Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) – The nation is shocked by the violent ending that has stifled the protest of the "red shirts." After the force action from the army, which broke the barricades erected in the heart of Bangkok and arrested the leaders of the red protest, “public opinion has been shaken and the entire nation needs to make a serious reflection on the government's workings, on the state of society, on bureaucracy, on the army's role, and on exercising real democracy." This is what Fides learned from Fr. Peter Watchasin, a priest of the Diocese of Bangkok and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Thailand.
"What happened in Thailand in recent weeks is like a painful birth that the nation is experiencing. We hope that the result of this suffering is a better country. The 'newborn' should be a new era of democracy - as world history teaches us, as in the case of Europe – which cannot be born without sufferings," says the priest. Now that the demonstrations have been stifled, "we must find someone who can help solve the social conflict, which remains unsolved, and take concrete steps towards national reconciliation."
Among those who could help bring the nation a climate of harmony and reconciliation, "are religious leaders, who have tried to exert their influence, their moral and spiritual authority in the service of peace, and may do so in future." Another important figure for the country is certainly the King, "much loved by the Thai people." A word from him could have positive effects and would certainly be respected, many say.
Indeed, notes Fr. Watchasin with concern, "the protest may be dormant for a while, but it could then re-explode, because the real reasons that caused it have not been addressed and resolved. The discontent and conflict continue and after this violent escalation, it may take on even more violent and dangerous expressions."
The red shirts, says the priest, "include a very mixed group among them. Some are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin, however there are also many farmers and poor people who complain about the serious problems of social injustice. The Reds have become the symbol and the reference point for the poorest sections of the Thai population. They speak out against the corruption that is widespread in the upper echelons of the bureaucracy and the army. They question the privileges of those who, exercising the power they hold, ignore the rules and the law of the land."
There are some structural issues to consider, says PM Peter: "The political, economic, and military power in Thailand is concentrated in the hands of a dozen families. There are connections between the military and businessmen, all in favor of a few. This is a serious problem that exacerbates the gap between a small elite and the masses of poor people who have found in Thaksin someone who was able to respond, in some way, to their needs."
These issues must be addressed if we want to defuse the social conflict of a nation that appears to be hopelessly split. "Most of the population is in favor of new elections and holding them would be a way to have the nation return to a healthy path of democracy," concluded Fr. Peter, citing the questionable circumstances and how the current government was born.
In the last general elections in late 2007, in fact, the party that won the majority was the "red" party (the People Power Party), but after a bumpy political career – which according to some was maneuvered by lobby groups and "strong powers" – the leadership post passed on to the current Premier, Abhisit Vejjajiva, of the Democratic Party that is supported mainly by the middle classes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 05/19/2010)
