Hope For Thailand
Thousands of people have been demonstrating for several days and nights in the streets of Bangkok calling for Prime Minister Thaksin to step down. One hundred university and business leaders signed a letter pleading for the King to appoint a new Prime Minister.
Yesterday, I heard that no one knows where he has been for the last couple days. Since he is from Chiang Mai, we think he may be up here trying to get support from the rural Thais. He is getting desperate. The Bangkok Post yesterday reported that Thaksin will award several billion baht (40 baht to the dollar) to the rural villages who have shown “responsible planning” (a buy-off since there will be a reelection in April) and several million baht to victims and familiies of the 1973 military coup that left scores of people dead in the streets. Everything he does just makes the Thai elite angrier but he depends on the uneducated rural patriots for support.
No permission to confront in this culture often ends up with emotions boiling over in the end…sometimes ending in violence. However in these recent street rallies the world should be proud of Thailand… the participants, dedicated to nonviolence, have shown incredible discipline as have the police and security guards…making a peaceful but strong statement about healthy reform.
Tags: Chiang Mai, Thai Culture, Thailand, World Watching And Politics
Zoe