Do they really know what's happening here?

The international community is showing varying degrees of understanding concerning the political situation in Thailand. There are two groups - those who reside outside the Kingdom and are looking in through a somewhat distorted lens, and the Bangkok-based foreign community, who have to suffer through this turmoil on a daily basis like the Thai people.

The first group, including some media outlets, has only a superficial comprehension of the crisis. Comments are mostly narrowly focused; they see the turmoil simply as a righteous struggle between the haves and have-nots. Moreover, they see it solely as a cry for democracy. These two key messages dominate their discourses.

Looking at the situation via the 24-hour TV news channels, the situation in Thailand seems anarchic - there is no rule of law and the government is not able to manage day-to-day affairs. This was the general impression given by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when he commented on the crisis, urging all sides to settle the political conflict peacefully. He was not alone, other global leaders share similar views and concerns.

But one thing is missing here. The role of fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as the main culprit is seldom being mentioned by the international community and international media. Obviously, it is beyond their imagination to conceive that one person could be responsible for such massive civil disobedience. But this is exactly the point. Thaksin has channelled his money, via his divorced wife and crony associates, to finance the demonstration.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has explained to the international community that Thaksin is acting like a terrorist - and should thus be treated as such. Through video links and phone-ins, he has incited disorder. He has called upon the protesters to arm themselves and topple the government. If similar political agitation and instigation - on the part of a convicted felon - occurred in other countries, would it be tolerated?

The message from the Foreign Ministry has been repeated time and time again in meetings between Thai diplomats overseas and their hosts. But it has fallen on deaf ears in some countries, especially those who have benefited from Thaksin's past populist policies and huge investment projects. There is no need to mention names here.

Certainly, there are red supporters on the streets who are genuinely crying for a real democracy and who want to highlight and remedy all the social ills of Thailand. There is no covering up the fact that most Thais are still relatively poor and that the income gap is huge - or that the ruling elites are selfish. There is no denying that extensive reforms are needed.

But these issues are symptomatic of all developing countries. The disparity between rural and urban areas - even in the most developed countries in the world - is a dichotomy that we continue to struggle with. What is strange is that nobody reacts like this in other countries. In Thailand this issue has been manipulated by certain people for their own interests.

Inside Thailand, for those foreigners who have gone through the same experience as Thais in the past several weeks, there has been a strong sense of anger, sadness and bitterness. They feel the same way as many Thais. Many of them understand the political dynamics of this country very well, as they have lived here for many years and have seen Thailand develop from a dictatorial state in the 1970s to a democratic one in the 1990s.

This country has numerous problems that need to be tackled. The large number of foreigners who call Thailand home know this full well, and they appreciate what happens inside the country and what factors have contributed to the stability and progress, or lack thereof, of Thai society.

It is imperative that the international community gains a thorough understanding of the situation. Both the media and all governmental organisations have to do their job more effectively.