Years ago there was an opportunity to nip this problem in the bud; we ignored it and now pay the price
Verbal abuse as well as patronising and homophobic remarks have been employed during the ongoing political conflict, creating a deeper chasm in politics and society. Degrading and dehumanising remarks are played up by the mass media, thus making the profession a part of agenda-setting while at the same time undermining the traditional role of journalism.
Unfortunately, few are in the mood for reason. One's agenda is above all else. All sides are determined to achieve their goals by any means necessary. Reason and reconciliation have been tossed out the window. The idea is to inflict as much injury as possible on the opponent. Racist remarks and stereotypes have been dug up and tossed at the enemy. But instead of discrediting the other side, this only aggravates the opposition even more. And the end is nowhere in sight. What the country needs now more than ever before is a voice of reason.
These movements, whatever colour they adopt, claim to speak for justice, democracy, human dignity. And yet the language and attitudes are those of hate groups like the Klu Klux Klan.
While the pro-government press makes unfair generalisations about the red shirts, the red leaders have been carrying on a character assassination against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. They paint him as immature just because he is 45, the youngest prime minister in Thailand's modern history.
But what started off as a political conflict has become a social movement, one that centres on what kind of country Thailand wants to become. It would be unfair to say the red shirts are all about Thaksin. He may be the one who set off the political spark but the movement appears to have taken on a life of its own. Events have turned ugly but this crisis could also turn Thailand into a better, fairer, more equitable place, depending on which direction the movement and its leaders decide to take.
One reading of the situation is that the grievances of the red shirts are legitimate. Many talk about the hardship confronting them back in their villages, the difficulties of moving up in the social ladder in spite of honest, hard work. They are in the streets of Bangkok blocking entrances to the world's fanciest shopping malls, spaces normally reserved for the rich and privileged.
If it could be said that the yellow shirts hit the pro-Thaksin camp where it hurts, by taking over Suvarnabhumi Airport, then the current predicament is hitting the pro-government camp where they shop - which also hurts the country in financial terms. It's payback time.
But for the country to endure and move on, we must move beyond this tit-for-tat cycle. Negotiations between the government and red leaders were just a show to buy time and recalibrate short-term strategy that will eventually centre on the next general election.
The reds want Parliament dissolved so they can campaign on constitutional reform, but the government wants to deny that opportunity, insisting that reform must come first. Political campaigns, they say, should be on real issues.
Instead of finger pointing, perhaps all of us are to blame. We had a chance to be a country of law and order in 2001 when we turned a blind eye to the fact that Thaksin concealed billions of baht in assets. Moreover, instead of addressing the disparity gap between the haves and the have-nots, we turn our heads and fatten our own pockets.
Thaksin may have put small change into people's hands and made them feel good. But in essence, no wealth was created. His supporters are as poor as ever. If the reds are to have a meaningful future, they have to break away from Thaksin and his cronies, including some of the self-proclaimed champions of democracy who can't understand why a man like Thaksin does not have a single drop of moral authority.
We are paying for our past mistakes. We all must share the burden.
