I guess the number of people joining the final rally would not be as much at the organizers had expected. Most figures estimated are hovering around “thousands” but not exact figures. The claim could be easy exaggerate by PADs, today was monday and even people who disagree might opt to wear yellow. Earlier the suburban of Nonthaburi saw red. Wearing yellow was reported by the Manager to cause some people to be attacked by taxi drivers and thaksin supporters on the way to Don Mueang airport.
Was it a move to alienate people because of ascribed ideologies to two colors? I dread wearing yellow and/or red. I thought hard on wearing orange, white and black. Mainly go for prints and white for now.
The concept of democracy, revolved around body counts, vote counts and occupying physical, virtual or ideological spaces and places. Manipulation of people to occupy a place is a manifestation of power whether they are dem or republican at polling booth, buddhist household in remote villages in the south of Thailand, long neck Karen, or people wearing yellow or red. Occupying space between places is a counter measure. People with desired and often manufactured features are wanted to live in a certain area, take a seat at stadiums or take the streets. This measure can be used by government, non government and anti-government.
Then you have leaders, co-leaders, phone-in speakers, MCs that think and talk respectively and ask people to move, to take buses, to wear certain color and no the other, to hate to dsiagree, etc. People did not really know that they are dictated, they think, or prefer to think it is a must or a matter of freewill. Nevertheless, when people are organized to move and a single organism, they will have to be subsumed into the mass, walk the line, forms blockade, raise flags and reduced to concentration of contrasting ideas. There are actually no ideologies introduced by ‘leaders.’ What matter are what they want. And that would be translated to what people who take a certain place/space at a certin time want.
What would be next? Stadium speech. Next blackade. This would not be long, people are not steel. They want to go home and have a good night, despuite leaders say they are wanted to save the country. Do as you are told.
When Somchai said he would not leave his space, and an irregular session is scheduled, then must people be occupying space again. Finally they get sick of it.
Finally there would be another ignition for a serious causes, a call for human rights investigation and a demand that those who die would not die in vain to plea for people to come out, do not think critically, do not seek alternatives, there are, they said, one way. Come to occupy spaces at the parliament and everywhere. Sign our petition so thaksin can be back as a PM and bypassing his jail term.
We need you to wear color, clap and speak out our demand.
Thank you.
But in the politics of polarization, there is shrinking space for people who find both these choices flawed.
Chang Noi
Filed under: Political Sciences, anti thaksin, PADs protest, politics, protest, thailand
~Meaw & More~ 