Laan Yaa Mo wrote:
Yes, there are many Chinese (Sino-Thais) who back Thaksin too. Note that both Thakin's family and that of Abhsit, the leader of the Democratic Party, are Hakka Chinese. The difference is that Yingluck/Thaksin rely on rural Thais primarily in the north and northeast but also parts of Central Thailand to support them in elections. In return Thaksin was the first politician in Thailand to do anything for the Thai farmers. This is not to say that he did this out of a real concern for the people. The interests of his family always seemed to come first.
But, the Suthep, former PAD group, are out to shut the Thais out from having any influence in government at all.
Many Thais, especially in the south, support the Democratic Party and Suthep.
Many business people, who are mainly Sino-Thais, support Thaksin/Yingluck too.
The United States, like most other countries, are fairly neutral, and do not want to have a freely elected government replaced except at the polls. They want a stable government that is good for trade and regional peace and quiet. I would say that China follows this policy too. Sino-Thais from Bangkok and Thakin's family have many business connexions with China.
Thanks LYM, that's basic enough that I can wrap my head around the push / pull behind the scenes here, and match it with what I've already seen.
In San Francisco, most westerners e.g. non-asians, often make the mistake of not doing their politcal homework. Whichever way the Chinese-American vote goes, the election goes. What started as a Labor migration, eventuated a diaspora of significant proportion, which then evolved toward a position of major economic therefore political power. Entire political battles get fought between local western protagonists, only to be silently trumped by a much more organized and patient group of Han businessmen. At least that's how it is in S.F.
I can only imagine the depth of such power and influence here "right next door".
If stable trade is the name of the game from the outside looking in, what are the main products / services that are so important as to care what happens to this place? Rice? Manufacturing? Labor?
While Red vs Yellow fight it out, hasn't everything slipped out the door to a neighboring country?
I guess what I am asking is:
What are these people actually fighting over, -other than trying to figure out basic democracy after years of being run by corrupt 'big boss' politicians and miltary puppet rulers?
I ask, because again, I don't know. In Africa, you can usually peg exactly wha's at stake in a given conflict, if not territory, usually a specific resource like oil, diamonds, etc.
Here, it's actually not easy to tell why an otherwise financially well off country should edge so closely to civil war. It doesn't make sense.
