Violence in Bkk

Last time I was here, less than a year and a half ago, the yellow shirts (characterized as mainly urban intellectuals) took over the airport and forced the dissolution of the ruling party. This year, the red shirts (characterized as mainly rural laborers) are possibly doing the same thing. Last year, the yellow shirts protested 192 days before the government walked, this year, it's been about 30 days, though 30 days in 100-110 degree heat in the shade (and much of the time there is no shade!). Thousands of boiled brains and a generous serving of hot chili peppers Thai style, makes for one spicy somtom (a favorite dish of the Thai people consisting of crunchy strands of green papaya, raw green beans, dried shrimp, fish sauce, peanuts, palm sugar, lemon juice tomatoes, and of course lots of little red and green chiles). Throw in a healthy dose of 24/7 firey speechifying blasting through the streets of Bangkok as well as TV's and radios throughout the country, a group of mainly rural people who feel like they are getting a raw deal (though are doing quite well on the 1000 baht a day they receive to join the protest!), an ubber-wealthy, fugitive, ex-prime minister pulling strings from some secret location, a questionable military consisting of mainly rural folks themselves (many are called watermelons - green on the outside, red on the inside) and again, that somtom gets even spicier.

The above picture shows the consecutive headlines of the Bangkok Post from April 7 (There'll Be No Force)-today, the 11th (The Battle For Bangkok). Hmmm.

The picture is so very Thai, with the red shirts putting monks on the front line against the oncoming line of soldiers with shields. It would be very unlikely for anyone to cross a monk here in this devoutly religious Buddhist country. So, the military had their women go to the front lines. Since monks can't touch a woman (if they do, a very involved purifying ceremony must ensue), the monks retreated. Score one for the government.

There have been many strange moments like this in the stalemate leading up to yesterdays confrontation. People here are praying for peace. A lot of fingers crossed (actually they don't know what that means - I asked today), or the Thai equivalent.

There are no problems in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is a predominently red shirt town. There have been no protests, no violence. Everyone happy happy, sabai, sabai. No prom-plem. Life goes on as normal. Songkran will go on as normal and people will celebrate and have a good time in the way Thai people do.

The only problem is in a small section of Bangkok, so even Bangkok is not a problem as long as you stay away from the protest sites. As horrible as yesterday was, it's magnified a million times by the media making it seem like the country is on fire. Maybe a millionth of the country is on fire. Something like that. And hopefully they come to a resolution shortly and move on. Time will tell. Let's all hope for a peaceful solution so all the protesters can come home to a dry shirt and some red pork and rice and take a little rest from the somtom!