THAILAND:
Bloody Crackdown Exposes Battle Lines in Class War
By Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK, Apr 11, 2010 (IPS) - The morning after the Thai troops’ bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters here, the mood among them remained as it was after the guns had gone silent only hours before. The red shirts, called such because of their signature protest colour, appeared defiant, edgy and, in some cases, victorious.

Tragedy had exploded on Saturday night, as heavily armed troops fought pitched battles with the protesters in an attempt to reclaim an area in the historic part of Bangkok that tens of thousands of red shirts with the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) have occupied for four weeks.

The death toll by midnight had risen to at least 18, including 14 civilians and four soldiers, according to hospital sources. A further 680 people were injured, according to the Erawan Emergency Centre.