Update Below
The confrontation between anti- and pro-government protesters reached a boiling point early Tuesday morning, when the police-enforced separation of the two groups by a distance of several hundred meters was breached. In the resulting melee at least one person was killed.
At 7:00 Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Samak announced a state of emergency in Bangkok, invoking a controversial article in the new constitution that was seen as being insisted upon by the military transitional government during the last coup.
Under this state of emergency, the commander of the Army has been given authority to enforce the state of emergency, which prohibits gatherings of more than five people for political purposes. The paragraph requiring everyone to remain at home has been exempted so that business can continue as usual.
There is a story in more detail on The Nation’s website here. There is also a shocking video that appears to shows anti-government protesters (in the yellow shirts) beating pro-government protesters who are lying on the ground, unable or unwilling to defend themselves.
For balance, though, there is no way to identify absolutely who is who, but I think when it comes to the point of people on either side beating people who don’t even have the strength to raise their arms in defense, that’s way too far. Let’s use the political process and peaceful protest to change the system, not violence.
Update
At about noon Tuesday, local time, it was reported that the Election Commission, as part of an ongoing investigation, has ruled that the People’s Power Party committed electoral fraud in the December 2007 election and should be dissolved. The PPP is the party of Prime Minister Samak and is considered, for all intensive purposes, to be simply a rebirth of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, which was dissolved after the 2006 coup.
The Election Commission voted unanimously for the dissolution and the case will be forwarded to the public prosecutor’s office, who will determine if it should be forwarded to the Constitutional Court for a final ruling.
This certainly adds some fuel to the fire, but over the past several months, the judiciary has appeared to be relatively independent and fair. My hope is that this will help bring about a resolution to the immediate conflict and encourage everyone to play by the rules of the game. In other words, the constitution.
christao408 
So sorry to hear about the trouble let’s hope you stay well away from harm’s way. I hadn’t even heard about this on the news so I was quite shocked. Hopefully this situation can be reconciled with a minimum of violence. I have always loved the Thai people but there certainly is a toughness about them along with their better qualities.
So sad that they are so irrational… fighting should never be the solution….
In a way, I am glad I left Bangkok in time, and let’s hope things will calm down. I am glad US politics are more “civilized”, and let’s hope things will clear up better for me with the upcoming Prediential debates. I prefer verbal debates for ideas over fistful “debates” over ideals.
Hope all is well.
We had it here in the Philippines some time ago. Of course all of humanity is for the furtherance of peace.
Violence is always something that stirs uncomfortable thoughts; mostly because all the pain leads to no solution.It’s amazing how people can lose their sense of humanity so quickly.
You said, “Let’s use the political process and peaceful protest to change the system, not violence.”
I totally agree with you. See my blog on similar theme:http://weblog.xanga.com/choyshinglin/672663858/it-is-a-pity-that-in-most-of-the-less-developed-countries-the-succession-of-power-is-often-accompanied-by-bloodshed.html
Let’s hope the army will not impose military rule again! We are all ears to this dramatic event!!
I’m not sure if you knew that the pro-government supporters that marched into Bangkok from the upcountry were hired from government by my tax and we already knew it in advance that there’s going to be the attack last night.
From your clips, it might just tell only one side perspective but let me share you this pic. http://www.manager.co.th/Politics/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9510000103733 Don’t you think that it’s too much?
Or may be the clips that pro-goverment attacked PAD few months ago. http://www.manager.co.th/Politics/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9510000087426
Sad but true, some people in this country can do such thing with people in same country just for the money.
Yeesh, I’m sorry all this is going on. Stay safe!
Woah! Just be safe!!
Be careful over there!!
@blue_beau – Thanks for sharing these! As I said in the comments on your blog, I recognise that I’m largely ignorant about Thai politics and know that the images I receive through mainstream Thai media may be heavily biased. You’ve really added a lot by pointing out that the pro-government side is also engaging in threatening behavior. Thanks again for helping us get a fuller view of the picture.
I saw a newspaper article the day after you first reported the conflicts, but sadly here we only had a one and half inch article on it under “world news”. Thanks for keeping us informed though.
I am so random but: go Obama! (I saw the little sign on the left)
@Secret_Qt – Yeah, a little random, but that’s cool. Thanks for stopping by.
I had been hearing the turbulence on and off over the last three days or so, but have been busy with company and Ramadan, so I couldn’t get to your blog until now. I hope that the dust settles and there is no blood shed. Please take care. I have been thinking of you.
Thanks for keeping us posted. You are in my thoughts. I get fairly comprehensive updates on this crisis from my daily fix of Deutsche Welle Journal news. Love to you and Tawn.
@albertmoore – Thanks for your thoughts. All is well here. How was your parents’ visit?
@christao408 – We had a wonderful time together. Brooke enjoyed her introduction to California. Dad is having some recurrence issues, they “think,” so there is now a flurry of CT scans, appointments, and a biopsy all scheduled before they join me in Germany on October 6. I will keep you posted. Love you.