Korn shows his true colors (again)

PPT has pointed out more than once before that Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij is a long-time supporter of the People’s Alliance for Democracy. This English born, public school and Oxford educated scion of one of Thailand’s leading aristocrat families has also been a strong supporter of using all kinds of draconian measures against protesters (but not his PAD buddies, of course). He has also  his quiet support for the 2006 coup.

In other words, Korn is firmly located in the far right of the Democrat Party and while a member of parliament has supported military intervention against parliament and the constitution and the rise of right-wing groups proposing the limiting of representation. We should add that he opposes the dissolution of parliament when his party and class are in the driving seat.

The Nation (5 April 2010) reports that Korn is now at the core of 30 Democrat Party parliamentarians calling for a tougher approach with the red shirts. They have “voiced disappointment at the ‘soft approach’ in dealing with the red shirts and want stronger anti-riot measures, including crowd dispersal.” According to this report, “Korn has met with his fellow Democrats, including Ong-art Klampaiboon, three times since the mass rally began on March 12. The Democrats twice urged but failed to convince Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to disperse the crowds.”

More in keeping with his right-wing credentials, along with these colleagues, Korn has “threatened to mobilise thousands of their constituents to counter the red shirts if the government failed to evict the red shirts from Rajprasong Intersection.” Of course, they have already been active, along with their PAD allies, in organizing the pink shirts and the various trade and industrial associations that have opposed the red shirts.

These so-called Democrats “viewed the government’s inaction as encouraging the red shirts to step up their protests by marching around the capital for two consecutive Saturdays before camping at Rajprasong.”

In a related move, New Politics Party secretary general and PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila showed how he suffers color-induced amnesia, claiming “that the red shirts were holding society hostage by their encampment at Rajprasong.” As we pointed out a few posts ago, the action by the red shirts matches PAD actions in 2006.

Double standards are to be expected from PAD, but they were also a powerful tool for the royalist right, where Korn is comfortably located.