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Reuters-Asian water gangs hit stree



Subject: Reuters-Asian water gangs hit streets to mark New Year 

Asian water gangs hit streets to mark New Year
04:06 a.m. Apr 13, 1999 Eastern
By David Brunnstrom

BANGKOK, April 13 (Reuters) - Gangs of youths hit the streets of Thailand,
Myanmar and Laos on Tuesday, establishing no-go zones for anyone wanting to
avoid a bucket in the face or a hosing down with a high-powered pistol.

But it was all good clean fun to mark the Buddhist New Year and the only
ammunition was water and talcum powder.

In Bangkok, fleeing policemen were blasted from pickup trucks and tourists
attacked without provocation. Some brought out the artillery -- in
Thailand's old capital of Ayutthaya elephants trained their sights on
visitors.

The traditional festival is celebrated this week with minor variations in
Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and in parts of southern China.

In Thailand, Songkran, which lasts three days, is the most important
Buddhist festival. Staged at the hottest time of the year, just as the dry
season gives way to monsoon rains, the water thrown represents purification
and a blessing of the new.

In military-ruled Myanmar, the festival is a rare chance for a tightly
regulated population to let its hair down. Across the country, pavilions are
set up by roadsides from which boys and girls deluge passers-by with
hosepipes and buckets of water.

However, the military authorities have issued the usual warnings against
taking things too far. Out of bounds as targets are military officers or
policemen in uniform and Buddhist monks.

And specifically banned as weapons are water balloons, icepacks and guns
used to fire soapy water -- on pain of jail terms.

But in freewheeling Thailand more or less anything goes and with Songkran
traditionally a time to take a dig at authority, police officers become
natural targets.

A successful ``hit'' is marked with liberal smearings of ``dinsor pong,'' a
type of fragrant talcum powder that ensures good business for laundries for
several days.

One of Bangkok's most lively battlefields has become Khao San Road, the home
of most foreign backpack tourists.

``I think it's a great way to celebrate New Year,'' yelled Joe Cole, from
London as he fought off attackers with a water gun.


``It's the first time I've seen anything like this. It's absolutely crazy,''
said Gail, a tourist from Israel.

Despite the rowdy merrymaking, for many elder citizens the religious aspect
is what is important.

Such is the case in Cambodia where the throwing of water is usually confined
to provinces bordering Thailand and most people visit temples, offer food to
monks and clean Buddha statues.

A more modern custom authorities have been trying to stamp out in the
war-ravaged land is the blasting of weapons into the air on the first
morning of the New Year.