<p><em>Robin Wigglesworth, Gulf correspondent, interviewed Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister of Thailand, in Dubai on April 16 2009.</em><br /> &nbsp;<br /> <strong>Do you think your supporters, the red-shirts, have been defeated?</strong><br /> &nbsp;<br /> Thaksin:&nbsp;The movement&rsquo;s aim is to get true democracy for all. Thailand has been telling the whole world that we are a democracy, but we are not really a democracy for all. It is a democracy for a few: for the political elites in Bangkok who still have a very big influence over Thai politics.</p>

<p><strong>A truce on the streets may not herald a durable political peace</strong><br /> BAR-HOPPING visitors to Thailand are warned that minor brawls can turn deadly in the blink of an eye. The same applies to political violence. Over four days of mayhem, Thailand lurched from a mob invasion of a regional leaders&rsquo; summit in Pattaya to a military crackdown on protesters in Bangkok and then, on April 14th, to a negotiated surrender to authorities. By restoring order, the reeling government, and the prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, won themselves a temporary breathing space.</p>

<p>Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of independent Thai online news portal Prachatai, was arrested March 6 under Thailand&rsquo;s Computer Crimes Act. Her charges resulted from allowing comments posted by readers of Prachatai&rsquo;s online discussion fora alleged to be l&egrave;se majest&eacute;.<br /> &nbsp;</p>

<p>Go ahead and curse Thaksin Shinawatra as much as you like!&nbsp; Blame Thaksin for corruption, for using and manipulating the red-shirt mob to risk their lives confronting tanks, armed soldiers, and arrest, to fulfil his insatiable thirst for power and money in the name of &quot;real democracy&quot;. Thaksin deserves it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As troops and antigovernment protestors clashed on Bangkok&rsquo;s streets again this week, a furious battle also played out in the media over casualties. Government spokespersons and army officers insisted that bullets had not been fired into the crowds. Their opponents said the opposite. </p> <p>Soldiers had at times pointed their weapons at people, and some of the red-shirted demonstrators had been shot, but there were few reliable details of who was hurt, how, where and why.</p>

<p>Nobody won. That is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the chaotic events in Thailand over the past few days.<br /> Certainly not the red-shirted United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), whose attempted uprising degenerated into a series of chaotic clashes with the army that left a wake of destruction on the streets of Bangkok.</p>

<p>&nbsp;BANGKOK, Apr 14 (IPS) - For nearly two weeks, Pairoj Chotsripanporn joined the ranks of anti-government protesters gathered outside the prime minister&rsquo;s office, wearing the trademark red shirt of the movement.</p>

<p>Nakhonratchasima, Thailand &mdash; Two Red Shirt leaders announced Tuesday morning they were dispersing their followers, who had been protesting in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand for days, and would surrender to police. The two leaders of the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra group, United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, were taken into police custody for questioning.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Thailand, the land of politeness and smiles, is also famous for kickboxing. The street battles in Bangkok this week were a window into the country&rsquo;s pugilistic side, an outpouring of frustration by protesters who say they feel injustice and discrimination in the workings of Thailand&rsquo;s troubled democracy.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Thai authorities have issued arrest warrants for <span lang="TH" /> font-family:&quot;Cordia New&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:<br /> minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin"&gt;13</span> protest leaders and the man the protesters support, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.</p>

<p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Thaweeporn Kummetha, The Nation - &quot;In an open zoo, animals seem to have the freedom and liberty to do what they want, but their freedom is just an illusion. They are all confined in a very big cage.&quot;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"> <div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span">This was how Chiranuch Premchaiyaporn, webmaster for the non-profit online newspaper Prachatai, began her speech at the Thai Netizen Network&#39;s first meeting recently. She was discussing freedom of speech on the Net.</span></div> <p></p></span></span></p>

<p>Bangkokians may be relieved upon seeing red-shirted, pro-Thaksin Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD) protesters ending the blockade of Victory Monument, Bangkok&#39;s main traffic hub, but some of those manning the area yesterday were heartbroken and signs of a rift within the movement began to emerge.</p>