With the situation now out of control, let us hope Songkran week will usher in a period of reflection and calm
The bloodshed that ripped apart the veneer of civility left in the country's politics yesterday was a tragedy waiting to happen. A miffed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva apparently appealed to the conscience of the armed forces on Friday over their lax implementation of the emergency decree.
Abhisit was reportedly so upset after rampaging red-shirt protesters managed to get the blacked-out PTV back on air that he gave the top brass a stinging lecture on "responsibility".
"I'm not asking you to take sides," Abhisit reportedly said, amid rumours of him falling out with military. "I'm just asking you to protect the legal power of the state."
Setting at rest the rumours, the armed forces responded to the premier's upbraid with a renewed resolve yesterday as they attempted to purge key areas in downtown Bangkok seized by the red shirts.
The result has been gory. The country witnessed its bloodiest political conflict since the 1992 unrest, and one that the whole country had been dreading for more than a month. The clashes between the Army and the red-shirt protesters have left 11 killed, including two soldiers. Undoubtedly, this tragedy will result in a series of recriminations and finger-pointing even as the dead on both sides are mourned. But the most critical thing for all sides in the conflict is to end the confrontation, back off and to desist from all acts of provocation. This message must undoubtedly be heard on the red-shirt stage, where emotions have been running high.
For the last few years, a culture of protest has repeatedly challenged governments and the armed forces - be it through the seizure of Government House, the airport or the Rajprasong intersection. Governments have been prevented from discharging their duties and forced to be on the run by mobs that claim to be speaking for the masses. This cultural of provocative recalcitrance and civil disobedience is making a mockery of democracy and threatens a breakdown of the administrative machinery. It is a price the country can ill afford to pay.
To be fair to the armed forces, the red-shirt campaign put many parties, including the military, in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't situation.
How long could the country have endured the siege of a key economic target with the serious danger of a domino effect tripping the rest of the economy? How much longer could the government have continued to be on the run in the country's capital? Had the red shirts continued to pursue talks with the government on the time frame for the dissolution of the House, which is their key demand, without being intractable on their 15-day deadline, it is possible things would not have come to such a pass. In a democracy, negotiations are the only way to resolve a stand-off, even if that involves using interlocutors.
While yesterday's tragedy cannot be easily forgotten, if the lessons it holds out are learned, it is possible to avoid another confrontation of a similar or greater scale. At the end of the day, reds, yellows or people of any other hue are all still Thai.
The military has offered a ceasefire. The red shirts, however great their grief and however intense their angst, must respond positively. And efforts must immediately be made to get negotiations back on track.
Let this coming week's Songkran usher in a period of calm.
