Did anyone else catch this lead photo on NYTimes.com today. Holy crap, things are really heating up in Thailand.
We've followed the news closely, and it's not easy to wrap your mind around the situation. So, here's a brief overview:
- The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have been occupying gov't buildings in Bangkok for the past two weeks, protesting against corruption in gov't and demanding the resignation of PM Samek Sundaravej. PAD protests briefly shut down operations of airports in Krabi, Phuket, and Bangkok (domestic, not BKK international) last week. Samak has suffered public criticism as of late for attempting to amend the constitution in order to help billionaire former PM Thaksin Shinawatr evade corruption charges.
- Despite their peaceful nature and hippy dippy name, the PAD aren't staunch supporters of democracy. In fact, they believe democracy can't thrive in such a corrupt state and that people aren't smart enough to elect honest politicians. They also believe Samak and his People Power Party (awesome band name, btw) are a continuation of Thaksin' regime, which was ousted in a 2006 coup. PAD support/funding comes from the wealthy Bangkok business community and some modest rural folk too.
- Today, Samak has declared a State of Emergency, outlawing public gatherings of 5+ people and speech/actions intended to incite violence. Protesters have ignored the ban, and Army Generals are refusing to enforce it with force. Fun fact, Thaksin lost power when the Army refused to follow his orders in 2006.
- Thai Unions, including those of Thai Airways and many railway companies, are striking, bringing a halt to most local transportation and leaving commuters and tourists stranded. Tourism is huge for Thailand, and the protests are really bad news for the industry.
>>What's next? Samak resigns, a new government is elected, the constitution is rewritten, and life goes on. OR, Samak resigns, the PAD takes power without elections (ironic, yes, but not an atypical event in the subcontinent), and life goes on. OR, Samak convinces the army to quash protests with force, video of bloody melees floods the news cycle, the Thai economy tanks, and life gets less awesome in Thailand. OR, Samak forces the military t show their cards, they leave him in the lurch, the PAD grabs power, and life goes on a la 2006.
On a less heavy, tangentially related related note, this blogger just read the Unbearable Lightness of Being. Milan Kundera, on the idea of "eternal return":
If the French Revolution were to recur eternally, French historians would be less proud of Robespierre. But because they deal with something that will not return, the bloody years of the revolution have turned into mere words, theories, and discussions, have become lighter than feathers, frightening no one. There is an infinite difference between a Robespierre who occurs only once in history, and a Robespierre who eternally returns, chopping off French heads.
Let us therefore agree that the idea of eternal return implies a perspective from which things appear other than as we know them: they appear without the mitigating circumstances of their transitory nature. This mitigating circumstance prevents us from coming to a verdict. For how can we condemn something that is ephemeral, in transit? In the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia, even the guillotine.
So... Hmmm... Would Kundera's perspective be different if he ever lived or traveled in SE Asia, which has a long history of border disputes, occupations, imperialism, colonialism, and coups in quick succession. Are SE Asians just used to it? Is this a way a life for them, the only familiar constant? Sure, the PAD are passionate and likely believe their cause is noble, but everyone else in Thailand was business as usual. On the other hand, SE Asians are proud and nostalgic, fiercely defending their territory whenever a new sheriff walks into town. Or maybe there's a middle ground - they just want to live happy and peaceful lives, picking their battles carefully and letting all else float on. Who knows? "Not I," said the malarial fly.
On a much lighter note, who knew that Jonathan Safran Foer lifted the title "Everything is Illuminated" from Kundera?
