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Three years after bloody crack-down: No illusions in Yingluk or Pua Thai
Red Thai Socialist - May 18, 2013
Anyone who cares to open their eyes to see, will understand that Yingluk, Taksin and Pua Thai have made a deal with the military ever since the Pua Thai election victory in 2011. Taksin has stated in the past that he has "no dispute" with the military and his opponents are merely Abhisit's Democrat Party. He hopes to be able to return to Thailand in the near future. Yingluk has made a point of being photographed in close association with Prayut and Privy Councillor Prem. She also has a warm relationship with the Butcher of Bahrain. Unfortunately the UDD Redshirt leadership are backing to the hilt this betrayal of the struggle for democracy. Taksin may be able to return home soon, but the lhse majeste prisoners will not. Nor will those who are exiled abroad accused under the same odious law and the relatives and friends of those who were killed will not see the killers brought to justice. Bringing state criminal to justice is something that has never been done in Thailand. It would open Taksin to a charge of murder for his crimes at Takbai and Krue Sa in the South and his crimes in the War on Drugs.
Naturally, Yingluk and Pua Thai must make a show about "doing something" about the Rajprasong killings and even the 2006 coup. Hence the farce being acted out by the Department of Special Investigation in their case against Abhisit and Sutep and Yingluks's recent anti-coup speech in Mongolia. But these are only part of the bargaining act with the military, they will not result in any prosecutions or jail sentences of the state killers or coup-makers.
Pua Thai, Yingluk and Taksin are firmly in the Thai ruling class camp and the Thai ruling class, especially the military, have a long history of using the weak and pathetic monarchy to give themselves legitimacy and to attack political opponents. This explains their steadfast refusal to abolish the lhse majeste law and to release lhse majeste prisoners. The lhse majeste jailings continue under this government and websites are still blocked or censored. The ICT Minister even implied that those criticising Yingluk could go to jail and have their websites be blocked.
The latest betrayal of the Yingluk government is to propose a system of "co-payments" to charge citizens for health care. This is turning the clock back to the pre-Taksin era and it is a neo-liberal attack on the poor. Both Pua Thai and the Democrat Party support this. It shows that the Yingluk government has ditched Taksin's TRT "populism" which aimed to address some of the demands of the poor. So in their arrogance they believe that whatever they do, Red Shirts will follow like naove lambs. They can step on the bodies of the Red Shirts and spit in the faces of those who elected the government by ignoring the need for justice, democratic rights and equality and no one will object. Certainly the reactionary Red Shirts, like those in Chieng-Mai who hate gays and protests by the poor, or those who call the southern Malay Muslim rebels "mere criminals", will carry on cheering this government. But there are progressive Red Shirts who need to become more organised and coordinated so that we don't have to commemorate future anniversaries of blood baths while nothing is done to create justice in society.
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