The content in this page ("BLACK OCTOBER: Violence without responsiblity, on either side" by Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation) is not produced by Prachatai staff. Prachatai merely provides a platform, and the opinions stated here do not necessarily reflect those of Prachatai.

BLACK OCTOBER: Violence without responsiblity, on either side

The man on television early yesterday looked stunned and in pain as he slowly came to terms with the fact that one of his legs was a bloody pulp, torn apart by an explosion.

Thanya Koonkaew was the man, a member of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which had blocked and surrounded the Parliament buildng - only to be forced out by volleys of tear gas, one after the other.

Enough space was eventually cleared for the new People Power Party administration to enter Parliament and deliver its policy statement.

At press time, it was still not clear how Thanya's leg was lost, but it definitely occurred while the heavy-handed dispersal of demonstrators took place.

No attempt was made to warn protesters to move away before tear-gas pellets were fired. No high-profile negotiator or politicians were present. It was simply violence.

The government may claim talking was pointless and bound to fail because PAD protesters are "brainwashed" by their leaders around the clock. But if it had succeeded, it could have saved Thanya's leg, as well as the injuries that many suffered.

The new prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, expressed no regret about what happened to Thanya and dozens of others injured, including police. Was the prime minister responsible for the loss of Thanya's leg. Or was it Thanya's fault?

The premier read out his government's policies in haste, as if wanting to set some kind of new record.

Among them was a policy of "reconciliation" and how his regime was determined to host the Asean summit in Bangkok - to show the Thai government tried "to stop conflicts in a peaceful manner".

Somchai may speak softly and talk about peace, national unity and reconciliation, but the actions of his administration yesterday did not match the words.

The words were read at 11am and broadcast live on television as if nothing had happened. They came as more clashes between police and PAD demonstrators erupted and dozens of other people were injured.

His government now looks prepared to defend its power at all costs.

On the other side and on another channel, minutes after Somchai uttered those words, PAD leader Phiphob Thongchai was caught candid on camera a few seconds before he was set to "talk" to the public.

Phiphob was smiling to reporters in an apparently good mood before realising he had to talk to the camera. His face suddenly turned serious.

It makes you seriously wonder if PAD leaders like Phiphob or Sondhi Limthongkul really care about members like Thanya and the risks these ordinary demonstrators face.

They may go on and on denouncing the government as tyrannical and condemn its actions as barbaric and unjust, but are any of them really sorry or feel partly responsible for what happened to Thanya?

Quick to capitalise, these PAD leaders kept on agitating the crowd further and handed the government an ultimatum: dissolve Parliament by 6pm.

More violence could lead to another exploitative coup, but perhaps the PAD leaders will emerge victorious, at whatever cost to ordinary members.

By noon, a police officer was seriously injured when he was stabbed through the chest by a PAD protester wielding a flagpole.

Later in the afternoon a car exploded near Parliament. One person died in the fire, the cause of which is still being studied.

In regard to Thanya, an anchorman on Channel 3, which showed footage of Thanya and his missing leg, apologised for airing the "disturbing" footage, explaining it was aired during live coverage.

Perhaps Thai society needs a sanitised version of political conflicts, free of blood and missing limbs, as violence goes on senselessly - free of any sense of responsibility.

Source: 
<p>http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/10/08/politics/politics_30085438.php</p>

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