Red-Shirt Radio Station Silenced by Army Troops in Thailand

Strategic Insights -

A key red-shirt radio station in northern Thailand that had been recruiting thousands of anti-government protesters to travel to Bangkok has been silenced by army troops. The I Love Udon Radio station, which had been instrumental in rallying crowds against the government, was destroyed in the wake of the bloody crackdown in Bangkok on Wednesday. Witnesses reported that soldiers on the outskirts of Udon Thani, a northern commercial hub, raked the station with automatic weapons fire, cutting cables and tearing down communications dishes. Despite the destruction, activists surrounding the smashed equipment remained defiant, vowing to continue their fight for democracy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The I Love Udon Radio station was a key recruitment hub for anti-government protesters, with 400,000 registered members in Udon Thani province and many more in the wider north.
  • The station's staff had been helping activists in neighboring provinces to block the movement of troops, which they believed were headed to Bangkok.
  • The station's owner, Kwanchai Sarakham, was arrested and is currently being held in Bangkok.
  • The destruction of the station is seen as a blow to the anti-government movement, with some red shirts vowing to continue their fight despite the setbacks.
  • The radio station's power to rally crowds was demonstrated on Wednesday afternoon, when a mob of 2,000 red shirts attacked provincial government buildings, setting fires and smashing equipment.
  • The people of Udon Thani, largely speakers of the Lao dialect, have a long history of feeling disconnected from the rest of Thailand, with many feeling that Isaan, the poorest region of the country, is being neglected by the government.

Statistics:

  • 400,000: The number of registered members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship in Udon Thani province.
  • 2,000: The number of red shirts who attacked the provincial government buildings on Wednesday afternoon.
  • 1960s and 1970s: The decade in which a communist insurgency took root in Udon Thani, leading to an amnesty being declared.
  • 50 kilometers: The distance between Udon Thani and the border with communist Laos.
  • 50% of the population of Udon Thani live below the poverty line.

Sources:

  • The Age
  • Reuters