09BANGKOK2405 THAILAND’S MARCHING SEASON: BRAWL NEAR BORDER CONTRASTS WITH PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION IN BANGKOK
“226127″,”9/21/2009 11:23″,”09BANGKOK2405″,
“Embassy Bangkok”,”CONFIDENTIAL”,
“08BANGKOK3032|09BANGKOK2369|09BANGKOK2386|09BANGKOK983″,
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SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 002405
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, NSC FOR BADER, WALTON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND\’S MARCHING SEASON: BRAWL NEAR BORDER
CONTRASTS WITH PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION IN BANGKOK
REF: A. 08 BANGKOK 3032 (POLITICAL CRISIS RETURNS TO THE
STREETS)
B. BANGKOK 983 (THAI PM ABHISIT BRIEFS AMBASSADORS)
C. BANGKOK 2386 (RED SHIRTS PREPARE TO MARCH )
D. BANGKOK 2369 (THAI-CAMBODIAN BORDER DISPUTE)
BANGKOK 00002405 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: POL Counselor George Kent, reason 1.4 (b,d)
1. (SBU) Summary: September 19 proved to be a day of dueling
political rallies in Thailand. The United Front for
Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), aka \”the red-shirt\”
supporters of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, gathered in Bangkok to mark the third anniversary
of the military coup which removed Thaksin from office. The
rally, which featured a phone-in from the fugitive
billionaire, was peaceful; the crowd dispersed shortly after
midnight. Members of the People\’s Alliance for Democracy
(PAD), aka \”the yellow-shirts,\” marched in Sisaket Province
near the disputed Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian border
to protest what they see as Cambodian encroachment on Thai
territory. A reported twenty people were injured in clashes
between PAD supporters and local red-sympathetic villagers
before officials negotiated a compromise which allowed PAD
leaders to issue a statement from a hilltop near the Preah
Vihear temple. The main column never reached closer than
three kilometers to the Thai-Cambodian border.
2. (C) Comment: In marked contrast to the violent
demonstrations that rattled Thailand from August-December
2008 and March-April 2009 (REF B), security forces in Bangkok
and Sisaket held their lines and prevented protesters from
both the red and yellow camps from reaching their stated
destinations (General Prem\’s residence and the border
hilltop, respectively). While Bangkok braced for possible
trouble from red-shirts that ultimately failed to
materialize, the real action this past weekend took place in
Sisaket, with the first red-yellow direct clashes since late
2008. In addition, elements of the so-called \”blue shirt\”
supporters of coalition party de facto leader Newin Chidchob
played an ambiguous and potentially provocative role, and the
police failed to keep locals and PAD marchers separate, but
the military eventually ensured the PAD march stopped well
short of the border. End summary and comment.
ALL QUIET ON THE BANGKOK FRONT…
———————————
3. (SBU) The red rally in Bangkok was peaceful as advertised
(REF C). An afternoon rainstorm scattered the early
arrivals, but by 9:00 p.m., when Thaksin addressed the crowd
by videolink, Bangkok police estimated there were about
32,000 people at Sanam Luang. Speeches by Thaksin and other
UDD leaders addressed the usual litany of red-shirt
grievances: the economy was doing worse; the judiciary was
politicized; Prime Minister Abhisit was feckless; and Privy
Council chair Prem was to blame for all of it, often-times
characterized in crude and profane terms. Thaksin again
played coy about his eventual return, concluding: see you in
Thailand, though I don\’t know when.
4. (SBU) The rally continued for several hours after Thaksin
spoke, breaking up at around 12:30 a.m. Thanks to concerted
police action to block the streets leading to Prem\’s
residence nearby, the red-shirts did not follow-through on
their previously stated intent to march to Prem\’s home.
…BUT A HOT TIME IN SISAKET NEAR PREAH VIHEAR
——————————————— -
5. (SBU) In contrast, the PAD march in Sisaket province near
the Preah Vihear temple and Cambodian border turned nasty.
PAD secondary leader Veera Somkwamkid led an estimate 4,000
PAD supporters (note: none wearing yellow; they were clad in
either the black of the self-styled \”Sri Vichaya warriors\” or
the blue of the civilian followers of the Santi Asoke sect,
end note) to demand Cambodia withdraw its presence from the
disputed territory around the Preah Vihear temple site and to
protest Thai government and army inaction in the face of
Cambodian actions.
BANGKOK 00002405 002.2 OF 002
6. (SBU) Local authorities and up to 2000 red-sympathetic
villagers were in no mood to facilitate the march, however,
and formed a blockade in a town roughly 10 km from Pha Mo I
Daeng hill, the PAD intended destination. At about 1320, the
PAD marchers broke through the police line, and the PAD
marchers and villagers began a rolling brawl which lasted on
and off for three hours. Veera subsequently claimed to us
the local authorities paid the intoxicated villagers 300 baht
each.
7. (C) As captured on film and published in the next day\’s
papers, both sides were armed with rudimentary weapons:
sticks, rocks, clubs, machetes, and slingshots — the most
dramatic shot showed a machete-ared villager looking to
slash a barefoot PAD marcer sprawled on his back in a field;
twenty peopl were injured in the melee. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX said that \”blue shirt\” brawlrs
associated with Newin, the political godfathe of Sisaket
province, played a role in sparking he clash, as they
allegedly did in Pattaya with ed-shirts in April (note:
Newin\’s faction was allied with Thaksin and part of the
red-shirt movemet until December. End note). Sisaket
Governor aphi Phongbunphakit, a political ally of Newin,
old us that five of those injuries warranted an ovrnight
stay in the hospital, without specifying to which faction
they belonged. PAD leader Veera nsisted that 15 of those
wounded were PAD supporers.
8. (SBU) Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuasuban authorized
acting National Police Chief Thnee Sombounsap to negotiate
with the PAD on behalf of the government. Thanee
participated via phoe, while Governor Raphi, the second area
army comander and Sisaket deputy police chief, negotiated
face-to-face with Veera and the PAD. Raphi toldus the
resulting agreement permitted a limited group of PAD members
to climb Pha Mo I Daeng hill o Sunday, September 20 to read
the PAD statement.The army steadfastly refused to let the
main PADcolumn get within three kilometers of the border.
The reading of the PAD statement took place without incident
September 21, and the PAD protesters dispersed.
JOHN
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