Nineteen newly elected red shirt committee members, representing each of the provinces of the Northeast of Thailand, gathered for the first time on Thursday to rally support for the movement and celebrate the release of seven red shirt leaders and a red shirt guard from prison on Tuesday, 22 February.
After over nine months of detention, red shirt leaders Kwanchai Sarakham, Nisit Sinthuprai, Natthawut Saikua, Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumthai, Yossawaris Chuklom (also known as Jeng Dokchik), Korkaew Pikulthong, Weng Tojirakam, and red shirt guard Pichet Suchindathong, have been released on bail for terrorism charges following the April-May crackdown of anti-government protests.
Over 10,000 supporters from throughout the region came together in Khon Kaen to recognize their newly elected representatives and hear them speak.
Kwanchai, among those recently released from prison claims “this is a big day for the Isaan leaders. Today they have selected the committee for Isaan and solidified all the positions. The committee gives guidance to the red shirtmovement and is coming up with strategies.”
Among those strategies is a non-violent push for the release of 100-150 red shirts that have yet to be granted bail and remain in detention.
Thida Tojirakarn, who has taken on a leadership role in the movement after the arrest of her husband Weng Tojirakam, said the release of prisoners was a good sign. “It shows that negotiations with the government are possible and that the government can bend. They were released because of the effort red shirts put in visiting prisoners and demanding documents from the government.”
Kwanchai Sarakham receives a string from a fan as onlookers watch. The tying of strings is part of the Isaan ceremony “bpai si sukhwan” meant to bless the receiver’s spirit.
[Hayden Reed writes for a soon-to-be-launched blog called The Isaan Record. Photographs by Lukas Winfield]
2 responses so far ↓
1 billyd // Feb 28, 2011 at 1:52 pm
‘“It shows that negotiations with the government are possible and that the government can bend. They were released because of the effort red shirts put in visiting prisoners and demanding documents from the government.”’
This is a little disturbing. Clearly Thida is not levelling with her supporters as to the ‘real’ reason behind the release, as revealed in Jim’s recent post. It is not the government that ‘bent’, but rather the UDD – agreeing to promote a certain Thai-style democracy in return for release of the seven (plus one) prisoners. It worries me that the Red Shirt leaders are resorting to spin and misinformation when addressing people who take their word on good faith. This seems to me to be another form of paternalism which is so rife throughout Thailand and doesn’t contribute to people having ‘open eyes’.
On another front, it is striking how the political prisoners have become mere pawns in the regime’s political games – political tools whose release can act as ‘sweeteners’ of ‘deal-makers’ for the government. Given this, it seems naive that Thida talks about the role of the UDD in gaining their release. They will be released when it is convenient and beneficial for the regime. Just another example of how those in power have learnt well from their Burmese neighbours. And it would be better if Thida said as much to those who come out to support her.
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2 Peter Marshall // Mar 1, 2011 at 5:50 am
QUOTE(billyd): ” They will be released when it is convenient and beneficial for the regime.”
I believe the authorities are getting increasingly worried about the increasing and renewed momentum of the Red-Shirt rallies and – in particular – their latest rally outside the Supreme Court and on both sides of the Democracy Monument on Saturday 19 February.
The huge volume of protesters present on that occasion coupled with their very legitimate and sincere demands for the release of innocent Red-Shirt leaders has contributed greatly to frightening and scaring the government into considering some sort of compromise.
I guess the government decided that the best course of action to take – faced with this rapidly and ever burgeoning resurgence of Red-Shirt activity – would be to inititiate the immediate release of Red-Shirt prisoners which would then hopefully ‘take the wind out of their sails.’
Watch out for the surrender of leading Red-Shirt Arisman Pongruengrong and others in the weeks and months to come to replace those already released in order to maintain the Red-Shirt momentum.
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