The revelation last week that hundreds of villages in the red shirt-dominated north eastern Isan region had placed signboards at their entrances proclaiming themselves "Red Villages for Democracy" has rung some alarm bells in Bangkok.
The village, Ban Pulu, was the first to have its signboard nailed at its entrance road. -- PHOTO: NIRMAL GHOSH
So I decided to go and check them out.
Accompanied by Inter Press Service correspondent Marwaan Macan-Markar, I spent two days in Isan last Sunday and Monday, travelling extensively and conducting interviews in Udon Thani and Khon Kaen.
The red shirts began developing a few months after the September 2006 coup d’etat that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra, and have since grown into a wide, deep and well-organised movement only temporarily disrupted by the army’s crackdown last summer. The movement supports the opposition Puea Thai party, currently leading the ruling Democrat Party according to almost all opinion polls.
We witnessed an inauguration ceremony for 10 villages, all declaring themselves "Red Villages for Democracy." We found that the "Red Villages" tactic is a symbolic one. The villages are not exclusion zones, and there is no attempt to set up a parallel administration.
The signboards were taken on a procession through the village. -- PHOTO: NIRMAL GHOSH
But it seems to be a trend, a new avenue of expression.
The red shirt movement seems to be adapting and evolving under pressure. The "Red Villages" is one example of creativity; in another, coffee shops (in Udon Thani) now offer more options for locals to gather and talk politics especially as many community radio stations are out of action and those that are still broadcasting, have really toned down political content.
All subjects are discussed at these gatherings, we were told.
At the coffee shop we visited, the group included a teacher, a primary school director, and several farmers - both men and women. We asked two women about the Democrat Party’s farmer income guarantee scheme. One said she had not registered; the other said she had received 2,000 baht. We asked whether that would influence her vote. Both in unison said "No".
One man there said he had received 2,000 baht last year – and used it to go to Bangkok to join the red shirt protests.
It is also clear that there is active debate and even disagreement on strategy and tactics, between different red shirt groups and leaders, and the formal leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
A village representative receives her signboard on stage. -- PHOTO: NIRMAL GHOSH
Evolving
The UDD itself is not monolithic; the red shirt movement is an even looser entity than the UDD, and evolving in its own way, in different directions, though largely with the same objective.
This evolution in effect is producing a multi-pronged effort – the UDD’s democracy schools which are back in action; the "democracy villages" and coffee gatherings; and an effort to train volunteers to monitor polling stations.
There are some radicals who are waiting and watching the election and its aftermath.
Of course there are also red shirt leaders now on the Puea Thai’s party list for the July 3 election. It will be interesting to watch the evolution of the movement.
While former prime minister Thaksin remains the rallying point, several red shirts we spoke to, who made speeches at two different locations in Udon Thani province, did not exhort their audiences to vote for the Puea Thai party.
Of course they were speaking to the converted anyway. But they harped on the democracy theme, telling the audiences they could vote for anyone they liked, that their vote was their weapon.
One speaker, on a hot afternoon told about 500-odd gathered in Udon Thani, said: "If political parties give you money, take it – but vote for whoever you want. The only chance for change is now."
"This is an arena for you. You are free to vote for whoever you like. But I want you to think about what we are going to do if our vote is ignored again, if our votes are wasted. Think about it."
But at the coffee shop gathering we observed, there was also a sign on the wall (next to a poster which included a picture of Thaksin riding a white horse) saying: "Selling your vote makes you a slave."
Monks chanted blessings for the Red Village for Democracy inauguration ceremony last Sunday in Udon Thani. -- PHOTO: NIRMAL GHOSH
There are also active discussions at a very basic level, on strategy on various post election scenarios.
Some red shirts said they would not return to mass protests in Bangkok because the last time around they had done that, many had been killed and they came away with nothing.
They could find other ways, in the countryside itself, they said. One said they could "shut down" the country if they "shut down" Isan.
There is clearly no let-up in the frustration and resentment against the "amaat" - the aristocratic establishment.
Much depends on the outcome of the election - and its aftermath. Machinations will be closely watched across the country in an election that has the potential to be either a land mine, or a watershed.
See Nirmal's video on his Facebook page wall here.
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