[Tlc] T-protests

[justinm at ucr.edu]

Forwarded from Jennifer Gampell.
Thanks,
justin

This was in Sunday's Bangkok Post. If the link http://www.bangkokpost.com/070908_News/07Sep2008_news18.php times out, you can read it here:
 
SUNDAY FORUM

THE MIRROR HAS 60 MILLION FACES

VORANAI VANIJAKA

One night in October 1973, my mother (who was 8 months pregnant with me at the time) was sitting at home, worrying and crying. My father, an officer in the riot prevention unit, was trapped in a police station surrounded by left-wing militants.

He was cradling in his arms one of his subordinates, who had been shot in the guts. He was bleeding profusely.

There were between 15 to 20 policemen trapped in the station, surrounded by hundreds of the opposition. The situation was hopeless. Snipers were everywhere. The policeman who was shot eventually died from blood loss.

Late in the night, my father ordered his subordinates to strip off their uniforms and put on civilian clothes. Under the cover of darkness, they escaped from the police station.

A few hours later, my father made it back home to my mother.

Thinking of all the coups, the protests and the bloodshed that Thailand has been through, I wonder: What have we been fighting for? What have we achieved?

The majority still live in poverty. Our children still beg in the streets. Not just politics, but our society as a whole is still corrupt. And we still have no clue what democracy is.

Coups, protests and conflicts are nothing more than the squabbling between rich and powerful men, whose fiery rhetoric, fancy tactics and deep pockets are able to rouse the people to flock to their banners.

I am no fan of prime minister Samak Sundaravej, nor am I a fan of the five leaders of the PAD. However, I am a fan of everyone who wakes up in the morning, goes to work, provides for his or her family, lends a helping hand to the less fortunate and lives an honest life, regardless of the colour of their shirts.

Getting rid of Prime Minister Samak and dissolving the parliament would make a lot of people happy, it would make me happy. But then what?

Would there be less corruption? Less social injustice? Less income disparity? Would it better the lives of the people?

We want to get rid of him because he is corrupt. But is he any more corrupt than the average Thai person? How many among us never cut corners, go under the table, use connections, or hand over a hundred baht bill?

We want to get rid of him because we don't want Thaksin-style mega projects. But then - look at our media, look at our society - why are we so obsessed with materialism and superficiality?

We don't want him to change the constitution to serve his (or his boss's) agenda. But then why do we the people each and every day bend the rules and manipulate the laws to serve our own agenda?

If we want to change Thailand for the better, getting rid of a few individuals won't do it. The change starts with us.

We march to get rid of one man, but do we march to save the lives of our children begging in the streets?

We march to get rid of one man, but do we march to save the lives of our brothers and sisters in the three southernmost provinces?

We march to get rid of one man, but did we march when Thaksin mandated the murder of innocent men and women on the streets?

If we want to change Thailand for the better, getting rid of a few individuals won't do it. The change starts with us.

The PAD has the right to protest, and Samak has the prerogative say he was democratically and overwhelmingly elected.

We can say the election was bought, but which election wasn't? Buying an election is just a matter of supply and demand, it can't be bought if the people aren't willing to sell it. And the people is us, the Thai people. It is us who sell our freedom, our democracy.

If Samak resigns, there are thousands and thousands more Samaks ready to replace him. The idea and being of the likes of Thaksin or Samak is like the proverb "fish in the water and the rice in the field".

Yes, like fish and rice, there are an abundance of Thaksins and Samaks in Thailand, in all level of society, from the poor to the rich.

The jealousy, the factionalism, the close-mindedness, the hate, the cronyism, the corruption, the politicking, the manipulation, the exploitation, the selfishness and self-righteousness, the refusal to change for the better - the things that we see play out in the political landscape, that we the people never cease to complain about in disgust - are we also guilty of the same in our families, in our social circles, in our schools, in our work places?

Samak is merely a reflection of our society, a mirror of who we are - the writer of this column not excepted.

Finding scapegoats and blaming others is easy. The rich blame the poor, the poor blame the rich. Failing that, we blame karma or black magic - and of course, we blame foreigners.

Yes, we should take to the streets against corrupt politicians, but not much good can come of it if we simply huff and puff every few years and then go back to our daily corruption, apathy and superficialism.

The fact is: Each and every one of us is responsible and accountable for our country, our society and the future of our children.

Whatever that is wrong with Thai politics and society, we 60 million plus people all have a hand in it - we are responsible for it.

We make Thailand. Not just Thaksin. Not just Samak. But all 60 million plus of us.

Samak is not worth one act of violence, not worth one drop of blood, not worth a single tear. He is not even worth the insults and hates the PAD throw at him each and every day.

Take to the streets and protest for the right reason: march not because we hate Samak, rather march because we love Thailand.

What we do in life each and every day, individually and collectively, is what will change our country, for better or for worse.

We should continue to fight corrupt politicians. But if we truly want better things for Thailand, the change starts with us, the Thai people. 

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu