Cambodian and Burmese accused of involving in Bangkok bloodshed and arson

An army soldier stands guard over anti-government "red shirt" supporters detained at a Buddhist temple in central Bangkok May 21, 2010. Troops manned razor-wire roadblocks and searched vehicles for weapons in Bangkok on Friday, two days after they ended anti-government protests that descended into the worst violence in modern Thai history. They also swept through the capital's posh central shopping area, searching for weapons and explosives in the now-deserted battleground. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

By Sokhoeun Pang
Originally posted at The Son of The Khmer Empire

The war between the Redd shirts and the elite Bangkok last week did not paint only a bad picture of Thailand itself, but it even dragged Cambodia and Burma to the same level of negative image. The rumours are palying now in both sites of the Thai factions: The Red accuse the Thai elite govt of having Cambodian mercenaries in the Thai military troops for crashing and killing them and yet the Thai elite govt accuses the Red of having Cambodian mercenaries among them for Bangkok arson. You can read them here, here, here, and here. Below I just extract from Thailand’s Trouble:

Cambodian mercenaries were manning army positions protesters told me at Bon Kai and Din Daeng during the afternoon on 18 May. The only evidence they could offer was that some of the troops they had tried to talk to could not speak Thai. A young woman, who was still selling drinks outside the Erawan Hotel while her baby perhaps just a year old lay sleeping on the ground as the army was advancing up Ratchaprasong, called from within the refuge of Wat Pathumwanaram to tell me it was too dangerous to outside as there were Burmese troops. Later when I reached Siam Square, where there had apparently been fighting between armed civilians and troops I only met Thai infantry.

Thailand’s Trouble also gives analytic questions below regarding to the allegation of the RED.

Could the government find enough Burmese or Cambodian mercenaries, put them in Thai uniforms and train them with Thai weapons at short notice? What benefits might there be other than increasing numbers of dependable troops in light of rumours of many junior soldiers being red?

Or might it be that these rumors are without substance but spread and are believed because they relieve people of having to accept that they are facing, and being shot by, soldiers who like themselves are Thai? Some may be comforted if it is Burmese or Cambodians who are there to impose the state’s will and defend its interests because of the generally negative stereotypes attached to these nationalities?

NOTE: I don’t want to add any more idea related to this post since I just reacted in my previous post: Thais spread rumors that Khmer mercenaries among the red shirt, regarding to this issue.

Posted in: Thailand