THE EMBARRASSING botched attempt to arrest a red leader today has led to Thailand's Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban being relieved of his role as head of the key national emergency post.
Instead of troops and police carrying out the planned arrest at a Bangkok hotel, the world's media and the red shirts looked on as Khun Suthep prematurely announce the action on television, warning the red leader, who managed to escape down a rope.
In the ensuing fiasco, red protesters also took three policemen hostage. Stepping into Khun Suthep's place will be army supremo General Anupong Paochinda.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva went on national television after 9pm tonight to announce the change at the top of the crisis-generated Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations.
The PM said that the red protest had grown more serious and so a professional soldier was now required for the job. General Anupong now has the task of suppressing ''terrorists'' who have allegedly infiltrated the ranks of the red shirt protesters.
While blame appears to have been apportioned for today's red faces, no responsibility has yet been taken for the far more serious bungled attempt on Saturday night to budge red protesters from Bangkok, which has resulted in 24 deaths so far and more than 800 injured.
Troops left their armored vehicles and weapons behind in a failed action that appeared to rely on the same troops who had been instructed for a month to not react with violence to the red protesters, no matter what the provocation.
A small group of red protesters from Phuket remain involved in the Bangkok confrontation, which now appears likely to end with more violence unless a compromise can be negotiated.
Instead of troops and police carrying out the planned arrest at a Bangkok hotel, the world's media and the red shirts looked on as Khun Suthep prematurely announce the action on television, warning the red leader, who managed to escape down a rope.
In the ensuing fiasco, red protesters also took three policemen hostage. Stepping into Khun Suthep's place will be army supremo General Anupong Paochinda.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva went on national television after 9pm tonight to announce the change at the top of the crisis-generated Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations.
The PM said that the red protest had grown more serious and so a professional soldier was now required for the job. General Anupong now has the task of suppressing ''terrorists'' who have allegedly infiltrated the ranks of the red shirt protesters.
While blame appears to have been apportioned for today's red faces, no responsibility has yet been taken for the far more serious bungled attempt on Saturday night to budge red protesters from Bangkok, which has resulted in 24 deaths so far and more than 800 injured.
Troops left their armored vehicles and weapons behind in a failed action that appeared to rely on the same troops who had been instructed for a month to not react with violence to the red protesters, no matter what the provocation.
A small group of red protesters from Phuket remain involved in the Bangkok confrontation, which now appears likely to end with more violence unless a compromise can be negotiated.
"bungled attempt on Saturday night to budge red protesters from Bangkok"
Bungled? Is that what they were doing? I thought they were trying to protect themselves from the red shirt thugs whilst trying to maintain some order in Bangkok.
Editor: It was bungled because (a) they didn't succeed in clearing the streets and (b) scores of people died and hundreds were injured.
Posted by Anonymous on April 17, 2010 09:51