Now it's the Yellows - Again!

[Guest fountainhall]

The Thai media is full of news of the new round of street protests being staged in Bangkok by – the Yellow Shirts, known as the PAD (People’s Alliance for Democracy)! I guess we have got so used to the Red Shirt demonstrations we’d kind of forgotten about the Yellows, that mob which got away with closing the country’s airports and effectively bringing down two Prime Ministers.

 

The main reason for the new round of protests is the disastrous border incursion over the Preah Vihear Temple controversy which ended up with two members of the PAD’s extremist nationalist wing, the Patriots Network (TNP), in a Cambodian jail.

 

The Bangkok Post has an interesting comment today from a Thai who is a visiting professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He talks about how the Yellows have achieved little in return for their earlier political actions and now need new subjects to focus public attention on their ‘cause’. The writer suggests that the PAD will ratchet up its fiery rhetoric with action to match as long as these two TPN members remain imprisoned. But the PAD has become fragmented, with one group “turning its oratory guns -

 

. . . at the powers-that-be, including the current army chief, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, and especially Mr Abhisit

He reminds readers -

 

Once Mr Abhisit ascended to the premiership in December 2008, the PAD was increasingly alienated from the power holders . . . Most importantly, the PAD was shunned by establishment backers from whom its leaders had drawn inspiration and encouragement throughout 2005-08. Mr Abhisit became the newly anointed darling.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/220397/where-is-the-pad-going-this-time-with-its-protests

 

He adds it is "a measure of irony and political karma" that the PAD should now be railing against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrats and the establishment to the extent it has called for the present government to step down. He concludes,

 

The evident fragmentation of the "yellow" coalition is crucial and portentous for Thailand's political direction.

But I still fail to understand is why the powers-that-be continue to allow this nonsense to unfold in the busy streets of Bangkok.

[pong]

But I still fail to understand is why the powers-that-be continue to allow this nonsense to unfold in the busy streets of Bangkok.

1.as there is no real law against that. may seem quite funny to you, i think

2.as this would give the yellows even more ammunition

 

Now just as coincidence yesterday eve I went for a walk to there. they do not occupy streetS-rather a section of North-ratchdamnern. When going there, from the Demo-crazy Monmt, I first passed a rather ragged and unseemingly for the hi-so yellows group a few 100 isan people, on another section of same avenue, in front of min. of transport, toward JoPoRo crossing. This morning the BKkpost told me, they were asking the govmt. for debt-relief.

There is a section along a canal a little furhter where always some groups are protesting. But for the yellows, this was not good enough. They thus took another portion of same avenue (making for tremendous traffic jams in the peaks-it s mainly office there and not much housing), with severely watched entries, where they search anyone, like in airports (but no separate sexes). BTW-there are also a small group of blues. Agents guarding this had blue/yellow hand clappers, i suggested they put in some red ''hearts'' inside and they had a big laugh. This farang is funny!

There was a big stage, with speakers (often this Chamlong), repeating no end the claims, the bad Khmer, the give up of that precious Thai land (a sandbag where not even rice will grow) etc. Many people came to join in a taxi-and often these were all-yellow. Tipical hi-so Thai (muu luoy we say here=rich pigs, the class-conscious Brits may take a note of that).

Indeed it was most peoples guess as to what this Sondhee is in fact up to. Most agree it was his pride in being bypassed in last elections and make up of this govmt. Chamlong is a famous BKK former city-governor and still highly esteemed by many people, but these also shake their head and do not understand as to what he is now up to. His new party got a big battering in last city-elections, and it is seen this was not to his liking.

All in all this is so out of anyones normal thinking, it remains hard to see what they are up to. They could simply just move to that sandpatch at the border and get shot at-but thats too far out of the comfortzone of this bigcity, I guess.

[Bob]

But I still fail to understand is why the powers-that-be continue to allow this nonsense to unfold in the busy streets of Bangkok.

 

In my personal view, it's allowed - especially by this group - because they represent by and large the views of the military and the elite. The temple issue is a new issue for PAD and one wonders why they have elected to use it to whip up some ill-advised nationalistic fervor; on the other hand, they previously used the "he's against the king" argument against all their other opponents in the past and, in a sense, that's a somewhat parallel and basically nationalistic tactic.

 

The basic tenet of the yellowshirts is that they want the constitution amended to provide that 70% of the upper house be directly appointed versus elected. They take this position (I'd note that they've never really said who would appoint these MP's but it's a fair guess it would be appointment by the military and elite) because they flatly believe that the average Thai citizen is too ignorant to intelligently select a leader of the country (using the election of Shinawatra as a prime example). In a sense, the PAD reminds me of Fox News....you say something often enough ("fair and balanced news coverage" by Fox News and "People For Democracy" by PAD) and they actually believe with a straight face that people will actually believe it. Unfortunately, too many do (which might actually support the notion that people in general aren't the brightest bulbs on the planet).

 

I continue to like and admire the Thai people but, with each passing year, I have more absolute disgust at the government, military, and elite who run this sorry nation. It seems they almost monthly go out of their way to try to prove that they don't even rank as a third-world country.

[pong]

for this current demo, there has been no mention at all of that %elections etc.

There is always the verdict of: why would they throw us out, when they left the reds there (same avenue-just a little further on) for weeks on end. Plus that in this time now, neither army nor plice seem particularly impressed with their claims.

Anyway: the announced demo for tomorrow, fr 11/2, seems to be cancelled. The villagers in the Isan?khmer area have clearly let them know, they do not want them there in that disputed border-area, not even to distribute used clothes etc. from BKK's upper class ''for the poor people''.

Sometimes the hi-so have very clever ways to protect their interests and let all others dance to their tune,but this time apparently not so much. Now even newspapers start to say that roads are blokced, in far too large amounts, for just a few dozen protesters (which is true daytime). That Chamlong, with his organic vegetalble growing patches and living ''close to nature'' in his whealthy Dusit (a cityquarter very nearby and very whealthy) villa, has to swallow his pride and give up. But that is for any Thai more hard to do as even saying s/he had seen it worngly.

Many hi-class people anywhere in this world (with the UK not except) have that hautain behavior, probably the things they learned in those expensive private schools, to nullify those ''who are not in our class''. The French burocrats learn that in their ENA-schools. The communists learned that with too much drinking in their private red clubs. And the Chinese....?

[Guest fountainhall]

Anyway: the announced demo for tomorrow, fr 11/2, seems to be cancelled

This is because 2 days ago the government approved the re-enforcement of the Internal Security Act in seven Bangkok districts.

 

I am curious about Sondhi and his motives. I actually met him in the early 1990s. Even then he had a security escort (can't recall if it was the police or the army). He was running a publishing empire and wanted to do business with my client. They got as far as exchanging contracts, but then nothing happened - and to avoid any possible legal complication I will not say more than that. Not long thereafter, his business seemed to suffer and his flagship international magazine published out of Hong Kong collapsed. I always thought he was a Thaksin ally. Then seemed to turn against him. Does Sondhi really have much influence in Thai society?

[Bob]

I am curious about Sondhi and his motives.

 

I think the guy is almost insane and have somewhat followed him as early as 2001. Here's a Wikipedia article that generally outlines his history:

Sondhi

 

He's got an ego that seems to have no bounds and he's had more than one occasion where he liked Shinawatra and then didn't like him. In the 1990's, Shinawatra bought a bunch of the shares of Limongkul's multi-media company and they were the best of buddies (at the time, Limongkul was very rich with an estimated net asset value of about 600 million US). Then, for whatever reason (probably because he already made a huge profit), Shinawatra sold all of that interest [making several hundred million dollars (US) in the process and also causing Sondhi to lose some face - the sale being seen by him as Shinawatra saying he no longer trusted Sondhi]. Smart financial move by Shinawatra, though, as Sondhi went south (bankruptcy) when the 1997 crisis happened and, according to some reports, remained in bankruptcy until 2000. What's somewhat puzzling to me is how Sondhi somehow regained his wealth by about 2003 (rather puzzling at least to me).

 

The second time Sondhi turned on Shinawatra was when the Shinawatra government caused the firing of Viroj Nualkhair, the then Governor of the Bank of Thailand, over some very dicey financial deals (some of which meant forgiving billions of baht of debt involving Sondhi's companies). You can read about this event in the Wikipedia article linked above but, since that event, Shinawatra has been Sondhi's public enemy #1 (less than 2 years after Sondhi publicly called Shinawatra the best Prime Minister that Thailand ever has had!).

 

Following the coup, the army gave Sondhi use of its channels so Sondhi could continue his political talk show deal (where for years all he would do is rant against Shinawatra). They (the elite and military) tend to like what Sondhi says but even they seem to keep their distance (and I think that's because they also see he's a bit nutty). Sondhi does like to hear himself talk, that's for sure.

 

Anyway, to me he's a disturbing figure that gets way too much attention and publicity than he deserves. In that regard, he reminds me of Sarah Palin.

[pong]

Sondee either owns or runs the ASTV-a TV and newsppr bisnis on Pra Athit road, near the river in nearby Banglamphu. This was also the place where the then yellow airport-occupation was run from. You can buy that newsppr from most stands (at least in BKK-and read it if you can find someone to do the Thai).

The yellows are still there. yesterday eve they even had found a supporting band. But then they have to protect their hi-so standard, so there can be no look-thoong music. Strangely there was agian a fuming speech from someone who exactly copied the reds last year: Abhisit?!-go away! Already 10 days we are here and the govmt. does not do anyting! And talks about the khon djon (=poor people) and their miserable fate. All their banners there have first: rao rak naay luangh = we love the important fellow, then about the din Thai=Thai ground that cannot be given up. It seems the extremes se touchent-or the fiend of my fiend is my friend.

The reds started already yesterday eve in setting up their stands along the main part of Ratchdamnern. There was a minor clash with a scooterclub that has meetings there on sat-this was quite uncommon for Thai as they did not gave in, not even when those bar-bouncing lookalike black safetyguards of the reds came in (they wear black 2nd hand Korean POLICE-jackets). The reds were told they have sat-and sund is for red. Eventually the reds gave in.

But yet another red demo is announced for next sunday,. Seems the rice tending season is at its low anyway-same time as last year, so enough time to go bigcity for yet another mob.