Thai protesters call for UN solution

[lonelywombat]

Breaking News

Thai protesters call for UN solution as clashes leave 25 dead
By Thanaporn Promyamyai From: AFP May 16, 2010 10:38PM
THE Thai Government has rejected protesters' calls for UN-mediated talks, as the death toll from clashes rose to 25 with more than 200 wounded.
THE Thai government has rejected protesters' calls for UN-mediated talks, as the death toll from clashes with the Army rose to 25 with more than 200 wounded.

"Red Shirt" anti-government protesters had called for mediated talks and urged the country's revered king to intervene in the crisis, which has turned areas of Bangkok into no-go zones as troops fire live ammunition at protesters, some of them armed or using slingshots and fireworks.

"We call for the government to stop firing and to withdraw soldiers who are blocking the area around the protest site," said a Red leader, Kokaew Pikulthong.

"We call for talks with the UN as mediator."

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Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told reporters on national television that there would be no UN-mediated talks.

"As for the call of UN interference, no governments allow any organisations to intervene in their internal affairs," he said.

The Army put off a plan to impose a curfew in parts of the city but did not rule out restricting night-time movements if the situation deteriorates.

Authorities said they would send workers from the Red Cross to help anti-government protesters - particularly women, children and the elderly - who want to leave the vast protest area in the heart of the capital.

"Men can also leave the site but they have to show they are unarmed," army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told reporters.

The Army moved on Thursday to seal off the area to prevent more demonstrators entering, although they have been allowed to leave, as the government grappled with a way to end the two-month stand-off.

Sporadic gunfire continued to echo around the fringes of the Red Shirts' sprawling encampment as a swathe of the city was shrouded in black smoke after demonstrators torched piles of tyres in roads. One shop was ablaze.

Two men were shot and badly wounded during a confrontation between troops and several hundred anti-government demonstrators who threw stones, Molotov cocktails and firecrackers, said an AFP reporter.

One man died today as street clashes continued, emergency services said. It was not clear how he was killed.
All of the fatalities in recent days have been civilians.

The Reds called on Thailand's king to intervene, saying he was the "only hope" for an end to the crisis, which has left more than 50 people dead and 1600 wounded in total.

"As people in this country, we would like his kindness," Jatuporn Prompan told reporters at the rally site, where thousands of protesters were camped.

"I believe Thais will feel the same, that His Majesty is our only hope."

King Bhumibol Adulyadej chastised both the military and protest leaders during a 1992 uprising, effectively bringing the violence to an end.

But the 82-year-old monarch has been hospitalised since September and has avoided commenting directly on the current crisis in public.

The military on Saturday declared a "live fire zone" in one area where a foreign witness said he earlier saw troops fire towards a group of Red Shirts advancing with a Thai flag. Three bodies were later seen on the ground.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said Thai authorities were on a "slippery slope" towards serious human rights abuses by designating live fire zones.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva vowed there would be no turning back on the government's policy of sealing the protesters inside their fortified camp.

"Your rally has been used by terrorists. It's not a rally for democracy," he said in his regular Sunday television address.

The Reds accuse Abhisit's government of being elitist and undemocratic because it came to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court ruling ousted elected allies of their hero, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Protesters have turned a large area of Bangkok into a virtual state within a state, crippling a retail and hotel district and disrupting daily life for residents in the city of 12 million people.

Facing a military armed with assault rifles, the protesters have fought with homemade weapons including fireworks, rockets, slingshots, and burning tyres.

An AFP photographer saw one demonstrator firing a handgun on Saturday.

Thai society is deeply divided between the urban elite and rural poor, with most of the Red Shirts from the north and impoverished northeast.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/3080230025_48d302ccb9.jpg
Prose from the United Nations:

With the end of the Cold War, the strategic context for UN peacekeeping dramatically changed, prompting the Organization to shift and expand its field operations from тАЬtraditionalтАЭ missions involving strictly military tasks, to complex тАЬmultidimensionalтАЭ enterprises designed to ensure the implementation of comprehensive peace agreements and assist in laying the foundations for sustainable peace. TodayтАЩs peacekeepers undertake a wide variety of complex tasks, from helping to build sustainable institutions of governance, to human rights monitoring, to security sector reform, to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants.

The nature of conflicts has also changed over the years. Originally developed as a means of dealing with inter-State conflict, UN peacekeeping has been increasingly applied to intra-State conflicts and civil wars. Although the military remain the backbone of most peacekeeping operations, the many faces of peacekeeping now include administrators and economists, police officers and legal experts, de-miners and electoral observers, human rights monitors and specialists in civil affairs and governance, humanitarian workers and experts in communications and public information. http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/


Depending on the country context, post-conflict peacebuilding requires a combination of coordinated and coherent political, peacekeeping, development, humanitarian and human rights activities, which together foster and support sustainable structures, institutions and processes to strengthen coexistence and decrease the likelihood of the reoccurrence of armed conflict. The main challenges include empowering national actors to manage political transition and national constituting processes. This includes support for national dialogue, constitution making, transitional justice and the reform of the security forces and the justice system. It also includes the return, resettlement and reintegration of displaced refugee populations and, more critically, ex-combatants. Another challenge often involves national efforts to rebuild the State by clarifying and capacitating governance systems, institutions and decision-making processes to enable the State to perform its core functions, such as providing security, managing public finances, providing infrastructure and social services, administrating justice and investing in human capital. (The United Nations Peace Mandate, PDF)


Peacebuilding Activities

While the deployment of a multi-dimensional United Nations peacekeeping operation may help to stem violence in the short-term, it is unlikely to result in a sustainable peace unless accompanied by programmes designed to prevent the recurrence of confict. Every situation invariably presents its own specific set of challenges. However, experience has shown that the achievement of a sustainable peace requires progress in at least four critical areas:

a) Restoring the StateтАЩs ability to provide security and maintain public order;
b) Strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights;
c) Supporting the emergence of legitimate political institutions and participatory processes;
d) Promoting social and economic recovery and development,

Peacemaking as have already been mentioned is the pre-conflict diplomatic actions aimed at persuading the conflicting sides to cease fire and bringing them to the table of negotiations. The role of mediators may be performed by different actors of international relations but mostly by the Secretary-General, Secretary-GeneralтАЩs special representatives and envoys and other officials acting on behalf of the Secretary-General.

http://pbpu.unlb.org/pbps/Library/Capstone_Doctrine_ENG.pdf


In the United Nations, the act of mediation describes the political skills utilized in efforts carried out by the United Nations Secretary-General or his representatives, through the exercise of the Secretary General's "Good Offices," without the use of force and in keeping with the principles of the UN Charter. The United Nations mediator engages in a process as a third party, when those in conflict either seek or accept the assistance of the United Nations with the aim to prevent, manage or resolve a conflict. Mediation skills, therefore, could be employed in all of the following contexts: prior to conflict through preventive diplomacy; during a conflict through peacemaking activities; after a conflict to promote implementation modalities and agreements during peacebuilding efforts to consolidate peace and lay the foundation for sustainable development.

A United Nations mediation mandate, however, is more specifically defined. When the United Nations is called upon to mediate a resolution to a conflict, the parties accept what is called a mediation mandate. This means that they accept that the UN mediator is there to help and provide them them find solutions to resolve their conflict. A United Nations mediation mandate provides the authority for the Secretary-General or his envoys to: meet and listen to all parties to the conflict; consult all relevant parties for the resolution of the conflict; propose ideas and solutions to facilitate the resolution to the conflict.

While the final outcome has to be agreed to by the parties, being a mediator entails a much greater responsibility and involvement in the outcome of the conflict.

As in other mediations, a United Nations mediated outcome is not binding, unless the Security Council takes actions to enforce the agreement. Final implementation of the mediated agreement rests upon the commitment of the parties.

A United Nations mediation mandate is particularly useful to the parties as it gives them the opportunity to avail themselves of the experience and best practices that the United Nations ,as an organisation, has gained in the field of conflict resolution. http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/mediation/

http://www.un.org/depts/dpa/peace.html http://peacemaker.unlb.org/

[krobbie]

This is certainly not a matter for the UN. This is a matter of people in a democracy not wanting to wait for a vote next year (November of this year now off the table).

Women and children and the elderly have been asked to leave the area as all out offensive will begin. Red Shirts are crippling the country that lives in a constant state of "sore feet" anyway.

The one thing I do agree with the Red Shirts in is the chronic corruption of the high ups lining their already full pockets. "Greed" in a word. We all know it and most here have seen it in action in some small way. From the Traffic Police up, it is a way of life that needs to be snuffed out. This has been going on for a long time be really grew legs during the Thksin administration especially for those high up the ladder.

This is just my take on things and I know others will have their view also.

Krobbie

[soi_toi]

It's a stall tactic to garner support. While they're 'negotiating', more Red Shirts set up. In the end, Red Shirts still demand immediate house dissolution. They're unreasonable twats.

I hope for the good of Thailand these hard core Red Shirts don't go underground and fan out only to begin some sort of guerrilla warfare on the street of Bangkok and around Thailand. That would be not good for anyone.

I wonder if this paid mob believe that with Thaskin back in power they'll be getting 1000/baht a day each?

It's a stall tactic to garner support. While they're 'negotiating', more Red Shirts set up. In the end, Red Shirts still demand immediate house dissolution. They're unreasonable twats.

I hope for the good of Thailand these hard core Red Shirts don't go underground and fan out only to begin some sort of guerrilla warfare on the street of Bangkok and around Thailand. That would be not good for anyone.

I wonder if this paid mob believe that with Thaskin back in power they'll be getting 1000/baht a day each?

I've been told they have been promised a bonus of 200,000 each should Uncle Takky get back into power.

Red Shirt Leaders Willing to Negotiate Cease Fire
UPDATE : 17 May 2010
Nuthawut Saikua has announced that the red shirt leaders are now willing to negotiate a ceasefire with the government without any further conditions. The DAAD has earlier demanded that an international organization mediate the peace talks, but after a strong refusal from the government, the red shirt leaders are now willing to talk under any and all circumstances.
http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1029333

sounds promising

[Beachlover]

Sounds like the red shirts want to buy more time.

It doesn't make sense. They're not supposed to be firing anything. It's the government firing. The red shirts just want to remain in place but all the government wants them to do is leave and disperse.

Hopefully Veera pulls through with an agreement that gets everyone dispersed... and happy enough that there won't be any sort of insurgency or major civil unrest after this episode... at least for a while.

[soi_toi]

First it's:
"Nuthawut Saikua has announced that the red shirt leaders are now willing to negotiate a ceasefire with the government without any further conditions"

now it's back to:

"Update: Jutuporn: Just take the soldiers out and we are ready to talk. Want gov to bring in a mediator for talks (UN not acceptable)"

via Thai Visa

Stalling....stalling....and stalling.

Just arrest his sorry ass and throw him in jail.

A government ultimatum to clear Rajprasong is now approaching at 15:00. They said anyone left in the area after that time is going to prison for two years -- if they don't get shot. This isn't the first ultimatum of this type, so we'll see.

[Beachlover]

Yes, the red shirts are desperate to stall.

Their requests like, "just withdraw the troops" are a laughing stock. The red shirts backed the government against a wall and held them to ransom. Now the government has them backed against the wall... they're not going to get any breathing space from the government.

3pm deadline is right now... interesting to see what happens next.

Yes, the red shirts are desperate to stall.

Their requests like, "just withdraw the troops" are a laughing stock. The red shirts backed the government against a wall and held them to ransom. Now the government has them backed against the wall... they're not going to get any breathing space from the government.

3pm deadline is right now... interesting to see what happens next.

If the build up of troops at a facility in Bangpakong that my friend witnessed earlier today has anything to do with it then 'interesting' is an understatement.

[soi_toi]

What an intelligent bunch these Red Folk are..

http://twitpic.com/1ojv07

I know the army isn't perfect, but how would they know that this baby is there. Red shooting at them, army fires back. Red accuse the army of shooting innocent civilians.

PM sends email to UN chief

* Published: Bangkok POst 16/05/2010 at 10:13 AM
* Online news: Breakingnews

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has sent an email to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to explain the situation, acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said on Sunday.

The prime minister informed the UN chief that the ongoing political turmoil is an internal affair, and any intervention by an agency of a foreign country would do no good to that country, he added.

Mr Abhisit was confident that the government can settle the problem, according to Mr Panitan.

Mr Panitan said the situation on Saturday night to Sunday morning was improving and that tensions had eased.
He admitted that men in military uniform had infiltrated and killed red shirt protesters to incite violence.
The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation was investigating. http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... o-un-chief (http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/178053/pm-sends-e-mail-to-un-chief)


Thailand: UN rights chief calls on Government, protestors to тАШstep back from brinkтАЩ

17 May 2010 тАУ Voicing extreme concern at the escalation of deadly violence in Thailand, the top United Nations human rights official today called on anti-Government protestors and the security forces to pull back from the brink and search for a peaceful resolution to the current stand-off.

тАЬI urge leaders to set aside pride and politics for the sake of the people of Thailand,тАЭ High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said of the violence that is reported to have killed dozens of people.

тАЬAs the latest Government deadline passes, there is a high risk that the situation could spiral out of control. To prevent further loss of life, I appeal to the protestors to step back from the brink, and the security forces to exercise maximum restraint in line with the instructions given by the Government. Ultimately, this situation can only be resolved by negotiation.тАЭ

Echoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonтАЩs call on Friday to all sides to resume talks and avoid further loss of life, Ms. Pillay said she recognized Government efforts over the past couple of months to resolve the situation, including the establishment of a тАШroad mapтАЩ for national reconciliation.

She stressed that any use of force by security forces should be in accordance with universal human rights standards and welcomed Government assurances that it has set three firm principles governing the use of live ammunition тАУ that it should first be fired in the air as a warning, and used as a last resort for self-defence or to save lives.

тАЬLaw enforcement officials have a vital role in protecting the right to life, as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other treaties,тАЭ Ms. Pillay said. тАЬWhile recognizing their clear responsibility to restore order, lethal use of force and firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.тАЭ

Noting Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's commitment to set up an independent fact-finding inquiry into the recent violence, she stressed the importance of an impartial and thorough investigation of events, as well of the underlying causes of the unrest, as part of a peaceful resolution to the conflict. She said all parties should be made aware that they will be held accountable for their actions. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?N ... iland&Cr1= (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34720&Cr=thailand&Cr1=)


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Logo_of_the_United_Nations.png

"An interim government of national unity is needed. Sadly, Mr Abhisit's ministers have set their face against any foreign involvement in helping arrange such an administration. "Thailand is not a failed state," they say. Better, as proof of that assertion, to accept outside intervention when it is necessary. An interim government should have a remit not just to arrange a new election, but to discuss amending the constitution adopted under military rule in 2007"