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Kevin Grandia

Kevin Grandia

Posted: May 17, 2010 11:13 PM

Thai Protestor Shot by Sniper (Graphic Video)

What's Your Reaction:

I debated about whether to promote this video as it is extremely gory. But it is so important that we get the message out far and wide when people are killed for standing up for what they believe in.

In this video (which again is extremely graphic) an unarmed Thai civilian protesting his government is killed by armed forces.

His own government killed him for opposing them. As someone who is very outspoken on a lot of issues, there almost nothing more disturbing than seeing an innocent person killed for speaking out.

The video was posted over a month ago, but it has had very few views and most of them only in Thailand and Southeast Asia, so I thought I would push it out in light of the ever-rising body count of more innocent people in Thailand being killed by Thai government forces.

Please consider carefully before you view this video:

 

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08:15 PM on 05/18/2010
From Amnesty International


http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE011602010&lang=e
08:09 PM on 05/18/2010
Forscher it is you who are uninformed. Even Amnesty International has condemned the killing of innocent unarmed civilians. This has been reported by Aljazeera, CNN and the BBC. The Bangkok post and the Nation in Thailand are in the tank for the government and or are afraid that they will be shut down if they tell the truth, just like all the internet sites being blocked by the Thai Government. It is nonsense that the government was freely elected. The coup against Taksin was illegal as all coups are. The current party will not allow free elections because they know they will lose. Killing unarmed protesters is murder, it doesn't matter where they are geographically located.
12:46 AM on 05/19/2010
Although you criticise the sources of the news, what you cannot get around is that this is common knowledge in this country, even among the red shirt protestors. The Bangkok Post is often highly critical of the government, both past and present. The two English language newspapers have been very neutral in their coverage.
The elected officials in office represent the same parties as when the red shirt Pheu Thai party was in charge of the government and formed their coalition! Some more reading of current history might do you some good or was their coalition also illegitimate? This would have to be the case in order for your statement not to be hypocrisy and UK's ruling coalition also illegitimate? No news internet sites are blocked, even now. Yes, the coup against Thaksin was illegal; however, the same party, formed a ruling coalition. New elections are not due until 2012. Would you call new elections just because the tea baggers are protesting and want one, even though general elections are not due until 2012? Why not? Are the Democrats afraid they will lose?-same 'reasoning'.
Interestingly, no mention is made by you of the 2500+ extrajudicial killings made by the former PM who these red shirts are fighting for and who will not allow a peaceful solution. Many of these killings had nothing to do with a war on drugs, but were specifically to eliminate/execute political enemies (AI had something to say about that also).
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
mrJJ
如果你不投票,你不能抱怨
07:22 PM on 05/18/2010
That old wolf Prem Tinsulanonda is loosing his touch... He's already neutalized Gen "Kit-Tay"
I figure he'll make his push within the next in 72 hrs

I really hope they move the kids into the temple... "bullets have no eyes" & those young troopers are going to be very nervous when the order goes out.

Ya cant beat those old timers
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
mrJJ
如果你不投票,你不能抱怨
07:03 PM on 05/18/2010
A Blast from the Past

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBKK9051020080104
08:19 PM on 05/18/2010
Excellent post sir.
12:52 AM on 05/19/2010
No mention was made if there was really election fraud or not. I witnessed election fraud in two districts, cash payments with instructions of how and who to vote for. Neither of those two politicians from those two districts were prosecuted. Election fraud has been rampant and only a few were procecuted.
01:05 PM on 05/18/2010
New secularist, you are giving all secularists a bad name by your ignorance on the subject and you obviously do not have a clue on what is going on over here. A simple search of independent news sources would be more than enough to give you evidence where you say there is "little proof".
Massive amount funding insurrection from just 2 (ca.$43,750,000.00USD) of 106 accounts (these directly linked to Thaksin): http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/05/18/politics/Millions-found-in-aides-accounts-30129591.html
Links to the communists: "some guards said that some of their leaders had links with the communists." http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/37419/inside-the-red-city
You might have wanted to check out the following page of the link that you gave: http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/red-shirts-as-communists/ (from your own link, selective reading- your link admitted no first hand information)
Overwhelming percentage of shot were shot outside the protest area, attempting to push back (attacking) soldier's perimeter. Video is from last month- a number of soldiers were shot and killed, including a colonel shot by a sniper.
Current government represents 60% of the country and 3 of 5 geographic/political regions= general consensus.
I have a tremendous amount more, including first hand accounts, which I would be happy to add.
08:21 AM on 05/18/2010
"Most People in Bangkok" What about what all the other people in Thailand want? The spouting of the government line is unfair. There are numerous allegations against the red shirts. "they are being paid" "They are ignorant" "They are Communists" All with little proof. Yes the Red shirts have financial backers, so do protesters in other countries. That does not mean that their goals are not genuine. Amnesty International has condemned the shooting of unarmed civilians.
http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/amnesty-international-usa-condemns-reckless-use-of-lethal-force/
The supposed :general consensus" in Bangkok is not surprising as that is where the elites live. The people in the rest of the country often feel otherwise.
07:40 AM on 05/18/2010
Most people in Bangkok want the large red zone cleared out and made safe. The army is the only fraction which can currently do this. Word on the street is that the reds goal now is to bring the army into violent conflicts and inflict as much death as possible with foreigners, civilians and journalists. They want this to happen so the current administration will face domestic criminal charges and potentially international human rights violations.

The reds are also all paid to be at the protests. They are earning much more money causing trouble in Bangkok, than they could back home. Over $1000 if you supply a truck and around $20 - $35 a day just for being their (all other expenses paid). If you bring your whole family, you can make good money at these protests, much more than an office worker in Bangkok, or farmer up north. General consensus is that Taksin is holding the country ransom, while he back door negotiates how much of his seized billions the Thai gov will give back to him, to stop funding this.

Hopefully the army will clear out the red zone in the next couple days and peace will be returned to bangkok. It will then be up to the army to make sure they do not allow the reds to re-create their "protests" anywhere else in the city or the country until we can be sure, they will be non-violent.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
taeyyenom1
06:59 AM on 05/18/2010
why hasn't the american government spoken out against the crimes against the Thai people. Where is obama?
08:17 PM on 05/18/2010
An excellent question but a better one would be, Why isn't the world condemning this?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tc399
Your personal Eschatologist.
09:27 PM on 05/18/2010
You must be a very young person.
06:43 AM on 05/18/2010
The comment that the Thai military snipers were trained in the USA made me curious. Can you provide a link to that, I cannot find anything. Thank you
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
mrJJ
如果你不投票,你不能抱怨
07:08 PM on 05/18/2010
It's not the sniper... Its the old fox who gave the order...

Any bets?? Abhist is a puppet that couldnt fight his way out of a wet paper bag. Stategist?... No chance

I place my bet on the old fox...Prem Tinsulanonda
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tc399
Your personal Eschatologist.
09:27 PM on 05/18/2010
http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/public%20affairs%20info/archive%20news%20pages/2007/070706-sniper.html

http://www.snipersparadise.com/articles/cobragold.htm
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tc399
Your personal Eschatologist.
01:16 AM on 05/18/2010
This is what the Thai army snipers primarily use. It is, as you see, effective in the hands of a trained sniper. Thai snipers were trained by the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-25
08:11 PM on 05/18/2010
This link only talks about the weapon. I see nothing that talks about the Thai snipers being trained in The USA.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tc399
Your personal Eschatologist.
09:23 PM on 05/18/2010
I don't recall saying they were. I think I said they were trained BY the US.

Look it up. I'll help you.

http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/public%20affairs%20info/archive%20news%20pages/2007/070706-sniper.html

http://www.snipersparadise.com/articles/cobragold.htm
12:29 AM on 05/18/2010
War is always tragic.
11:59 PM on 05/17/2010
Yeah, it is violent. But, just because it is violent does not mean this individuals death should be silenced. I sympathize with your struggle, and agree with your decision to post it.