| I recently returned from ten days in Bangkok, the | | | | found Mr. Thaksin guilty in absentia and was |
| capital of Thailand. While there, I discovered that I | | | | sentenced to two years in jail for a corrupt land deal. |
| knew very little about Thai politics, certainly not | | | | Following his conviction, Mr. Thaksin left his residence |
| enough to know who the Red Shirts were or why | | | | in Britain for Hong Kong. Somewhat surprisingly, Mr. |
| they were demonstrating in Bangkok. Being present | | | | Thaksin also owned the Manchester City football club |
| in a country when something out of the ordinary is | | | | for slightly more than a year beginning in mid-2007 |
| happening tends to focus one's attention on that | | | | during his short stay in Britain. |
| country not only during the visit but also subsequent | | | | - Beginning on 25 November 2008, the |
| to it. For me, I seem to gain a vested interest in a | | | | anti-government Yellow Shirts invaded and occupied |
| place if I was there during an important event. For | | | | Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport before |
| this reason, my knowledge of Thai politics began | | | | also occupying the Don Murng airport down the road. |
| changing during my visit there. Now back home, I | | | | As part of the Yellow Shirts' plan to force PM |
| remain interested in following the news of the | | | | Somchai to resign, their occupation was to prevent |
| anti-government protests of the Red Shirts in | | | | Somchai from returning to Thailand from the APEC |
| Bangkok. | | | | Summit in Peru. The Yellow Shirts refused to leave |
| In January 2010, I started planning a month-long trip | | | | the airports unless a change of government took |
| to India. At the same time I managed to convince a | | | | place. |
| good friend living in Sydney to meet me in Bangkok | | | | - On 2 December 2008, Thailand's Constitutional |
| after my travels in India. We agreed to meet in | | | | Court met the demands of the Yellow Shirts by |
| Bangkok the second week of March. Our plans | | | | finding the country's government guilty of election |
| consisted of staying for four nights in Bangkok | | | | fraud. The court ruled that PM Somchai was banned |
| before travelling down to a beach resort south of | | | | from politics and demanded that his party be |
| Pattaya for a further four nights. Our last two days | | | | dissolved. |
| would be spent in Bangkok before flying home. Not | | | | - On 3 December 2008, the Yellow Shirts' occupation |
| surprisingly, our plans didn't always follow the line we | | | | of the airports ended. |
| expected them to due to the political unrest in | | | | - 17 December 2008, Abhisit Vejjajiva, a rival of Mr. |
| Bangkok. | | | | Thaksin and his two successors, formed a new |
| My friend was already aware from the Australian | | | | government and became prime minister. |
| media that the Thai government expected protests | | | | - In April 2009, the Red Shirts staged a brief move |
| and possible clashes with a group called the Red | | | | to oust the government of PM Abhisit. There were |
| Shirts around the time we were meeting in Bangkok. | | | | brief riots following the Red Shirts' attempts to storm |
| Coming from London, I don't remember reading or | | | | the Asean summit. |
| hearing anything about the politics in Thailand that | | | | - February 2010 Thailand's Supreme Court ruled that |
| would have alerted me to any future trouble. My | | | | US$1.4 billion of Mr. Thaksin's frozen assets in Thailand |
| friend wrote me a worried email about three weeks | | | | (more than half of these assets) be seized by the |
| before we were to meet in Bangkok. She read of | | | | court based on unanimously finding Mr. Thaksin guilty |
| the mounting uneasiness of the Thai government and | | | | on five counts of corruption. |
| other Asian states regarding the proposed | | | | - On 12 March 2010 the Red Shirts began assembling |
| anti-government demonstrations. I, again, brushed off | | | | for weekend protests on 13 & 14 March in Bangkok. |
| her concerns. It wasn't until we were in Bangkok that | | | | The leaders stated that they would stay in Bangkok |
| I realised things were more serious than I thought | | | | for five days in a move designed to pressure the |
| and that she was right in being concerned! | | | | current government to call new elections. Reports |
| I arrived in Bangkok from Delhi on Tuesday morning, | | | | stated that Mr. Thaksin was behind these protests |
| 9 March 2010, with my friend arriving several hours | | | | and he was footing the bill for the Red Shirts |
| later from Sydney. We were staying at the Davis | | | | participation. |
| Hotel in the eastern part of Bangkok for four nights. | | | | - 22 April 2010, the Red Shirts continued to remain in |
| I heard nothing about any demonstrations at the | | | | the capital and worsening violence occurred when |
| international airport, from the taxi driver or from the | | | | five M-79 grenades are shot from near the Red |
| hotel staff when I arrived. The two of us started our | | | | Shirts' encampment. At least 86 people were |
| sightseeing of Bangkok on Wednesday and | | | | wounded and one killed. |
| Thursday, travelling by river boat and skytrain to the | | | | - 28 April 2010, one Thai soldier was shot dead in a |
| various sights. It was only late Thursday that we | | | | clash north of Bangkok between government troops |
| started to get the news that the 'Red Shirts' hoped | | | | and Red Shirts. Two days before, PM Abhisit said his |
| to have a million demonstrators for their weekend | | | | government was running out of patience. |
| protests. Our hotel staff recommended that we stay | | | | - On 29 April 2010, the Yellow Shirts intend to submit |
| around the hotel on Friday as they didn't know what | | | | demands to PM Abhisit to resolve the 'situation' with |
| to expect. We took their advice and listened closely | | | | the Red Shirts if no solution has been reached by |
| to the news to see if we would have trouble leaving | | | | that date. |
| the city the next morning for the seaside. There | | | | Back to My Story |
| were already reports of people massing in Bangkok | | | | During our stay at Jomtien Beach, we snapped up |
| for the weekend demonstrations. At the same time, | | | | every mention of the Bangkok protests from |
| the reports indicated that the numbers arriving to | | | | newspaper stories, TV reports and also from the |
| protest were much smaller than expected. | | | | resort's staff. While there wasn't any apparent |
| The next day we left for Jomtien Beach just south | | | | violence against others, the current prime minister, |
| of Pattaya Beach. Again we saw no indication of | | | | Abhisit Vejjajiva, rejected any demands for dissolving |
| trouble. There were no obstacles or police-blocks on | | | | his government. Several days after our arrival, the |
| the road as we left the city nor as we drove on the | | | | ante was upped by the Red Shirts. Nattawut Saikua, |
| motorway down to Pattaya. During the weekend, | | | | a leader of the Red Shirts, called for a blood curse |
| we began hearing more about demonstrations, the | | | | against "the government, the aristocrats and the |
| size of the crowds and the rhetoric of the leaders of | | | | powerful people". Protestors were encouraged to |
| the Red Shirts. It was reported that instead of a | | | | give blood to be thrown on different government |
| million demonstrators only about 100,000 Red Shirt | | | | buildings. |
| demonstrators had turned up in Bangkok by Sunday. | | | | On Tuesday, 16 March, huge containers of collected |
| We learned that the low numbers were due, in part, | | | | blood were thrown on different government sites |
| to the government blockades of all access roads to | | | | including the prime minister's residence. There were |
| Bangkok from the northern rural areas. | | | | also reports of the huge undertaking by the |
| It may be that you are now wondering, "What are | | | | government to prevent any of this blood, some of |
| these coloured shirts in Thailand? Who are the Red | | | | which may have been contaminated, from reaching |
| Shirts? Are they different from the Yellow Shirts?" | | | | the water table beneath Bangkok. Hearing about this |
| Let me explain: | | | | blood curse made this demonstration even more |
| As a generality, the Red-shirts are supported by the | | | | surreal and macabre. Our own plans for our last night |
| rural populace and the urban poor. The Red Shirts are | | | | in Bangkok were thrown in disarray. We began |
| also known as the 'United Front for Democracy | | | | worrying whether the hotel we booked in the |
| against Dictatorship' (UDD). They supported the | | | | financial area of Bangkok would be caught up in the |
| former prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, | | | | protests. We decided to cancel our booking at this |
| Thaksin Shinawatra, because they believed he cared | | | | hotel and made a new one at the Davis Hotel where |
| what happened to them and listened to their | | | | we first stayed. The next day when we heard about |
| problems. Despite PM Thaksin's billions of dollars in | | | | the blood curse the owners of the resort suggested |
| wealth, he is considered a hero to the downtrodden | | | | we cancel our reservation at the Davis hotel as the |
| Thais. Not surprisingly, the Red Shirts supported the | | | | prime minister's residence was nearby. We then |
| next two prime ministers chosen by the same | | | | chose a third hotel at the edge of the financial |
| government: Samak Sundaravej and Somchai | | | | district, ing nearer to the river which we hoped was |
| Wongsawat. There are also pro-democracy activists | | | | out of area of protests. |
| participating in the current demonstrations who | | | | We drove back to Bangkok for our last two days in |
| disagree with the legal foundation of the 2006 military | | | | the capital. We saw no signs of any demonstrations |
| coup which ousted PM Thaksin. | | | | and felt a bit foolish for changing hotels so many |
| The Red Shirts fundamental belief is that the present | | | | times. There seemed to other cars especially as we |
| government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is | | | | reached the streets of Bangkok. Transportation, |
| illegitimate because it came to power after disputed | | | | including public buses and skytrains seemed to be |
| court rulings dissolved two elected pro-Thaksin | | | | operating as usual. We were untouched by any |
| governments, following the 2006 military coup. They | | | | demonstrations. While we didn't continue with our |
| want the current parliament dissolved and new | | | | general sightseeing plans, we did explore our local |
| elections held. | | | | community. It was only as we drove out to the |
| The Yellow Shirts are mainly middle-class and urban | | | | Suvarnabhumi International Airport to leave that we |
| elites who support the current government of PM | | | | saw military jeeps closing off several lanes of road |
| Abhisit. The Yellow Shirts are one of Thailand's active | | | | leading up to the airport. |
| political groups, the 'People's Alliance for Democracy' | | | | What we learned in Bangkok from speaking to Thais |
| (PAD). They are sometimes joined by an anti-Red | | | | working in restaurants, shops, and taxis was that |
| Shirt group which attracts office employees, | | | | most of them supported the Red Shirt |
| middle-class families, academics and some low-wage | | | | demonstrations. This rather surprised me as I thought |
| workers. In previous demonstrations by the Yellow | | | | they would be supportive of former PM Thaksin |
| Shirts', there has generally been more violence and | | | | since he was found guilty of several counts of |
| confrontation. | | | | corruption. There seemed to be several reasons for |
| | | | this support. First, I heard several Thai people say |
| What is behind the current Red Shirts' | | | | their support for the Red Shirts' protest was due to |
| demonstration? | | | | the lack of aggression and violence of its members. |
| In a quick and somewhat superficial history lesson of | | | | The Red Shirts were viewed as being peaceful and |
| Thai politics, I set out the followingdates and facts in | | | | passive. This was in direct contrast to the protests |
| an attempt to make this very complicated tale of | | | | by the Yellow Shirts one and two years prior when |
| corruption and short-lived governments in Thailand | | | | the demonstrations were violent and aggressive. A |
| slightly more comprehensible: | | | | second reason for the support of the Red Shirts' |
| - In 2006, the Yellow Shirts led protests against the | | | | movement was that those in the lower levels of the |
| then prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, | | | | economy, including shopworkers and taxis drivers and |
| because of alleged corruption. Mr. Thaksin became | | | | those living and working in the country, haven't felt |
| prime minister of Thailand in 2001. Prior to becoming | | | | represented by the more urban elite in Bangkok, |
| prime minister, Mr. Thaksin earned billions of dollars in | | | | whose members included aristocrats. Another reason |
| telecom ventures. PM Thaksin was supported by the | | | | given by someone in education was that Thai politics |
| Red Shirts. | | | | had taken a dangerous turn since the 2006 military |
| - In September 2006, PM Thaksin was ousted by a | | | | coup. This person believed that following the coup, |
| military coup amidst various charges of corruption. He | | | | the government had silenced the voices coming from |
| moved to Britain shortly after where he remained | | | | the broad swathe of Thai society. The voices had |
| until October 2008. It was not until after more than a | | | | been silenced using different laws to squash free |
| year of military control that new elections were held | | | | speech and avoid a candid debate. There are |
| in Thailand in December 2007. | | | | indications that there are those in the military who |
| - February 2008, an ally of Mr. Thaksin's, Samak | | | | are sympathetic to the Red Shirts' cause. In very |
| Sundaravej, was sworn in as the new prime minister. | | | | simplistic terms, the Red Shirts and the Yellow Shirts |
| The Red Shirts supported this government, too. | | | | represent a class struggle. |
| - In August 2008 there were protests by the | | | | Personally, I felt sorry for the Thai people who still |
| anti-government Yellow Shirts culminating in a | | | | remain friendly and warm towards the tourists that |
| three-month occupation of certain government | | | | come to their country. Since my last visit to Bangkok |
| buildings by the protestors. This occupation continued | | | | 13 years ago, they also seemed to be more wary |
| through the November occupation of the Bangkok | | | | and even a bit weary. I thought this distancing was |
| airports. | | | | because they were disillusioned with tourists but now |
| - September 2008, Prime Minister Samak was | | | | I think they were wondering what was happening |
| dismissed under a Constitutional Court ruling due to a | | | | with their government. They are hardworking and |
| conflict of interest in accepting payments for his | | | | kind people who want to be heard and also have a |
| appearances on a popular Thai cooking show. | | | | stable government. Their recent governments have |
| Following PM Samak's dismissal, Somchai Wongsawat | | | | neither lasted nor generally been truthful. Time will tell |
| (the brother-in-law of Mr. Thaksin, prime minister until | | | | whether the current government led by PM Abhisit |
| 2006) was sworn in as the new prime minister. | | | | follows its immediate predecessors or it finds its own, |
| - In October 2008 the Supreme Court of Thailand | | | | straighter path. |