'October people' give views on stand-off
ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT
As the increasingly tense political situation enters its fifth month, there are still no indications that things are about to take a turn for the better.
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| Thongchai: PAD anti-democratic |
Tuesday's violent clashes between the police and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have raised the country's political temperature even higher and made the chances of bridging the political divide all the more difficult.
In the aftermath of Black Tuesday, the public has not only questioned the government's decision to use force to disperse the protesters, but also the PAD's real intentions in justifying their fight for the good of the country.
The so-called "October people" who experienced the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in the Octobers of 1973 and 1976 and were involved in the student uprisings shared their views with the Bangkok Post yesterday over the political stand-off, drawing a grim picture of the direction and the undesirable events that could unfold.
They too have warned that more violence could be expected if the PAD refuses to budge and presses on with its demands.
Former student leader Thongchai Winichakul, an historian at the University of Wisconsin, said he believes the PAD would try to provoke more violent confrontations so that it could provide a pretext for a military intervention, just as they did before the 2006 coup.
"The PAD is an anti-democratic movement. Its goal, New Politics, is for a hierarchical political system in which privileges are given to certain groups of people at the expense of others," he said in an email response when asked for his views by the Bangkok Post.
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| Witthayakorn: Don’t spill more blood |
The PAD had the right to campaign in favour of its ideas in a democratic manner, but should not try to overthrow the political system or force their New Politics down the public's throat, said the history professor.
Mr Thongchai was among the Thammasat University students arrested and detained for two years during the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy students on Oct 6, 1976.
According to him, any wrongdoings, whether they involve corruption or any other crimes committed by Thaksin Shinawatra and his cronies, should be dealt with in a democratic way through the courts of law.
"The PAD and their methods of pressing for change have damaged the country - every institution in fact - including the judiciary and the monarchy," he said.
"Is there an end in sight? I don't see it yet. But I am pretty sure that victory is at hand for New Politics, not because their ideas are better or their politics are stronger. The reason for their triumph is simple - they cannot afford to lose."
Somsak Jeamteerasakul, a Thammasat University historian, said: "I do not see the PAD-led movement as a saviour of democracy in Thailand such as what happened three decades ago.
"The PAD is not working towards empowering the ordinary people as many of us may believe, but the state apparatus, namely the Privy Council and the army, whose mechanisms are rigid and less subject to electoral rule or criticism," he said.
Mr Somsak, who was a freshy at Thammasat University when he joined the 1976 student uprising, pointed out that whether the end of the present political stalemate will come after more bloodshed will depend on how thirsty the alliance is for victory.
"The PAD, at least its key leaders, have known all along how it will end: if they are patient and not provocative, there will be no confrontation.
"More bloodshed and clashes could occur any time if PAD continues to encourage its supporters to fight to the death," he said.
Witthayakorn Chiangkoon, a former student activist in the Oct 14, 1973 uprising, said Thailand had yet to learn a lesson from its turbulent history and urged society at large to draw lessons from the Oct 14, 1973 and Oct 6, 1976 incidents and prevent more street violence.
The dean of Rangsit University's College of Social Innovation said the PAD might have some flaws, but it is unique in a way that it is a coalition of people from various groups including royalists, intellectuals, academics and military officers joining forces to fight against those they say are puppets and stooges of the "unethical capitalist regime" of Mr Thaksin.
He said Thai society could not find a peaceful solution to the problem because the people's power had been severely weakened by the country's capitalist-oriented education system.
Piroon Chatwanichkul, another former student activist who later became a member of the Communist Party of Thailand and is now an adviser to the public television channel Thai PBS, said the PAD could not be taken lightly anymore.
The movement's supporters were willing to sacrifice their lives for its cause.
"It is like what happened in the aftermath of the October clashes over three decades ago when students fled to the jungle and risked their lives in their fight with the ruling government," said Mr Piroon.
The PAD might not be right on every issue, but their main aim, which is to get rid of the so-called Thaksin system, is shared by many people in society.
One good thing about the PAD is that the movement is mostly made up of educated Thais who are encouraged to think beyond their personal needs and put the nation first.
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