Red shirts bow to army
Several hard-core red shirts have succumbed to the military's request to stop political activity. But they doubt the military will be able to put an end to the color coded politics.
Kwanchai Praiphana, leader of the red shirt in Udon Thani, said on Friday after reporting to the army that he will never organize red shirt protests again. He will cooperate with the military and pledge to refrain from fomenting disorder and widening political divides.
Nisit Sinthuprai, red shirt leader in Roi Et, also says he and other red shirts will cease their political activities as requested by the army. But he doubts the junta will succeed color coded political groups, because the division is deeply rooted in political ideology.
'National harmony and reconciliation can only be achieved by ensuring justice and fairness. All groups should be able to live together and should give each other the space to do so.'
According to Nisit, the UDD (red shirts), which has long campaigned against a coup, has not been defeated despite the military takeover. "The army has taken over, but the people have not been defeated."
In Uttaradit, Red Shirt leader Siriwat Jupamattha questioned the junta's plan to establish four regional "reconciliation centers" under the leadership of the military authority (NCPO). 'National reconciliation can only be achieved when the economic and social divide is closed. Division will return when social justice is lacking.”
Suporn Atthawong announced yesterday that he would stop his political activities for good. Suporn previously announced that he would form a force of 200.000 warriors to fight against the anti-government movement. [See further: Red shirt core member Suporn becomes a good son]
A source in the former governing party Pheu Thai says that the party members will hold back for the time being. "We are ready to stop political activity so that the country can move forward and elections can be held as soon as possible."
(Source: Website Bangkok Post, May 31, 2014)
Photo homepage: Suporn Atthawong and his mother embrace after he has been imprisoned for six days.
I am glad to read that there are still UDDers who will follow closely what is to come, reform and attempts at reconciliation.
One of the conditions is that justice and fairness must be ensured.
There are also doubts whether the color separation, which is very wide and deep, can be bridged and will disappear. The grudge will not be completely removed between the colors, one will have to wait and see what the four reconciliation commissions will come up with. This is also subject to a condition: social justice must be achieved by closing the economic and social gap. Without closing these rifts, the reconciliation effort is doomed to failure.
Doubt whether this will succeed in 15 months, because people want to see it in their well-being. You are talking about tens of millions of people who need to be (somewhat) satisfied, who will no longer be led on for the umpteenth time.
Raising the minimum daily wage to 300 Baht was already a failure. Then it became clear that there were major differences per region in terms of living standards and then you have sectors where many small merchants try to earn their daily sum tam tam, who then cannot help themselves permit. No, it will have to be done in a different way, for example by starting large projects that require many (unskilled) workers, as was done in the Netherlands with the construction of the Afsluitdijk and the reclamation of large parts of the IJsselmeer. For example, greatly expanding the road network and creating industrial areas there where people from the region receive (re)training. At the time, Thaksin had the OTOP (one tambon one product) set up, which has not been followed up.
In the meantime, the overproduction of the paving stones is not lost. No matter how artful the artistic work may be, e.g. making the paper-painted umbrellas, one can now supply the whole world with it. They are admired and looked at, but sell….
If those 15 months are used to set up a plan with activities with a timeline that will also be implemented after those 15 months and people are also shown that they are sticking to it, then it might also work. The most important thing is that hope is given and it also comes true.
For the time being I don't see those elections happening within 5 years, if people do come up with plans then they will want to keep them in their own hands before they get bogged down by corruption again. It will be difficult enough to keep the vultures away from such large projects.
The phrase "give in to the army's request" made me smile. I had the strong impression that the army has banned all political activities under penalty of going to a court-martial. Maybe I didn't follow the news closely.
Suthep is defeated and eliminated, yellow shirts, I think even bigger news.