May bloodshed crackdown in Bangkok remembered

BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) - Political activists and representatives of people’s organizations joined an activity in Bangkok Thursday to mark the 20th anniversary of the so-called May bloodshed crackdown; while an academic warned people not to repeat the incident. The activity took place at the Santiporn Park in the area of the May crackdown memorial on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in the Thai capital. It was meant to remember a protest from May 17-20, 1992, against the government of General Sujinda Kraprayoon, whose group toppled the government of General Chatichai Choonhavan in a coup. The protest led to a bloody crackdown which killed and injured scores of people. Major General Chamlong Srimuang, now a core leader of the yellow-clad People’s Alliance for Democracy or PAD, a strongest Thai civic group, who led the May 1992 protest, said that the incident resulted from a national crisis which the Parliament could not solve, and that the nation still needs a radical political reform, as existing mechanisms have allowed rich people to buy votes and stay in power. Major General Chamlong also asked concerned parties to build a monument to honor protesters killed in the May 1992 crackdown at the Santiporn Park, as the construction has been long delayed. Major General Chamlong admitted that it is now difficult to trace people who have remained missing in the crackdown because it happened very long ago, acknowledging what can be done now is to organize such the activity to urge everyone to prevent any repeated incident. Parinya Thewanaruemitkul, chairman of the activity-organizing committee, said that the event, in which some well-known Thai artists also joined to display their works, was aimed at telling people that in a democratic society, they should respect those with different opinions and co-exist to prevent any repeated bloodshed. (TNA)