Use of force, not violence

EDITORIAL

Published: 26 Nov 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

For the first time since major street protests began seven years ago, police took control of the political rally on Saturday. There is certain to be crocodile tears shed, and half-sincere investigations held. In the end, however, the national police force did what was necessary to protect public order. Their actions prevented yet another victory for anarchy on the streets.

The Pitak Siam rally was ill-advised from the start. Boonlert Kaewprasit misread the mood of the country. It was not sensible to call for the violent overthrow of the government by military force. He only compounded this risible and dangerous stand by adding a demand to "freeze" Thai democracy and political development, to replace it with a five-year tyranny of supposedly excellent elders.

He got his answer on Saturday about whether the country supported his dual calls for the use of force against Thai citizens. But as his rally collapsed around him, Gen Boonlert had the gall to complain of excessive use of force by police against his supporters. Unable to match even the turnout of his October rally at the Royal Turf Club, Gen Boonlert attempted to turn his own series of failures on the police.

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bikeme
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Discussion 20 : 26 Nov 2012 at 22.2320
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D18 - You are right, the red supporters here have definitely succumbed to the Thai "never admit you got it wrong" syndrome.
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meme
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Discussion 19 : 26 Nov 2012 at 20.3719
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At least the fugitive is getting one English-speaking newspaper supporting his dictatorship.
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Ian
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Discussion 18 : 26 Nov 2012 at 20.2918
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First few comments from government supporters then a lot of sour grapes from government opponents. I think many Farangs in this forum have gone native, I clearly see the Thai "never admit you got it wrong" syndrome at work here.
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Modin
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Discussion 17 : 26 Nov 2012 at 17.1217
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what happened was an abuse of power by the govt. and the police plain and simple. Rather then address the concerns the use riot police and tear gas.... where were they when the nation was being held hostage by the red shirts? oh yeah they vanished.... something here is fishy.... the people I saw were not rioting, they were peaceful people concerned by corruption and graft there to make a statement
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zydeco
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Discussion 16 : 26 Nov 2012 at 15.2316
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Just so the editorial writer might want to know. The people being gassed and beaten up in Cairo are ALSO protesting against the establishment of a one-party dictatorship with all the power in invested in one person. As for comparing things to a police smoking out some crazy guy who has barricaded himself in his house, are you suggesting that anyone who protests against Thaksin is "crazy"? That is even MORE like Soviet style totalitarianism.
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Deedy
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Discussion 15 : 26 Nov 2012 at 14.2715
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I don't recall the police being much use during the riots and violence of the yellow shirt mobs, either. Could it possibly be that the police simply got their act together? No, because then there's no Thaksin conspiracy to talk about.
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mdssr
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Discussion 14 : 26 Nov 2012 at 13.2214
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Just asking ? Why this time ? In 2010 police never helped to secure the situation leaving no other choice than call for the Army . Some people really wanted the situation to turn ugly and they succeeded in 2010 all of this in the name of Democracy...?I wonder where this will bring the people of Thailand...maybe we have seen part of the future this Saturday : dictatorship ,end of people's liberty of expressions ,police state ,change of laws for the benefit of certains only,hands over the legal systems.No more check and balance.Thailand starts looking like Cambodia's regime.Going backwards ??
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lucy
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Discussion 13 : 26 Nov 2012 at 11.2013
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It was very blinkered of Boonlert to call a mass rally in Bangkok when so many of the people in the upcountry areas he was hoping for support from are still occupied with the rice harvest. The red-shirts don't organise mass rallies during the harvest, only at times when many people are unemployed and looking for an income -- Songkran for example.
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bikeme
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Discussion 12 : 26 Nov 2012 at 11.1812
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Unfortunately the actions of the police over the past years shows only one thing ... that they obey a specific master and not the country's government. When the master's government is in charge, they do their duty, when their master's government is not in charge, they shirk their duty.
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donduck
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Discussion 11 : 26 Nov 2012 at 10.1911
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pjt d4 - Why not just get a list of who is in the cabinet and see how many police are there, compared with how many military, compared with neither. Then the paranoia might have a foundation. It is highly amusing to see the usual suspects whingeing that the police did good work on Saturday. You'd think that would be a Good Thing, but no, the police have got their NERVE doing a good job! It's all a plot, just like last week when the police did bad work, that was a plot, too.
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Use of force, not violence | Bangkok Post: opinion