Important events of the Red Shirt Army

At noon on April 11, 2010, the "Red Shirt Army" broke through the Thai military and police defense lines and rushed into the summit press center. Even heavily armed Thai security personnel could not stop thousands of demonstrators from rushing in. After entering the hotel, demonstrators began shouting and cheering.

On April 11, 2010, the Thai anti-government force "Red Shirt Army" continued to besiege the Royal Cliff Hotel in Pattaya, the venue for the ASEAN Leaders Summit series. This directly caused the senior officials of various countries attending the meeting to Unable to enter the hotel conference center as scheduled, many events were canceled. On the afternoon of the 11th, the "Red Shirt Army" broke through all layers of defense and broke into the hotel, frightening reporters from various countries in the media center. In view of the turbulent political situation, the Thai government finally announced that the current ASEAN Summit would be postponed due to security reasons.

On April 13, 2010, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva issued an order to establish the Emergency Law Enforcement Command to cope with the increasingly tense political situation in Bangkok. After Bangkok and surrounding areas implemented a state of emergency law on the 12th, the Thai military clashed with demonstrators while dispersing them in the early morning of the 13th, injuring at least 77 people. The leader of the Thai Anti-Dictatorship Democratic Alliance demonstrators announced the cessation of anti-government demonstrations at noon on the 14th, and anti-government demonstrators were gradually withdrawing from the demonstration site.

On April 7, 2010, anti-government "Red Shirt Army" demonstrators launched an attack on the Thai Parliament. They drove trucks to break open the gate, and hundreds of people forcibly entered the Parliament compound. Pitoon Pumhiran, secretary-general of Thailand's House of Commons, said: "Hundreds of people have entered the parliament compound and they drove a truck to knock down the gate. But so far, no violence has occurred." He said that about 150 people Police are responsible for security at the entrance to the Parliament compound.

On May 15, 2010, serious violent conflicts broke out in Bangkok late at night on the 14th between Thai government troops and anti-government demonstrators. The Bangkok Emergency Medical Agency stated on the 15th that the conflict has resulted in 16 deaths and at least 141 injuries, including 3 foreigners. Earlier that night, in the Watergate area near the "Red Shirt Army" rally site, unidentified armed men fired several M-79 grenades at the Thai army and exchanged fire with the army. At the Saladan intersection near the rally site, military police turned off all street lights to prevent unknown persons from taking the opportunity to cause chaos.

After the Thai army surrounded the stronghold of the Red Shirt Army, serious conflicts broke out between the two sides, and the army used live ammunition. Reporters at the scene said they saw burning cars on the road in central Bangkok, heard gunshots and explosions, and had helicopters circling in the sky. It felt like a battlefield. Bangkok's emergency medical department stated that among the 141 injured so far, they included "Burmese, Polish and Canadians."

On May 20, 2010, anti-government "red shirts" in Bangkok, Thailand "Army" demonstrators gradually left the demonstration site. As safety risks still exist, the Thai government announced on the same day that the curfew will continue to be implemented for three days from the 20th to the 22nd, and the curfew time will be changed from 9 pm to 5 am the next morning.

Protest again

On March 16, 2010, Thai red shirt demonstrators spilled their own blood in front of the Prime Minister's Office. Their move was aimed at putting pressure on the authorities. Exiled former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returns to power. The Thai Red Shirt Army started a march through Bangkok at 9:55 a.m. local time on the 20th.

They set off from the rally base at Bushuaqiao, passed through many major roads, and then returned to Bushuaqiao to put pressure on the government again. Many military police have been deployed on major road sections to strengthen security and prevent conflicts.

The Red Shirt Army vowed on the 19th to continue to promote anti-government protests and strive to win the hearts and minds of Bangkok's middle class. The Red Shirts plan to distribute leaflets throughout Bangkok on Saturday, calling on sympathizers to join the anti-government ranks. "We hope to win the hearts and minds of the people of Bangkok," a protest leader said. "We have proven to them that we are sincere and non-violent. We hope they can help us overthrow this hypocritical government." However, analysts said , overthrowing the current government is a very difficult task.

Calling for peace talks

Natawu Sego, one of the leaders of the "Red Shirt Army", called on the government to immediately cease fire and start peace talks with the "Red Shirt Army".

Later on the 15th, Abhisit, who was in the camp of the 11th Infantry Regiment of the Army, delivered a nationally televised speech. "The military operation is aimed at putting pressure on them (the "Red Shirts") to force them to give up the rally and minimize the damage to the country," Abhisit said. "At this stage, the authorities are only encircling and blocking the Ratchaprasong intersection. The army has not yet entered the assembly area.” Most of the conflicts for three consecutive days were only carried out outside the “Red Shirt Army” assembly points, and the army did not enter the “Red Shirt Army” assembly area. On the evening of the 15th, there were still about 6,000 "Red Shirt Army" supporters rallying on the ground at the Ratchaprasong rally point. Thai media interprets that there may be larger-scale conflicts between government troops and the "Red Shirt Army" in the next few days.

Escalation of conflict

On May 16, 2010, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that he would consider imposing a curfew in some urban areas of the capital Bangkok. Abhisit said that the violence on the streets of the capital Bangkok has become increasingly violent, and the government is considering imposing a curfew. He also once again asked the "Red Shirts" composed of supporters of the anti-government civil political group Anti-Dictatorship Democratic Alliance to stop the rally. Since anti-government demonstrations broke out in Thailand in mid-to-early March, at least 54 people have been killed. The Thai government has cut off the financial resources of the "Red Shirt Army". The Secretary-General of Thailand's National Security Council said that the government has frozen financial provision to the "Red Shirt Army". 106 bank accounts supported. These accounts involve 13 companies and multiple individuals, including former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and family members, retired Army Major General Khadija Sawatipong, "red shirt" leaders and former Thai Rak Thai executive committee member. He urged demonstrators to leave the rally area immediately, saying he would provide vehicles and travel expenses for demonstrators to go home. In Bangkok, the Thai capital, a rescue worker passed by the entrance to the financial district filled with thick smoke.

Thailand police said on May 20, 2010 that during a clearance operation on the 19th, nine people died in a conflict that occurred in a temple. A Thai police spokesman said: Medical staff who arrived at the scene said they found nine bodies in the temple.

On May 19, 2014, the Thai government army’s clearing operation against the Red Shirt Army entrenched in Bangkok’s business district resulted in the death of six people. However, the authorities said that no bodies from the temple have been received so far, which means that The death toll from the conflict will rise significantly. After the Thai army launched a clearing operation against the anti-government red shirt crowd in Bangkok, which plunged the capital into violent chaos, the government announced that Bangkok would implement a curfew from 8 pm local time on Wednesday to 6 am (1300-2300 GMT).

Bangkok has been calm during the curfew, but there are still small conflicts in the dark streets. Thai authorities initially imposed a curfew only on the capital, but later expanded it to 21 provinces, accounting for about one-third of the total provinces, after riots broke out in seven regions of Thailand, especially the Red Shirt Army base in the north. After the army entered the Red Shirt Army's camp, clashes between the two sides resulted in the death of at least six people, and the Red Shirt Army leader was forced to surrender. The army was authorized to shoot looters and arsonists, and operations continued overnight.

End of the incident

The Thai army and the "Red Shirt Army" continued to face off and clash in many locations in Bangkok on the morning of the 16th, causing 235 casualties. Confrontations and conflicts mainly occurred near the blockade set up by the army about two or three kilometers away from the Ratchaprasong intersection where the "Red Shirt Army" gathered. Gunfire and explosions were heard from time to time, and news of casualties continued to spread. The "red shirts" also set fire to old tires, causing black smoke to billow in many places. Thailand's Bangkok emergency agency said in the early morning of the 16th that as of midnight on the 15th, the death toll caused by two consecutive days of conflict between the Thai army and the "Red Shirt Army" rose to 24, and another 211 people were injured.

The conflicts since the 14th have made the bustling commercial districts of Bangkok almost deserted in the past. Pratunam Commercial District, Ratchaprasong Commercial District, etc. are surrounded by barricades such as barbed wire. Vehicles and pedestrians on the street Light rail and subway lines were all out of service, and buses were detoured to avoid military blockades.

According to Bangkok media reports on the 16th, people in the blockade areas designated by the military have experienced difficulties in their lives, especially shortages of drinking water and food. The Thai government's Emergency Management Center has ordered the army to deliver water and food to these affected people. Bangkok Mayor Sukunphan said on the 16th that due to the continued conflict between the army and the "Red Shirt Army" and considering the safety of students and teachers, the start date of the new semester of Bangkok schools was postponed from the 17th to the 24th.

The Thai government began to blockade the "Red Shirt Army" rally venue from the evening of the 13th to force the "Red Shirt Army" to end the demonstration. The government cut off mobile phone signals in the Ratchaprasong intersection area and sent troops to set up checkpoints on many surrounding roads to prevent demonstrators from entering. Buses, buses, subways, light rails, ferries, etc. located in and around the assembly area have suspended services. On the afternoon of May 19, 2010, after the Thai military launched a "clearance" operation, seven core leaders of the "Red Shirt Army" including Natawu and Chatuporn surrendered to the Thai police. The Red Shirt Army continued for 69 Days of rallies and demonstrations came to an end. A large number of protestors could not accept this outcome. Many people smashed and set fire everywhere. Thick smoke rose everywhere in the Ratchaprasong business district, and explosions and gunshots continued. The situation was once out of control.

Nandu reporters were at the scene and witnessed the whole process of the surrender of the "Red Shirt Army" leaders in chaos. When they heard about the surrender, the people lost their temper. At noon yesterday, Nandu reporters learned that the leaders of the "Red Shirt Army" might surrender to the Thai police that afternoon, so they went to the core area of ??the "Red Shirt Army" rally in the Ratchaprasong business district to wait. At 1 p.m. local time (12 p.m. Beijing time), several "Red Shirt Army" leaders including Chatuporn and Natawu appeared together behind the main stage. They were discussing in low voices, and the atmosphere was a bit strange. Soon, they walked to the stage, and Natavu changed into a red T-shirt as he walked. Passionate songs were played all the time, but when several leaders appeared on the stage, the scene suddenly became quiet. Unknown to many, the situation has taken a turn for the worse. Chatupong spoke first, "I apologize to all of you. I don't want more casualties. I am already overwhelmed. We will surrender." When he said this, tears welled up in his eyes. Chatupon said he would never abandon the "Red Shirts" or forget their political goals. The "Red Shirt Army" crowd at the scene was very emotional. People were crying and shouting, expressing that they could not accept it.

Natavu then announced that the rally of the "red shirts" would end immediately. He asked those at the scene to go home immediately because "I can no longer tolerate the cruel treatment we have been subjected to." At this time, the emotions of the people at the scene were out of control. Many women were shouting, expressing that they could not accept such an ending, and some excited people rushed to the stage. Natavu surrendered to the police station. Explosions continued to sound near the assembly area, and Natavu seemed a little nervous. He prepared to leave the stage twice, but the entourage blocked him with their bodies and formed human shields. The atmosphere at the scene became increasingly tense and out of control. The speech of the leader of the "Red Shirt Army" was completely drowned out by the cries of the people below. Natavu left the stage hastily, and a swarm of disappointed and dissatisfied people came forward.

Natavu walked around in the audience, took off his red shirt, and was chased by the crowd to the nearby Royal Thai Police Headquarters. Some "Red Shirt" supporters began to smash and burn around the rally site, and a high-rise building closest to the stage was set on fire, causing flames. Nandu reporters followed Natavu into the Royal Thai Police headquarters. At the door of the building, Natavu shouted through a loudspeaker, asking people not to worry, saying that they were safe inside. Afterwards, Natavu and his entourage walked up to the second floor of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters. There was a large-scale riot at the scene. Perhaps unwilling to do so, perhaps because they thought they had been "abandoned," the "red shirts" and their supporters waiting outside began to create a large-scale riot. The surrounding buildings were doused with buckets of gasoline, and someone got a gas tank and opened the valve. The gas hissed out, and panicked people ran away in panic.

At the same time, huge explosions continued to sound in the Ratchaprasong business district. Inside the Royal Thai Police headquarters, the police could only watch helplessly as people vented their anger and the building outside was on fire and smoking.

A Thai policeman told Nandu reporters that there was a large number of people outside and there was nothing they could do. They could only let the army take action first and they would support from behind. There were military planes circling at low altitude, shouting at the protesters, but the crazy beating, smashing, and burning continued. At 3:40 pm local time, intensive gunfire rang out from the left side of the police headquarters, and people began to flee again. This time, it was a firefight between the Thai military and unknown gunmen. Elsewhere in Bangkok, riots were spreading. At the Saladan station intersection, demonstrators vandalized phone booths, billboards and traffic signs. Thick smoke billowed from many places. Bangkok has turned into a battlefield filled with smoke.

The police car escorted Natavu away. There was chaos outside, and the atmosphere inside the Royal Police Headquarters was also extraordinary. A large number of riot police were on standby, and several cars were lined up. At 2:51 p.m., heavily armed police officers surrounded Natavu and came down from the building and put the "red shirt" leader into a van. Escorted by a police car, Natavu quietly left through the back door. The military had already cleared the area and controlled the entire street at the back entrance of the police headquarters. At this time, the street was deserted.

The police surrounded Natavu as he walked down from the second floor and escorted him into a van from the back door and left. At present, the military has escorted six "Red Shirt Army" leaders including Natavu by helicopter to the Naresuan military camp in Prachuap Khiri Khan, south of Bangkok, for detention. As a member of Parliament, Chatuporn needs to go through further procedures before he can be prosecuted.

Impact of the incident

The 69-day street demonstration in Bangkok by the Red Shirt Army ended with the government using force to clear the scene and the Red Shirt Army leader announcing his surrender, which brought an imperfect end. Although the situation remains tense in Bangkok and 23 provinces across the country that have implemented a state of emergency; although traces of fireworks still linger on the ruins of the World Trade Center; although the curfew has been extended and sporadic conflicts occur from time to time, overall, the red This large-scale operation by the Red Shirt Army has come to an end. Review and summary are important, but people are more concerned about the future and how Thailand's political landscape will evolve after the Red Shirt Army incident.

When the government and the Red Shirts were still in a stalemate on the streets and the army failed to take action, there were many comments that many of the soldiers were from poor backgrounds and might not be able to take action. Facts have proved that this judgment is not true. comprehensive. In a developing country like Thailand, the basic members of any army with conscripts as its backbone can only come from the poor class, but this does not prevent them from carrying out the instructions of the government and military officers most of the time. As a special form of constitutional monarchy, when the majority of citizens still support such a political system, the royal family and the kingdom system, the "uprising" shouted by Thaksin thousands of miles away can only be an expression of gesture, especially when Others shed blood and died, but he himself was shopping in Paris with his family, and the expression of this gesture was even less contagious.

However, the Red Shirt Army’s political appeal for a more equal distribution of benefits and a fairer social order has a broad mass base, and the opposition between the rich and the poor, and between urban and rural areas, is an objective reality. In fact, even if Thaksin or Thaksin's party is marginalized, the Red Shirts will continue to exist in different forms, and new leaders will emerge in the struggle. The style and appeal of these leaders will, to a large extent, This will affect the future evolution of Thailand’s political landscape.

Although the government had the upper hand in the incident, the shooting itself was enough to damage Thailand's international image, and the sequelae of the incident will inevitably cause cascading effects such as economic contraction and employment rate decline, thus making the root cause of the incident ---The gap between rich and poor and the contradiction between urban and rural areas have become more intense. Whether these contradictions can be reconciled and social equity achieved during reconstruction is the key to whether Thai society can quickly restore stability.

Judging from the current situation, the pattern of "red faction's rural areas" and "yellow faction's Bangkok" is unbreakable. After this struggle, both sides have been severely weakened and need a period of rest. Thai society may temporarily Get settled. But another hidden worry is becoming increasingly apparent: generational change in the royal family.

Comments on the event

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej is highly respected and is the last cornerstone of Thailand's stability.

However, the King of Thailand is over eighty years old and in poor health, and the Crown Prince is difficult to live up to the expectations of the public. Once the new King ascends to the throne, the political balancing role of the Royal Family may be weakened; even if the King of Thailand makes up his mind to change the successor, the problem will still be serious: in addition to the Crown Prince, Thailand The king only has three daughters, and only the second princess Sirindhorn is the most popular, but she is still unmarried. Even if she eventually ascends the throne, it will only postpone the succession problem of the royal family for another generation.

In the final analysis, the root cause of Thailand’s political crisis is the issue of interest distribution. To completely solve this problem, I am afraid there are only two ways: either through great economic development, the cake of interests will become bigger and everyone will get more. more; or make the distribution of benefits fairer and more reasonable through bold political reforms. Otherwise, the soul of the Red Shirt Army will still be floating in the sky over Thailand, and may be "resurrected" at any time. Unsatisfied with Yingluck's resignation, Thailand's anti-government camp took to the streets to demonstrate on May 9, 2014, demanding the "complete removal of the Thaksin regime" and the establishment of an "interim government". They clashed with the police, resulting in many injuries. The Red Shirts who support the government will also hold a large-scale street demonstration on the 10th to support the government. Whether the two camps will clash head-on will cause concern. Analysts believe that Yingluck's dismissal will only intensify the turmoil in Thailand and drag down the Thai economy; but if the two factions can make concessions and compromises, it may still be possible for the situation to return to normal, and the general election on July 20 may be the last chance. The Red Shirts will hold a large-scale demonstration on the 10th to support the government. The "Red Shirts", supporters of the anti-dictatorship democratic alliance that supports the government, plan to hold large-scale rallies on Saturday (10th) and 14th to support the government. Chatupong, chairman of the "Red Shirt Army", said on the 7th that the "Red Shirt Army" is different from the "People's Committee for Democratic Reform". This group hopes that the country will continue to move forward along the path of democracy, rather than seizing power through non-democratic means. Chatuporn said that the "Red Shirt Army" opposed a neutral person to serve as prime minister and form an interim government, saying that the Constitutional Court's unconstitutional ruling by Yingluck Shinawatra on the 7th was undoubtedly a disguised coup. The people of Thailand will be This led to a fight. Before the court announced its ruling on the 7th, the red shirts threatened to enter Bangkok at any time to protest. The Red Shirts said that about 100,000 Red Shirts are waiting in the northeastern region. If the Constitutional Court's ruling will cause Yingluck to step down, they are ready to march to Bangkok to demonstrate. The Thai anti-government group has already held a demonstration in Bangkok on the 9th. If the protest continues on the 10th, whether there will be a conflict or even a head-on "confrontation" with the red shirt troops who took to the streets on the 10th has attracted attention.

Tens of thousands of red shirts in Thailand gathered in Bangkok and vowed to continue to demonstrate in support of Yingluck Shinawatra

On May 10, 2014, in Thailand, tens of thousands of red shirts supporting the government gathered in the west of Bangkok. A large-scale rally was held in the suburbs, claiming to resist the "coup" launched by anti-government forces and the attempt by an unelected government to take power, and warned that this would trigger a civil war. Thailand's upper house will meet tomorrow, and whether an interim prime minister will be appointed will attract much attention.

Supporters of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of the caretaker government described her removal from office as a "judicial coup" after she was ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. Chadupong, the main leader of the Red Shirt Army, said: "We cannot accept a prime minister who is undemocratic and violates the constitution. We will continue to demonstrate until the country returns to the track of democracy."