Thailand Agnes Dherbeys’ brave hard news feature from Thailand’s recent history. (Viewers may find some of these images disturbing) Thailand  Growing pains For more than 2 months, the so-called 'Red shirts' or the ‘United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD)’ occupied the business center of Bangkok. They rallied for an immediate dissolution of the Parliament and called for new elections, yet for now PM Abhisit's government remains in power. Bangkok became a battleground, and still lives in a state of emergency since the 'final crackdown' on the 19th of May. During the last week of the Rajprasong occupation, snipers and mysterious “Black Men” (believed to be the armed wing of some radical red shirt leaders) painted the sky of Bangkok in black and red, while 'communards' red shirts made barricades and fought with handmade explosives. The Capital was burning. Thai society is more divided than ever. What strikes me the most about what I have witnessed, is the chaos and the incredible hate among Thais, unveiling dramatic sleeping tectonic tension. Indeed, as Andrew Marshall sharply points out: "Thailand is having an identity crisis. Its society is deeply fractured. Its people are divided and have lost faith in the institutions, which had long claimed to have their best interests at heart - military, monarchy, bureaucracy. Decades of healthy economic growth had allowed people to ignore these fractures, but not anymore. Thailand has stopped believing its own bullshit". Indeed. On black Saturday (10th of April), Reds fought against the Army, while the "Black Men" apparently stirred up the violence and forced the troops into a real debacle on several occasions. Impressive bamboo and tyre barricades grew in key spots in the very center of Bangkok. Grenades exploded. Thais clashed against Thais. Complex, volatile and certainly not yet ended, the 9 weeks of violence resulted in the biggest loss of life in decades in Thailand.  At least 90 people were killed in clashes, including 2 foreign journalists. Phadung Krung Kasem intersection, Thai troops try to disperse the red shirts protestors who throw stones, chairs, any object, at them. 10/04/10 Thai Red Shirt protestors through tires-barricades on Rama IV near Klong Toei area, Bangkok Thailand 16/05/10 Thai APC destroys the main barricades of the Red shirt zone area, after 2 months of occupation. Bangkok Thailand 19/05/10 Last week 'battle of Bangkok' : A male Red Shirt protestor, just shot on Rama IV road, Bangkok Thailand 14/05/10 Red Shirt protestors form a human shield to escape from the assault of the Thai Army, adjacent street from Ratchadamnoen avenue, Bangkok, Thailand 10/04/10 Red Shirts against Thai Army in Ratchadamnoen avenue, near Democracy monument, Bangkok, Thailand 10/04/10 Thai troops deploy on Silom Road, near the no color shirt protestors, Bangkok, Thailand 22/04/10 While fighting between Thai Troops and Red shirt protestors took place in Ratchadamnoen avenue and its back streets, near Democracy Monument, I ran into an unidentified "Black man". He shouted at me for taking a photograph of him.  As events unfolded in Bangkok it became apparent that the "black men" were fighters for the red movement - trained as urban guerrillas.  Bangkok Thailand 10th of April 2010 A Thai soldier being taken away by medics and Red shirts in an adjacent street to Ratchadamnoen avenue, near Democracy Monument. Wittayu road: Red shirt protestor. Bangkok, Thailand 13/05/10 Red shirt barricades. Bangkok Thailand 23/04/10 Anti-Red shirt runs for shelter after throwing glass bottles at the Red shirts on Rama IV-silom road, Bangkok Thailand 21/04/10 I accompanied one medic, two photographers, one Thai soldier and one Red shirt into the street from Ratchadamnoen avenue, where the worst battle between the army and Red shirt protesters was taking place. Someone brought a stretcher to carry a second injured soldier. When we got up, despite the fact that we showed the soldiers further down the street that we were carrying an injured man, someone shot at us. The Red shirt protester and the second soldier were both injured in the leg.  Bangkok, Thailand 10th of April 2010 Thai soldier in heated atmosphere, Silom Road, Bangkok, Thailand 21/04/10 Beginning of the 'Battle of Bangkok' the night Seh Daeng was killed. Thai red shirt protestor takes cover on Rama IV road. Bangkok, Thailand. 13/05/2010 A Red shirt protestor who has been shot is carried away. Fighting between Red shirts and the army was intense in Ratchadamnoen avenue near Democracy Monument, Bangkok, Thailand 10/04/10 Thai Red shirts carry a coffin with the body of a Red shirt who was killed the night before for the funeral rites to take place at Democracy monument, Bangkok, Thailand 11/04/10 Beginning of the 'Battle of Bangkok' the night Seh Daeng was killed. A red shirt protestor, shot in the head, on Rama IV road. Thai Red shirts protest around Democracy monument during funeral rites, carrying the photos of those killed the day before, Bangkok, Thailand 11/04/10 General Khattiya Sawasdipol Aka Seh Daeng during his patrol in the red shirt zone. Before dawn he visits the area checkpoints and briefs his security men, Bangkok, Thailand 10/05/10 Please note:   Life Force magazine is greatly supported by you looking at our advertising which is free to view.