The Location (August 25, 2010)
I still often asked what is the situation in Bangkok. The situation in Bangkok is normal, as always. It just depends on your point of view. And where you are. Even in the most dramatic in the rest of the city life went in a more or less normal. I suppose it is the case even when wars. Where there is no battle, you live. In the end, what else should be done?
In seven years in Southeast Asia have seen a bit 'of tragedy, of different entities: the Tsunami in the coup. The occupation of the parliament and the airport, the Songkran riots of 2009, those of 2010, and May of this year's blood. During each of these events, what I saw from the window was always the same. Life went on, more or less normal.
In this last episode - the two months of the redshirts - I have many memories, made up of flash and sharp contrasts. There will be things I will never forget.
One is the evening of May 19. I stood on the top floor of my building, at the edge of the pool. Before me, a beautiful sunset and columns of smoke from the burning skyline of Bangkok in mourning. From my part, the tranquility of an area "safe" on the other, the smoke of burning tires and building focused.
between me and them, people fighting in the streets, soldiers shooting, snipers on the skyscrapers and elevated train tracks. At the end of the lifeless bodies will be 91, but the people - locals and foreigners - appears to be more upset by the fact that the largest shopping center and the new chic area of \u200b\u200bBangkok has been destroyed. This will be another thing that I will not forget: in 2010 a shopping center that is more tears than 91 people. The
days later, with my friend Nicole, a scooter around the streets completely deserted in the center, we see the rubble of a guerrilla consumatasi among the buildings. Checkpoints everywhere, soldiers sometimes gentle and smiling, and threatening other warily. "Trenches" of sandbags, tires and cars burned, bloodstains and pieces of clothing. Skeletons of buildings burned.
the streets, a few bewildered tourists and many journalists.
Friday witnessing an exodus of people walking from the center outwards. Many tourists who want to go to the airport, but can not find any means of transport. There are not any taxis.
In the afternoon we went to eat at a "community mall". Everything there seems normal, the business continues, people eat, drink, spend, smiling.
For days thereafter, the boring evenings with the curfew. There is a house of a friend in my building, some of them go home before 8 pm, others stay for the night. Curious, we walk to the nearby Sukhumvit, the main street of the center of modern Bangkok, usually nightmarish traffic that day totally empty. A taxi hurtling at the speed of lightning, certainly late, and terrified of being stopped and questioned by police or, worse, by soldiers.
But how do you explain what happened? These red shirts are a leftist movement, such as color would you suggest? What they want? And why are so afraid of the government and some upper middle-class in the capital?
2001: Thaksin Shinawatra wins the election. is the first time at a party (his Thai Rak Thai) is given as wide a consensus.
2005: The Thai Rak Thai won with an even bigger margin.
2006: A bloodless coup led by General Sonthi Boonyaratklin and supported by the King overthrew the government and establishing a military.
2007: free elections reaffirm the preference for Thaksin Thai - meanwhile autoesiliatosi to escape a sentence of corruption - by voting for the new incarnation of his party, the PPP. In a short time two prime ministers were forced to resign for petty offenses, with a sort of legal coup.
Through a turnaround "Italian" goes to the government of the Democratic Party Abhisit Vejjajiva, but this can not be acceptable to the electorate of the former premier. Those who love Thaksin
? Mainly the lower classes, in most rural areas. His populist policies and a bit 'welfare made him the new hero of the simple people, who King called "the backbone of the economy", but until then they had to settle for the crumbs of the system.
The downside is the fact of corruption and disregard for human rights. The War on Drugs in 2003 left nearly 2,500 dead on the roads, inland killed extra-judicial often simple to internal feuding mafia-police. Other times by mistake, or megalomania. Islamic separatist rebellion in the South is radicalized, and with it repression. The dead number in the hundreds. The semi-Thaksin regime is very intolerant of external criticism: the censorship of the press increases.
But I'm not sure these are the elements that frighten the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy bangkokiane. Thaksin is currently developing a new system / network of interests. It seems looking beyond to the succession to the throne (King Bhumiphol Adulyadej is now old and sick). Some even (ranting) accuse him of wanting to become the new king of Thailand. We organize demonstrations and sit-in, led by former friends and mentors Limtongkul Sondhi and Chamlong Srimuang. This is how the yellow shirt. Initially a movement purely anti-Thaksin, democratic and libertarian, they then take a turn decidedly reactionary ultra-nationalist and ultra-realistic.
Vistosi deny the constitutional right to choose the government with their votes, the electorate, Thaksin created his own motion, the redshirts.
Who is Thaksin? Indeed it can be considered a leader "left", as is often the TV would have us believe? Not really.
First, Thaksin was for years the richest man in Thailand. Character not dissimilar from our Berlusconi, he has built his fortune by developing an empire based on telecommunications and some TV channels (also owned the satellites). One of the biggest scandals is related to the sale of its holding-company (the Shin Corp) to the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek. Transaction on which, thanks to a "hole" legislation thai, no taxes have been paid. Following the equivalent will be seized by the Thai state, and the sentence that leads to what will be one of the reasons triggering the rebellion this year.
Fighting for Thaksin, according to its electorate, is defending a different vision of politics, a more equitable division of wealth, Thailand a more modern, democratic and pragmatic, in step with the times. For his
Detractors however the former PM is a despicable character, a true traitor to his country and the monarchy, a man arrogant, selfish and unscrupulous, ready to put behind any interest to those of his own.
The reality, as usual, lies somewhere in between. That is, both views contain some truth and some exaggeration.
In contrast, the Democratic Party, now reviled in the provinces (with the possible exception of South Islamic), but still popular in Bangkok and in the most wealthy in the kingdom, historically enjoys a good reputation, but is often also seen as Party inactivity. They are called "cockroaches" because they always manage to survive political events and "earthquakes" semiautoritari the country.
The fact that just the PD, with its reputation as a stronghold of the elite Bangkokiana usually pretty indifferent to the causes of the people "small", have been made to the government with a team of army and judiciary, has caused much anger among the rural masses. Led by Thaksin's henchmen, have taken the road of the capital, believed to be able to convince Abhisit to resign. Their protest was mostly peaceful, but on many occasions have been infiltrated by elements ambiguous and often violent, the Blackshirts. They are seen by some as an expression of the army, real agents provocateurs, and others simply as fringe inside the redshirts.
Indecision on the type of response from the government, the proposed solutions / compromises all in all very acceptable to both parties, the constant blame game between Army and Interior Ministry have helped to prolong the occupation of the center Bangkok for two months. Result: to meet the pressing demands of a vigorous intervention by the national interest groups and big business, the government has chosen to end the authoritarian way, by deploying substantial troops and giving them permission to shoot to kill. The rest you know.
Fearful of any form of direct election, the Democratic Party, now also forced to follow the guidelines of the Yellow shirts that have helped put in power, now has lost its characteristic "democratic" to the detriment of the name. Thanks also to the institution of CRES (Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation, a sort of mini-military junta with broad decision making powers), anti-censorship formidable opposition was made: there are very few sites and publications pro-Thaksin not being blocked. Not only that, but online forums and websites are often genuinely independent and subject to threats of censorship by various ministries (the Orwellian Ministry of Culture, ICT, which is the Ministry of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Interior etc ..) Exacerbating the situation rights of the press, speech, thought and opinion, there are laws Majesta injured more stringent on the planet. One word of criticism against the sovereign can cost (and cost) sentences of up to 15 years in prison. A real witch hunt, which not only generate a perverse system of rumors and accusations, forcing the mainstream press to a painful self-censorship. To maintain a discreet
popular support, are periodically mounted contrasts of the Cambodian border (the temple of Preah Vihear), relying on feelings never completely dormant in old-fashioned nationalism, racism and a certain anti-Khmer has always been relatively common in the Siamese kingdom.
What is the situation in Bangkok? The situation is normal, as always. It just depends on your point of view. From where you are, and especially from what he says and writes.
