Thailand in Turmoil
“As the situation continues to worsen in Thailand, observers in and out of Thailand are wondering if a compromise solution can ever be found that can bring the sides together,” says Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl. “With the king in poor health, Thailand will need to find a solution to its seeming permanent impasse to avoid a bleak future.”
“Another weekend of violent conflicts in Bangkok highlight the growing rift in Thai society between 'red shirt' forces [who support former leader Thaksin Shinawatra] and those who support the present government led by Abhisit Vejjajiva. Despite the apparent consensus just over a week ago on a 'roadmap' to resolve the weeks-old protests that have paralyzed some central areas of the Thai capital and led to scores of fatalities, both sides have reverted to uncompromising stances. The latest heavy-handed attempts by the security forces to disperse the demonstrations are aggravating an already fraught situation. Some form of mediation or negotiation remains urgently needed, and the government's peremptory rejection of assistance offered by the U.N. was overly-hasty and short-sighted,” says Asia Society Associate Fellow Duncan McCargo, winner of Asia Society’s Bernard Schwartz Book Award for “Tearing Apart the Land: Islam and Legitimacy in Southern Thailand.” Duncan is in Leeds, U.K.
"The eruption of violence is tragic and could have been avoided since the government had offered a compromise and early elections. The government now has to act or appear powerless. The red shirts have not been willing to surrender peacefully but the government should nevertheless ensure the minimal use of force. Moderate red shirt leaders should seek to negotiate rather than allowing their extreme wing to dig in. Neighbors in Asean – the Association of Southeast Asia Nations -- may voice concern but there is little they can do and interference must be avoided. They should realize the red shirts are not peace loving monks, as in the case of Myanmar some years back,” says Asia Society Associate Fellow Simon Tay, who is chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
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