They chose yellow in honour of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the most revered figure in Thailand. The Reds chose their colour not in defiance of the King, but just to be different, and evolved into the anti-government group that has demanded the resignation of a leader they argue is illegitimate and undemocratic.
So despite their professed differences, the Red Shirts succeeded in replicating the Yellow Shirts’ tactics, grabbing the attention of world leaders in the process last year when their protests forced the cancellation of a major regional summit in Pattaya in April.
The similarities don’t end there. Both the Red and Yellow Shirts have been criticized for using undemocratic tactics to achieve their goals, and despite their claim that they espouse non-violence, both have been accused of instigating deadly violence. By shutting down Bangkok’s two major airports, the Yellow Shirts inconvenienced hundreds of thousands of passengers in Thailand and nearby countries, while by occupying a busy commercial centre in Bangkok for two months this year, the Red Shirts destroyed the livelihoods of local entrepreneurs.
In addition, both Red and Yellow Shirts have confronted the violent machinery of the state, when their peaceful and unarmed protesters were attacked by armed military and police (is brute force colour-blind when applied to groups demanding change?).
And there’s another similarity—both Red and Yellow Shirts wanted an end to corruption and tyranny in the Thai government, though such noble intentions were in both cases also tainted by incestuous ties with factions of the ruling elite. This is particularly unfortunate since veterans of the student movement of the 1970s are active in both of these warring groups.
The Red Shirts may have lost the short-term battle, but their democracy project remains unfinished. If the Yellow Shirts are really determined to permanently prevent Thaksin or his ilk from reclaiming power again, then they must use their influence in the Abhisit government to demand immediate political, economic and social reforms.
Something has to give. Failure to initiate reform will exacerbate the tensions between the two groups and risk the deadly fires that engulfed the capital last month spreading across the country.
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FirstAdvisor
To the best of my knowledge, the world doesn’t care about any unrest or conflict in Thailand. The country has very little to sell that’s worth buying, and the nation’s best claim to fame is its squealing, giggling hordes of very eager and very cheap prostitutes. Realistically, the sex tourism industry is the major item holding the Thailand economy back from bankruptcy. The political disputes of Thailand are extremely boring and tedious, so simplistic, dimwitted, passive-aggressive and slow-paced that they put outsiders to sleep with their mundanity. Probably no other nation in the world has such dull disagreements in internal politics as Thailand. In simple realpolitick, the people who have the support of the military are the people who win in any dispute, and that appears to be a practical fact the protesting farmers just don’t understand.
David Brown
The government can listen to everyone.
But unfortunately they cannot actually do anything unless their amart/military bosses agree. Reconciliation means bowing down and agreeing to the amart/military and its Abhisit and Sutheps job to make that happen otherwise they will be replaced by someone that will.
Meanwhile the reds are flexible, they want to introduce democracy where the government can only rule for 3 or 4 years and then has to go to the people to either be allowed another term or be replaced. The amart/military don’t understand democracy they just want to rule forever. Tradition or progress, which way do the Thai people want to go?
David Brown
The military did not attack the Yellows and there was a witchhunt when the police tried to move them.
The Yellows drove on a truck to Don Mueng and shot at taxi staff while ordinary citizens hid in fear, the Yellows killed some reds and their own people, bodies left at the airports.
The reds drove around the city peacefully and were cheered.
The military deployed snipers but the reds resisted when the military attacked the first time, then the military deployed snipers again, forced police to move in front of them, some rogue military engaged while the reds resisted the second attack as much as they could.
The police and the military fought each other at SalaDaeng(?) police station, the reds leadership surrendered and asked their supporters to go home peacefully. Some agents provocateurs were paid by the owners to secure insurance money for rebuilding some aging department stores
Now the military, village scouts, BPP, all the traditional royalist actors are spread around the country spreading terror amongst the citizens, with no accountability.
“Normalcy” Thailand?