Thai Rural Protesters Prepare to Paint Bangkok Red

[Julian2]

Thai Rural Protesters Prepare to Paint Bangkok Red

 

KHON KAEN, Thailand  As a former bureaucrat, Sakda Orphong cuts an unlikely figure as someone who is busy fomenting a grassroots protest movement to confront Thailand’s current government.

 

Before he retired, the 78-year-old Sakda, who lives in swanky home in this provincial city in the Thai north-east, was very much a part of this South- east Asian kingdom’s establishment. He had spent his professional life as a pillar of the Ministry of the Interior, the most powerful and conservative arm of the Thai government.

 

They are seething with anger at the treatment dished out to their political godfather Thaksin, whose wide support in the rural, rice-growing heartland stems from a range of pro- poor policies he implemented during his term in office from 2001 through mid-2006.

 

The Thaksin administration, which was elected twice with huge mandates, was forced out of office by the military in a September 2006 coup, this kingdom’s 18th putsch. The junta wasted little time thereafter to go after charges of abuse of power and corruption against Thaksin, who was a billionaire telecommunications tycoon before being elected as premier.

 

The fate of Thaksin’s wealth, US$ 2.3 billion, was decided on Feb. 26, when the Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case that he was guilty of amassing wealth by abusing the power of his office and blatant conflict of interest.

 

The verdict meant the government could seize $ 1.5 billion worth of Thaksin’s assets, which had already been frozen. A cloud of uncertainty hovers over the remaining 800 million dollars, which the judges said had been made before Thaksin became premier.

 

UDD supporters that IPS spoke with rejected the verdict, saying it was the latest judgment in a string of cases that went against Thaksin and his allies beginning with judicial decisions since the 2006 coup. Thaksin, who is living in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for another corruption case, echoed a similar sentiment.

 

The verdict is expected to see more "angry" red shirts head for the protest scheduled in the Thai capital from Mar. 12 to 14, says a talk-show host who has a programme on a local pro-UDD community radio station.

 

Wanida Pimdeed, one such red shirt, sees the cases against Thaksin and his allies as further testimony that "only one side is being taken to court for wrongdoing but other political groups and powerful people that break the law are getting away."

 

"We are all on the side of the victims of this unfair system," adds the 48- year-old livestock farmer. She also points to how the coup and a controversial court verdict in December 2008 – which banned a pro-Thaksin party that had been elected to power -- meant there was "no respect for the government we the poor people vote for."

 

The expected targets of the red shirts in the forthcoming protests are those who have "benefited from making us victims of the political system," she reveals.

 

Among these "enemies of democracy", as the UDD activists in this province and neighbouring Udon Thani call them, is the Bangkok-based political machine that includes the entrenched elite, the conservative bureaucrats and the powerful military.

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[Flashermac]

<< Wanida Pimdeed, one such red shirt, sees the cases against Thaksin and his allies as further testimony that "only one side is being taken to court for wrongdoing but other political groups and powerful people that break the law are getting away." >>

 

 

So Thaksin is a victim because he was punished for his crimes, but the others haven't been (so far). Good old Thai logic at its best: "Yeah, he's guilty as sin. But so what? We like him!"

 

 

 

[cavanami]

TIT...move on!

[sanddawg1]

<< Wanida Pimdeed, one such red shirt, sees the cases against Thaksin and his allies as further testimony that "only one side is being taken to court for wrongdoing but other political groups and powerful people that break the law are getting away." >>

 

 

So Thaksin is a victim because he was punished for his crimes, but the others haven't been (so far). Good old Thai logic at its best: "Yeah, he's guilty as sin. But so what? We like him!"

 

 

 

The Pro-PAD government has not punished the CRIMINALS that shut down the airport either! One's as bad as the other!!!!

 

[cavanami]

Shutting down the airport cost me!!!

Justice only for the few...Whatever!

[Gadfly]

The Pro-PAD government has not punished the CRIMINALS that shut down the airport either! One's as bad as the other!!!!

 

And the shutdown of the airport was an act of international terrorism, which will not be forgotten.

[Flashermac]

Why should it be different here than at home?

 

 

[Flashermac]

So throw them all in jail. I'm not a fan of either side. But it still doesn't mean the T-man is a victim.

 

 

[Julian2]

Thaksin wasn't part of the ruling clique, his crime in their eyes was not stealing everything.

Giving something back to the people was unforgivable.

[gobbledonk]

At least we have dates to work from - I can plan my side trips to Phuket and Chiang Mai around these nutters. While you cant rule anything out, I hope to be able to avoid the worst of this madness. Songkran might be a tougher one - escaping to Cambo might get me locked out of the country as I only have the single-entry visa ....