Peace was returning to Bangkok, the battered Thai capital on Friday. But as many as 40 buildings were damaged, 15 people dead and 100 injured, and the losses due to the carnage estimated to be around $1.5 billion, as the troops ended cleaning up the mess after the protests by the Red shirts.
The Red shirts are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed from power following a military coup in the year 2006. He is currently serving a two-year jail sentence on charges of corruption. The Red shirts demand fresh elections and on a broader scale, their protests have highlighted the long- existing resentment among the poor people in rural areas against the urban elites.
Shinawatra had a strong relationship with the poor. This seems quite contradictory as he is a billionaire and a businessman who is highly successful. But he is a popular figure among the poor, and a threat to the prosperous urban elite and the anti-Thaksin demonstrators wearing yellow shirts.
Though peace was returning to the Thai capital, it can be seen that forces have been brought to the fore for a long conflict and this is just the end of a small chapter in a long struggle – a struggle not only over who should be the ruling party, but also over the country’s future.
In the past decades, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines moved towards real democracy without any sort of bloodshed. Thailand was already democratic, though nominally. But the present uprising has resulted into a devastating loss for the Thai people, and the country as a whole is experiencing turbulence and unrest. Is this the end of democracy in Thailand?
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Thailand has never had a democracy.
For example, there is a law that makes it a crime to criticize or discuss the Royal Family.
When you want to say discuss the royal family in Thailand you have to whisper quietly …and make sure no one can overhear you.
The government has used the law to silence anyone who disagrees with them.
A true democracy would never have such a rule. Royalty, religion, politics…everything if open to discussion in a true democracy
In addition websites and newspapers that don’t agree with the government have been routinely censored and shut down in Thailand. True democracies champion the rights of competing opinions
Add to that the 18 military coups that Thailand has experienced in 70 years. Whenever the military felt that power was slipping from its fingers it rolled the tanks out in the streets, dissolved the parliament and the constitution and installed a puppet government. Not very democratic.
Thailand is a very authoritarian country where school children are taught to obey their teachers without question. Children grow up in a very undemocratic environment where they are taught to listen and obey instead of question and challenge. So it’s very difficult for them to understand the concept of democracy when they become adults.
In addition Thailand is has a strict class structure where the rich and powerful are called “Khun” and “Ton” and the poor and working class are called “new” and “nong”. This class distinction fosters the notion that you are important if you are rich but of little consequence if you are poor. Hence the recent breakout of clashes between the Bangkok elite and the poor rural folks from the northeast.
Add to that the culture of corruption and bribery…where , if you have influence or money you can get you out of a traffic ticket and cut through the red tape
Then there’s the unspoken rule that “laws are made to be broken”. Take Thai traffic, for example. Thai’s routinely ignore traffic rules and boundaries and create their own traffic “lanes”. Thai motorcyclist routinely drive on the sidewalk to get around traffic jams. Cars to not stop for pedestrians…even in white pedestrian crossing zones. In Thailand, if you cause a major accident the usual response is to “run away”
Democracy is much more than one man, one vote.
It is a respect for we each have for our fellow man regardless of their social status or economic wealth. (A garbage collector is worthy of the same respect as a billionaire.)
It is respect the rule of law that says that we all have to follow the same rules no matter who if we are rich or poor. (You can’t bribe your way out of a traffic ticket or create your own traffic lane)
It is a belief that nothing is beyond criticism or scrutiny…even the Royal Family. ( People can openly discuss, criticize and challenge without fear )
Those who say that Democracy is Thailand is a failure need to examine whether Thailand has ever been a true democracy.