Rogue Thai General Dies

Thai army commander Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol, a key leader in the Red Shirt protest movement paralyzing Bangkok, has died, six days after being shot by a sniper during an interview with the International Herald Tribune. His death brings fears of increased violence as demonstrators face a deadline to leave the capital. Khattiya’s participation in the protests was an embarrassment to Thailand’s government; he battled secessionists along the country’s border for much of his career. Two years ago, the army officer told The Wall Street Journal that he had turned against the government after he was asked to lead aerobics classes in public markets. Khattiya went on to train a paramilitary wing for the Red Shirts and began talks with the ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The current prime minister pointed to the general as a destabilizing force in the country, which Khattiya did not object to—in fact, he called for a revolution. The clashes have claimed the lives of 36 people and more than 200 have been injured as soldiers have begun to fire directly into crowds. Part of Bangkok has been deemed a “live fire zone.”