2010 Thai military crackdown

May 2010 Thai military crackdown
Part of 2010 Thai political protests
A burned out truck blocking Rama IV road around the corner from Soi Ngam Duphli. This is part of no-man's land: security troops hold the area towards Sathorn road with army snipers in buildings located behind the truck. The protesters have their barricade at Bon Kai intersection, 400 meters east.
Date May 13-19, 2010 Location Bangkok, Thailand Result Tactical government victory
Belligerents
Thai Government Royal Thai Army	Red Shirts (Hardcore Unit)
Commanders and leaders
Abhisit Vejjajiva	Khattiya Sawasdipol † and other UDD hardcore leaders
Strength
	5000
Casualties and losses
1 dead 2 wounded	44 dead 266 wounded several arrested

From 13 to 19 May 2010, the Thai military cracked down on the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) protests in central Bangkok. The crackdown was the culmination of months long protests that called for the Democrat Party-led government of Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and hold elections. Some media outlets have dubbed the clashes the "Battle of Bangkok". Over 65 protesters were killed over a thousand injured. Two soldiers were killed, one due to friendly fire. At least 25 buildings were set afire by hardcore protesters, including Southeast Asia's 2nd biggest shopping mall CentralWorld

Background

Main article: 2010 Thai political protests

In Thailand, a series of political protests against the Democrat Party-led government occurred in March to May 2010 as a result of an ongoing political crisis. Anger against Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government was high throughout 2009, due to the controversial legal and military maneuvering that led to the formation of the government. In February 2010, Abhisit tightened security in anticipation of a controversial Supreme Court ruling on former President Takshin Shinawatra. When the 26 February ruling confirmed the bribery accusations, protests were limited, but the UDD announced it would organize a 14 March protest and call for new elections. Abhisit further tightened security in anticipation of the protest. The media was censored, and radio stations and television stations sympathetic to the protesters were shut down.

Timeline

On Friday, 14 May, Thai police and army units moved in to surround and cut off the protesters' main camp, meeting heavy resistance from the Red Shirts resulting in the deaths of two people with dozens more injured, including Thai Army Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, better known as Seh Daeng (Commander Red), a self-described key military adviser to the red-shirts who was suspended from duty in the Thai army. A backer and part of the protesters' more radical wing, he had accused red-shirt leaders of not being hardline enough. He was shot in the head by a sniper and died a few days later on 17 May.

One of the Red Shirt leaders, Nattawut Saikuar, accused Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of starting a civil war. This came as there were reports of a policeman opening fire on soldiers near a police station in Bangkok, showing that there may be divisions within the security services themselves. Both the British and American embassies in Bangkok confirmed they were to close for security reasons.

Rama IV Road during clashes, 15 May 2010

Just before 3:00 pm GMT on 14 May, Sky News reported that the death-toll from the latest fighting had risen to five, with 46 others wounded. People in Bangkok claimed that the area has descended into a war zone as the two sides battled for control. During the clashes, France 24 journalist Nelson Rand was "gravely wounded" by bullets from a Thai Army assault rifle, although who actually used the weapon is still unknown. On Friday night, several grenade explosions were heard from a nearby shopping centre and municipal railway station in the up-scale shopping area. As of 6:00 pm 14 May, the BBC reported that 7 people had died and over 100 were wounded in the latest violence in Bangkok, as Canada announced the temporary closure of its embassy.

According to The Telegraph, as of 9:40 pm GMT 14 May, at least 16 people had been killed, none of whom were members of the security services. There were several incidents of police officers joining with the Red Shirts and exchanging fire with the Thai Army, prompting fears that a civil war was coming. The number of injured was thought to be 157, with that number predicted to rise significantly as fighting continued.

Smoke from burning tires hangs over Bangkok, 16 May 2010

By 2:20 am GMT on 15 May, the death toll reached 16, with more than 157 injured. Street battles continued, with no end in sight. Total casualties since 12 May amount to 24 killed, with 187 injured on the night of 14/15 May alone. One of the dead was a sergeant of the Royal Thai Air Force, who was killed by friendly fire.

Protest leaders once again warned of civil war if the army attempted to storm their camp. Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight. Due to food and water shortages as a result of the army blockade, it was estimated the protesters would only be able to hold out for a few more days, and after that have to start plundering the available local shops.

On 16 May, the death-toll rose to 33, with the number of wounded rising to 230. Reporters in the vicinity of the violence had to cancel live broadcasts due to the threat of sniper attacks from military forces in the area. The government urged the very young and very old to leave the camp by Monday afternoon, prompting fears of an army crackdown. The redshirt leaders started telling the public that the foreign media, such as CNN, BBC, Reuters, and many others, cannot be trusted as they are biased, prompting a backlash of the international from their followers. On 17 May Thai Army Major General Khattiya Sawasdiphol, who was shot in the head by a sniper on 13 May, died.

On 17 May, Thai military helicopters dropped leaflets on the Red Shirt's main encampment, urging them to leave. The Red Shirts responded by firing homemade rockets at the helicopters. The encampment was completely surrounded, and the Thai government gave Red Shirts a deadline of 3:00 PM local time to withdraw. Clashes continued, with Thai troops firing directly towards or at any movement around the protest perimeter with live ammunition, and protesters also using potentially lethal tactics, according to a Canadian journalist. Red Shirts shot fireworks at the Army, and utilized a broom handle to rapidly fire firecrackers. At least two Red Shirt protesters were shot by Thai Army snipers. According to Thai medical officials, the casualty toll stood at 35 dead, and 242 wounded. By the end of the day, the casualty toll had risen to 37 dead and 266 wounded.

Sporadic clashes continued on 18 May, but these skirmishes were less intense than some previous confrontations had been. The death toll rose to 39 as the day progressed, and it is widely believed that a military crackdown is imminent as troops and APC's gathered around the protest site urging residents and protestors to leave, declaring that a military operation is soon to commence. The Army moved in soon afterward, backed by armoured personnel carriers (APC) and smashed through the protestors main barricades. Two Red Shirts were shot and wounded during the opening stages of this operation as other Red Shirts set alight the kerosene soaked barricades to deter advancing soldiers and obscure their view.

May 19 army assault

Thai army and police in Chiang Mai calmly disperse a crowd after protesters had started fires outside the governor's residence, May 19, 2010

On 19 May, the army launched an all-out assault using APCs and defeated the Red Shirt defences, leaving at least five dead, including Italian freelance journalist Fabio Polenghi. Two soldiers were seriously wounded in a grenade attack possibly from M79. The protest leaders surrendered to police in an attempt to avoid further bloodshed. The majority of protesters booed at the protest leaders as they declared an end to the protests and did not follow them to surrender to the authorities. Fighting between Red Shirt protestors and the army continued in many parts of the city. Red Shirt protesters set fire to the Stock Exchange, banks, at least two shopping centres (including Central World at the Red Shirts main protest site), a TV station, and barricades built to keep out the army. The total death toll since 14 May is believed to stand at 44. There were reports of clashes in Thailand's northern provinces after the surrender was announced, resulting in a town hall being burned by Red Shirts in Udon Thani.

Aftermath

In the hours after the major military operations had wrapped up, a curfew was placed on Bangkok for the first time since 1993, as well as on 23 provinces. Unrest spread to other cities across the country as sympathizers to the Red Shirts vandalized government facilities in Udon Thani, with the province's Governor requesting military intervention to stop the unrest. Early estimates into the economic impact of the fighting by the Thai finance ministry placed the total cost of the fighting at $1.5 billion. Foot and motor vehicle patrols conducted by the Thai military were confronted by Red Shirt holdouts with small arms fire in an attempt to restrict the military's movement through territory previously held by the protesters. As a result of the fighting, at least 27 buildings were destroyed by fire or vandalism. Many organizations and countries has expressed their concerns about the situation.