We are on the eve of a controversial election here in Thailand. If you have been following the political scene in this country for the last decade (or perhaps century) you know that this is nothing new. Nineteen coups since becoming a constitutional monarchy. For most Americans, the idea of a coup is quite foreign. A U.S. President has never been forcefully removed from office (assassination aside...) and replaced by another, un-elected official. Here, it happens once or twice every ten years. The last iteration was in 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra was removed from office by the military, and charged with corruption. He is still living in exile, but his sister is now the current Prime Minister.
The current crisis still revolves around the class feud that led to the 2006 coup. Thaksin built his political machine around policies that beneftted rural areas, gaining him large amounts of support among the poorer regions of the country. The middle class and urban elite in Bangkok resented his policies, as they bore the brunt of the financial burden. He also represented a threatening shift in the traditional power base. I'm not going to go into more detail regarding the past seven years. There is plenty of information out there about the aftermath of the coup, and the events that have brought us to the current standoff. The recent protests were sparked by an attempted amnesty bill, which would have forgiven criminal charges against every politician in the last eight years, Thaksin included. It was a seemingly blatant attempt to allow Thaksin's return, and his political opponents were infuriated, sparking months of protests in the streets. The opposition party resigned, crippling the government and effectively forcing the current Prime Minister to resign or call new elections.
So here we are...the election is tomorrow and the two sides are growing increasingly violent. The anti-government protesters are blockading polling sites in an attempt to sabotage the election. If they can prevent enough people from voting, there may not be the quorum of elected officials needed to form a new government. The pro-government forces wish to exercise their right to vote, and keep the current government in power. Gun skirmishes and bombings are being reported in Bangkok regularly.
As foreigners, we obviously have no vote. We are also legally barred from participating in any political activity. I can sympathize with both sides to a limited extent. The protesters feel that the current government is ruining their country by spending billions of borrowed baht on policies they feel exist only to cement their grasp on power. They also feel powerless to stop the political machine that has seemingly "purchased" millions of votes with government funds. On the other side, if we were in the United States I could not imagine supporting a group that was trying to sabotage a democratic election. Mostly though, it seems that this is a power struggle at the highest levels and in the end, none of the players really care about the people that are affected.
Today we celebrated Hailey's 1st birthday with many of our close friends here. It was a lot of fun, even if baby birthday parties are short lived. One by one, we watched as parents made their exodus with wailing children as the sugar overload and skipped naps took their toll. Later, after our children graciously napped, we went to mall where we found a huge Hot Wheels track, live ponies walking around in an indoor pen, and an empty stage with blaring music for Colby to dance on. It was a really fun day. Near the end of our time at the mall, I wondered what tomorrow would bring. I never had thoughts like that before we moved here. Most of the time, back home, it is easy to take normalcy for granted. Things certainly do change, but it tends to happen at a slower pace. We really don't know if this current crisis will be resolved peacefully. We have heard talk of moving the government to Chiang Mai, splitting the country in two. Some journalists have hinted at the prospect of civil war, but I think it is mostly fear-mongering. It seems that a vast majority of the population wants nothing to do with the violence. At the same time, reconciliation seems a long ways off.
There are many more things I want to say here, but I feel they are best left unsaid. What it all boils down to, for me, is the human condition. The Bible says that we are all fallen, and without the redeeming work of Christ in our hearts, we will remain this way. Our fallen nature manifests itself in various ways, and to me, that is the center of the current struggle here. Greed, corruption, pride, and fear...driving a country to the brink for what reason? No good ones come to mind.
All that to say, please join us in lifting up Thailand.
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