Was sitting around monitoring the updates from the Pitak Siam rally yesterday - organised by the pro-Royalists (as opposed to the Red Shirts who took the streets in 2010 and led to a crackdown), and thought I should share something here, in this very arid blog of mine:)
Its notable that only few official news updates are in English. I tried not to follow too many of the farangs - I wonder: think if they have so much to complain, what the hell are they doing here? But it is also an indictment of the disconnect between the very "global" nation and people and the lack of information/communication in English. I recall a friend who was living in Bangkok during the 2010 political clash and subsequent crackdown, when she had trouble getting information from local news - because all are in Thai. Depending on foreign stations and sources is an alternative, but live reports should be available in the mass media. It was more or less the same during the floods in October-November - following the tweets, that some group had started as monitors was useful but nerve wrecking, to say the least. I left for home and worked more peacefully there, but those who lived in the provinces and areas affected, unfortunately suffered what was probably bad management and political screw ups. Anyway, that's another story, though its the same government the protestors were rallying against yesterday at the Royal Plaza.
Anyway, the thing that struck me was, well the fact that the rally organisers (led by Gen. Boonlert Kaewprasit) and supported by those from the People's Alliance for Democracy (yellow shirts) and some other groups that are clearly pro-Royalists, have been at the table to discuss the rally with the government and security agencies, is pretty good - would have been unthinkable in Malaysia. I don't agree with the level of security reaction yesterday morning - use of tear gas against the protestors heading to the dedicated rally site - but this is political expression. I also don't agree with their cause, by the way. In case you were wondering.
There will of course be debates about the motives - provoking for another coup? The fact that the military was reluctant on invoking the Internal Security Act that the police recommended (former aligned with monarchy) is one issue; the fact that there is no clear political objective is another; and the fact that the red government of Yingluck has also overreacted is yet another testimony to the weak administration in place. The government has demonstrated that it is a puppet government of Thaksin Shinawatra, whose sister is the Prime Minister. Ruling from Dubai, is the popular belief, and the red shirt supporters believe that is the way it should be since Thaksin was wronged by the 2006 military coup. Oh, did I mention the site of the rally is probably just 2.5km from where I stay - in Dusit? Its one of the 3 areas under the ISA for 10 days. I hope they revoke the order since the less than 20,000 people who eventually turned up led the organiser to call off the rally at 5.30pm.
The fact is politics is divided here, and so are the other institutions - academic, the media, civil society. But where is it not? I read a comment on the twitter roll that politics and democracy in Asia will never be like the West? Why does he think people want to be like in the West? Yes, there are many systems and policies to support democratic institutions that are clearly lacking in countries in Asia, but Europe and the US are also facing some serious problems and challenges. Too many to cite as comparisons, but suffice to say that while it seems like there is no end to the colour politics here in Thailand, political expression is there, albeit with some challenges. That is far more than what many other citizens of other countries can enjoy. Unpacking the political crisis requires the dismantling of a number of institutions that prevent a more equitable society, but that's a choice of the people to make.
Things seem to be calm, except for the ongoing debtate in Parliament to censure the Prime Minister and several other ministers. It goes on. This piece in the Bangkok Post sums up quite well the state things are in and in a way responding to the point about democracy not working in Asia.
Its notable that only few official news updates are in English. I tried not to follow too many of the farangs - I wonder: think if they have so much to complain, what the hell are they doing here? But it is also an indictment of the disconnect between the very "global" nation and people and the lack of information/communication in English. I recall a friend who was living in Bangkok during the 2010 political clash and subsequent crackdown, when she had trouble getting information from local news - because all are in Thai. Depending on foreign stations and sources is an alternative, but live reports should be available in the mass media. It was more or less the same during the floods in October-November - following the tweets, that some group had started as monitors was useful but nerve wrecking, to say the least. I left for home and worked more peacefully there, but those who lived in the provinces and areas affected, unfortunately suffered what was probably bad management and political screw ups. Anyway, that's another story, though its the same government the protestors were rallying against yesterday at the Royal Plaza.
Anyway, the thing that struck me was, well the fact that the rally organisers (led by Gen. Boonlert Kaewprasit) and supported by those from the People's Alliance for Democracy (yellow shirts) and some other groups that are clearly pro-Royalists, have been at the table to discuss the rally with the government and security agencies, is pretty good - would have been unthinkable in Malaysia. I don't agree with the level of security reaction yesterday morning - use of tear gas against the protestors heading to the dedicated rally site - but this is political expression. I also don't agree with their cause, by the way. In case you were wondering.
There will of course be debates about the motives - provoking for another coup? The fact that the military was reluctant on invoking the Internal Security Act that the police recommended (former aligned with monarchy) is one issue; the fact that there is no clear political objective is another; and the fact that the red government of Yingluck has also overreacted is yet another testimony to the weak administration in place. The government has demonstrated that it is a puppet government of Thaksin Shinawatra, whose sister is the Prime Minister. Ruling from Dubai, is the popular belief, and the red shirt supporters believe that is the way it should be since Thaksin was wronged by the 2006 military coup. Oh, did I mention the site of the rally is probably just 2.5km from where I stay - in Dusit? Its one of the 3 areas under the ISA for 10 days. I hope they revoke the order since the less than 20,000 people who eventually turned up led the organiser to call off the rally at 5.30pm.
The fact is politics is divided here, and so are the other institutions - academic, the media, civil society. But where is it not? I read a comment on the twitter roll that politics and democracy in Asia will never be like the West? Why does he think people want to be like in the West? Yes, there are many systems and policies to support democratic institutions that are clearly lacking in countries in Asia, but Europe and the US are also facing some serious problems and challenges. Too many to cite as comparisons, but suffice to say that while it seems like there is no end to the colour politics here in Thailand, political expression is there, albeit with some challenges. That is far more than what many other citizens of other countries can enjoy. Unpacking the political crisis requires the dismantling of a number of institutions that prevent a more equitable society, but that's a choice of the people to make.
Things seem to be calm, except for the ongoing debtate in Parliament to censure the Prime Minister and several other ministers. It goes on. This piece in the Bangkok Post sums up quite well the state things are in and in a way responding to the point about democracy not working in Asia.
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