Government troops and police moved in force, early in the morning of 19th May to disperse and clear the anti-government Red Shirt protesters from the upscale heart of Bangkok’s commercial and tourist zone.  By early afternoon, the Red Shirt leaders announced to their followers that the city centre fight was over,

Several of the leaders surrendered themselves to police to answer charges on arrest warrants.  Others fled into hiding amid calls from the government’s CRES emergency management centre that the public report any and all sightings of the fugitives.

• Reporter : Garry Harbottle-Johnson, Thailand
• Photographs : Agencies and contacts in Thailand

Between the post-dawn launch of the military operations, and the post-lunch capitulation of the main protest site, violence and civil unrest erupted around the country.  Government buildings and provincial management centres were attacked, piles of tyres were set ablaze, local emergency services attacked while responding to calls.

Late in the day, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva tried to reassure the country that the government would restore calm as fires spread through the capital. PM Abhisit said in his televised address that troops had been given the go-ahead to shoot at suspected arsonists.  A curfew was announced from 8pm (19th May) until 6am the following morning, covering Bangkok and 21 provinces (see British Embassy announcement here).  Travellers heading for Suvannabhumi International Airport holding tickets for outbound flights are exempt the curfew, but ill-advised to travel under such circumstances.

In the Red Shirt primary support areas of Thailand’s North and North East, the government encirclement and assault upon the sprawling demonstration encampment in the capital triggered arson attacks and mob gatherings.

The following reports and photographs are collated from various sources …

A saddening indictment of the Red Shirt lawlessness – two new fire engines in Chiang Mai, attacked and destroyed on 19th May 2010. The foreground vehicle has it’s front right tyre punctured and deflated, and windows smashed, as it passes between a road block of two crowd control barriers.  The Red Shirts claim to be peaceful protesters seeking democracy.  One fire truck is torched.  They were despatched to put out fires which were started earlier by “red shirt” supporters at Chiang Mai’s governor’s residence, and its immdiate surroundings, on and near Naowarat bridge.

Latest reports indicate that the protesters in Bangkok have set fire to many buildings, including the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, banks, two shopping malls, a cinema complex, and a TV station.  Outside of the capital, arson has been the preferred weapon of the “peaceful pro-democracy protesters” as the Red Shirts have styled themselves since pre-announcing, in March, that they would descend on the capital.

In Udon Thani city, Red Shirts attacked and torched this fire truck as it got within 100 metres of the Provincial Hall, which they had earlier set fire to, and which was razed to the ground. Source :  memock.wordpress.com

Far worse than arson, there is emerging a disturbing trend of targeting attacks on responding emergency services units, particularly fire service vehicles and crew.  Associated Press journalist Denis D Gray has reported that in Bangkok fire-fighters withdrew when Red Shirts began shooting at them.

It also has to be remembered that before the mass assemblies in Bangkok began in April, Red Shirt leaders in the North East promised to burn Bangkok to the ground “You don’t need to take petrol in bottles to Bangkok” one red leader yelled at a regional rally stage, “there are plenty of gas stations within that city, and we know where all of them are”.  Now it is beginning to look like they were not just talking about Bangkok, but provincial capitals throughout the northern half of the country too.

In Ubon Ratchathani, as the red leaders in Bangkok declared the fight was over, a large mob gathered to block the road leading to the main government compound.  Their local leaders used loudspeaker trucks as stages to extol the crowd to attack and destroy the government buildings.  They burnt piles of tyres, and broke down the perimeter fence before hundreds stormed the compound which was under army and police protection.  The crowds pushed the defenders back to the main building but came running out after two explosions occurred.  Unconfirmed is that three died and two others were seriously injured – all protestors.  (Photos and more complete story at memock.wordpress.com).

Khon Kaen‘s City Hall is reported to have also been attacked and vandalised, though it seems that Udon Thani‘s is the worst hit provincial centre thus far, with some buildings razed to the ground, and the provincial Governor calling upon the military to intervene.  Reports on expatriate online forums state there has been similar incidents in Ayutthaya, Chonburi, Mukdahan, and in Nongbualampu (a border province between the North and North East regions).

In Chiang Mai, there are confirmed reports of tyre burning and fires around the Governor’s Residence adjacent to Naowarat Bridge, the main bridge linking the city centre to the railway station at the eastern edge of the urban area.  It was adjacent to here that the two new, modern fire engines were attacked and destroyed by red shirts.

Red Shirts have erected a rally stage in the railway station car park and have been using it for a couple of weeks according to one source.

Tyres have also been burned at the city’s landmark Thapae Gate, viewed by many as the modern centre-point of the city.  Large crowds were photographed there on 19th May.

Media censorship and control under the state of emergency

For most of the early evening, all Thai terrestrial TV stations were showing the same programming (mainly a studio panel discussion with government announcements during intervals).  No independent programming was being broadcast.  A government spokesperson stated this was because the government might need to issue urgent statements or announcements, and therefore had to control broadcasting channels.  Journalists and foreign correspondents are subject to the curfews mentioned above, overnight reporting other than from apartment block windows may not be possible.

Thai and foreign reporters and photographers are reportedly still not being allowed access to cover ongoing operations in the capital.  This has been the case since around midday of the 19th (local time).  Simultaneously with the media shut-out amongst the government units, the Red Shirts main rally ground evicted all media from within their perimeter.  Whilst some reporting and images are still being made, generally the official news channels are being “controlled” by the government resulting in allegations of propaganda and information manipulation.

It’s not that simple.  The internet and new instant messaging technologies are playing a pivotal role in getting stories out … for as long as the internet remains connected.  Thailand has a long history of accidental and intentional internet isolation from the world, through both official intervention and through “cable breaks”, which should not be able to disconnect an entire country if the architectural philosophy of the world wide web was adhered to.  But this is Thailand.

Stay tuned for more reports and updates.

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