The military-backed Abhisit Vejjajiva government has been intensifying its propaganda against the red shirts. In addition to claims of terrorism and republicanism, the government has accused the red shirts of using the elderly, women and children as shields and of stockpiling weapons (here referring to home made weapons such as sticks, rocks and so on.
In recent days, reminiscent of the old days when ISOC was responsible for stirring hatred against communists and other opponents (some of them now on the yellow shirt-government side), fake red shirt posters and stickers have appeared to proclaim the red shirts as anti-monarchy and seeking to establish a republic.
At the same time, as well as establishing its own “facts” website, the government’s media war rooms have been working overtime getting fake posts on blogs locally and internationally. One of the standard lines is: “I am not red or yellow, but…” and then a diatribe against the red shirts – paid, duped, Thaksin supporters and so on. They also appear to be trying to block/classify YouTube videos of 10 April that they think are damaging to the government. Not terribly sophisticated, but as Sopon Onkgara put it yesterday, the “military spokesman at the operations headquarters has talked tough over the past few days. Terms such as ‘acceptable collateral damage’ have been heard, to test public reaction.” This is a softening-up process, getting support from frightened Bangkokians. Real Cold War stuff.
Political Prisoners in Thailand 