Aftermath of the Reds and the future

walked the Rajaprasong area today. What a mess. The city (and the government) are working apace to clean it up.. Of course, they won't be able to clean up the burnt out shell of Central World or Big C across the street that will take months. As I walked through the mess of tenting, personal possessions, junk, garbage, rotten food scattered down Rajadamri and Ploenchit, it was quite depressing. From the original festive, friendly atmosphere of the early protests to this... Who would have thought two months ago, that this would be the result. Massive arson in Bangkok, nearly 90 deaths, up to two thousand injured/wounded and a country at odds with itself. To quote an "expert" on it back then, "hey, don't panic, nothing to worry about, we're in Bangkok, nothing really bad will happen here." Boy, was that a blind prediction or what??

Where will the country go?? Will Abhisit cut a deal with the Puea Thai/UDD/Red Shirts/Taksin?? How many years will it take to work through the terrible things that happened..?? Who will pay the financial cost, the political cost, the criminal cost?? I hope the "deals" and "amnesties" don''t extend to those who were directly involved with terroristic arson, or killings, or incitement on either side.. But, that might be asking too much.. So, we all watch and wait and pray that things don't flare up again..

I'll skip a rant and sum it up like this:

History is littered with the remains of governments that have ignored, suppressed, or repressed the demands of the majority.

Do you really think Abhisit will have any say in the matter?

Khondahm said it right. As far as Abphisit is concerned he did what he was told to do. He is not calling the shots and never was.

FrazeeDK wrote: Who will pay the financial cost,

Western insurance companies, hence no effect on the baht.

western insurance companies?? Nah, more likely a sweetheart deal between the owners and insurance companies affiliate with their family conglomerate..

As I walked around today watching the citizens of Bangkok volunteering to help clean up in their thousands, it just made me think more of what deal will be made politically. Despite the constant demonization of the Reds, to include DPM Suthep's and CRES's "proof" video clips today that the Reds "pre-planned" the arson, I still think PM Abhisit will cut a deal. I figure some of the more violent Reds will be thrown to the dogs, and the others will get amnesty.. Hopefully, the government doesn't believe it's own propaganda.. The Reds are certainly NOT down for the count..
Another thing I did today was review my photos for the whole sequence of events. The biggest day of protest was right after the Reds took over Rajaprasong. The military was brought in, yet retreated ignominously and the protesters exploded in their 10's of thousands from Rajaprasong conducting their rolling rallies throughout the city.. These weren't masses of Issan farmers who'd rode busses down to Bangkok, these were the heart and soul, the backbone of the Bangkok workers, taxis in their thousands, M/C taxis in uncountable numbers. And, they all came when called. These folks didn't "go home" to Issan when the protest ended in Rajaprasong, they live here in Bangkok, they remain here in Bangkok. They're still Red shirts to the bone.. I feel that when called, they'll rally again... The government must know this... throughout the confrontations with the military the vested M/C taxis were forever in evidence.. When military convoys came down the expressway, they found it blocked by hundreds of taxis.. The Red Shirt phenomenon will not go away.. i hope though that it will develop beyond the square-headed one's string-pulling from afar and some of the more imflammatory Red leaders into a true political movement that focuses on the democratic process rather than protests.

@FrazeeDK

Bam! You've got that spot on.

IMHO, the Reds in Bangkok need only stay home to be massively effective. The Reds in the provinces need only stop sending their crops and other products to Bangkok for a time. I do not think they TRULY understand the power they have.

Given the events of the past 4 years....coup, a multitude of small bomb/grenade blasts around Bangkok (all unsolved), the Pattaya incident during the ASEAN Summit, another delayed ASEAN meeting because of unrest, takeover of the government house/airport by the yellows shirts, and the latest in Bangkok by the red shirts, along with the Nongprajak incident last year and the torching of buildings in several provinces this year, not to mention the marksman sniper shot of Col Romklao Thuwatham and attempted shooting of several other prominent officers on 10 April.........these are problems much deeper than a 2-baht rice farmer accepting a few hundred baht to stage a protest in Bangkok.

ไม่รู้อะไร สบาย

It is quite clear that those behind the Reds don't care for the plight of the Isaan people but will pay for them to vote

Hey, the reds only had at most 10.000 protesters. At least that is what I've heard. Now, we are talking about a city with 15million people, probably more than 20million people unofficially...
And from some friends that live in bangkok I heard that when the yellow shirts and students held demonstrations some 2-3 years ago in bangkok (not the one at the airport) they had people close to half a million or something, something like severeal hundred thousands....
Now, my parents happen to go to a demonstration in Europe yesterday and that one had 25.000 protesters.
So let's keep this is mind. Keep things in proportion.
Yes, almost all taxi or low salaried jobs belongs to people not from bangkok. Isan are very common in bangkok. In fact, many taxis drivers sleeps in their cars and go back to Isan every 3 weeks. I would not call them real "bangkokians".
So there was 10.000 protesters.......it would mean 1/1500 ratio to the bangkok community.
Now, the demonstration my parents went to yesterday in Europe would have had a 1/80 ratio.
That is no way a majority of the people in bangkok.......let's keep things in proportion, shall we!

globalwanderer wrote:It is quite clear that those behind the Reds don't care for the plight of the Isaan people but will pay for them to vote

Clearly, you are out of touch. If and when the next election arrives, I do not think you will need to pay anything to get the red vote out; however, any donations will not be rejected. The Democrats, who are strong in the south, pay to get their vote too. There is a lot of anti-government, anti-establishment resentment in the north and Isaan, do not underestimate it.

KHONDAHM wrote:@FrazeeDK

Bam! You've got that spot on.

IMHO, the Reds in Bangkok need only stay home to be massively effective. The Reds in the provinces need only stop sending their crops and other products to Bangkok for a time. I do not think they TRULY understand the power they have.

Another simplistic response from someone who does not fully understand how these things operate. You are getting more and more like your friend, the early Texpat. Do the research.

DannyAsia!
Hello Danny, yes let´s keep things in proportion! Thank you for pointing it out to people who get to emotional here!
By the way, how many people got shot by the government in your eureopean country?
Did your folks make it?
If they didn´t make it I hope threir sacrifice will lead to a fair society some day in the future!
Good luck to you!
Svempa

Reading this topic it is obvious to me that the most replies are extremely partisan .Exactly the same attitude we are seeing from the government and the demonstrators .So for me , I see no future, just continued conflict. Over the last week I have spoken to many Thai from both sides of the divide and have come to the conclusion that it is far from over .For differing reasons both sides see more flash points ahead.Some of which are .
The trial and sentencing of the red leaders, without equal treatment of the yellow ones .Either way one side is going to get upset .
The governments pathetic attempt to justify to the world why so many civilians died.No remorse .
No attempt apparently being made to find the killer of Sae Dhang .Or the slaughter of the police and army men by a sniper from behind .
The obvious lack of control by the government of the security forces both army and police .There seem to be supporters of both factions in equal numbers in each .This is definitely a no no if they are to be used in a civilian disorder .
The elections when they come . Neither side will trust the outcome whatever it is .It could even lead to a north /south divide .
Then the final biggy .Already some are making it clear who they won't accept, or who they want, when the time comes .
So the future still looks very uncertain to me . You can clean the streets but you can't erase the resentment from peoples hearts .
Talking to a red yesterday I said it was nice to be getting back to normal again . The reply, 'We are just saving up for the next trip to Bangkok "

I am afraid I don't share Mr Abhisits optimism as there is no basis for it .Just the opposite I'm sorry to say .

I am sorry to say,I agree with your opinions on this subject TB!There are so many power factions with different agendas,plenty of easily influenced ''cannon fodder''to keep their agenda in the fire!Such a beautiful country in the hands of people that have no allegiance to anything but personal gain!