Whilst tomes will no doubt be written analysing the explosive events in Bangkok on Saturday night, it may be useful to provide some commentary on the situation in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s northern capital, particularly in light of media reports on the weekend indicating that Red Shirt-inspired battles have broken out throughout numerous Thai provinces.
Nominally a ‘red town’ — the northern vote for Thaksin in the 2001 elections outstripped even that of the northeast (popularly believed to be his staunchest supporters) and was again overwhelming in 2005 — the color of residents’ politics is becoming somewhat more difficult to discern. The rallies in Bangkok have badly hurt local business, particularly the tourist trade, with hotel occupancy rates reportedly hovering around the 20-30% mark. Combined with the thick haze from seasonal burning (widely blamed on ‘local hill-tribes’, but more probably associated with burning-off in southern China), the tourist caravan has slowed to a trickle. On the occasions I have ventured there of late, the famous Night Bazaar is all but empty, a shadow of its former bustling state. Perhaps despite their deeper sentiments, the cut in trade is taking a toll on local merchants. Increasingly they tell me they are ‘sua khaaw’ (white shirts), indicating that they have joined the still amorphous group of expanding Thais seeking to occupy unaligned political space between the Red and Yellow poles. What’s more, the University crowd, with whom I spend most of my time, are readily apathetic to politics in general, their almost universal refrain to any political enquiry being ‘naa bua’ (boring).
The most obvious sign of the Red presence is the faithful who gather daily outside the Worarot Hotel, the headquarters of Chiang Mai’s Red Shirt movement. And though the numbers have been little more than a few dozen on the occasions I have visited since the rally began, the Red Shirt supporters up here are not to be underestimated. Earlier last week a local newspaper reported that four members of the core Chiang Mai Red Shirt group, ‘Rak Chiang Mai 51’ (Love Chiang Mai ‘08), had been sentenced to 20-years imprisonment for the (bashing) murder of the elderly father of a local Yellow Shirt community-radio operator in 2008. In February 2009, the group forcibly shut down a local gay pride parade, later citing as justification that such activities contravened traditional northern ‘Lanna’ culture. This appeal to an essentialised Lanna identity has become part of the regular discourse of some of the group’s more eloquent spokespeople.
It was with little surprise then that amidst the flurry of blogs, twitters, posts etc that were keeping internet users updated on events in Bangkok last night, reports emerged of Red Shirts storming the Provincial Hall in Chiang Mai. It was against this background that I decided to go along and see for myself what exactly was taking place, frustrated at the lack of coverage either in the Bangkok or local Chiang Mai press. Upon entering the Provincial Hall grounds it became clear that there was no great protest underway. Apparently, Saturday night had seen a minor scuffle between Red Shirts and police take place, though negotiations promptly ended hostilities. As a consequence, an arrangement was made by which the Red Shirts could temporarily set up shop in the Provincial Hall grounds, which they evidently have. A stage has been erected, a photo display of the dead and injured has been mounted, and it seems that local rallies will take place here for the foreseeable future. It was into the first of these rallies that I had stumbled.
There was something slightly surreal about attending this Red Shirt rally. The atmosphere was broadly that of a ‘family friendly’ picnic, with a touch of vaudeville thrown in from time-to-time by the lively ‘performers’ delivering their speeches on stage. Though it was the night after Thailand’s worst political violence since 1992, the turn-out was relatively small, perhaps 200 to begin with and rising to around 300-400 a few hours later. The crowd comprised people of all age groups, and included Border Patrol Policeman wandering around with red ribbons tied around their necks, their political allegiance clearly on show. A group of between 20-30 soldiers held guard outside the Hall itself, with Red Shirts frequently engaging them in amiable conversation.
The stage show began falteringly, technical problems requiring a voice on the loudspeaker to ask if anyone had a spare notebook computer which could be borrowed (I didn’t notice anyone venturing forward!). Local entrepreneurs wandered around selling bamboo mats and red t-shirts emblazoned with the word ‘phray’ (commoner/serf).
Formalities began with people called forward to the stage to pay their respects to those who had died in the fighting the evening before. It was made known that one of the fallen was a female from Chiang Mai; people were encouraged to donate money to her family, which they duly and solemnly did. This act of collective goodwill contrasted sorely with a reference later in the evening to the General who had been killed in the fighting. The night’s loudest cheers accompanied a reference to his death, with the emboldened speaker proceeding to inform the crowd that the General had ‘killed Red Shirts’ in the ‘battle of Din Daeng’ last Songkran and was therefore receiving his karmic reward. Perhaps of greater significance, responsibility for his death was attributed to General Khattiya (Seh Daeng), whose crucial involvement in Saturday night’s events is becoming increasingly clear (and more celebrated). A few other interesting references to the dead were made. Supporters were encouraged to wear Red, rather than the customary black, to the funerals. Furthermore, and I think of quite some significance, people were advised that Thaksin’s image would be placed on coffins in place of images of the Buddha – apparently this has occurred previously. In perhaps the evening’s most poignant moment, a speaker lamented how she was missing those in Bangkok and longed for them to return home.
Indeed, references to Thaksin — ‘Dr Thaksin’ even — peppered the speeches throughout the night. Despite some of the rhetoric that the Red Shirts have moved beyond him, he was clearly at the heart of much of the oratory performed on stage. Though most of the ‘Thaksin-content’ merely rehearsed themes most readers will be familiar with, of particular interest were comparisons with Thai-independence leader Pridi, aligning both as heroes of democracy. In contrast, and again familiar to most readers, were references to Abhisit. Of most interest to me were references to his grandparents as being ‘not Thai’. The speaker went on to say that despite this, they were treated well, and therefore posed the question as to why Abhisit was acting as he was. These oblique references to ‘Thai-ness’ and ‘non-Thainess’ corresponded to an ongoing interplay of supporters and opponents as ‘humans’ and ‘animals’ respectively. ‘Are we humans?’ a speaker cried out to the crowd. ‘Then why do they kill us?’. Further, the government and its affiliates were labelled ‘khwai’ (buffalo) in a crowd-pleasing subversion of the Sonthi-led popular imagining of the Red Shirts as senseless dullards, with these khwaii purportedly senselessly following Prem (or someone else who was frequently referred to as ‘khon nung khon’ [somebody]). Indeed ‘somebody’ was claimed to have paid millions of dollars to the government and military in order for them to persist against the Bangkok Red Shirts. Abhisit was owner of the phrase ‘naa maa’ (dog face) and ‘chaat maa’ (belonging to the species of dogs) which I was advised are particularly base ways of referring to someone.
Other points of interest from the speeches included some fairly lewd references to Deputy PM Suthep. One of the speakers delighted in speaking of Suthep’s apparent appetite for multiple sexual partners, including apparently his current secretary. This reminded me of some of the references on the Bangkok stages to Prem’s sexual inclinations, and is an interesting by-line to fairly common Red Shirt discourse (recall earlier the reference to breaking up the gay parade…). Indeed, lewdness and humour were surprising parts of the performances. The crowd was rather amused when one of the speakers belittled the Bangkok police and soldiers on the basis that ‘they can’t eat sticky rice and we can!’ I was further amused when the decades old (but recently concluded) case of the Thai national who stole a diamond from Saudi Arabia (the ‘Blue Diamond’ affair) was raised as evidence that the current government was incompetent.
Ominously, speakers claimed that more than the reported 20 people were killed. And yet despite this reality, the night’s activities felt oddly detached from the frantic events of 24-hours earlier. Questions might be asked as to why such a small turn-out in a purported ‘Red stronghold’, and why such little urgency amongst the crowd or speakers. There was little talk of the future or of ‘what now?’ There was precious little discussion of Saturday night, and any outrage that was displayed seemed formulaic — a stylized rendering of crowd responses to incitements from the stage. Despite the adequate performances delivered (by both crowd and speakers), it is clear that Chiang Mai is but a sideshow at present, with the serious business remaining to be played out on center stage in Bangkok.
13 responses so far ↓
1 James Haughton // Apr 12, 2010 at 1:07 pm
There is a story on “Business Spectator” here on the likely economic impact of the current clash (very bad).
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2 Tarrin // Apr 12, 2010 at 1:38 pm
I’m disappointed that the Chieng Mai red’s leaders fail to show the struggle in a more meaningful ways.
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3 john francis lee // Apr 12, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I am in Chiangrai and there is no news. The TV is disgraceful, chewing gum for the eyes in the face of history being made in Thailand. I have searched for the UDD news in vain. If anyone has a news source please post it… or better, perhaps email me. The last site I had has gone down, I had got it from a posting, the de facto government in Bangkok did too, no doubt.
My heart is very heavy right now. No news makes one hope for the best but imagine the worst. What a truly vile regime we suffer under in Thailand right now.
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4 David // Apr 12, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I think you seriously under-estimate the amount of red shirt support around Chiang Mai. The number of people at the protest was low and the people in the city might be avoiding politics, but if you go to any of the villages around Chiang Mai red support is widespread and evident.
Yesterday at the local market significant number of sellers and customers were wearing their Truth Today shirts and other red gear and all the radios were tuned to the Red Shirt channel. Also look at the local election results here a few months ago, there was overwhelming support for the red candidate,despite a campaign fought with large amounts of money by established candidates. The protests at the the Hotal behind Wat Pra Singh are not huge and rarely attract many people, but the contingent from Chiang Mai that went to the protests last month, involved more that 150 cars/trucks and unknown numbers of people. Red support is only getting stronger with the government policies failing to support anyone and widespread access to the People Channel. If you talk to students or middle class people the level of support varies, but talk to the working class people in the village and you hear a different story.
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5 nowt taken out // Apr 12, 2010 at 4:00 pm
This article seems to be written by someone who doesn’t like the Reds much and is dripping with bias.
I’ve worked extensively in the north, with all different social groups, and must say the general widespread antipathy towards the Thai elite is very easily felt.
The Reds are but one expression of this and the rumbling undercurrent of widespread discontent in Thailand.
New Mandala, can you please find better more balanced writers in Chiang Mai in future?
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6 StanG // Apr 12, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Have they ever made any more sense than what is reported here? From all I’ve heard earlier, these topics is their staple food.
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7 Nicholas Farrelly // Apr 12, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Dear Nowt Taken Out,
Sorry, I don’t agree — the author of this piece has no inherent anti-Red bias. The anonymous author has written a full account based on what was seen and heard. This report shows that there can be unexpected lulls, even at a time of great national distress. Not everybody will appreciate this kind of report but that is precisely why it is a valuable contribution.
New Mandala is, as ever, keen to publish other perspectives. Contributions from Chiang Mai or, better yet, other provincial centers, would be warmly received. Perhaps somebody in Khorat, or Udon, or Yala, can offer reflections from those areas? Please feel free to send reports and pictures through to us at the usual addresses.
And a quick observation on the flow of critical comments: I am intrigued that New Mandala is increasingly absorbing jabs from hard line Red supporters. For so long we have largely heard critics, online and elsewhere, from the other side; they often felt Andrew and I were far too sympathetic to the Reds. Will we now find ourselves taking heat from both Red and Yellow?
Best wishes to all,
Nich
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8 Nganadeeleg // Apr 12, 2010 at 5:05 pm
If there was going to be trouble in Chiang Mai it would have been on Saturday evening when the reds were called to go to the City Hall, but as the reds have been active for a long time here, and most police here are red sympathizers and ‘co-operative’, things seem to cool down fairly quickly.
(though it might be a different situation if an Abhisit, Korn or Suthep ventured this way)
The daytime numbers at red corner have been quite small during the Bangkok protests, and even in the evenings probably not much more than a few hundred.
One really striking thing to me was on the Sunday morning after the crackdown, when I asked one of the reds what was happening, he said to me:
“the world is watching, and he expects the UN will come help them soon”
I found his naivety & idealism really quite moving.
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9 Nigella // Apr 12, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Very interesting report, written well and full of telling observations. I discerned no bias either way. The writer seems admirably disinterested (which doesn’t mean “un”intereseted, mind) about what he witnesses, despite the topic’s tendency to inflame sensibilities.
I was saddened to read that most university students the writer knows seem “apathetic” and consider politics “boring”. What happened to youthful idealism and passion? What happened to wanting to try to change the world for the better? What about gobbling up information from many sources, forming opinions, exchanging ideas — isn’t that what university is for? Blimey, I remember staying up until 2am with my housemates debating issues even as silly as whether the Starbucks chain could survive in Oz (turned out I was wrong on that one). I pity those kids sleepwalking through uni in Chiang Mai.
(By the way, as I type this, a very long, loud caravan of UDD vehicles is making its way south on Asok, approaching Sukhumvit; I can hear the music and loud-hailers and clappers. The speaker sounds irate but I can’t understand his words. Many shopkeepers and massage ladies and security guards etc etc have poured onto the pavement to wave and shake their own clappers in support.)
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10 Lee // Apr 12, 2010 at 8:03 pm
While it is probably a fair perspective. It would be more interesting to know the demographics of that little impromptu survey.
The author mentions the university crowd, which in the case of students are frighteningly apathetic towards politics. So maybe these are the majority of the people he asked.
You also have other factors affecting what people say. Many people have strong views but are careful as to whom they reveal them to, as politics has become so decisive. Business leaders don’t want to end up on the “wrong side” etc. etc. So unless you know people well, they are careful what they say. I would suspect this would be the “white shirt” phenomena. I would say this points to increasing divisiveness rather than apathy (well perhaps not in the case of the students).
I would say red support is still very strong but at the moment most people realise that it is happening in Bangkok at present and that there is not much to demonstrate about in Chiang Mai. It would be a bit stupid to expend resources on a battle already won, in the case of Chiang Mai. Plus not much use occupying City Hall (when they seem to have negotiated they can walk in any time), when its Songkran.
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11 Chart // Apr 12, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Personally, I believe the same class identity or sentiment that exists in Bkk, is evident here in CM. This morning, Sunday, after the crackdown, the landlord of my apartment was wearing a red shit, I thought she was showing solidarity with the protesters, but she was adamant that she was not a ‘red shirt’. She too said she was a ‘white shirt’. As I do research at CMU, many professors will make it clear that they may have voted for Thaksin, but they are no longer supporters, and have no affinty with UDD.
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12 Chris Beale // Apr 13, 2010 at 2:04 am
David#4 – I’m not surprised by your analysis/ commentary.
Lanna is something of a mirror of Lao Isaarn – very deep rural resentment against the pu yai, and Bangkok “looking down on us Khwaii” buffaloes has been mounting for decades.
The really surprising thing is that so much of Bangkok society – including farang living there and nearby – apparently have n’t seen this coming, or else arrogantly dismissed it.
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13 W2A! // Apr 13, 2010 at 1:23 pm
#12
I actually reckon that most long-term farangs saw this coming years, and even decades ago. Perhaps you are talking about the complacent international business community, who will always find ways to accomodate almost any regime if there are a few lousy nickels involved.
It isn’t an “arrogant dismissal” for most long-term expats, so much as the very practical fact that we are never heeded. Indeed, why should we be heeded? That said, we need to voice our opinions in our own forums to let off steam in a very tense situation. The possibility of a mob smashing up expat apartments and murdering a few farangs (to make an international impression) isn’t really that far down these days. i trust almost no one in this crisis.
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