Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

03 Jul 2011 10:06

tags

World: Thailand elections: It took a year, but the Red Shirts finally won

  • last year Tensions flared so high in Thailand that the country’s Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva was hounded by thousands of mostly-rural opposition figures often referred to as “Red Shirts” — a conflict that, at times, got bloody — literally, they dumped vials of blood on the ground to prove their point.
  • this year A year after the conflict with the Red Shirts (which briefly shut down parts of Bangkok) took hold, Vejjajiva has been defeated in a reelection bid. Hopefully Yingluck Shinawatra (the sister of ousted, but still popular, PM Thaksin Shinawatra) has better luck keeping political dissenters happy. source

19 Sep 2010 10:48

tags

World: In Thailand, the Red Shirts are back, albeit more peacefully

The protesters – at least 10,000 of them – were back to mark the anniversary of the bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. source

21 May 2010 07:45

tags

World: Thailand’s crazy political situation will probably dent its tourism

  • 6% of the economy relies on tourists to visit the Asian country
  • 15% of the country’s workforce works in the tourism industry source

20 May 2010 00:45

tags

Politics, World: Thailand’s use of military force may hurt long-term

  • Was the military force used against the Red Shirt protesters a good idea? At least one expert says no. “By opting for a military rather than a security solution, the government has lost the opportunity to craft a settlement for an orderly transition,” said University of Leeds professor of southeast Asian politics Duncan McCargo. McCargo notes that the Red Shirts had lost their leader and the country had the chance for diplomatic talks (including some mediated by the UN), but passed on them them. Now, the country has deep, violent conflicts instead of compromise. source

20 May 2010 00:24

tags

World: Thailand tries to pick up the pieces from a day of chaos

  • Physically we can rebuild Bangkok quickly, but I don’t know how long it will take to cure the psychological damage. We will never forget May 19 in our life time.
  • Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra • Regarding the chaos that surrounded the city in a major way yesterday. The chaos left buildings ablaze for hours, left many injured and forced the government to set a curfew for a third of the country. In the wake of the chaos, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that he would harshly punish the “terrorists” who vandalized Bangkok. Exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose ouster started this mess in the first place, gave credit to the Red Shirts for surrendering, claiming that the end of the protests saved a lot of lives. source

19 May 2010 12:06

tags

World: Despite riots, Thailand’s situation not as deadly as it could’ve been

  • 30 number of buildings that were set on fire
  • 52 number of people that were injured in the riots
  • five number of people that were killed source

19 May 2010 11:51

tags

World: Thailand’s political situation totally hits the crapper

The good news for the Thai military: They captured the leaders of the Red Shirt movement. The bad news: They caused mass riots. source
 

18 May 2010 21:30

tags

World: The Red Shirts are screwed: Thailand pulls out the tanks

Is it us, or does this have the makings of a major human rights violation? Hopefully this ends well for everyone involved, especially the Red Shirts. source

17 May 2010 09:52

tags

World: Thailand set a deadline for the Red Shirts to leave. Did it work?

  • NO around 5,000 protesters are
    still in the streets source

16 May 2010 11:10

tags

World: The current state of violence in the escalating Bangkok conflict

  • 29+ have been killed in the escalating violence between the Thai government and Red Shirts
  • 221+ have been wounded; the Red Shirts want a cease-fire; the Thai government won’t budge source