Quite Simply Crossing the Line

In Thailand, the stupidly named Popular Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has been occupying the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport for the past few days. This has paralysed flights, stranded hundreds of passengers, and looks to be on the way to crippling Thailand's credibility as a stable country to visit as a tourist or as an investor. The PAD has been causing problems for Thailand's politics for months now, as either of my Politic Blunder readers can attest to. After their general protests, and their continuing occupation of government buildings in Bangkok, the middle and upper-class movement of the disgruntled rich in a mostly poor country has upped the stakes by taking up arms, occupying an airport and explicitly stating that if they are shot at by riot police 'they will shoot back' . 

The presence of two thousand protesters, many of which are armed, occupying a capital city's airport is cause for a forcible breakup of the protest. They have repeatedly refused offers of dialogue, insisting that all their demands must be met without precondition or negotiation. This is not a social movement, or a 'popular alliance'. An armed group that refuses to engage in peaceful politics? I believe most of the world already has a term for this kind of organisation. People are scared in Bangkok. There have been smatterings of gunfire throughout the city, and even the ostensibly tough-as-nails brick shithouse muay thai tourists are being advised to stay home.  

The PAD has probably managed to evade forcible dispersion so far for two main reasons. Firstly, Somchai Wongsawat, the embattled PM, wants desperately to avoid violence, as he knows this would both reflect badly on him, and the country as a whole. Thailand is relatively prone to coups, but it has still managed to retain a reputation as a peaceful and stable country, which is why it's become such a hub of tourism and investment in the area. Wongsawat doesn't want to damage this. The second reason is that elements in the army and police may well be sympathetic to the PAD. After all, the PAD has been calling on the army to violently depose Wongsawat for months now, and as in most developing countries, the army has more political ambitions than it really should. 

Let's just hope that the Thai riot police grows a pair and realises that its hand is being forced. No one in England or the USA would complain that the government is being oppressive by forcibly dispersing an armed occupation of the airport. It is well within the remit of Wongsawat to do so, and it is increasingly looking like his duty.