Adrian Callan Q&A: Images and reflections from Thailand's 'Red Shirt' protests
ADRIAN CALLAN, left, is a Bankok-based freelance TV cameraman/editor, who filmed the so-called Red Shirts as they rallied to calls for an uprising by Thailand's exiled former Prime Minister. Adrian's footage has been broadcast on Al Jazeera English, ITN, Channel 4, and ZDF Germany.
He also takes photographs "as a hobby", but his shots from the recent protests demonstrate not just his skills as a photojournalist but his determination to focus on the human stories behind the simmering unrest.
DAN MASON asked Adrian about the challenges of covering the drama on his own doorstep
Which picture sums up your coverage of the story?
AC: It is hard to find one image that really sums it up. But I've selected this one as I like the contrast. The luxury shopping mall in the background with protesters camped outside.
Many journalists have found it difficult to get to grips with this story. It is incredibly complex, and takes more time than a standard two or three-minute television news package to explain. The print journalists have had a better chance, with some great articles appearing in, for example, The Economist, and The Times.
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
I like this picture because it highlights one of the key issues: social division. The mall in the background caters for the very rich. I would never dream of shopping there, and for the Red Shirts, the idea is just ridiculous. The mostly rural and urban lower class that make up the Reds come from a world where hard work is not rewarded very highly. It is just a fact of life. I like the way the giant advertisements tower over the protestors.
… and what video footage did the TV networks go for?
AC: My most notable footage on Al Jazeera English showed the moment protesters forced about 1,000 riot police to sit down in the road. Dressed in full riot gear, they all just sat down in their lines, riot shields at their feet, while the Red Shirts surrounded them.
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| Click images to enlarge All photographs copyright Adrian Callan 2010 |
Once sat down, the police were offered food and drink by the protesters. The leaders had negotiated with the police (who included Red supporters) and it was decided that, as the police would not be allowed to leave the area, they would all sit to avoid confrontation. A very bizarre scene.
What was the attitude of Thai police and protesters towards journalists?
AC: In the beginning, everyone was very friendly towards foreign journalists. And this has largely remained the case.
Al Jazeera English (AJE) came under fire for running footage of the now infamous 'men in black' (the military wing of the Red Shirt movement, made up of soldiers from perhaps 'not-so-loyal' army regiments).
After the initial violence, AJE ran some AP footage showing the men in black shooting AK47s at the army. A still from the footage was taken and used in Thai newspapers, complete with the AJE logo. Word spread quickly that anyone associated with AJE should be careful. But after a few days it was forgotten about. A few hard-liners were not happy, but most people saw it as just the truth.
Normally, the police and soldiers smile or ignore you. The Red protestors will offer you food or water, and many of them want to talk to you. They are curious to know why you are so interested in them.
It is wrong to assume they are all ignorant country folk. Many speak English very well.
What measures do you (and should other journalists) take to stay safe?
AC: On April 10, when the Reds clashed with the army and people died, I was at the other protest site in the city centre. Tempers were high, as was the temperature (April being mid-summer in Thailand). As I headed to the office I came across about 2,000 riot police pushing and shoving with protestors.
On this occasion, the police retreated. But a few hours later, it did get very nasty. Hiro Muramoto, a Reuters cameraman, was shot and killed.
Hostile environment courses are very useful, invaluable perhaps. Know your escape routes, recognise danger, judge the mood of the crowd, envisage what might happen in fluid situations, and make educated guesses on the best place to position yourself.
A Thai cameraman (who had never done a course) set himself up in the middle of the road, on a tripod, behind the protesters. As the bullets started to fly over the Red shirts heads, he caught an M16 round in his tripod head.
Fortunately the strong, German-made unit absorbed the bullet and saved his life. But it was a ridiculous place to set up. Right in the line of fire, middle of the road, and on a tripod (which in the dark could look like a weapon, and make you a target).
The moral of the story is to use common sense, and be aware of the dangers.
Images and reflections from Thailand's 'Red Shirt' protests (Part 2) »
http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/2010/05/adrian-callan-qa-images-and-reflections-from-thailands-red-shirt-protests-part-2/Adrian Callan Q&A: Images and reflections from Thailand's 'Red Shirt' protests (Part 2)
Do you prefer to work alone or with other journalists?
AC: In violent situations, it is always good to be with someone – but someone who knows what they are doing and can look after themselves.
To go into a potentially dangerous situation with someone you need to keep an eye on is only making the situation more dangerous for yourself.
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| Click images to enlarge All photographs copyright Adrian Callan 2010 |
In terms of TV news, you are nearly always with a journalist, who will want to film pieces to camera as events unfold. Working together to determine the where, when and how is essential. This should be discussed in advance to avoid having to exchange ideas once the bricks and bottles start flying about.
On your blog you say it's hard not to pick sides. How did your personal views affect your coverage?
AC: It has been hard not to pick sides. So many issues have been raised by the current protest that staying out of the arguments becomes very difficult.
For any journalist, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are paramount. They mean everything to me. Without them, you have no hope of democracy. It is that simple.
If people are not permitted to speak their minds, and the press is not allowed to report freely without intimidation, there is little hope of society progressing or developing in the modern world.
Of course, different media outlets will always lean in a certain direction and favour one side or another in a political conflict. But governments that block websites and ban TV and radio channels are more akin to a North Korean-style regime than a modern democracy. In Thailand, I feel the Lese Majeste » law is the biggest barrier to moving forward and developing as a society.
Both sides have been guilty of misinformation and propaganda. I have seen intelligent, well-educated Thai people being taken in by some of the most ridiculous ideas and lies. Once someone chooses a side, it becomes harder for them to see the big picture. So they become entrenched and blinkered to what is really going on.
I was told by my friend's wife that the Red Shirts all had guns and weapons. The government told her, she said. I tried to explain to her that it was not actually the protesters who had the weapons, but factions of the army who supported them. She simply refused to listen, because the government had said that the army was united.
I have also seen bias among western journalists and in the pieces they write. Some clearly believe what they are told by state media outlets and don't question it, while others choose simply to criticise those in power.
I believe a journalist should always at least try to be neutral, if only for the reason that remaining neutral allows you a broader perspective.
The photographs I took around the protest sites were meant to show that these are real people and not just 'demonstrators'. At times it was easy to feel anger toward others who wished harm upon these people. But that's something you have to deal with.
I would take their photograph and they would smile at me and offer me water or food. And I would think to myself: 'If the Army were to crack down tonight, some of the people in my pictures could be dead in the morning'. That thought, together with government censorship, makes it very difficult to remain neutral.
What would your advice be to a young person determined to follow a career as a VJ or photojournalist?
AC: To embark on a career in TV news or photojournalism, I think the key thing these days is the need to be very technically minded.
The internet is where the future is. Not only do you need to be up to speed on all the latest software and equipment, but you need to keep an eye on how it is constantly changing.
Blink and you could get left behind.
• See more pictures spotlighting life in Thailand on Adrian Callan's blog »
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