Thai web users bear witness to the violence that has rocked Bangkok
France 24
May 17, 2010
CLASHES IN BANGKOK
Several dozen people have been killed and hundreds of others injured. The capital of Thailand, Bangkok, has been the scene of deadly clashes between the army and the red shirts who are protesting notably against the Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the early elections, but they have said they are ready for UN mediated negotiations. Meanwhile, the blogosphere takes a look at the violence that has torn Bangkok apart over the past few days.
Many web users have posted films of the scenes in Bangkok over the weekend on sharing sites. Red shirts setting barricades alight, demonstrators storming a military truck, and also soldiers being deployed to the city … residents of the capital were witness to real scenes of urban guerilla warfare.
The services of Twitter have also been called upon. Several journalists at the scene have been able to report on the development of events in Bangkok in real time. http://tweetphoto.com/22496475 ” target=”_blank”>Twitter users have also been circulating pictures, which demonstrate the scale of the violence over these past few days.
One web user has created an interactive map providing regularly updated information on the areas to avoid, blocked roads and also the gunfire warnings in the capital.
LIBYA AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Last week, Libya was elected as a new member of the UN Human Rights Council, the UNHRC. The election has been met with outrage the world over and is echoed on the web.
The organization UN Watch has not hidden its anger over the result of the vote. This NGO had been campaigning for a long time, trying to mobilise heads of state to stop the election of Libya, a country with little respect for human rights.
This Canadian blogger expresses a similar sentiment; he sees the election as a humiliation for members of the UN. He thinks electing a country like Libya to defend human rights is like leaving a wolf to watch over sheep.
Because as this online report from the US Ministry of foreign affairs highlights, Libya has a damning human rights record. The country is in fact accused of carrying out arbitrary arrests and torturing prisoners.
The NGO « Human Rights Watch » is also criticizing the system used for designating members of the UNHRC. The candidate countries have no opposition. So they are certain of being elected without having to provide a positive track record in terms of respecting human rights.
In the meantime, several web users have been using irony in their reactions to the news. Some think that http://leblogdjetliberte.blog.tdg.ch/archive/2010/05/13/la-libye-elue-au… ” target=”_blank”>Gadhaffi can now aspire to the Nobel peace prize, whilst others are already imagining countries like North Korea joining Libya as members of the council.
EXPERIENCE JETBLUE
The US airline, JetBlue had the idea of asking its passengers to take care of their online advertising and has launched a website on which average passengers can talk about their experiences onboard. It’s a way of sending out a more authentic advertising message, as the passengers’ opinions were unprepared or little rehearsed. This initiative could in the future, be developed on the web.
FREE TO PAY
It is perhaps a new model in the making for the video game industry. Several independent studios have got together to give web users the opportunity of downloading 5 video games for whatever price they want. In other words, the producers of the games are asking web users to pay what they consider to be an acceptable price. 700 000 dollars has been collected in just several days, part of which will be given to charity. This model could be beneficial in the combat against video game piracy.
LA VIDÉO DU JOUR
The aim of the new sport we see in this video, that has been widely circulated online, is to run on water. Enthusiasts of this new sport wear waterproof shoes and using the same principle as stone skimming, run fast enough to rebound off the water’s surface. Is it for real? The debate continues to divide web users, even though it has been revealed that the video is in fact part of a viral campaign for a footwear brand.
Copyright 2010, France 24
Original URL: http://www.france24.com/en/20100517-thai-web-users-bear-witness-violence-has-rocked-bangkok
