Thailand Erupts in violence Again and more he said she said

Violence plagued Thailand once more on Saturday.

One source reports as many as 21 killed and 858 reported injured in Saturdays unrest in Thailand.  The prime Ministers office from reports I have read said they use non-leathal bullets and the bodies at autopsy revealed live ammo as cause of death.  So now the name calling and finger pointing begins in earnest which will further confuse and neither side will believe the other. 

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said at a briefing yesterday, that  “Groups of people equipped with weapons, including guns and grenades, infiltrated the protesters,”
For more photos click read more.

We will likely never know the truth.  I have spent quite a bit of time in Thailand and it is a fact that many weapons are in the hands of all factions there.  It has been that way for as long as I can remember and that goes back to the 1960’s and the Vietnam war.  Every once and a while mostly in southern Thailand the Muslim population attacks a police station and I was in Bangkok once and heard the unmistakeable sound of an M79 grenade launcher go off as someone shot at the police station. There can only be many questions about these photos showing what appears to be some single gunners.

There is much dissatisfaction among the people as to the legitimacy of the current government.  PM Thaksin Shinawatra was adored among the poor farmers of the north and northeast and has many supporters.  Thaksin was ousted because of corruption and of this there can be no doubt because outside the King every government I have observed in Thailand for 50 years has had its level of corruption.  Some worse than others but nonetheless corruption is a way of life in Thailand from the lowest street cop to the top.

I would not be surprised to see the airport get shut down again and the situation escalate from this point.  the world is full of civil unrest and IMHO will get worse as we move forward.  While the Thais change governments more than most this should show governments around the world that people, when pushed far enough will act out their frustrations.  One of the biggest problems man has is how to govern himself and so far nobody has figured that one out.