absolutelyBangkok archive · History
Originally published May 19, 2010
The events of the passed few weeks, days and hours will be burned deeply into Bangkok’s psyche. Our Bangkok will be back. Not tomorrow, not next week — and any other attempt to hold a colored mass protest masqueraded as peaceful will ring alarm bells. Warning, graphic, this is what happened on May 19, 2010. The anniversaries of 1973, 1976 and 1992 are remembered for democracy. May 19, 2010, will be remembered for a gigantic collapse of common sense, for utter failures on all sides. The government, the reds, the people.
However, it is doubtful the red leaders will see the light of day again anytime soon. There will be a hard crackdown against government enemies and you won’t have a clean conscience not defending that. Look at the human toll, the destruction, the lost opportunities, all in the name of fairness, equal chances and democracy. It’s not about Central World torched, this our most pleasant, most open shopping mall. The red leaders will be hunted by what they said and did.
But this is also no time for even more hate and revenge. Enough of it already. When you point the finger at someone three fingers point back at you. Sure, people were hijacked, taken hostage — like the motorcycle guy who told a reader he was paid 200 baht a day by the red shirt security for the past three days. Was threatened with violence if he left. He’s glad it’s over. Maybe he even feels remorse. Clear game plan of the reds was all along to force the regime to commit suicide.
That did not happen the way planned, yet — and rest assured there are some tragic dark people out there applauding the torching of “obscene” Central World. Hey it’s supposed to be a class struggle. We can’t really look forward to anything right now. The most dangerous days may lay ahead. The next tomorrows are crucial. The resistance says this is just the beginning. I trust though we’re fine soon. People want their lives back. Don’t Thai people love their freedom.
Or… it’s over very quickly and you’ll stand at Silom looking up north toward Ratchaprasong and ask: “What?”
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