Rallying at Ratchaprasong
It is either clever or insidious to hold a big election rally at Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok. Which means there are possible benefits but also likely drawbacks to the Democrat Party's decision to stage its first-ever rally that will block city streets, on Thursday.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who will of course be the main speaker, said he will lay out the party's plan for national reconciliation at the dramatic location.
The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship sees the rally as a provocation, a cheap political trick to try to rouse sentiment against the red shirts for last year's deadly street violence.
It is inevitable that in a political context, even the very name of Ratchaprasong drags up mostly unpleasant thoughts. In 2006, it was the centre of several marches by the yellow shirts of the People's Alliance for Democracy. But it was last year that is mostly remembered, when the Ratchaprasong area was simply occupied and shut down by the red shirts.
The economic damage of the April-May 2010 shutdown of Ratchaprasong business was staggering. But even that cost was dwarfed by the terrible killings that accompanied the government's decision to clear the UDD demonstrations.
Nearly a hundred people died, most of them civilians. Plush shopping malls were burnt, most notably the prominent CentralWorld. The rebuilt store will form the main background prop for Mr Abhisit when he speaks at the rally on Thursday.
There is little doubt that Mr Abhisit wants to have his campaign cake and eat it too. He and other prominent Democrats have hit hard at why voters should not reward the red shirts, as personified by the Pheu Thai Party. The message is clear: Don't vote for those who burned the city. But the prime minister also has carried his message of reconciliation. No doubt the country will be listening on Thursday to see just what tone he takes.
One of the main and valid criticisms of Mr Abhisit's approach to national reconciliation is that he has expressed no regret or apology for the deaths of scores of red shirts last year. That in turn has caused some bitterness among UDD supporters, who claim there has been no justice for the killings.
There seems little reason for optimism. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has vowed to take the stage on Thursday and "tell the truth about what really happened" to spark last year's violence.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit has complained that using Ratchaprasong as the venue of a campaign rally is "inappropriate".
One hopes, then, for a surprise on Thursday. Perhaps the prime minister can detail some new, start-from-scratch approach to reconciliation. So far, nothing has worked. Mr Abhisit and others have given little if any support to the "truth and justice" committees set up by the government.
Trying red shirt activists as terrorists is embarrassing - and in any case no trials have taken place. The stonewalling by security forces on giving information about the killings is a direct slap to the government and justice.
The Democrats on Thursday will be the third important group to use Ratchaprasong for political reasons. For that reason alone, it is necessary that they come up with important new policies.
If Mr Abhisit and his fellow politicians merely use the rally to attack Pheu Thai through the red shirts, it would be a major opportunity wasted.
0 comments:
Post a Comment