Bangkok Burning

There is a feeling of helplessness and despair in Bangkok. A pall of smoke from buildings torched by retreating "red shirts" blankets this usually happy, bustling metropolis as the Thai army today invaded their stronghold in the downtown financial center. Friends use the word "sad" to describe their feelings about what has happened to this tourist mecca known as "The Land of Smiles," and Thais are uncharacteristically grim. It's a word that once was rarely uttered about this beautiful country, but now seems fitting.

For more than three years there has not been a stable government, and the polarization resulting from political infighting has rocked this country where saving face is normally deeply woven into its cultural fabric. What has happened? I'm only a visitor, but from what I've seen in my five years as a resident, it seems to stem a great deal from two things: far too many people in Thailand are much poorer than need be in this relatively rich developing country. Add to that a greater awareness of this discrepancy by the poor enhanced by media reports and cell phone communication, and the country was ripe for such a series of devastating events.

When the generally well educated elite realized that former prime minister Thaksin was corrupt and immoral, they organized demonstrations to remove him and put pressure on the government to outlaw his political party. Successfully taking over the international airport and closing it for a week was enough to effect change. Is it any surprise, then, that the opposition party, composed largely of rural poor and urban blue collar workers who supported Thaksin did the same to downtown Bangkok? No doubt they were certain of success as well, as the government seemed powerless to stop them. Bankrolled by Thaksin and other wealthy Thais, the red shirts grew more confident by the day, as the government seemed unsure of what to do. But when tourism dollars began to shrink, and wealthy business owners saw their shopping malls and banks shut down, it was obvious that the government had to do something to shore up its image.

With neither side willing to compromise, the stage was set for disaster, and when the tanks rolled in today, the nightmare got worse. The army got what it wanted: the shopping district is now under army control, but at a huge expense. The second largest shopping mall in Asia is burning, as are TV stations and shops. People have died, and the red shirts have dispersed, presumably to all parts of the country. Despite his central role in this terrible two months, Thaksin may be right when he said, "A military crackdown can spread resentment and these resentful people will become guerrillas." A desperate prime minister used the only tool he thought left to him, that of military violence against his own people. And I fear that the resulting resentment will linger for quite some time as it has in so many other countries where police or military use force against a stubborn group of angry citizens. This resentment could spawn far worse events than what has happened lately, and for a long time.

At the moment, I feel very different about the country that I have come to love and consider my second home, in many ways similar to the disappointment I feel about my home country where people have fallen prey to fear mongering and xenophobia, resulting in near hysteria concerning various issues. Perhaps there is a connection in all of this, a strand running through many countries of the world. It's a strand of distrust, and most of it is not a product of reason, but rather unchecked emotion, whose flames are fanned by those who care little about the people they use for the fuel.