Popular revolt against the government of un-elected military strongman Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon. Hundreds of thousands gather on Sunday, May 17, 1992, at Sanam Luang.
As the day grows dark, folk rocker "songs for life" frontman Ad Carabao performs for the protestors at Sanam Luang.
After the peaceful gathering, tens of thousands march toward Government House, only to be confronted by riot police at the halfway point,
Opposition leader Chamlong Srimuang appeals for calm.
Mayhem and violence erupt over the next several hours.
Somehow, this guy acquires a riot-police helmet and standard-issue wicker shield during the melee.
Police and other government vehicles are targeted.
Just 10 feet from me, a policeman smashes a brick against this guy's face. His crime? He came to retrieve his motorcycle from behind police lines.
Protesters commandeer a firetruck from nearby station and coast it towards police lines. Police gather and charge back.
The people score another point.
By 2am of the 18th, with word of large army units approaching, this anything-but-intrepid photographer has seen enough and heads home to clean up, cool off, and sleep.
I sit it out at a safe distance that day as the Army, under the command of coup leader Gen Suchinda’s brother-in-law, Gen Issarapong Noonpakdi, kills nearly a hundred of the demonstrators, injures several hundred, and carts off thousands more. The following morning I sneak back into the now cordoned off Sanam Luang and
A block away from
Another tempting target, the
Soldiers fired on this bus when protesters, some of whom were on the roof, attempted to drive it into army positions near the Royal Hotel on
Manning the perimeters during the three-day operation, soldiers keep protesters and onlookers out of the central area.
“Suchinda the dog” (in Thai). Graffiti is rare in
Krungthep (
On May 20, King Bhumibol Adulyadej intervenes. Suchinda and Chamlong, leader of the Palangdharma Party, are called on the royal carpet.
Editorial staff of daily newspaper The Nation watch as the King works his magic on live TV (belatedly, in the opinion of many). Suchinda resigns four days later.
(Nation chief editor Thepchai Yong, white shirt, in foreground.)
“Where soldiers killed the people.” Blood-stained, debarked tree becomes an impromptu sidewalk shrine, on
Piles of sandals and other personal items left behind. Another memorial to the dead, the injured, the missing, and the scattered protesters.
Note:
Images are scanned from film photos. Click to enlarge. All images are copyrighted. Email me for info.
2 comments:
May the souls of those brave men and women who stood for democracy rest in peace.
May their sacrifice never be overturned or compromised by the evil we see today.
well, "Black May" was repeated on "Black Songkran".
17 years later after 1992, on April 13th 2009, soldiers again fired at protesters under orders from ... "Democrat" PM Abhisit. corpses were quickly taken out by soldiers, loaded on trucks and taken outside of Bangkok. ON Thu Apr 23rd one of Puea Thai MPs (opposition party) during the Parlamentary debates on "reconciliation" has mentioned that one "Red-shirt" man woke up in the truck (DMC) loaded with corpses, vehicle was heading to Lopburi province. Man said probably he was considered dead and loaded with others. He managed to jump off the truck and return back to Bangkok. after hearing this PM Abhisit immidietly called Ge. Anupong and told him to "investigate" (most likely - rebuke him for failure to ensure the secrecy) this case.
furthermore, "Democrat" government has blocked all the opposition TV, radio stations and also all the websites, as well as officially announced its "Media War" aimed to counteract any of the UDD alternative coverage of events abroad, in foreign media - the only remaining source of information which Thai "Democrat" government are not able to block. however even foreign MSM media are mostly sticking to the "Official Truths" spread by Thai government and biased partisan Thai press.
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