Democracy: Arab revolt “Re-Energizes” Thai Red Shirts

By Ranger, Thai Intel political journalist

When one of the most repressed region on the planet, and also one of the most important region being with oil-faces several calls fro Democracy, Liberty and Justice-the world listens.

Thus Thailand, a medium size developing country in South East Asia-with a long history of repression-also listens.

Originally, as Thailand continues on this divided path, there was a good chance of a coup-to the extent that a shadow coup prime minister and cabinet was erected and ready.

A coup is now out, namely, because the coup makers rationale was that the coup would be going against global trend-and highlight Thailand’s as a repressed dictatorship-where no amount of the famous Thai public relation stunts can even hope to lessen the coup impact.

But the most direct impact of the Middle East revolt, if Thai Intel readers have been following the Red Shirts-is that the word Middle East comes up about 100 time in a course of a normal reporting by the Red Shirts or conversation among the Red Shirts.

While, the likes of Times Magazine, calls the Thai Red Shirts a mockery of the Middle East revolt-that is Time Magazine reporting that started the article out-right with how inconvenience the Red Shirts protest was to expatriates in Bangkok.

But to most observer, particularly the Red Shirts-there are just lots and lots of similarities between the Red Shirts up-rising and what is occurring in the Middle East.

The following is from AFP:

BANGKOK – Popular uprisings in the Middle East have galvanized Thailand’s anti-government “Red Shirts”, one of their leaders says, as the movement gears up for a major rally in Bangkok this weekend.

“The wind of change that’s blowing through the Arab world is re-energising the Red Shirts who are still hurting and tired from fighting last time. But the fight will go on,” Nattawut Saikuar, who was among those leaders recently freed on bail, told AFP in an interview.

The release on bail of seven senior Red figures after nine months in prison is also expected to re-invigorate the opposition movement, which was behind two months of demonstrations last year in Bangkok that turned deadly.

Tens of thousands of Red Shirts have joined a series of peaceful gatherings in the capital recently and even more are expected to turn out on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the start of the 2010 rally.

Thai society remains deeply divided following last year’s unrest, the country’s worst civil violence in decades.

The kingdom’s colour-coded political factions have returned to the streets ahead of elections Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has indicated he will call by the middle of this year.

“We expect that in the next few months, when we have a new general election, the situation will return more and more to normalcy,” said government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn.

“It will take a few more years before we’re back fully. But in the meantime we need to make sure . . . the minority groups do not hold Thailand hostage,” he added.

Nattawut and some of his fellow Red Shirt leaders hope to stand for parliament as candidates of the opposition Puea Thai party. If successful, they would enjoy immunity from prosecution.

The Red leaders face terrorism charges linked to last year’s demonstration, during which about 90 people — mostly civilians — were killed and 1,900 hurt in clashes between protesters and troops in April and May.

Success at the ballot box would not be the end of the Reds’ struggle, Nattawut said.

“We are looking to take the Red Shirts’ fight beyond the elections. Our aim is to prevail over the elite in Thailand and ensure sovereignty truly belongs to the Thai people,” he said.

The mainly rural, working class Reds are broadly loyal to fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives overseas to avoid a jail sentence for corruption imposed in absentia.

They view Abhisit’s administration as undemocratic — a charge the government denies — because it came to power in 2008 in a parliamentary vote after a court ruling threw out the previous administration.

“We love Thaksin but we are fighting for democracy,” Nattawut said. “But if getting democracy helps Thaksin then that’s no bad thing.”

The Reds’ demonstration, which attracted an estimated 100,000 people at its peak, came to a bloody end last May after armoured vehicles backed by soldiers firing live ammunition moved in to break up the gathering.

After the crackdown, dozens of buildings were set ablaze across Bangkok, including a major shopping complex and the stock exchange.

The government says Red Shirt protesters started the fire at the Central World mall, but the movement accuses the military of responsibility.

Another senior Red, Kokaew Pikulthong, who ran unsuccessfully as a candidate in a Bangkok byelection last year while in prison, said he was optimistic the leaders would be exonerated of any wrong-doing.

“We’re confident that we didn’t violate any laws,” he said.

The top Reds’ bail conditions forbid them from making comments likely to incite unrest, but they are expected to make an appearance at Saturday’s rally, which could also include a phone-in by Thaksin.

Their role within the movement is now unclear, however, because while they were in prison a new generation of leaders came forward to take their place, promising a peaceful struggle against Abhisit’s government.

(Red Shirts are like red flowers in Thailand, meaning, millions of them)