Reporter in Exile

Return of the Reds - and blog

At any given moment the movement's anthem "I Love Red Shirts" booms from a dozen different after-market audio systems. I've tried capturing the energy of the rallies through this video. Most footage is from Sept. 19; a few shots come from Oct. 10 (The looming art deco that is Democracy Monument should help with distinguishing the two.)

 

Some thought the government broke the back of the red-shirt movement in May when soldiers swept it from the Thai capital's occupied commercial district.

Absent direction from neither its jailed leaders nor the opposition political party which shares their goals, the movement had become frayed, disorganized and demoralized. 

On Sept. 19, after weeks of rebuilding their profile and presence, a massive red-shirt rally marked the five-month anniversary of the crackdown and delivered a reminder to the capital -- and themseves -- of their strength.

Despite the imposition of an "emergency decree" throughout much of Thailand that limits rights of assembly and gives Thai authorities broad powers, red shirts were allowed to gather under the nervous eyes of residents and others anxious to avoid a repeat of this past spring's violence, which killed 91 people.

The demonstration also coincided with the four-year anniversary of the military coup which deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who most red shirts seek to return to power.

What was to be a caravan tour to memorialize sites where red shirts had lost their lives earlier this year broke down at the same intersection around which they'd built fortified barricades and occupied for weeks.

Their numbers shut down the streets. They tied a lattice of red ribbons to swing over Ratchaprasong intersection and sang and danced into the evening.

This wasn't part of the plan approved by authorities, but it delivered an abrupt reminder to Bangkok that the protesters maintain the ability to seize territory at any time.

Just as riot police assembled nearby and talk turned to the possibility they would reclaim the area, the crowd dispersed before 8 p.m.

Other rallies have followed in recent weeks, including a large gathering on Oct. 10 at the Democracy Monument, where the first night of violence occured in April. Red shirts have sought to shape their public image by capturing symbolic dates and locations. Oct. 10 was the 34th anniversary of the execution of dozens of unarmed students by security forces and right-wing paramilitaries at a nearby university.

These rallies were a return to the festive and enthusiastic tone of the spring engagement's initial weeks, which waned after the first spate of violence on April 10.

Most notable however was the striking amount of negative sentiments and hostility expressed toward the monarchy, in a country where doing so is a serious crime.

Through words and graffiti, people openly expressed antipathy toward members of the royal family, which is somewhat shocking in a country which cultivates and perpetuates the idea that reverence toward the throne is universal.

Most of those attending were Bangkok residents instead of the rural Thais who converged on the capital earlier this year. And for most, the rallies served to reignite their morale through a politically charged party.

Video of Bon Kai's street pyrotechnics during the Bangkok crisis

Red shirt protesters seemed to have bought all the fireworks from Chinatown last week to antagonize Thai army soldiers entrenched on Rama IV Road. The street was a sniper kill zone, and sure enough, one of the protesters next to the Lumpini Tower building was shot in the head just before sunset. I was editing and writing about this early in the morning on Wednesday, May 19, when I had to drop the matter because the army had assembled for the endgame push. Completing my narrative of May 14 through 20, here's the footage of my coverage of covering the Thai crisis, two days before the crackdown.

Dawn-to-dusk footage from the front line of the Bangkok crackdown

Filmed by Kenneth Todd Ruiz, edited by Tracy Vanity.

I was up late writing, editing and waiting for an NPR interview early Wednesday morning when UDDThailand tweeted about the impending operation. Given UDD's shrill tone and frequent wolf-crying, I didn't take it seriously until a second source, photo_journ, made the same claims about APCs spotted on the highway.

By taxi, I arrived at Surawong Road at 5 a.m. Sure enough, there were trucks and buses packed with soldiers, support humvees carrying medics, and six APCs leading the convoy. At that point, I was the only journalist visible. I tweeted everything and kept the blog updated, thanks to Tracy Vanity, who also edited this video.

They rolled out 15 minutes later. The APCs led the convoy south on Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road before turning east onto Sathorn Road toward Lumpini Park, Bangkok's sprawling central green space.

At the top of Sathorn, hundreds of police waited to support the soldiers. The medic vehicles held position as the APCs and soldiers advanced through the gate into Lumpini Park. A second unit proceeded west along Rama IV Road. The move was designed to close in from two sides on the heavily fortified red encampment surrounding the Rama VI statue in the southwest corner of the park.

I met up with a Beijing-based Chinese-American photojourn and we entered the park with the soldiers.

Advancing in threes and fours, Thai soldiers found cover behind picnic benches, trash bins and trees. Gunfire came toward both army units from the camp and elsewhere along Ratchadamri Road. I kept moving at the vanguard of the force inside Lumpini Park. An enormous cloud of black smoke from the burning barricade engulfed Chulalongkorn Hospital. Helicopters circled overhead, reportedly dropping teargas. After reaching their closest point, about 50 meters behind the gate leading to the statue area, I made it up to the back gate as an APC rolled into position above the camp on the expressway above Rama IV. Camp looked deserted.

A female Thai journalist was reportedly seen pointing out the locations of the bombs left by the Men in Black, which the army quickly disarmed. Enough to make journalists a target to any militants who may have been watching.

I circled back around to Rama IV and joined the main body of journos just as the APCs rolled over the erstwhile barricade to secure the camp. The APCs hung back at the camp while we moved with the soldiers up Ratchadamri Road. Two dead reds lay in the street where they were shot. It was slow going, with frequent exchanges of gunfire with militants, most likely the infamous Men in Black I'd camped with a few nights prior with two other photojourns.

They reclaimed the street tent-by-tent, searching for traps, weapons and taking anything of value. Two people spotted through a fence fled. Soldiers used rusty cleavers to hack down the red tarps and tents as they went.

Things got ugly at Sarasin. A car garage near the corner was turned into a holding cell for about one dozen detainees, including several "red monks." An M79 grenade too close to a clump of journos near the corner, but we were shielded from the blast by the corner of a building. Soon thereafter a barrage of M79s began to come in all around and many journos sought shelter in an alley alongside the Brown Sugar restaurant. But nowhere was safe.

One grenade found its target, blowing a soldier's arm off, wounding another and blasting shrapnel into the body and brain of Chandler Vandergrift, a Canadian freelancer.

The detention garage quickly became a field hospital, and about 15 minutes later APCs charged in to evacuate the wounded. Many of the soldiers left after this, making some of the journos nervous. The detainees were all loaded into a police truck which arrived. Assuming the army wasn't going to push further up into the dangerous corridor, most turned back toward Lumpini to escape the conflict or find another way to the reds' main stage at Rajprasong.

That crazy farang "red shirt"

That crazy farang "red shirt" from reporterinexile.com.

One day after the fiery destruction of much of the Central World Plaza mall on May 19, Internet conspiracy theories took shape regarding the "crazy farang" filmed several days prior. In a Youtube video (since removed) a Briton proclaims the mall will be looted and burnt.

Having spent significant time behind the barricades of the reds' fortified Silom camp, I had seen this man several times. He never spoke in a normal tone of voice -- always shouting and screaming. It didn't take a DSM-IV diagnosis to tell he was emotionally disturbed.

His presence posed a threat to any Westerners, particularly journalists, who might be among the reds. Two photojournalist colleagues and I had established enough rapport with the "Men in Black" that they would hold fire when we entered and left the camp. Leaving only the army snipers to worry about.

On the morning of Saturday, May 15, we were in the process of doing this when the Crazy Farang ran out into the street to throw rocks toward the army, screaming "Thai Army fucks!" and ordering the reds to "Kill them! Kill them!" They laughed at him. Obviously they were amused but didn't take him seriously. When an AFP reporter who'd stopped by told him to chill out, he screamed at him and tried to start an altercation. "They killed my friend! This is war!" he yelled. The reds threatened to kick him out at that point. It seems unlikely to me he participated in any conspiracy or any type of planning that might have led to the mall fire. I don't think he even spoke Thai.

I was there to document the greater conflict, so I didn't waste any further tape on him. Didn't consider him more than a novelty and annoyance. Someone who, at best, had eschewed the usual mechanisms for a typical midlife crisis. Yes, I'm muttering my unkind, internal dialogue in the footage.

UPDATE: "Crazy Farang," aka "Jeff Savage," had 'Roid Rage and was being "sarcastic." He seems to be of the opinion this should excuse him from fighting against the government of his host nation.

“I hold my hands up — it was me, and I’m ashamed that I lost my temper,” he told The Times by telephone from his home in the Thai resort town of Pattaya. “I was tired and emotional and full of steroids. I said we’re going to burn down Central — I was being sarcastic.”

UPDATE (22:00): In another story by the London Evening Standard sent over by Maverick263, Mr. Savage seems to have reverted to self-anointed agent provocateur:

Savage is now in hiding with his Thai wife in the resort of Pattaya. “I am standing up for the poor,” he said. “The war is over for the time being. But in two months time things will start up again. The attacks will begin.”

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23836533-british-anarchist-caught-urging-red-shirts-to-burn-and-loot-mall.do

Video from first three days, nights

While covering the urban conflict still raging in Bangkok, I've been trying to document not just the news but the newsgathering. Here's nine minutes of HD footage excerpted from the first three days.

RiE video of Thursday night's attack on Bangkok's financial district

Two frustrating days later, my video host decided to cooperate:

Here is a  rough-cut edit of last night's (Thursday) explosion of violence on Silom Road:

Grenades rip through Bangkok financial district from reporterinexile on Vimeo.

Pandemonium as grenade attacks rip through financial district

Thai soldiers take up defensive positions immediately after a second set of grenade attacks struck Bangkok's financial district Thursday night, killing three and injuring scores of civilians. (Photos: Kenneth Todd Ruiz / Reporter in Exile)

Note: Editing video for upload soon.

UPDATES:

• Post's tally thus far is three killed, 70 injured.
• Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban just claimed on television the grenades were launched from behind the Rama IV statue, which is toward the back of the red camp at the corner of Lumpini Park.

It was difficult to tell where the grenades were landing. Urban fighting is much more confusing than out in the open. Echoes along the tall, not-so-wide street made proximity impossible to gauge. At least Tora Bora offered visibility/"situational awareness" and distinct vectors of fire. In the city, the familiarity of the environment -- the taxis and department stores, the banks and KFCs -- sets a more surreal and disorienting stage for violent chaos.

Five grenades fired from M79 launchers tore into a Skytrain station and a yellow shirt counterprotest this evening. From what we saw being loaded into ambulances, all the casualties appeared to be civilians. At least one woman looked too far gone to save. Soldiers sprang into action, stringing concertina wire across the road and rushing into staggered firing positions, but ultimately did nothing in response. Ambulances whisked in to load the injured. Saw nine or 10 bloody victims loaded onto them, mostly Thai. Tracy said she saw one farang (foreigner) woman who was injured. In the aftermath, enraged mobs nearly beat at least two people to death.

"Continue reading..." for the full story.

Red Shirts stand down from Silom standoff

Facing a severe tactical disadvantage and an Army determined to keep them out at any cost, UDD leadership backed away from their plan to sweep into the financial district today. Given that forewarning proved disastrous on April 10 and embarrassing on April 16, the Army is now saying the will disperse the protesters but will not say when.

Following their lead, red chiefs have said that instead of Silom, they will march somewhere. But they will not say where.

Here's my video from yesterday's standoff:

A Mexican Standoff in Thailand from reporterinexile on Vimeo.

And finally, here's a map for those into such things. Zoom in and click on shit for labels! Only thing I haven't done is a Flash animation. What a slacker.

View Mexican Standoff in Thailand in a larger map

Songkran in Bangkok

After an eternity spent watching my nails grow, I finally gave up on YouTube and managed to upload to Vimeo. I'm so done with YouTube.

Arrived home to Bangkok from Khon Kaen in northeastern Thailand early Thursday morning and spent the afternoon/evening touring the city. Bangkok has transformed. Little traffic on the streets usually choking with the stuff, and fewer of the infamous 'Thai smiles' to be seen. Things are tense and everyone seems braced for the next calamity.

Bangkok aftermath on Songkran from reporterinexile on Vimeo.

Todd's Tip of the Day: Heed those warnings about 'razor thieves' who gently cut into your bag and slide the goodies out. Tracy's recently replaced camera requires re-replacement after we waded through the human morasse on Khao Sarn Road.