In the name of democracy, lots of Thai folks went and sat their tom yum asses down in Suvarnabhumi airport stopping operations for over a week. Tourists got stuck, planes were stuck and it seemed like the Thai gahmen was similarly plugged into a hole. One side wanted the PM to step down, the PM said he would resist, and the military decided that perhaps they couldn't pull off another coup (this would have been number 19 in Thailand's history). Someone shot a gun on TV and another hurled a grenade at Don Muang. In the name of all that is good and holy, the courts decided that the parties weren't legit and everyone cheered, cried, picked up their mats and went home. Doesn't it all sound so insane?
The image of peace loving Thais has been forever marred by this incident. There's even an Apologies Thailand campaign now on to get the tourists back and smiling. At the same time, I think more Thais now believe in their own free will to choose than ever before. On the dark side, guns and grenades have been showing up too often in these otherwise peaceful sitdowns and marches (I blame MTV).
What would you do in the name of democracy? Someone I spoke to said "They need a Singapore style gahmen, firm and would never let this happen." Is that a good thing? My first thoughts were "Didn't airport security do anything?" "Couldn't they have called in the army?" "This is gonna bloody devastate the economy." All good questions that imply that whatever these protesters were up to was not right. Perhaps I have been too conditioned by the lack of a protester-mentality in Singapore. The last big thing was a bunch of people showing up at DBS demanding oranges for Lehmans, something the police didn't take too lightly to.
Seriously, Singaporeans are no way as publicly expressive about politics as the Thais. Are we just rational or simply uninterested? Worse still, in denial and a simmering cauldron of sentiment waiting to spill over. Take for example the recent Town Council investments losses. In some countries, there would have been roadside hue-and-cry and politicians would have quickly resigned. (A friend pointed out that ministers in other countries quit for less serious reasons. Think the example was insulting old folks in Japan). Here there were a few concerned letters to the press. Zip. So, what would you do in the name of democracy?
3 comments:
oranges for lehmans... man.
three possibilities why singaporeans prefer to keep their mouths shut:
1) they're aware that any form of unrest/demonstrations will affect the ever-so-fragile economy;
2) if it doesn't affect them, why bother to abandon the air-conditioned comfort to demonstrate under the searing sun?
3) they don't wanna end up like a particular Chee.
it cost an estimated 2 billion baht to stage that level of protests. the protesters were paid to sit their asses down. reality - money talks. maybe singaporeans being singaporeans need that sort of incentive. only the gahmen has that kind of deep pockets to "pay" their supporters (oddly enough they are giving you money that technically belongs to you anyway). so ironically, the gahmen prevails cos they are the only ones who can apply that logic of money talks, BS walks.
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