In an earlier post, PPT mentioned New Politics Party Secretary-General and People’s Alliance for Democracy spokesperson Suriyasai Katasila making absurd comments. Prachatai (5 April 2010) has a post on this, giving more detail.
Suriyasai “says the red shirts’ protests at Rajprasong cause damage to the economy and society, and cannot be compared with the PAD protests which were justified. Calling on Abhisit to take legal action, he is concerned that Bangkokians will take things into their own hands.” Perhaps he calling for that? At least we know that the yellow shirts are deeply involved in organizing the so-called pink shirts.
According to Suriyasai, the red shirts “closure of the Rajprasong intersection was meant to pressure society rather than the government…”. Maybe he’s forgotten that the call is for a dissolution and election? He claims the PAD protests “were in a different context. The PAD’s actions were justified, as Thaksin’s nominee governments were illegitimate and unacceptable.” The arrogance is breathtaking but not surprising.
He adds: “It’s no use for red-shirt leaders to distort facts to attack the PAD. And what do they want from the PAD? The PAD is not the government. Their relentless attacks against the PAD now reflect the ‘Wengness’ of the leaders who are implanting bias and hatred, not knowledge and understanding, among the masses…”. We do not agree that there is hatred rather than knowledge. In fact, the red shirt media has been rather active in disseminating information. Sure, there is bias, but like PAD, this is political action. At the same time, we do not recall that PAD was sweetness and light. The rhetoric from the stage back then was racist (on Cambodia), denigrated about half of the population as ignorant, duped and money-grubbing, and was withering in the venal attacks on individuals identified as enemies.
Suriyasai “warned the red-shirt leaders and the Pheua Thai Party, as ‘the owner of the mob’, that victory achieved with hatred never lasted long.” He made a statement that can only be interpreted as saying that an election that Peua Thai wins will again be overthrown by the powers-that-be. He said: “And they should not hope ever to come back to rule Thailand after a House dissolution, because people who feel that they gained power through making threats have the right to oust them. The Thai Rak Thai and Palang Prachachon parties were governments but they could not rule, because they lacked legitimacy.”
Just how thick-faced Suriyasai and his colleagues are is demonstrated when he makes the fanciful claim that the “facts about the PAD’s protests, especially the seizures of Government House and the airports, have been distorted. The PAD, in fact, did not close down Suvarnabhumi Airport; it was ordered closed by Serirat Prasutanont, Director of the Suvarnabhumi Airport Authority, an action suspected to be malfeasance. Serirat is a relative of UDD leader Veera Musigapong…”. PAD can do what it pleases and say what it likes because it is protected by particular groups.
2 Comments