What Color Is Pity

I don't generally express my Thai political opinions to friends. Often, I find it somewhat preachy/haughty to explain my thoughts on leadership and democracy to anyone, save for my family who usually misses me and thus forgives my run-on, nonsensical ideas. What do I know ( rhetorical question ?:)) ?

So, the hesitancy, yeah, I'm trying to articulate to myself why it's necessary.

Part of it is my feeling that most people don't want to hear my/your Thai opinions. Part of it also is my mindfulness of Americans -- and the perception of them :-P -- that keeps me quiet when people are arguing over the Thai Yellow/Red Shirt divide. People believe Americans think they know everything :-), and I don't want to contribute to this perception... but... I just can't help myself :-P! I want to say something, so I have to write about it. The Quiet American :-P? Apologies in advance :-).

This weekend I made a run downtown to my favorite bookshop (I replenish every week at Khao San Road), and I took the opportunity to stroll down near the red shirt rally. I have to say that I was quite... pleased :-). Thousands of people were dancing, jumping, and hollering, expressing something about the current state of politics, and Thai society.


This sounds bad I know, but I was truly surprised that a democratic movement here could create a message. People had an opinion, and it wasn't shaped by their television set, their newspaper, or their elementary/middle/high school education.

They cared, and it had nothing to do with clothing, plastic surgery, or skin whitening.

That feeling of excitement and passion was palpable, and it made me identify with Thai people for the first time in maybe a month. I know the way alot of this sounds, but I can't help or change these feelings right now. Or maybe I just won't change them, or alter my perspective. I might be happy now nursing some form of dislike. That's for another post... Anyway, so many people were displaying their shirts proudly, without remorse. They were marching, chanting, pleading for a 'democratic entitlement.' Perhaps, being gay, allows me to better identify with this now.

Anyway, I saw some of the rally, again impressed with the participants' fervor. I took a couple photos, and then took my books back home, lounging for awhile, and checking the news. I scrolled through story after story about the red shirts and their cause. Took a look at the weather. Then I read the Bangkok Post.

What struck me most about all of my news hounding that day: the media is reporting on the red-shirt movement, but the reporting itself is quite distracting. The real stories seem to center on class perceptions and politics in this country. The events become secondary.

"There weren't that many people." "The red shirts were realizing that Thaksin is using them." "Red shirts did not meet their attendance goal." "Red shirts numbers dwindling" Etc. Etc.

To read the Bangkok Post/The Nation reporters tell it, the Red Shirts are poorly organized. Poor planners. Poor thinkers. They're confused, and thus don't really understand Thailand or what it takes to run a country. They're like young children that need our understanding and a stern lecture from those more 'educated.'

The papers have a concern for national pride, tourism dollars, and perhaps therefore, international perception. Many of the stories seemed to contain some vague reference to 'help stations' designed to address tourist and international 'misunderstanding.' Anyway, these concerns also express a thinly-veiled derision for a movement unsupported by the Bangkok majority.

Yes, you really need to know -- again -- that (the fugitive) Thaksin is pulling the strings behind the red shirt movement, and he's not doing a particularly good job.

I found these to all be interesting points, but none of them particularly touch on the tenor of the rally or the degree of nationwide support for the Red-shirts' ultimate goal (dissolve parliament, fresh elections). I think that's interesting, and kind of sad really.

Sad because these people have very little leadership. Everyone is always changing their minds, postponing meetings, rescheduling rallies, looking disorganized. Basically, they're doing what most if not all people do, but they're doing it on a national stage with reporters at the ready to report on these logistical issues, while the message is lost.

So then, it's also sad that the media fail to accurately provide an objective account of the red shirt platform (calling for a true elected government, ending social inequality, discrediting entrenched, wealthy elite families); they'd rather report on the red-shirt missteps or, failures. This, I suspect, has to do with social interests, and the interests of the people who actually live in Bangkok, the majority of whom do not agree with red-shirt arguments. It's probably fear too; these people understand that the red-shirts are likely the majority opinion in Thailand so visions of Thaksin's re-re-re-election likely keep them tossing and turning at night.

It's also sad that the Thai rock wall between rich and poor is quite steep, and most (save for one previous multi-billionaire) red shirts fall within the latter category. This, I believe, is the true heart and crux of the issue here.


The red shirts are generally (save the former billionaire) impoverished people, and thus, no matter the message, your average farmer simply can't afford democracy at all costs. So if there's no money to leave a job more than a day or two, a continued rally seems unlikely, and they certainly cannot control a large media outlet with cash and connections to shape a nationwide message.


So Spirited rallies, singing, and dancing can only take you so far. Eventually, the money faucet is tightened, and everyone knows the party can't continue.

Desperation starts to creep in.

This movement, meshed together by outrage, therefore turns to its bereft leadership, who recognize, in a frenzied, angry fashion, that blood is the answer. Granted, it's not violence, but it might disgust the public even more. With little time, the excitement of a recent rally turned to collecting protester blood samples. Blood that is poured on the steps of public buildings, running along sidewalks, seeping in to cracks --- indelible pictures for everyone, all over the world, to witness.

Marxism aside, maybe they want to send a message in grand Brahman fashion. But, I'm afraid that their recent chosen medium might not bring about their intended consequences.

I'm afraid that their 'message' will actually reinforce a sterotype and 'truth,' propogated in newspapers I read: the red-shirts really are angry, they really are serious, and they really are dangerously uneducated.

Truth or justice then is no longer material, especially now that one side is painted as uninformed, unqualified, and unable. Telling me about democracy is great, but exposing me to blood-born pathogens kind of turns me off. In this vain :-), the message might have a similar effect on all parties looking on, as blood is left on the government's door step, and no one knows what to do next.