to go into the Rajaprasong Intersection, and they did so successfully around 10-11 a.m., although there were still some clashes at Sarasin Intersection until about noon. Then, the protest leaders called off their protests at around 1-2 p.m. and turned themselves in with the police.
Unfortunately, he said, groups of people who had been engaged in violence, decided to set on fire not only the Central World but also some buildings in Siam Square and other areas of Bangkok, the majority of which appeared to be premeditated and well coordinated, not a natural outburst of emotions, although maybe one or two minor incidents might fit into that description.
Tragically, the Prime Minister said, some shootings took place at Pathumwanaram Temple at around 6.30-7 p.m., and that full investigation into what actually took place would be made.
He nevertheless pointed out that the military operations had ceased once the protests were called off because the authorities had to be careful in facilitating the protesters to go home and have them move in the direction of the National Stadium, and the only movements of troops in the area nearby were the attempts by the officers to make sure that fire engines and volunteers could get into the area as some buildings, including the Central World and some in Siam Square, were still on fire and it was difficult for people to get in to provide assistance because there were still shootings. Apart from this, the military did not do anything that would lead to violence or clashes with the protesters.
He also pointed out that more and more evidence were coming to surface that the theory that people in the temple compound were shot by people from up above the BTS line contradicted the findings of the autopsy released on May 29, whose results suggested the shooting took place on level ground – at least for four of the six people who were found dead in the temple ground. Be that as it may, he emphasised that full investigation would still be needed to get into the bottom of the events.
Regarding the government’s plans after the incidents as short term measures, Prime Minister Abhisit said that the state of emergency would still be in place although the curfew would not be extended, and the night of 28 May was the last when the curfew was in effect in Bangkok and some other provinces.
On the state of emergency, he said, the government would continue to receive assessments from concerned provincial governors, local police and military officers in charge of the respective areas would give recommendations on when to lift the state of emergency.
Meanwhile, he said, the government had moved swiftly on providing assistance and compensation for victims of the events, people affected and those who lost their shops while a package of assistance had been approved by the Cabinet, with some initiatives being taken in terms of providing shopping areas such as by closing off Silom Road during the weekends.
On the long-term measures in the future, Prime Minister Abhisit said that the government took as its priority that it had to follow through with the reconciliation plan in which the government wanted to invite all stakeholders to join in this process.
Meanwhile, he said, the government would have to allow all the normal mechanisms in the parliamentary democracy and other mechanisms to work while all criminal cases, including charges of terrorism, would continue, and these would apply to people who violated the law – who, he believed, were only a small minority.
He also stressed that the government had never said that people who joined the protests were terrorists but believed that they had legitimate grievances which must be addressed through the reconciliation plan. Therefore, while these cases proceeded, the government would do all it could to reach out to them.
Prime Minister Abhisit further said that the government would be facing a censure debate on May 31 and June 1 May as it is believed to be appropriate and thus the government allowed it by extending the special session of the Parliament so that members of the opposition could bring their charges and their side of the story and the government would be ready to give its response.
Moreover, he said, apart from an independent commission that would be set up to investigate the events, the National Human Rights Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which were both independent and constitutional bodies, would in any case be investigating them too so it should be assured of neutral and accurate fact-finding concerning all the events over the last couple of months.
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