It may be hard to believe, but I've noticed something at these anti-Thaksin demonstrations. All of a sudden, different groups of anti-Maew activists are dying to express their gratitude to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for various reasons. Strange it is, but let me tell you who they are and why:
Street vendors
Meatball and dried-squid vendors would love to have 10 prime ministers like Thaksin. They just won back all those long-lost customers who have acquired a taste for dining out at high-end shopping malls. Now they're patronising roadside vendors once again. And the smiles on the vendors' faces reflect their skyrocketing revenues. They were more than willing to serve the anti-Thaksin crowd.When the protesters marched to Democracy Monument in the wee hours of Monday morning, quite a few vendor carts travelled alongside them.
Santi Asoke
This unorthodox and long-reclusive Buddhist sect has suddenly received free publicity as the Dharma Army.
When the sect, comprising monks, nuns and lay followers, marched to Sanam Luang last Sunday morning, it boosted the morale of the other protesters, and the sect re-entered mainstream society. Thanks to our political leader, Santi Asoke has emerged as a symbol of "moral" force against evil.
Human-rights advocates
Isn't Thaksin a heaven-sent gift to human-rights advocates? They preach philosophically that human rights are natural rights. The United Nation's Declaration of Human Rights states; "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." That's also spelled out in our Constitution, but little did Thais realise there even were such rights.
Now, after five years of Thaksin's rule, Thai citizens have become increasingly aware of these rights. Sondhi Limthongkul put it succinctly when he told the rally that exercising these rights is as natural as breathing the air.
University and high-school students
They used to be accused of indulging in drugs and other social ills and blamed for the Kingdom's moral decay. But a lot of these students have apparently broken their stereotype and showed that they, too, care about Thailand's future and refuse to stay apathetic.
When these students announced their anti-Thaksin stance, they provided a much-needed boost to the morale of grown-ups.
Folk artists
Before Thaksin's time, when did you last experience the improvised folk chant lam tat? And how long has it been since a song-for-life band or Chinese-opera troupe performed in front of tens of thousands of people? Now they perform political satire before appreciative crowds.
The Chinese opera "Justice Pao Struggles with the Square Face" and some hilarious lam tat sessions would never have pulled in such big crowds if Thaksin and his cohorts had not provided good material.
News media
In my own industry, journalists and photographers - despite their exhaustion from covering protest after protest - are indebted to Thaksin for all he has said and done during the five years. In modern Thai history, no political leader has inspired as much investigative reporting into corruption. Journalists should also remember Thaksin as the man who successfully created awareness about press freedom by stomping on it every so often.
But only when he made frustrated citizens take to the streets did newspaper sales start soaring. News websites experienced a meteoric increase in their number of hits. To give you a rough idea, The Nation website reported the highest traffic of all time this past Monday, the day after the big Sanam Luang rally.
Snoh Thienthong
Once he left the stage at Sanam Luang, Snoh would probably have loved to say a big "Thank you" to the man he once supported. As Thaksin stubbornly adhered to "my brand of democracy", Snoh whitewashed himself and emerged as a ray of hope for democracy. By condemning the premier onstage, the veteran politician was reborn as Righteous Snoh from his previous existence as a political dinosaur.
Me and my fellow protesters
Throughout my life, I always wondered what it would be like to participate in a demonstration and march along Thailand's historic Rajdamnoen Avenue. My generation learned about the student uprisings of October 14, 1973, and October 6, 1976, largely from textbooks and old news clippings, but nothing can compare with the real thing.
A genuine sense of excitement and comradeship transform everyone who joins in. They have nothing else in common except showing up to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It was inspiring to see one woman coming straight from the office in high heels, a family bringing their little toddler along, groups of senior citizens, even some disabled in wheelchairs. Who says Thai democracy is in decay?
We might be shouting, "Thaksin, awk pai!" ("Thaksin, get out!") but I and all of the other protesters would like to thank the prime minister for branding us a "stupid mob". Little did he realise that so many would consider it a rare honour to be a part of such a stupid mob under his CEO-ship.
Showing posts with label Thaksin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thaksin. Show all posts
Sunday, December 31, 2006
The ABCs of peaceful protest
Trust me, this won’t go any further: women can become just as deeply involved in politics as men. And now, one of those rare occasions for both sexes is here, thanks to two men, neither of whom I really trust.
“Will you be joining Sondhi Limthongkul on Saturday?” has been a popular question from my friends these past few days. Some are determined to attend the protest against Thaksin Shinawatra at the Royal Plaza, while others are hesitant. I should note right here that as a journalist, I ought to remain neutral and not become emotionally involved. But as an individual, I have every right to head down to the rally.
A friend of mine won’t join the crowd, but she’s not passive either. She’s been busy tallying numbers. “I don’t follow politics closely, but you know, I’ve done some calculations about that Bt73.3 billion the PM and his family made, and if they spent Bt1 million a day, it would take 200 years to go through it all! Will they live that long?”
Such alarming figures have struck a chord with the public. As Thaksin says, people envy him his wealth, but the operative term is “tax-free”. Imagine a woman’s pulse if she were to see a sign that said, “Tax-free shopping”.
The financial riddle of the Shin Corp deal is no longer an issue. It’s all about February 4, and we simply must decide whether we should make our voices heard. No offence to those who say “no”; you’re still good citizens, by all means. Just take a look at your tax slip and pat yourselves on the back.
If you find it hard to accept Sondhi as your leader, rest assured that you’re not alone. But participation isn’t necessarily a vote for Sondhi.
Try imagining yourself as Achilles, the independent fighter, in the movie “Troy”. At the end of one fight early in the movie, he says, “He is not my king.”
Joining Sondhi’s rally doesn’t necessarily mean you share his ideology. You just have in common a determination to represent those Thais who can no longer tolerate an immoral leader.
I’m not an experienced protester or anything, but if you’re planning to be at the Royal Plaza today, here’s some advice:
Use the buddy system
History teaches us that even if you have a grand plan for peaceful assembly, there may be a confrontation anyway. Keeping with a buddy or in a group, you’ll be better protected and able to take care of others.
Men always tease us about going to the loo in groups. This time maybe the habit will save us!
Plan your route in advance
One friend has her route all planned, how to get in and out. Car-pooling is practical, and it’s also logical to plan an emergency exit. Always stick with someone who has a good sense of direction.
Dress code
Don’t get me wrong - I’m not talking about matching shoes and bags here. It’s time to check out your wardrobe for the most comfortable outfit. Needless to say, this is not the right time for a skirt. Although the organiser has urged everyone to wear a yellow T-shirt (the uniform of Sondhi’s television show), you can wear any colour. One advertising executive offered a good reason to choose any colour she wants: individual choice is essential under the circumstances.
She’s prepared a scarf and jacket, as recommended on the Manager website. “It’s important - if you want to stay overnight, you can lie on your jacket and use the scarf to chase away mosquitoes.”
Travel light
Women have more necessities than men do (and no, I’m still not talking about matching shoes and bags!), but the rally won’t take place at Siam Paragon, so pack wisely and in accordance with your schedule.
One friend of mine has a very sensible list. Your bag (preferably a backpack rather than a Louis Vuitton) should contain a water bottle or two, a hat, sunglasses, sun-protection cream, mouthwash, tissue paper, sanitary napkins if needed, multipurpose tiger balm and an eye-dropper if you wear contact lenses. And of course, no lipstick or eye shadow, please! This is not Miss Protest Universe, and you need not look pretty all the time.
Go equipped
To keep up with what’s going on while protesting, keep your mobile at the ready.
The Manager website is reminding people to charge their phone batteries, but another friend of mine has an even more effective strategy: two phones! “One for outgoing calls and the other for incoming calls, and both will be fully charged.”
Make peace, not war
If you’re a novice protester, it’s always wise to stay with your group. Don’t join any impromptu crowd surges; do try to avoid confrontations. (We ladies have an advantage over men here, as we’re born with non-violent genes.) As soon as you sense any violence, run away as fast as you can.
These are only some rough guidelines, but they should be sufficient. It’s now up to you whether to mob or not to mob, but make the rally meaningful and peaceful - bloodstains are so difficult to wash out of your clothes.
“Will you be joining Sondhi Limthongkul on Saturday?” has been a popular question from my friends these past few days. Some are determined to attend the protest against Thaksin Shinawatra at the Royal Plaza, while others are hesitant. I should note right here that as a journalist, I ought to remain neutral and not become emotionally involved. But as an individual, I have every right to head down to the rally.
A friend of mine won’t join the crowd, but she’s not passive either. She’s been busy tallying numbers. “I don’t follow politics closely, but you know, I’ve done some calculations about that Bt73.3 billion the PM and his family made, and if they spent Bt1 million a day, it would take 200 years to go through it all! Will they live that long?”
Such alarming figures have struck a chord with the public. As Thaksin says, people envy him his wealth, but the operative term is “tax-free”. Imagine a woman’s pulse if she were to see a sign that said, “Tax-free shopping”.
The financial riddle of the Shin Corp deal is no longer an issue. It’s all about February 4, and we simply must decide whether we should make our voices heard. No offence to those who say “no”; you’re still good citizens, by all means. Just take a look at your tax slip and pat yourselves on the back.
If you find it hard to accept Sondhi as your leader, rest assured that you’re not alone. But participation isn’t necessarily a vote for Sondhi.
Try imagining yourself as Achilles, the independent fighter, in the movie “Troy”. At the end of one fight early in the movie, he says, “He is not my king.”
Joining Sondhi’s rally doesn’t necessarily mean you share his ideology. You just have in common a determination to represent those Thais who can no longer tolerate an immoral leader.
I’m not an experienced protester or anything, but if you’re planning to be at the Royal Plaza today, here’s some advice:
Use the buddy system
History teaches us that even if you have a grand plan for peaceful assembly, there may be a confrontation anyway. Keeping with a buddy or in a group, you’ll be better protected and able to take care of others.
Men always tease us about going to the loo in groups. This time maybe the habit will save us!
Plan your route in advance
One friend has her route all planned, how to get in and out. Car-pooling is practical, and it’s also logical to plan an emergency exit. Always stick with someone who has a good sense of direction.
Dress code
Don’t get me wrong - I’m not talking about matching shoes and bags here. It’s time to check out your wardrobe for the most comfortable outfit. Needless to say, this is not the right time for a skirt. Although the organiser has urged everyone to wear a yellow T-shirt (the uniform of Sondhi’s television show), you can wear any colour. One advertising executive offered a good reason to choose any colour she wants: individual choice is essential under the circumstances.
She’s prepared a scarf and jacket, as recommended on the Manager website. “It’s important - if you want to stay overnight, you can lie on your jacket and use the scarf to chase away mosquitoes.”
Travel light
Women have more necessities than men do (and no, I’m still not talking about matching shoes and bags!), but the rally won’t take place at Siam Paragon, so pack wisely and in accordance with your schedule.
One friend of mine has a very sensible list. Your bag (preferably a backpack rather than a Louis Vuitton) should contain a water bottle or two, a hat, sunglasses, sun-protection cream, mouthwash, tissue paper, sanitary napkins if needed, multipurpose tiger balm and an eye-dropper if you wear contact lenses. And of course, no lipstick or eye shadow, please! This is not Miss Protest Universe, and you need not look pretty all the time.
Go equipped
To keep up with what’s going on while protesting, keep your mobile at the ready.
The Manager website is reminding people to charge their phone batteries, but another friend of mine has an even more effective strategy: two phones! “One for outgoing calls and the other for incoming calls, and both will be fully charged.”
Make peace, not war
If you’re a novice protester, it’s always wise to stay with your group. Don’t join any impromptu crowd surges; do try to avoid confrontations. (We ladies have an advantage over men here, as we’re born with non-violent genes.) As soon as you sense any violence, run away as fast as you can.
These are only some rough guidelines, but they should be sufficient. It’s now up to you whether to mob or not to mob, but make the rally meaningful and peaceful - bloodstains are so difficult to wash out of your clothes.
Thaksin the father fails to impress
It took me by surprise when I saw Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra make his humble, almost tearful plea to the media, urging them to stop dragging his youngest daughter Paetongtarn into the national entrance-exam leak scandal. No, it wasn't the apparently "straightforward" and "sincere" manner of a heartbroken father that struck me. It was the timing of his official response to the explosive issue. The loving father's rise to his child's defence came far too late, not to mention how little it did to heal her deep wounds.
A wise man like Thaksin should have known that the damage had been done and asking people to stop talking about it could well have the reverse effect. Although he singled out the media, he must have been informed that gossip and contempt had gone far beyond what was written in news reports.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of students, have expressed their anger and frustration on websites. Should he check relevant webboards, Thaksin would learn that his daughter had been a target of social punishment long before her father came out to respond to the public.
Thaksin was probably busy familiarising himself with the lives of people in the Northeast, so busy he hardly found time to properly protect his beloved daughter. He won some sympathy, yes, but whether he has done enough as a father, considering the magnitude of rumours and allegations, I have my doubts.
He told the public how his heart was broken to see his daughter weeping when he peeked into her bedroom and how his daughter studied so hard to improve her grades. Some people were moved, but others remained unconvinced. There are parents who have seen their children work equally hard or even harder. There are other mums and dads who have seen their children's tears. The difference is they can't go on television and seek nationwide sympathy.
In the case of Thaksin, some view him as a father struggling to protect his daughter while others took it as another great "act" of our leader. I'm in the latter group. And if anyone asks, I can explain it. As a mother, I'd probably launch into a similar speech, but my protective instincts wouldn't take me on a tour of the Northeast, posing in my Fendi towel, before I opened my mouth to defend my child.
My evaluation: Thaksin did fairly poorly in this see-if-you-are-a-good-father test.
And what about his chief-executive responsibilities? He flunked. Again, the timing was very late and out of proportion. To show the public that he was serious about the investigation, he could have done a lot more. He left the entrance-exam leak controversy develop from a tiny wound into a large, festering sore. This is unlike the decisive man who launched the war on drugs that led to over than 1,000 deaths.
In this entrance-exam episode, Thaksin would have won the public's praise if he had chosen to react soon enough both as a father and as "CEO" of Thailand.
As the leader of the government, he should have at least put more pressure on two men, Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik and former secretary-general of the Higher Education Commission Voradej Chandarasorn. A credible and swift investigation would have overshadowed the rumours and hearsay, thus limiting the damage to innocent people, including those he loves.
Sad to say, he failed to exercise either of the roles when the public needed him to do so.
I ask myself whether, if I were in his shoes, I would do a better job. I'm not sure in the capacity of PM or CEO. But as a mother, I am positive that my instincts would drive in the right direction to defend my child. More importantly, I wouldn't let a political road show become a bigger priority than my daughter, but having said that, I know why I could never be prime minister and why some politicians can't be good fathers.
Published on May 8, 2004
A wise man like Thaksin should have known that the damage had been done and asking people to stop talking about it could well have the reverse effect. Although he singled out the media, he must have been informed that gossip and contempt had gone far beyond what was written in news reports.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of students, have expressed their anger and frustration on websites. Should he check relevant webboards, Thaksin would learn that his daughter had been a target of social punishment long before her father came out to respond to the public.
Thaksin was probably busy familiarising himself with the lives of people in the Northeast, so busy he hardly found time to properly protect his beloved daughter. He won some sympathy, yes, but whether he has done enough as a father, considering the magnitude of rumours and allegations, I have my doubts.
He told the public how his heart was broken to see his daughter weeping when he peeked into her bedroom and how his daughter studied so hard to improve her grades. Some people were moved, but others remained unconvinced. There are parents who have seen their children work equally hard or even harder. There are other mums and dads who have seen their children's tears. The difference is they can't go on television and seek nationwide sympathy.
In the case of Thaksin, some view him as a father struggling to protect his daughter while others took it as another great "act" of our leader. I'm in the latter group. And if anyone asks, I can explain it. As a mother, I'd probably launch into a similar speech, but my protective instincts wouldn't take me on a tour of the Northeast, posing in my Fendi towel, before I opened my mouth to defend my child.
My evaluation: Thaksin did fairly poorly in this see-if-you-are-a-good-father test.
And what about his chief-executive responsibilities? He flunked. Again, the timing was very late and out of proportion. To show the public that he was serious about the investigation, he could have done a lot more. He left the entrance-exam leak controversy develop from a tiny wound into a large, festering sore. This is unlike the decisive man who launched the war on drugs that led to over than 1,000 deaths.
In this entrance-exam episode, Thaksin would have won the public's praise if he had chosen to react soon enough both as a father and as "CEO" of Thailand.
As the leader of the government, he should have at least put more pressure on two men, Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik and former secretary-general of the Higher Education Commission Voradej Chandarasorn. A credible and swift investigation would have overshadowed the rumours and hearsay, thus limiting the damage to innocent people, including those he loves.
Sad to say, he failed to exercise either of the roles when the public needed him to do so.
I ask myself whether, if I were in his shoes, I would do a better job. I'm not sure in the capacity of PM or CEO. But as a mother, I am positive that my instincts would drive in the right direction to defend my child. More importantly, I wouldn't let a political road show become a bigger priority than my daughter, but having said that, I know why I could never be prime minister and why some politicians can't be good fathers.
Published on May 8, 2004
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