Red shirts swarm Silom as premier's gentlemanly strategy looks to be on the verge of backfiring
New tactics versus old policies, and the result was arguably the best day so far for the red shirts and definitely the worst for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
The day started off with a reverse of that situation. Government troops surrounded the rally site and seemed in a good position to block the protesters from leaving the Rajprasong area to carry out their threats to roam 11 prohibited Bangkok roads. Then the red shirts announced the 11-road plan was cancelled and for some unknown reason the security forces pulled out from some key strategic positions.
The rest is history. The red shirts immediately revived their 11-road plan and within a couple of hours the Silom area was swarmed, to the embarrassment of Abhisit and his peacekeeping war room. Like predators smelling blood, the masses at Rajprasong, scattered in the morning, ballooned back to their roaring peak.
All of a sudden, Abhisit found himself in his most precarious state since the red-shirt rally began more than three weeks ago. Bangkokians' frustration was palpable - and so was the red shirts' renewed confidence. Also, for the first time, the prime minister must have started questioning the loyalty of the police and some in the military.
Conspiracy theorists, though, could not yet jump to the conclusion that yesterday's setback should be totally blamed on police and military commanders who might be looking the other way. Some reports suggested it was Abhisit himself who didn't want to go all out against the rally. Supple-menting this scenario was a comment by former Democrat Party leader and ex-prime minister Chuan Leekpai, who said the government must not experiment with security measures at the expense of people's lives.
Unprecedented happening
Experiment is somewhat the correct word. What's happening is unprecedented. The location is a tourist and business hub, so when it is crammed with tens of thousands of people, the use of force could easily result in the bloodiest tragedy. Rioting at Rajprasong could also cause far greater business damage than at the traditional political rally site of Rajdamnoen Avenue.
During a subdued TV address yesterday afternoon, Abhisit and top security officials admitted that the crowd was too big to use force against, although they insisted that protest leaders' "distortion and lies" about planned government cruelty had brought more red sympathisers to the area. Abhisit told Bangkokians he was as frustrated and dissatisfied as they were, but insisted that patience and prudence were the key to resolving the situation.
Abhisit will cut short his visit to Vietnam for an Asean summit later this week. He also said that if the political situation did not improve, he would cancel his official trip to attend the "World Nuclear Conference" to be held on April 12-13 in Washington DC.
While doomsayers may be quick to state that his days are numbered, Abhisit arguably had it worse a year ago, when the same red shirts ran amok amid similar rumours about police and some military officers backstabbing him. Sources at the National Peacekeeping Operations Centre confirmed there were some conflicts, but insisted the government's apparent inaction had more to do with Abhisit's and Army chief Anupong Paochinda's unwillingness to have their hands tainted with blood.
Morever, the red shirts came better prepared strategically this time and Abhisit's enemies also appeared more flexible, ready to experiment with new tactics.
The premier has been leaning against the ropes, letting the red shirts unleash blow after blow. His gentlemanly strategy has won some praise but is on the verge of backfiring, if it has not backfired already. For many days now, Abhisit has preached patience, respect for human rights and the need to follow internationally accepted norms on political protests step by step.
Yesterday though, his press conference failed to drive home the principles that he sought to emphasise. As a pro-government rally at Chatuchak Park let out a sigh of frustration, his dilemma was just about to get worse, because the red shirts were to announce their next move at 10 am today.
