Warring Colors
An Al Jazeera feature: For three years Thailand has been divided into two political camps, the yellows and the reds. Rageh Omaar asks is the country at the brink of a bloody conflict.
Thailand has emerged from months of political turmoil and street protests with a new, conservative government and now the country’s Oxford-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister of Thailand, is keen to stress to the world that things in Thailand are back to normal.
But from his self-imposed exile in Dubai, ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra is trying to keep alive the flames of a revolution. In the meantime Thailand’s political conflict had become color-coded. The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in yellow, and the rural driven National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), calling for Thaksin’s return, in red.
Now, with Democrats finally in power, it looks as though Abihsit is right – things in Thailand are back to normal. The rural revolution has been curtailed, and the elite are back in power with the backing of the army and the blessing of the king.
Has Thailand’s revolution come to an end? Can Thaksin still whip up support from abroad? Does he represent the biggest threat to the current government or has he been defeated?
Rageh Omaar examines the truth behind the color-coded class war that is unfolding in Thailand, and ultimately explore if real democracy, in what is essentially a patronage system, can be anything more than a dream.
But are things in Thailand back to normal? Thitinan Pongsudhirak‘s quotes are, once again, key:
Via Saksith
Interesting to see Sondhi Lim reiterate his belief that some MPs have to be unelected.
I fear Thais are in for a very troubled year next year, and they’ve done it to themselves. Any foreigners in Thailand next year should keep their heads down because I believe the brown stuff is going to be in the fan.
Sadly, because there is no need for it to be that way.
Unfortunately troubled times will be in all countries for the same reason and conclusion.
@bosunj:
I assume you are referring to the economic problems many countries have had and are still having. I was referring to the uniquely Thai problems. I believe it is highly likely that the new year will bring violence and it should have been avoidable.
I agree there is a huge potential for violence in Thailand in the coming month and that it is avoidable.
Indeed there are also problems fermenting in many other countries as a result of economic circumstances that will result in social breakdown and violence.
You are probably right about that on reflection, if Abhisit had actually done what he claims to have done and resolved the economic problems, then there would probably be less dissent and polarization.
Added to the problems directly flowing from the behavior of the various elites and the military in Thailand though, the way that a poor economy tends to hit the poor worst can only have made things worse.
Off at a tangent, I see people are coming around to the view that Abhisit really is a waste of time.
The man is such a bare-faced liar. If he were Pinocchio, he would have to hire someone to open doors for him.