Bloody Saturday in Thailand

I was in the land of smile in 2006 during the beginning of this endless story, during the military coup d’etat, while in the night tank rose in Bangkok and stopped in front of parliament.
The prime minister was exiled.
I was living in ChiangMai since a couple of years and I still remember that morning when I woke up, got my motorbike, and after few roads I saw all around armor-plated vehicles with military checking the main ways and intersections of the town.

The feeling was strange, but there was no violence at all, people were kind with military and a new beginning for Thailand was right there.
At that time I could not forecast what happened yesterday.

19 people were killed and over 800 injured fighting the Thai government; spokesman for the premier Vejjajiva stated that soldiers used rubber bullets while rebels were armed with grenade launchers, hand grenades, bombs.
The Thai government justifies the tough reaction of the army talking about self-defense.
The soldiers would only used bullets of rubber (but in the walls are clearly visible holes of bullets) as rules of engagement stated to firing only in self-defense, denying the use of real bullets.
It is confirmed the budget of 4 dead and 200 injured soldiers.
The government, he added, has meanwhile sort troops to return to their bases, and remained alert for further operations if it is necessary.
But even today entire areas of the capital are in the hands of red shirts and fear new clashes.
Some thousands of rebels again surrounded the headquarters of thaicom, the company from which satellite pass the transmission obscured by the authorities, the suburbs north of Bangkok.
According to the reporter to a local TV, there were incidents with the police forces deployed in the defense of the complex, Theatre of violent already Friday.
Meanwhile at least four soldiers are held hostage by red shirts. While Bangkok counts the victims of what has been renamed “bloody Saturday”, in the capital are partially resumed racing of underground raised sky train, suspended Saturday.

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