In the grip of a deep political crisis ,Thailand continues to be badly divided between the poor rural people represented by the red shirts and the Peoples alliance for Democracy or the yellow shirts that comprises a loose grouping of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class .
Currently leaders of the Red shirts have been demonstrating in large numbers in the capital city of Bangkok continuosly for nearly seven weeks ,aggressively demanding new elections that has put the present government of Abhishit Vejjajiva on its wits end.
Since their elected government was ousted by the judiciary paving way for the rise of Prime Minister Abhishit in the year 2008,Red Shirts see the present government as illegitimate .Now the Red Shirt protestors have tactically offered a compromise to the Thai government, this Friday ,saying they would accept dissolution of Parliament in 30 days rather than immediately. This means that they continue with their movement’s agenda for another one month.
The Red Shirts movement gained a political base during Thaksin’s nearly six-year period in power marked by pro-poor policies, though his rule was tainted with corruption. Nonetheless, he won the re-election but was subsequently deposed in September 2006 when army seized power in a bloodless coup while he was away to New York .Later in October 2008, a court sentenced Thaksin ,in absentia ,to two years in jail but he continues to stay abroad evading the sentence.
Thaksin Shinawatra , however continues to remain the inspiration, the symbol and even the leader of the red shirt movement and continued to feed the political consciousness of the country’s poor.The movement has also produced new leaders who continue rousing the crowds with their speeches and steering them with tactical decisions.
The demonstrations have been staged shrewdly, avoiding direct negotiations with the authorities. Government provocations are wisely ignored. The protestors were able to force their T.V channel back on air in a major confrontation in a three-day state of emergency. After government invoked special powers under its Internal Security Act, the protestors promptly changed their venues of protests from government quarters ,to main shopping districts ,then the election commission and then the parliament. That highlighted the effects of the demonstrations and continuously shifted focus from one to yet another spot of prominence.
The woes of this conflict ridden country get further compounded due to lack of an alternative political leadership that could help resolve the situation and work out some kind of reconciliation between the so called warring parties.The interests of the poor cannot be long ignored by the government.The matters have not been sorted out and unduly delayed year after year leading to complications.
Britain, Australia and the united States have recently warned their citizens to reconsider their travel plans to Thailand. Tourism accounts for 6% of the country’s economy .Indonesia has statedly offered its assistance for a dialogue between the conflicting parties as Thai’s troubles could have an impact in the ASEAN region. India having concluded FTA’s with these countries could also have concerns
Published ( 25/04/2010)
http://samaylive.com/english/nation/articles/676462543.html
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