The battle that threatens to tear Thailand in half

On May 19, 2010, Lung Gong from Khon Kaen was arrested by the military after the expulsion of the red shirt protesters in Bangkok. He will never forget what happened next.

He says: 'They put me in an old tire, under the hot sun, without food or drink. I still see their faces. I heard a soldier say, 'I'll set it on fire, it's not even Thai.'” He later escaped anyway. Lung Gong is happy with the idea of ​​separating the North and Northeast from Bangkok. "Why would I want to stay in a country that doesn't need me and doesn't see me as a human being?" Lung Gong says, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The discussion about a separate 'Red Nation' was rekindled after an article in the South China Morning Post citing red shirt leaders in Chiang Mai who would invite Yingluck to set up a separate state in the North in the event of a military coup. A recent banner on a pedestrian bridge in Phayao reading 'This country has no justice. I ask for the division of the country' fueled the discussion.

David Streckfuss, an independent scholar from Khon Kaen, believes that the issue of split would only come up in a military coup or Suthep's reform movement. "It's almost impossible to imagine something like this," he says, "it would be so terribly violent, wasteful and confusing."

"A separate state is just an idea and nothing more," says Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Southeast Asia analyst at Kyoto University, "without international recognition it won't be possible."

David Streckfuss favors greater powers for local governments. "A legislative assembly for Isaan would give them more control over their own affairs," he says. He points out that Bangkok receives 76 percent of state spending while Isan, with 33 percent of Thailand's population, receives only 6 percent.

"Bangkok's XNUMX-year attempts to impose their idea of ​​'Thainess' (unity of language and culture) on the rest of the country from above, thus controlling them, is the core problem," says Streckfuss. . "They had to hide their roots so they wouldn't be looked down upon as second-class citizens."

And: 'The Isaan has always had a strong political consciousness. They have a long tradition of standing up for justice and equality, such as the communists in the XNUMXs and XNUMXs, the Assembly of the Poor and now the red shirt movement. They want to be recognized as equals, if not, then a separation.'

The people of Bangkok call us stupid and uneducated

'Daeng', 58 years old with his own radio program, is a proud supporter of the red shirts. She believes in reforms with the king as Head of the Nation, but she also believes in a democracy that respects the voice of the people. “The people who will bring about a divorce are not we but residents of Bangkok who call us stupid and uneducated and want to take away our right to vote,' she says emphatically.

'Man', 59 years old, used to work for a military radio station: 'I'm not saying Thaksin wasn't corrupt, I know he was very corrupt, but he showed us what it means to be equal. He gave back a lot.'

No one has ever thought of separation here before, he adds. “If you think we are so low, so stupid, so worthless, leave us alone and you won't be ashamed of us anymore. We'll take our country back and see if Thaksin might be a better leader.'

'Saiprapa Raisa-nguan' is a 20-year-old law student who follows the situation on social media. "Isaan people have always hated the way people from Bangkok used to belittle them," she said. “I understand that people in Isan and the North are angry, but a split will do much more harm than good. Why don't we try to deal with the current conflict?'

'Auan', a 46-year-old tour operator, takes a cool look at the whole thing. "I don't mind if someone calls me stupid, Lao or a red buffalo," he says. 'A split would be very bad for tourism. I hope it doesn't happen..

'Chan', 52, a real estate broker, can already see that business is suffering from the current conflict. "That can only get worse with a divorce because Bangkok is a center for banking, government buildings and more." Divorce will be an endless struggle and waste without a good outcome, he adds.

'Pom', 34 years old, sells clothes in Khon Kaen that she buys from Pratunam market in Bangkok. “People are already afraid to spend money,” she says. "And will I have to visit Bangkok or a beach in Phuket as a stranger?"

'Mon', a 38-year-old fruit seller, has the last word. She is more than happy if the North were to declare independence in the event that Suthep were to rule as a 'dictator'. "If we have to suffer for the greater good of the country, I am more than willing to do so."

(Source: Spectrum, Bangkok Post, February 9-15, 2014)

Postscript by Tino Kuis

My reflections on this can also be found in the text. The idea of ​​splitting up is a bit like a comment after yet another marital argument, "Maybe we should get a divorce." It is more an expression of frustration and anger than an actual call for independence. You shouldn't take it too literally. Those who really mean this and prepare for it are a large minority but I think they do exist.

I often heard: 'Maybe we should secede, then we will elect a president just like in China.' There are also other feelings involved. But if there is a military or legal coup, that frustration can boil over, with serious consequences. That, of course, would be a disaster for the country, however it happens.

Streckfuss already mentioned another solution: more autonomy for the North, the Northeast and the 'deep' South. I think that's a good idea, but I think the elite will resist it with all their might. Not very realistic either.