Post Bag
UDD brings disgrace
- Published: 14/04/2009 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
The so-called protest for democracy we are witnessing here in Bangkok and which the rest of world sees via the media and internet, is hardly a representation of the historical ''Power to the People'' civil rights/anti-war movements in the US or the ''People Power'' protesters armed with flowers and rosaries in the Philippines. The mass of red shirts, armed with axe and crowbar, by their amok behaviour are more akin to the waves of hysterical adolescents unleashed by Chairman Mao and the Gang of Four during the Cultural Revolution.
Inspired with wisdom from The Chairman's little red book and whipped into frenzy by the Gang of Four, the revolutionary Red Guards brought down years of indescribable destruction and misery upon the society and people of China.
Fed by the wisdom of fugitive ''Chairman'' Thaksin via his satellite phone-ins and whipped into frenzy by the local leadership Gang of Four _ Arisman Pongruangrong, Jatuporn Promphan, Natthawut Saikua and Veera Musikhapong _ the UDD Red Shirts have brought disgrace to the nation, voiced intent of bodily harm to the PM, disrupted and harmed ordinary citizens; they are doing all this because, as Robert Uplee asserts, they ''are fed up with the injustice of attacks against them'' (Postbag, April 13).
I am with the ''Why? Why?'' reporter that witnessed ''Thais fighting Thais, angry young men itching for a fight'' with no more clue to the reasons of their own behaviour than did the cadres of the Red Guards had for theirs. I question, who is the one being ingenuous here.
BILL VAN ZEVERN
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The Land of Sadness
No longer viewed by the majority of Thais or the expat community as the Land of Smiles, the red and yellow shirts have damaged the image of Thailand and they have caused the people of Thailand to lose face in the eyes of the world.
The yellow shirts closed the airport and the red shirts now brought on the closure of the Asean Summit, resulting in the loss of much-needed revenue for Thailand. It is a poor example of Buddhism to not care about the good but to bring about bad. All those involved in destabilising the economy and making Thailand lose face will get to experience the karma of their actions.
It is a true shame that the government has lost control of the country. The military ''securing'' the Asean conference venue just stepped aside and let the red shirts take control.
Both sides claim to want democracy but they do not listen to the majority, only to their tiresome and unsuccessful agenda. Democracy is a consensus of the majority. Both sides need to sit down and work out compromises until fair and unbiased elections choose the government that the majority elects.
BRUCE K
Huay Yai
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Why the lawlessness?
I am a retired engineer. I do not understand why lawlessness is allowed to prevail. The red shirts break windows in shops, steal, block roads, stop emergency vehicles from taking sick old ladies to hospital, block rail services, burn buses and start fires in the streets. Innocent people cannot get in and out of Bangkok, or safely to a store to get food, due to criminals with knives and clubs, some of whom are drunk and roaming the streets.
These are all illegal acts. But your government does nothing to these criminals. In every country I've been to, no mob is allowed to commit crimes without going to jail.
I know many farang expats that are selling their homes and leaving Thailand for good because there is no enforcement of reasonable laws. It is anarchy on the streets of Bangkok and the police and army are impotent in stopping criminal activity.
This is a wonderful, wonderful country with great people, but it is going down the toilet because criminals are being allowed to roam the streets. The world is watching. Hopefully, the Thai government will quickly take control and put these criminals in jail and restore order and the rule of law for the good of all Thais and foreigners here. Best wishes for a more stable society soon.
BRAD JOHNSON
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Let them have it out!
We care less which side wins. Let them fight until any one side is completely wiped out. No compromise, no cease-fire. Unless all root or seed of the dispute is destroyed, true and sustainable peace will never come back to this country.
R H SUGA
Lamphun
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Thaksin's end-game
Now that the fugitive Thaksin has openly called for revolution, we can see his end-game: a Thaksin-led coup leading to one-man rule, a dictatorship, not of the military, but of money and his mob. He is a strong man with no ideology, lest one considers megalomania and narcissism ideologies.
Thaksin understands democracy, which is why he hates it. His goons don't, mistaking it for mob rule. Does anyone believe, for example, that they would follow the law and allow the authorities to whisk Thaksin to jail should he return to Thailand?
Sadly, the Pattaya debacle reinforced the image of the Democrat party as ineffectual dilettantes with no leadership or management skills. Prime Minister Abhisit needs to find his spine and fight this most serious threat to Thailand's fledgling democracy since 1992.
The stakes are sky-high: if Thaksin wins, that will be the end of the rule of law, the courts and the Justice Ministry. He will take back his frozen billions of baht and, once again, fund his kleptocracy for himself, his family and his cronies, while spreading crumbs to the misguided poor who sold themselves out way too cheaply.
PAUL BRADLEY
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Not good for Thai polity
I have been visiting Thailand for nearly 40 years now, since when Thaksin Shinawatra was probably going to school in cropped hair and shorts. I have been amazed at and even admired the development in your country and its human resources. Such processes are not perfect anywhere, but you did this while keeping the basic Thai soul and character.
It was therefore painful to see on television the recent scenes in Pattaya, where a mob of some 3,000 red shirts stormed into the hotel building where Asean and other heads of government were to have discussions on responses in Asia to the current global economic crisis.
This pro-Thaksin mob has very seriously damaged the image of Thailand, and insulted the leaders of Asia and the countries they represent. The police and security services were inept even by Third World standards. They failed in their duty, as hosts to the visiting leaders; and as Thais to their country. Both they and the mob seemed to think more about Thaksin than Thailand.
Thaksin is not good for the Thai polity. While many people like him, many people do not. He is divisive. Thailand now needs leaders who can unite, and reflect the spirit of moderation, consensus, self-discipline, restraint and social cohesion that comes from Buddhist dharma and Thai society.
Thailand does not need a demagogue who can manipulate loyalty and emotions from long distance, with billions in shady resources, while dodging the courts of his own country.
Thaksin personifies the new breed of self-centred politicos who are skilful in organising parties and mobilising mobs, and in securing the often simplistic and idiopathic support of Western media and NGOs. They think that political success and lots of money puts them above the law.
Thailand looks so sadly divided. It is most important to guard the special place and sanctity of what is uniquely Thai, such as the revered monarchy and the special place of Buddhist dharma. A good Thai will respect foreign guests and leaders, and be polite to visitors.
MITHUN JUNG
Kathmandu
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Security is a joke
What is patently clear for the world to see is that those responsible for the security of the nation are so incompetent that they cannot even keep members of the government safe, let alone the country.
The front-page picture of the bloodied and bruised face of the PM's secretary-general as he is dragged from his car, screams to the world that Thailand's security is a joke, a very bad joke indeed. The Asean leaders must be thanking their lucky stars they got out unscathed and I doubt they will be coming back.
FRED MORRICE
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Coming here, regardless
I am an American tourist and I plan to visit Bangkok in July-August, regardless of the present violence in Bangkok's streets. The current violence is unfortunate. But the Thai people have a generally harmless quality that I find reassuring.
As a foreign observer, I sympathise with both sides of the current protest. Democracy is never easy. Many people in the USA believe our elections here are vulnerable to fraud and various illegal actions.
I'm not sure what a good answer is to the current conflict in Thailand. The government in power must somehow provide a means for those who are discontented to voice their complaints in a way that is acceptable. And the discontented need to remember that if they choose to use violence to force their wishes upon the government, then they should have no complaints when the government uses force to impose its wishes upon them.
The protesters would do well, I think, to look carefully at how successful the efforts of Gandhi were. People are much more likely to sympathise with someone who appears to be the victim of oppression, than they are to someone who is throwing missiles and bombs. I wish all the Thai people well.
ALAN REEDER CAMPONI
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Respect rule of law
Rule of law has become non-existent in Thailand. The last two years have seen a coup d'etat against a properly elected government, then the shutting down of the airport by a mob which was not held accountable for this crime, followed now by the shutting down of an international summit by another mob.
No one has been punished for any of these three illegal acts. The result: people now feel they can act with impunity. The solution is to go back to rule of law, but this time respect it. The end to the era of mob rule will come when all institutions in Thailand respect the rule of law.
ERIC ROSENKRANZ
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Thaksin the sole cause
I refer to Robert Uplee's letter ''Thaksin not sole reason'' (Postbag, April 13). Quite right, Mr Uplee. Thaksin is not the ''sole reason,'' Thaksin is the sole cause! He is the sole cause of both the mob rule from which Thailand is currently suffering, and of the grievances of the people. Mr Uplee seems not to be aware that this present government has been in power for only a few months; hardly long enough to be the cause of the injustices. The ''two governments'' (in fact he means one government with two policies) to which he refers, one for the rich and one for the poor, were deposed both by the coup of 2006 and subsequently by street protests which were peaceful.
Thaksin and his cronies ran a plutocracy, not a democracy. You are quite right, Mr Lee, but your comments should be aimed at the previous regime, not the current one. Mr Lee's thinking is much the same as that of the Red Shirts _ totally misguided.
It would seem that the Thaksin policy was to give 10 baht to his believers and take 1 billion baht for himself. Had Thaksin run Thailand in the interests of the Thai people instead of exploiting both the country and the people, he would still be in power.
The Thai people deserve better, they have suffered a raw deal for too long. But the current mob rule will not allow any improvements to take place. The UDD want more of the same and, were they to openly declare their true agenda, perhaps worse.
J C WILCOX
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