The content in this page ("From an observer at Ratchaprasong rally" by Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation) is not produced by Prachatai staff. Prachatai merely provides a platform, and the opinions stated here do not necessarily reflect those of Prachatai.

From an observer at Ratchaprasong rally

I did not know what to think as I watched about 5,000 Democrat Party supporters cheering as Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban tearfully declared that he "greatly regrets the deaths [of 92 mostly red-shirt protesters] every day" even though it was the fault of the reds and men in black.

He was speaking at the party's huge rally held outside CentralWorld yesterday evening.

In the speech, Suthep also insisted that "innocent" red shirts had been brainwashed by their leaders over the past two to three years of "agitation".

After all, his boss, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who was also to address the crowd later that evening, set up the Truth for Reconciliation Commission and appointed its chairman in the aftermath of the violent crackdown that ended on May 19 last year. A year later, Thai society is as divided as ever as to who were behind the deaths and who burned down the buildings around Ratchaprasong Intersection, as the commission has so far failed to provide any conclusive answer. Not a single person, not one soldier, or killer, or executioner has been charged or arrested so far.

How is that possible?

And I did not recall hearing either Suthep or Abhisit apologise. But now Suthep was telling the crowds loud and with tears, that not a single day passes without him regretting….

Earlier, at about 4.30pm, I eavesdropped on three supporters of the Democrat Party, and the gist of it went like this:

Man No 1: "The military knows that the reds are out to overthrow the monarchy."

Man No 2: "The Pheu Thai Party is the most evil political party ever set up."

Man No 3: "Journalists who support Thaksin [Shinawatra] must have been [generously] paid on a monthly basis by the man. And many newspapers have now been bought by Thaksin."

Man 1: "[Yellow-shirt] leader Sondhi Limthongkul must have gone mad to have said Abhisit is worse than Thaksin."

The reds, by the way, are as bitter and resentful, especially after all that happened in April and May last year, which includes some 2,000 injuries and no arrests.

"They are adding insult to injuries," red-shirt member Noppakao Kongsuwan told this writer as she came to the intersection, a day earlier, to participate in a curse on Abhisit and his party in a black-magic ritual.

Hearing all this, it became clear that perhaps all this talk by politicians and the media about reconciliation being the national goal of the moment is a fraud and a mistake. What is needed, perhaps, is for Thailand to try to face political conflict head-on, with little or no violence, without censorship or self-censorship, without inviting yet another military coup, and without calling for the intervention of the so-called "invisible hand" or the "special power" that appears too willing to oblige.

At some point, people will have to learn to understand that handling conflict in a mature and responsible manner without violence, and by speaking more frankly, truthfully and transparently without fear, is essential for any society to become democratic.

Source: 
<p>http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/06/24/national/From-an-observer-at-Ratchaprasong-rally-30158603.html</p>

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