Thai Red-Shirted Leaders Seek UN Help

One question that often comes to people's mind is: "Who have turned Thailand into its today's sad condition?" But that is not as depressing as that the people who are hurting Thailand have been asking "outsiders" like the United Nations to intervene their home country's internal affairs. In fact, the situation that is as bad as a civil war could be ended earlier if leaders of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) accepted the national reconciliation road map proposed by Prime Minister Aphisit Vejjajiva.

Protecting Human Rights
The United Nations or UN is known to be an independent organization with an aim to promote peace in the world. Its key roles are to host dialogues to end disputes, to promote peace and security, to protect human rights and to offer humanitarian assistance to member countries around the world, including other countries. For this reason, it is not surprising or irregular to hear reports that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his concern about violent situation in Thailand.

But it is rather shameful that Thais, both leaders of the UDD and members of the parliament from Puea Thai Party, have demanded the United Nations to help mediate problems in their own home despite the fact that it was red-shirted leaders' fickleness that has caused violence, the scenarios that fully armed military troops paraded to surround Ratchaprasong Road, and utilities cut off in areas around red shirt protest sites. They did not keep their promise by ending the protests after Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has surrendered to the police in the investigation team of the Department of Special Investigation.

Deteriorating Situation
Violent situation in Thailand was triggered by riots in Bangkok, and it has been intensified, prompting 25 people to be killed and over 200 people injured since May 15. But for people who are neutral and who have followed the development of the situation, they would have seen red shirt people began their protests at Phan Fa Road in March and later on moved to Ratchaprasong Road in April. The situation has turned violence after terrorist attacks on Silom Road and Saladaeng.

Protesters have troubled doctors, nurses, and service users at Chulalongkorn Hospital. Eventually, Major General Khattiya Sawatdiphon, or Se Daeng, has been shot in the head and has been in coma. It is hard to deny that UDD leaders who have been irresponsible towards their own action over the past two months have caused all the violence.

For these reasons, if the UDD want to see peace being restored in our country and do not want to see more local residents, pro red shirt communities and other innocent people being at risk of injuries and losing their loved ones, they may solve the problems themselves. They do not need assistance from the UN, or use it as a way to survive the government's stringent operation, in spite of the fact that the UN was once being demeaned by the UDD (big boss) with the sentence: "The UN....not my father," when he was leading the government.

Facing Immediate Threat
We affirm that UDD's request for assistance from the UN would only cause damage. For the first damage, it is the same as handing out our country into the hands of other peoples. Should outsiders be invited to manage our country's internal affairs? For the second damage, the move underlines the fact that UDD leaders did everything for their own interest. They protect themselves with human shields.

Once facing immediate threat of danger, they reached out for assistance from other people and did not care that they have once severely criticized those people. They are real evils

Red-Shirted Leaders, Thai Government Truce Talks Collapse

United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) co-leader and opposition Puea Thai Party MP Jatuporn Prompan said on 30 March that the truce talks between the government and the red-shirted UDD were over because the two sides had totally different standpoints. Jatuporn said that there would be no more negotiations and the red-shirted leaders would not hold talks with the government behind people's back. The two sides just cannot end their differences.

During talks late 29 March, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva offered the UDD a compromise, saying he was willing to call a general election by the end of the year, one-year ahead of schedule.
Jatuporn said: "We want the government to dissolve the House in 15 days, but the government said it needs nine months. The government and the UDD are like water and oil. We just cannot get along together."

Revocation of Internal Security Act
The government also cannot ask for further talks in exchange for the revocation of the Internal Security Act. The red-shirted rally will now be intensified, from pressuring the government for dissolution to expelling the government, but we will continue to protest peacefully.

However, if the government would consider dissolving the House in three months, the UDD leaders would discuss it and ask for the people's views on the same. Abhisit has expressed regret at the collapse of the talks.

It is a pity that protest leaders have swiftly rejected the government's offer and signaled the immediate end of talks. Despite this, the government is still open for negotiations. Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat said that the cabinet on 30 March agreed to extend the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Bangkok and two adjoining provinces for another week.

Tough Time Ahead
The security law, invoked in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan to ensure peace and order during the antigovernment rally, had been due to end on 30 March. The cabinet has approved a plan to impose the ISA in Petchaburi's Cha-am district and Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district during the Mekong River Summit, Deputy Education Minister Chaiwut Bannawat.

The Mekong River Commission will meet from 2 to 5 April in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan. The invocation of the security law is to ensure security for foreign leaders attending the meeting.