Wartawan Amerika Ikut Terluka dalam Bentrok di Thailand
US Journalist among Injured in Thailand Clashes
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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Bangkok (B2B) - Sedikitnya tujuh orang cedera, termasuk seorang wartawan foto Amerika Serikat dan seorang wartawan lokal, terluka dalam bentrokan antara kelompok pro dan anti-pemerintah di Kabupaten Lak Si, Bangkok.
Para demonstran anti-pemerintah Komite Reformasi Demokratis Rakyat (PDRC) dan kelompok pro-pemerintah dari Front Persatuan untuk Demokrasi Melawan Kediktatoran (UDD) bentrok di bawah jalan layang Lak Si di Jalan Vibhavadi, Sabtu.
Bentrokan terjadi di dekat IT Square Mall. Kemudian ada pengumuman untuk melakukan penutupan lokasi itu lebih awal, seperti dilansir Yahoo News.
Bom-bom itu dilemparkan ke arah pengunjuk rasa PDRC dan tembakan-tembakan terdengar secara berkala.
Dua ledakan terdengar pada sekitar pukul 03.45 waktu setempat dan diikuti oleh empat suara seperti bom.
Pusat Darurat Erawan Minggu melaporkan bahwa delapan orang terluka, mencakup lima pria dan tiga wanita.
Wartawan yang terluka diidentifikasi sebagai Jirawat Sukhanon, dari surat kabar Daily News. Dia sedikit terluka di hidung dan mulutnya dan kemudian dikirim ke Rumah Sakit Vibhavadi.
Juga dilaporkan bahwa seorang wartawan foto Amerika roboh oleh peluru di kakinya.
Pusat darurat juga melaporkan bahwa, pada Minggu, sepuluh orang tewas sementara 593 lainnya terluka sejak kekerasan politik meletus di ibu kota Thailand pada 30 November. Enam belas orang masih dirawat di rumah sakit.
Bangkok - At least seven people were injured in clashes between red shirts and protesters led by the People´s Democratic Reform Committee outside the Lak Si district office yesterday afternoon.
The confrontation occurred after Luangpu Puttha Issara, a monk who has headed the rally at Chaeng Wattana, led protesters to surround the district office to prevent the transport of ballots and ballot boxes to polling stations.
While the PDRC protesters were rallying, hardline red-shirt leader Wutthipong Kachatham, or Ko Tee, led some 200 red shirts to confront the protesters. Nation Channel reported that sounds of explosions were heard four times while the two sides were about 800 metres from each other - believed to be giant firecrackers. A car was also reportedly smashed amid the chaos.
At around 4pm, two firecracker explosions were heard under an overpass at the Lak Si intersection and three people were slightly injured, including Jirawat Sukanon, a Daily News reporter, who suffered wounds to his mouth and nose.
Up to 40 gunshots and several giant firecracker explosions were then heard. It was later reported that at least one person was wounded by a gunshot in front of the nearby IT Square Mall, which shut shortly after.
PDRC protesters at the Lat Phrao intersection sent men to rescue fellow protesters at the district office compound.
As gunshots continued to be fired in the Lak Si intersection area, some 30 bystanders were caught up on a nearby pedestrian bridge and barged through the mall´s doors to seek refuge inside the building.
