Ambassador from Thailand, Laksameekan Pearly Ingkakul on the current situation in Thailand.
The ongoing situation in Bangkok has long been waiting to happen. The people of Thailand lost trust in the current Thai government, which resulted in an uprising of the people in Bangkok and other cities nationwide. This movement is the largest demonstration in the history of Thailand.
Over 2 million people started protesting on 24 November 2013 and are still protesting to this very day. Their aim is to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down from office. This is due to the fact that the government started to make new laws benefiting themselves.
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Thailand has long stood with peace, unity and democracy but the recent actions of the government have caused to the people of Thailand to rise up against, what seems to be, the act of dictatorship. The people can no longer keep quiet, they can see that Thailand is moving backwards when it has so much to give to the world. Although the country is known for it’s corruption and is working on the anti-corruption campaign, the current government has portrayed another level of corruption, the worst we have ever had to face.
Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, the leader of this strong civilized demonstration, and his team were credited by The Wall Street Journal: “Almost overnight, Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, a silver-haired 64-year-old career politician, transformed from an old-school, behind-the-scenes deal maker to something approaching a rock star among the hordes of people...”. This honorary figure is fighting for what is right, vowing that he will not return as a politician when all of this is over. How did he win the hearts of millions? He marched, rested and ate with the people. He risked his life for what is right, for the people and the country of Thailand.
From the very first day of the demonstration, stages were put up across many government agencies and we’ve seen many key sectors rise up against the government, from universities to private businesses. They’ve had enough of sitting back and watching the world progress while Thailand is left behind because of the faults of the current government. The stages were put up and televised through the demonstrators channel, where millions of people across the nation and Thais around the world have been watching. The aim is not to persuade the people into believing but to educate us and help us to understand more of what is going on and why this demonstration is happening.
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The majority of the international media have been showing footage of the protests and portrayed them as being violent, when instead this is the most civilized demonstration I have ever witnessed. If you enter the area of Ratchadumnern or the government compound (the two main protest areas), people will offer you food, water and supplies that would make your time there more comfortable. Everyone is friendly, they chat to each other and offer insights on how strongly they feel about the government.
The Thai government has been trying to negotiate with Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban but has failed to do so. The only offer he and the country’s people will accept is the resignation of the Prime Minister and the government. The people of Thailand are seeking a real democracy, where the leader would dedicate their life to the people and the country.
The upcoming date for the key demonstration is tomorrow (9th December 2013) at 9:39am (GMT+7:00), where Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban is urging the people of Thailand to come out to the Government House to show the power of the people. This would mark the last day of the demonstration.
Whatever the result tomorrow, I am sure the government knows that this will not be our final stand. They will be very careful from now on because every move they make, the people are watching.