A British Red Shirt who was shown on YouTube promising to burn down a Bangkok shopping centre has expressed regret for his words and insisted that he had nothing to do with the arson attack that destroyed the luxury mall four days later.
Jeff Savage, of Tonbridge in Kent, said that his outburst, which has caused outrage among Thai internet users, was sarcastic and came at a moment of frustration because of the imminent suppression of the Red Shirt demonstrators by the Thai Army.
“I hold my hands up — it was me, and I’m ashamed that I lost my temper,” he told The Times by telephone from his home in the Thai resort town of Pattaya. “I was tired and emotional and full of steroids. I said we’re going to burn down Central — I was being sarcastic.”
The 74-second video was removed from YouTube by the young American man who filmed Mr Savage, 48, on Saturday as he walked down a street occupied by the anti-Government Red Shirt protesters. It showed him dressed in the black clothes of the protest movement’s guards and brandishing a stick which he throws down in anger. Amid much swearing he is heard to say: “We’re going to burn down Central World,” and threatening to loot gold and jewellery from the shopping centre. To Mr Savage’s embarrassment, Central World was burnt down by a mob on Wednesday, after Red Shirt leaders handed themselves in to Thai police and called off their protests.
He insisted that he had played no part in the mayhem, and that at the time he was watching — although not taking part in — another arson attack on a Thai television station. But he defended the destruction of property as a weapon in the “class war” which he believes the Red Shirts are fighting.
“I was not involved [in either arson attack], it was far too dangerous,” he said. “But from what I heard it was some of the guards which did it to Central. I heard rumours that it was planned and that stuff had been put inside — gas canisters and stuff. It didn’t just go off because someone put a lighter to it.”
An Australian man has stood up and given speeches at Red Shirt rallies but Mr Savage is the only Briton known to be an active member of the movement. He said: “I don’t mind if they knock on my door and throw me out of the country. But I would be disappointed to end up in a Thai jail.”
Is Charles Manson a personification of the american dream?Texpat wrote:Ugly Brits again. Ironically, they're the ones constantly droning on about proper this and proper that and being civilized. The concept of hypocrisy completely escapes them.
Generalizing a bit now are we?Texpat wrote:Ugly Brits again. Ironically, they're the ones constantly droning on about proper this and proper that and being civilized. The concept of hypocrisy completely escapes them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZo0jUEqJx4 The civilized american,mods feel free to remove this but i couldnt resistTexpat wrote:Ugly Brits again. Ironically, they're the ones constantly droning on about proper this and proper that and being civilized. The concept of hypocrisy completely escapes them.
Firstly I'm from New Zealand and have only been to the UK three times and that was only for visits.Texpat wrote:Don't project your compatriots' extremely poor image abroad to a single domestic murder case 40 years ago halfway around the planet.
Are they? From what source. Have the British cornered the market in oafish behaviour. And don't start banging on about football hooliganism, there is more hatred and tension between clubs' fans on continental Europe and South America than in the relatively tame English leagues.Texpat wrote:It's not mere coincidence this loudmouth dirtbag in the video was a Brittle.
Indeed, the odds are heavily in favor of it.
Following the above comment, Texpat has been banned for 7 days for breaking the following rule:Texpat wrote:This video is merely another piece of evidence of the reality that is clear to most everyone except Brittles.
Despite all their criticizing and whining and moaning and b!tching about everything under the sun, it is they who give farangs a bad name.
I could quote issues from some of his previous posts, this time he went too far!2. Members should post in a way that is respectful of other users.
