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April 15, 2010
Pavin Chachavalpongpun
Uncertainty Abounds in Thailand as Red Shirts Ascend
What do the Red Shirts replace the current failed Thai government with? The bloodbath on the streets of Bangkok on Saturday is a strong indication that the protesters will fight until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva steps down and returns power to the Thais.
Abhisit’s chances of surviving this brutal game are slim.
The days when he could count on his supporters in high places are coming to an end. Suddenly, the young head of state who firmly believed in his growing, invincible power a few months ago is vulnerable. Thailand is on its way into a new era despite what appears suspiciously like a stalling tactic in which the Election Commission conveniently ordered the dissolution of Abhisit’s Democrat Party because of an undeclared donation from a cement company, TPI Polene. But it could take several months for the decision to be confirmed in court — if it is.
But what will Thailand’s new era look like? Throughout the past few decades, of course with the exception of the period of ousted billionaire Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand has been ruled solidly by the Bangkok elite. This group, consisting of the military, royalists, senior bureaucrats and big businesses, operated from an ivory tower and controlled every move of successive civilian governments. They argued that under their direction, Thailand had gained a certain level of political stability and its economic growth was an evident result of their effective policy.
Pavin Chachavalpongpun
Uncertainty Abounds in Thailand as Red Shirts Ascend
What do the Red Shirts replace the current failed Thai government with? The bloodbath on the streets of Bangkok on Saturday is a strong indication that the protesters will fight until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva steps down and returns power to the Thais.
Abhisit’s chances of surviving this brutal game are slim.
The days when he could count on his supporters in high places are coming to an end. Suddenly, the young head of state who firmly believed in his growing, invincible power a few months ago is vulnerable. Thailand is on its way into a new era despite what appears suspiciously like a stalling tactic in which the Election Commission conveniently ordered the dissolution of Abhisit’s Democrat Party because of an undeclared donation from a cement company, TPI Polene. But it could take several months for the decision to be confirmed in court — if it is.
But what will Thailand’s new era look like? Throughout the past few decades, of course with the exception of the period of ousted billionaire Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand has been ruled solidly by the Bangkok elite. This group, consisting of the military, royalists, senior bureaucrats and big businesses, operated from an ivory tower and controlled every move of successive civilian governments. They argued that under their direction, Thailand had gained a certain level of political stability and its economic growth was an evident result of their effective policy.
