Red Gaurs

The Red Gaurs (Thai: กระทิงแดง "Krathing Daeng") was a paramilitary anti-leftist organization active in Thailand during the 1970's. Many members were veterans of the Vietnam War or former mercenaries in Laos and thus fanatically anti-communist. They were heavily funded and backed by the US. [Michael Leifer, Dictionary of the Modern Politics of South-East Asia, Published 2001,Routledge, ISBN 0415238757] The US gave at least 250 million baht to help organized the Red Gaurs ["From 14th to 6th of October" Collected Articles by Puey Ungpakorn, Saneh Chamarik, Benedict Anderson, Edited by Charnvit Kasetsiri and Thamrongsak Petchlert-anan (Language: Thai), p.299] . King Bhumibol Adulyadej also played a key role in both the Red Gaurs as well as the Village Scouts, another anti-leftist paramilitary organization [Paul M. Handley, "The King Never Smiles" Yale University Press: 2006, ISBN 0-300-10682-3] . The Red Gaurs played a key role in the 6 October 1976 massacre of students and activists at Thammasat University, since it viewed them as communist sympathizers.

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