A Friend Returns To Bangkok

A Friend Returns To Bangkok

from David Russell

This was received today from my friend Robert, who lives both in Alexandria, Virginia and Bangkok, Thailand. I couldn’t reach him for for the past 3 weeks and was concerned. His E-Mail came this morning.

“Your mail arrived while I was in Ladakh, India where I was traveling for a good part of May. I returned to BKK just hours after this bloody crackdown had taken place. Coming in from the airport at 7AM minute after the curfew had been lifted was a eerie experience. But not knowing exactly what had happened until later in the day, I was not fully aware of the number of deaths and the arson destruction.

With a Thai friend, I visited some of the sites where buildings had been set a blaze as the final assault by the army took place, within walking distance, 2 kms from my condo; the largest Mall had been set ablaze; it was the location where the militant elements of the protesters had stored and manufactured fires arms according to some...quite possible. The whole mall at one part totally collapsed. Looting took please and other buildings were attacked especially banks. ATM machines were ripped from the anchoring and looted, burgler alarms still ringing 12 hours or more after the attacks. It was sad too because some many regular people from the north but also urban poor from BKK were forced to vacate the protest location in short order, all their belongs and campaign materials were left behind a terrible site for me as I had visited the protest area several times when the whole area was of a happy, upbeat atmosphere.

I walked also to the Siam Square area where one of the two remaining large stand alone theatres had been set ablaze and burned to the ground, all that remained where the remains of the very first escalators to be install in Thailand in 1960 when the theatre was built, and the super structure. Scores of small shops and vendor stands were destroyed...ABOUT 40 BUILDINGS THRUOUT THE CITY WERE TRASHED, GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND ENTERPRISES WHICH WERE AGAINST THE RED SHIRT MOVEMENT AND HAD SUPPORTED THE YELLOW SHIRT MOVEMENT 2 YEARS AGO. “

Robert added: “What has followed does not augur well for the future of the land. The govt has invoked emergency rule for some reason including BKK and it may be extended for another 60 days. This gives army and police broad arrest powers which they have taken full advantage of.”

I thought there are HUBBERS among you who would have interest in the mail from BKK and Robert’s observations.

David