Thread: Thailand : Red shirts fighting for 'genuine democracy'

INTERVIEW

Red shirts fighting for 'genuine democracy'
By Samatcha Hoonsara
February 16, 2009

Now that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed to fight his opponents till the end, Natthawut Saikua, a programme host on DTV satellite TV, gives an interview to The Nation's Samatcha Hoonsara, saying the entire country will definitely turn red.

How ready are the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship and red-shirted people for waging war?

We are not worried about numbers. The number of red-shirted people is increasing every day. We have several channels of communication, such as DTV, which invites red-shirted people from all provinces to talk on TV. Each rally will have more demonstrators than a rally of the People's Alliance for Democracy, and the entire country will turn red. Those who will attend our rallies love democracy and are liberal people who will not take orders from anyone. I am confident that we are now on the right path.

Will DAAD make parallel moves with those of the Pheu Thai Party. Where will the two converge?

Such a convergence may or may not happen because the DAAD aims not only to topple the government but also to destroy the influential power beyond the Constitutional Monarchy. So, the government is only the first milestone for the red-shirted people. If the government is brought down, the DAAD will continue the campaign until genuine democracy returns to the country.

Some members of society see the red shirts as fighting for Thaksin instead?

First, for the red-shirted people, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is the symbol of democracy in which the people's power was used for the benefits of the society. There has never been such a leader in Thai politics so the masses have faith in him. And now, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is copying the methods of Thaksin.

Second, Thaksin has not received justice because his government was toppled by the power outside the system. That power abused the judicial process to persecute him. The red-shirted people believe the penalties against Thaksin were unjustified because his opponents were appointed to investigate him.

Society suspects the red shirts receive orders and financial support from Thaksin?

This is an old allegation that has existed since the September 19 coup. If the red shirts are regarded as having received support from Thaksin, the Democrat Party should also be regarded as supporting the PAD.

Thaksin now has financial difficulties because his assets are frozen. Despite this situation, the number of DAAD members keeps rising. Political analysts should open their eyes and should visit our rallies to see them with their own eyes. The red shirts have gone beyond the issue of the former prime minister. Even if Thaksin halts his political role and takes refuge on Mars, the DAAD will not disband until we get real democracy.

Have Thaksin and his aides taken care of the expenses of the red shirts?

No, I affirm. I held fairs to sell goods and we saved the profits as funds for future campaigns. Some income came from donations of anonymous people and many ordinary people in provinces, who don't like what happened during the past three years. Even judges joined our rallies.

Members of the Shinawatra and Damapong families and former Thai Rak Thai executives, who are close to Thaksin, also joined in rallies. So, how could you deny the DAAD has not received support from Thaksin?

These people have faith in our campaigns and they don't like the power outside the system. They have their rights to agree or disagree with us. The DAAD was born because of the existence of the CNS [Council for National Security] and the red-shirted people were born because of the existence of the yellow-shirted people.

Will the red shirts be able to fight?

Definitely. We may take a long time and a lot of patience but we are on the right path and we will not lose.

We will not use the same methods as the PAD. We'll build a different democracy than that of the PAD, which is bent on destroying.

Our way prompted the people, who have faith in Thaksin, to join us because they could not tolerate some people who received non-democratic power interfering in democracy.

An important goal of the red-shirted people is to bring Thaksin back to the country, isn't it?

We want the former prime minister to return to defend himself in a genuine justice system, not the current justice system.

How will you achieve the goal?

I repeat we must first bring down this government. This is our first goal. Then, we will take care of the power outside the system. Then, justice and democracy will return to the country.

nationmultimedia.com

Thaksin is a murderer. JMHO.

Originally Posted by Mid

Red shirts fighting for 'genuine democracy'

Translation: we want our bitch back !!!

Fighting for handouts, more like.

^ yeah, they are finally showing their true colors

'Genuine Democracy' and Graceland do not mix.

The times, they are a changing.

Originally Posted by BugginOut

The fact that people think that this is all the work of Taksin clearly demonstrates your ignorance to the fact that Thais have been steaming for a very long time about things they can barely discuss amongst themselves let alone with the likes of outsiders like us. Fear and intimidation have efficiently kept them from doing that, but the lid's about to blow. Thais don't exist in a vacuum. They are evolving and adapting to a rapidly changing world just like all of us, but in their own manner and time. It's high time for people here to start thinking outside the confines of what is proscribed to you by the state- and corporate-controlled media.

Oh I didn't know that the Thai were oppressed people, and they had no rights in this country. Thanks for letting us know. Have you tried Burma ?

Originally Posted by killerbees

^^Just a word to the wise, you're painting with rather broad strokes with your "all any of you know" and "people here" comments. There are a good many members of this board who recognize the Thai media for what it is. In addition, you'll find a good many people who have similar (to some degree, at least) opinions and criticisms of all major media around the globe.

Indeed. The Thai media could be just as easily be matched by the low character of mainstream media anywhere in the world.

Originally Posted by BugginOut

All any of you know about Taksin or any other matter regarding this country comes from the Thai media which is owned, operated, and carefully crafted and filtered for public consumption, international and domestic, by the military and the rich media moguls and various other monied interests. As far as lese majeste,

Everyone else is a fucking idiot ecept the lopeing dog and he has it straight from the horese ass.

Thai would not know genuine Democracy if it bit them in the ass and would care less anyway, as long as there is a baht to be made and an ass to be made of ones self while in a mob and seen in a more of less UNIFORM, is just to fucking cool.