The opposition BNP might have learned the wrong lesson from recent news of political unrest in Thailand.
Perhaps that is why senior members of the party have urged Khaleda Zia to endorse a spate of popular unrest modeled on Thailand’s Red-shirts movement. Happily, saner minds have argued against that position claiming that the party isn’t strong enough to engage in that sort of a wide and fast-moving, popular movement. It is arguable that even were the party able to do so, it might not be in the party’s best interests since mass movements such as Thailands also have the intended consequence of grinding, to an abrupt standstill, the country’s faltering economy.
The Daily Star reports that Begum Khaleda Zia has not made up her mind about the manner in which she’ll lead the mass protests. The party of caution within the BNP has suggested that the program involve the peoples’ participation, rather than requiring them to engage in fanatically anti-government tirades. Much of the strategy to encourage a wave of populist participation was to guard against BNP’s international exposure as an obstructionist party. This more so, since it has to remain in opposition for at least three more years. In this media savvy age, the BNP can ill-afford negative coverage.
But there is the lurking question of the BNP’s credibility. If it does not come out swinging against the sitting government, might activists think the party leadership is afraid? Perhaps, some think, the leadership would rather cower than take strong positions, no matter what the subsequent. After all, mass protests worked so well in Thailand.
Certainly, its not so obvious that the mass movements worked out well for the Red Shirts in Thailand. The New York Times reports that Bangkok is coming apart. The military has warned the encamped protesters that they’d best leave. The ousted military leader who claimed to speak for the Red Shirts has now died, from the head wound he suffered. This is my no means, success of any color, any stripe. The BNP leaders and activists who are urging Begum Zia to move against the government as the Red Shirts have done are misrepresenting the situation in Thailand. And they should be called out for their malignly indignant, callous cat calls.
The FPA Blog community has kept up with the developments in Thailand. Collin Spears, the Southeast Asia blogger has done a commendable job in focusing attention on the latests developments in Thailand. His writing and analysis lays bare the long recent history behind the Red Shirt movement and in particular, the recently assassinated Red Shirt leader.
Consider: who actually constitutes this disparate group of committed protesters? And why did they come out so–seemingly–organically to make their demands? Read Collins work to find out the answers to those questions and then make up your own mind on whether the BNP does or does not do itself a disservice by re-casting the upcoming protest program in such a violent, pressing way.
