absolutelyBangkok archive · News & Media
Originally published March 27, 2010
As tweeted the night before this day, time’s up, the red shirts have to either force the government to act or pack their bags. Now look what strategy they present: by pushing along women and children, with flowers and their bare hands, they want to force soldiers to go back to their barracks. And all this in the unmistakable fashion of Thai party mood. And guess what, without much ado troops just leave. To relocate.
That was not the intention of the reds. Because their strategy came from the lowest drawer, a strategy that counts on peer pressure and is — as happy as it looks like — a proactive confrontation. Hey they need some sort of success, understood. But by luring their own people into a trap they at least got some numbers. And a trap it was: no own reflection left, what we witness is engineered collective herd instinct. And then what?
Clear as daylight now why the red core leaders waited until the very last minute to announce their plan. Their only chance left is an element of surprise. They know this “peaceful disarming” of soldiers isn’t popular among their own ranks. But hey, peer pressure and the utter determination of a few thousand. As a symbolic protest against military intervention in politics? Oh dear, want me to list the interferences under Thaksin?
It’s this now what the red leaders call a “clear strategy.” The soldiers leave. And then what dear reds? Smilingly pretending peace and throwing oil on the fire. Desperately looking for some martyr and blood, but the army avoids confrontation at all cost.
There are many many people very very upset in Bangkok with this theater dragging on. There is only so much people are willing to take. But hey government, you’ve been apathetic for too long. The ball’s in your court. If the reds can’t win together, let them lose together. Clean up the place. Or elections wouldn’t be such a bad thing maybe. But then what?
The reds’ acts we witness since some two weeks now speak louder than their words. According to Wikipedia the Democrats in the 2007 election got slightly more proportional votes than the winning party. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.
So soldiers are pulling out and relocate to other places. And then reds what?
One’s tempted to say, well, isn’t that a dream government showing so much restraint.
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