Asean Summit Hijacked By The Mob: Symbol Of “true Democracy”?

PRLog (Press Release) - Apr 11, 2009 -
Earlier in the day, Thailand’s prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, was forced to declare a state of emergency for “security reasons” after more than 1,000 anti-government “red-shirt” protesters stormed the Asean summit’s venue.

In the early morning “red-shirted” protesters, armed with “firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, sling shots and batons”, battled with locals. The red-shirts have been calling for the resignation of the prime minister Mr Abhisit for months. After closing mainstream routes in Bangkok on Friday, it was estimated that 10,000 red-shirted protesters descended on Pattaya “in over 500 taxis, 20 buses and some six-wheel trucks, motorcycles and private cars”.

The consequences of this latest political unrest is economically suicidal, as it is expected that Thailand's tourism industry will lose at least Bt200 billion of revenue this year because of it, according to the chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand.

To explain the situation, I read an opinion piece in the Bangkok Post on Thursday. The young writer, Kong Rithdee, accurately summed up the turmoil as: “The ultimate madness is when the opponents — red, yellow or otherwise — still don't see that they're actually fighting against the same things: cronyism, inequality, rule-breakers, invisible powers, corrupt practices. Even if the price is our sanity, it is still worth a try because madness is not always a curse; it's only necessary — and hopefully temporary.”

I’m not so sure about it being temporary. The Thai authorities still have control of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s vast sequestrated wealth and it looks likely that this is going to end up being “the final showdown”, an attempt to restore “democracy” following the military coup and the banning of Thaksin’s loyal group of parliamentarians and political parties.

The “red-shirts”, even those not fighting on Thaksin’s behalf, are now so very angry. They see the Thai political system as something that has been ultimately hijacked by the judges and the military; and now Thaksin has attacked the privy counsel, accusing three of its members as being responsible for the coup that ousted him. Despite the consequences, the “red-shirts” seem unequivocally prepared to destroy their own economy on the strength of the principle of it.

Grievances on both sides have been bubbling over for years now but following the seizure of Suvarnabhumi Airport last December, with the economy shrinking rapidly and unemployment on the rise, the timing of this latest attack on the government is critically ill-timed.

As we watched the news unfold last night, the very thought that they would “smash through the glass doors of the convention hall and ran through the building, overturning tables, blowing horns, waving Thai flags and screaming: ‘Abhisit get out’," was unimaginable.

Following the disbanding of Mr Thaksin’s PPP party late last year, the rules changed. Politicians once loyal to Thaksin walked across the House to form a new coalition government with Abhisit as leader. This is what the red-shirts say is conspiratorial: that he took office illegally, assisted by the military, and that Abhisit should resign so that fresh elections can be called. Abhisit, for the moment, won’t budge.   

This next week is Songkran festival, the Thai new year, where Pattaya is usually packed with tourists. But there has already been mounting tour and hotel cancellations, with tourism business operators expecting the industry to contract heavily for at least 6-9 months. But as hundreds of protesters broke through police cordons and poured into the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel, where Asean leaders were staying, businesses in Pattaya will be paralysed.

The magnitude of the damage done to the Thai economy, especially the tourism sector, not to mention Thailand’s international standing, from this rash invasion of the Asean Summit, will affect key markets and the tourist industry much more than the closure of the airport last December, and is expected to result in loss revenues of a further Bt100 billion.

This is a huge opportunity lost; a self-inflicting wound on Thailand’s reputation and a golden chance lost to agree on ways to combat the economic crisis, as Asia's export-oriented economies take a battering due to its heavy reliance on exports.

The foreign ministry's spokesman, Tharit Charungvat, said delegates were not the target of the protesters. "The protesters want to humiliate the government," he said. I hope for the pro-Thaksin supporters sakes, they think it was all worth it, as unemployment and poverty for the many Thais who have no political affiliations starts its exponential rise.

The “red-shirts” have stifled any attempts by the government to deliver its vital economic stimulus package. Without it, millions more Thais will be made redundant. Perhaps then they may not think it “a job well done” but I doubt it.

The Songkran festival this year could be relatively subdued as Thais reflect on this Phyrric victory and see it for what it really is: Thailand's image in the world diminished, the economy taking a further nose-dive and the tourist industry, irreparably damaged and impossible to resurrect in the short term, in free-fall.

Thaksin Shinawatra may continue with his wide triumphant smile when he addresses his supporters later in the day, but protesting for a man who has become a symbol of the "ideal" of "true democracy".