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Latest update: 13/04/2010
- demonstrations - military - Red Shirts - Thailand
Behind the scenes of FRANCE 24's exclusive report
Reporting from Bangkok, FRANCE 24’s Cyril Payen recounts his experiences covering Saturday night’s clashes between opposition protesters and security forces – and the controversy that followed.
By FRANCE 24 (text)
On Saturday night, a FRANCE 24 reporter covering the clashes between Thai security forces and anti-government “red-shirt” protesters shot footage that contradicted the Thai government’s declaration that soldiers only fired live rounds “into the air”. At least 20 people were killed and 800 wounded in the violence. Special correspondent Cyril Payen talks about the situation behind the scenes and the very public controversy that the footage sparked.
FRANCE 24: How did you find a good place to shoot the footage?
Cyril Payen: When we realised that the clashes could get violent in certain places, our team chose one of these spots to cover the story. It was deliberate.
But we didn’t at all anticipate the level to which the violence would escalate. And in no way did we expect the grenade that went off at the soldiers’ feet, which injured our colleague John Lin. We were lucky to be there, but even luckier to have got out of there alive.
Before setting off to cover the conflict, we had divided the team into two groups. The first went to a commercial area on the side where the Red Shirts were, and the second team on the side where the soldiers were, on a road close to the tourist area of Bangkok – that’s where we filmed the footage of the gunshots. Once we were there, the soldiers consented to being filmed. There was no hostility on their part towards our team.
The images are special because we were very close to the action, but the danger was very present. Technically, our colleague was lucky in that his camera was not pointed at the area where the grenade detonated, but rather more from a profile angle. Thus the explosion didn’t break his lens and he was able to continue filming.
Can you explain the controversy that arose following the airing of your video?
CP: A real controversy arose over our images in Thailand. Even more so since we were the only ones who obtained them, and the only ones in the very midst of the soldiers when the events took place.
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We felt a lot of pressure, especially because the government denied everything later Saturday evening, saying that they had fired nothing but rubber bullets into the air.
The debate that arose in Thailand over our video touched on the possibility that a third party may have been involved. The sudden violence was illogical: just minutes before the explosion, the Red Shirts and the soldiers were shaking hands. Music by [composer Frederic] Chopin was audible in the streets, broadcast by the army with the aim of pacifying spirits.
To this day, we don’t know who launched the grenade. The army and the protesters both deny responsibility. We do know that the Red Shirts regularly steal equipment from security forces. Several M79 grenade launchers and their ammunition disappeared a month ago.
How do you explain the violence that killed at least 20 people over the weekend?
CP: The hypothesis of a third party has been reinforced by autopsies of the wounded. In the morgues and hospitals, we have seen at least six civilians killed by bullets shot squarely in the middle of their foreheads. This is the mark of an elite shooter – a sniper – and not a shot of deterrence.
And as for the injuries themselves, they seem to have been caused by high-power rifles, a weapon rarely found except with certain special military forces. The soldiers we saw had no such weaponry.
The shots could have come not from people within the army, but people who randomly shoot to create chaos. That could point to army veterans, or a particularly hard-core and heavily armed faction of the Red Shirts. Thailand has always had a number of different military factions. The country has had 16 coups in 32 years.
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Comments (13)
19 April 2010
after priminister aphisit has called out state of emergency on 7th April 2010. its states has said "5 people or more discussing about politic who gathering are not allow in this situation." but on 16th the Yellow shirt gathered up in victory monuument. Isn't that illegal. And the attitude that government's spokeman has showed as he said "If they gather peacefully, it will not be problem." Can you say that it's legal movement to act. seems like you are writting your own law right now that one who anti the government is always wrong. and one who support the government is always right. what's happen in thailand now is there are 2 standards for thais.
Behind the scenes in France
All of Europe is being over run by problems and economic chaos. The new world order antichrist beast system and their European Union are finding ways to destroy Europe and turn it totally over to the European International bankers. For they want to be the new kings of the land and return its populations back to serfdom. Those was the good old days when Europe had kings and vasals that they ruled as their slaves and poor subjects. And this is what America is also going through right now. But the poor Europeans are ahead in their quest because of them not having as many churches and preachers that we do. And because they have been ruled by their Luciferic bankers and wicked kings for centuries now.
Not counting the wicked Catholic Church that Satan set up in the 4th century. But now they must turn to God and Jesus and deny the bankers and false churches their souls. As they will be made to take the coming Mark of the Beast chip that will make them total zombie slaves of Satans new world order beast system. As this chip will be put in their foreheads or hands. And America will lead the way in this because of our superior technology. But like I said, we have more churches and preachers that will oppose their zombie making and mind stealing beast chip. And we will reject it to our deaths and martydom.
France 24 not takes side
i think France 24 not takes side but tell the truth for people international news not fack 100 %
France 24 takes side or report the truth?
Today Thai government showed several vdo clips which support the truth that Thai soldier did not kill Red Shirt; it was Red Shirt themselve killed their team. You are a journalist, it's not so hard for you to ask for those clips from Thai gov. Do not forget to ask for translater since in the vdo some Red Shirt said clearly that soldier did not do, but someone said not to mention this in front of journalist...
Most of Thai people are not Red Shirt, we love our king. Do not report the image or news that can distort the truth, s'il vous plait.
Thai government liar
Thai government liar today and show video clip not tell the truth story on video clip everyday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFLsumdnPL0
Thai government liar
today Thai government show video clip and liar not tell the truth
for people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0_X7ld-eX8
You did a good job for this
You did a good job for this video.
After that, there were soldiers who carrying snipers gun being arrested by Red-Shirt security's men. Those soldiers hid themselves at the building near Kok- Wua intersection such as The Government Lottery Office Building. The next morning, they have been delivered to the police department by the Red-Shirts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8X1rRxHjtE
In this video, at the minute 3.03 and 3.36, you will notice flash-lights from the top of Satreewit School's building (the left-side building of the screen) where the army use as a temporary headquarters. I think no one can get inside this building except the army themselves.
thank you for opening thais' eyes
im living in bangkok, and not take any coulor of shirt, red or yellow.As a normal bangkokian,37, i would thank to France24, to open thais' eyes on your vedio clip showing the fact on what the govt did to civilians, even some live bullets spread to the soilder itself, as we all are thais, so the govt should not do like this. Since the govt tried to control the press and all media with announcement of state of emergency in bangkok, it made more angry on the Red protesters, and many from the country side needed to come in bangkok to get to know what's going on on their relatives, as they didnt know about them from TV or any press. I think the govt made the wrong dicision to close thai people's eyes. it's more worse to close the press, and made more chaos in the city too.
on the other word,the red can make this channel to propaganda to make more protesters become bigger and bigger. of course,it's easy to be chaotic when the massive of people come out and stay on street.How the govt control this situation by now? I think, the best, open all media, and not control them anymore, let them present news on truth, and make thai people decide on both sides themselves, then it can be called, democracy system' in thailand, not dictatoship or elite controlling the country, by now. Thank you for france24 again to open thais'view.Now, we can decide what each side did!!!!
Cyril Payen-France 24 has done the right thing
"Votre reportage devrait être apprecié. La vérité n’est pas morte." You reported the event that you saw at that moment that Thai soldiers were firing live rounds directly at the red shirt-protesters, not in to the air. Live rounds can kill people so it is not important which kind of gun Thai soldiers used. Paul, a British teacher who lives in Thailand, told the BBC "The army were firing live rounds on civilians. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself." -http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8612783.stm
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ordered the military to disperse the protesters at night around 20.00 pm which risks to provoke the violent incident as well as the events severe from third party, he should have realized this incident. Furthermore, Thai military brought a number of heavy weapons to disperse the protesters such as tank, live bullets -50 BMG, .50 Beowulf , M16, as you can see in http://lovered203.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_2043.html which were seized by red-shirts protesters, these heavy weapons are the symbols of violence and can kill people, should they bring this heavy weapons to disperse the protesters after nightfall.
Therefore, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva cannot refuse responsibility from violent clashes in Bangkok which cause at this time 21 deaths and more than 800 injures.
No Third Hands, Just Red Militia
The idea of some mysterious third hand is misdirection. There is no third hand. The protests are carefully planned and layered to protect the interests of various parties and maintain plausible deniability where necessary. Thaksin underwrites the protests and makes the major decisions, such as the nonnegotiable demand for immediate house dissolution. To maintain its electoral viability, Thaksin's Peua Thai party stands carefully aside from the main operations of the protests, while supporting them behind the scenes. Expendable protest leaders organize operations, hurl accusations, stir up class resentment, inflame emotions of the crowd, while declaiming their unarmed peacefulness . The crowd consists mostly of well intentioned rural and working folks, many of whom have surrendered their national identity cards to the organizers, making them easier to control. And lastly there is the red militia, typified by Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol (a.k.a. Seh Daeng) and General Panlop Pinmanee, whose meetings with Thaksin in Dubai became public before the protests got underway. The militia is the so-called third hand, which is in fact simply one layer in the highly organized protest structure. Seh Daeng bragged about the success of his "Ronin warriors" in repulsing the attempted dispersal. While Army soldiers went in with a mandate to follow international rules of crowd dispersal, the red militia was armed for civil war, using red protesters as, in effect, human shields. Army commanders were taken out early by a grenade attack, having been targeted by militia spotters inside or outside the Army. Leaderless and outgunned, soldiers were easily routed. The Army brought teargas and rubber bullets to a grenade fight.
Test
Test
Doesn't make sense if soldiers wanted to kill people.
It doesn't make sense at all if the soldiers or government want to kill red shirts! ... Either done by organized or accused secret military forces, the fact that a few red shirts dies or a hundred of them injured wouldn't demoralize the protest, but it would be rather counterproductive; reds become stronger and use the bodies for their own strategies to pressure government. We have long expected but deeply feared that such bloodshed will occur by the 3rd party. That's why the prime ministry had tried to negotiate and compromise even though the protest negatively impacted economy and Bangkok citizens.
Damage has been done
Isn't that a bit late. Damage has already been done to the Thai government from the video clip you released. Luckily, the leaders ogf the protestors were very happy with the dead bodies they got, else youe clip could have arosed anger among the protestors and caused many more lives.
France 24 should step forward to say sorry to the Thai government.
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