On Sunday night an "intense and fierce" gun battle broke out in Bangkok, Thailand. This occurred hours after the Thai government called on the protesters to stop the violence. The red shirts were willing to negotiate if the troops were moved out of the protest area where thousands of protesters have gathered. They want the United Nations as the mediator, but the Thai government does not due to its "policy not allowing organizations to intervene in its internal affairs." The violence has gotten worse and 31 people have died since Thursday (that's including 7 on Sunday). More than 261 people have been injured. A Thai government official said that protesters have been "deliberately provoking clashes with soldiers in order to 'get pictures of soldiers using violence to undermine the government.'" He also said that if protesters did not have arms, the military would not need to be armed. Soldiers have been authorized to open fire when armed people approach within a certain distance. A CNN commented on the gunshots he heard on Sunday night and he said that he could not tell who the shooting was coming from--the protesters or the Thai military. The Prime Minister spoke of the small group amongst the Red Shirts trying to evoke civil war "It is unbelievable that they use people's lives for political advantage."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/16/thailand.anti-government.protests/index.html
Submitted By: Erin Burneson
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