Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts and Thai Democrac

Presented by
Nay Lin
(ID 5208 380)
 A little background of Thailand

• Government Type: Constitutional monarchy

• Constitution: Thailand adopted its current constitution following an Augus

t 19, 2007 referendum.

• Branches: Executive--King (chief of state), Prime Minister (head of govern

ment).

• Legislative--bicameral, with a fully-elected House of Representatives and

a partially-elected Senate.

• Judicial--composed of the Constitutional Tribunal, the Courts of Justice, a

nd the Administrative Courts.
• Administrative subdivisions: 76 provinces, inclu
ding Bangkok municipality, subdivided into 877
districts,

• Political parties: Multi-party system; Communist

Party is prohibited.
Suffrage: Universal and compulsory at 18 years
of age.
 People

• Population (2009 est.): 67.0 million. (Data based on the Thailand Na

tional Statistic Office and the National Economic and Social Develop
ment Board.)

• Ethnic groups: Thai 89%, other 11%. (relatively homogeneous)

• Religions: Theravada Buddhist 93%-94%, Muslim 5%-6%, Christian 1

%, Hindu, Brahmin, other.

• population is mostly rural, concentrated in the rice-growing areas of

the central, northeastern, and northern regions
Origins and aims and tactics of red shirts and yellow shirts

• In January 2001, telecommunication multimillionaire, Mr. Tha

ksin’s Thai Rak Thai (TRT) won a decisive plurality victory on a
populist platform of economic growth and development.
• reelected by an overwhelming majority, sweeping 377 out of
500 parliamentary seats which is , in history of Thailand since
1932, is the first ever single-party complete victory
• Soon after 2nd term began, allegations of corruption emerged
• Peaceful anti-government mass demonstrations grew and hu
ndreds of thousands marched in the streets to demand Thaski
n’s resignation. (start of the yellow)
 The Yellow Shirts

• Pressure on Thaksin and his policies by

a group called
the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD)
• PAD not a political party but were a political pressure group formed by
individuals concerned by power wielded by Thaksin and the direction h
e was taking Thailand
• Had some influential backers including those with links to media, army
and Royal Palace
• Supporters of PAD adopted the yellow shirt
• The color Yellow show their allegiance to the king, with yellow being th
e king’s color
• Corruption allegations launched against Thaksin
• The catalyst for the 2006 coup
• PAD re-emerged early in 2008 in response to election of
a new pro-Thaksin govt
• Well-funded and well organized protests culminated in o
ccupation of BKK’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airpor
ts at end of 2008
• When Pro-Thaksin govt was disbanded by Thai legal syst
em, celebrated and finally ended campaign of protests
• With formation of a new govt came fresh protests; time
from a group that has become known as red shirts
 The Red Shirts
• Red shirts are angry that former govt that they supported was forced to give up pow
er as a result of a legal ruling by Thai courts
• Red shirts called that a judicial coup and a silent coup and they see hand of BKK’s tra
ditional and elite power base at work including important figures in army
• PAD movement has powerful friends in high places and red shirts are angry by what t
hey see a collusion (cheating) between new govt and PAD leaders who occupied Govt
House for months before new illegal sit-in resulted in closure of BKK’s two airports.
• Further exacerbated by appointment of controversial FM, Kasit Piromya, who openly
supported PAD protestors during occupation of BKK’s airports
• Two dominant groups- UDD (United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship) and D
AAD (Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship) are behind the red shirt movement.
• (aims of Red) New Democrat led parliament be dissolved coz not democratically elect
ed
• Demanding legal action be taken against leaders of PAD movement
• To get Mr. Thaksin back home without legal threat
 Red Shrits cont.
• April 2009 Thai political unrest
• Up to 100,000 people demonstrated in central Bangkok at the height of the protests.
• 8 April resign within 24 hours or raise the level of its anti-government protest.
• On 04.45 p.m join about hundred taxi drivers who parked their vehicles blocked roads around
Victory Monument
• 11 April
• expanded to Pattaya, the site of an ASEAN summit
• protesters eventually stormed the hotel, the summit building.
• escorted the foreign leaders, leaving from the hotel by the navy ships and helicopters
• 12 April
• Arisman Pongreungrong, the protest leader was detained
• Suporn Attawong and protesters attempted on the Prime Minister's life and injured his secret
ary general, Niphon Promphan, and Promphan's driver.
• 13 April
• used tear gas and fired live rounds from automatic weapons to clear protesters from the Din
Daeng intersection near the Victory Monument
• Army later claimed that live rounds were only fired into the air
• UDD protesters used hand guns during street protests to defend
• 14 April
• Many protest leaders voluntarily gave themselves in to police
The following is a list of places that have bee
n set on fire by Red Shirts
1. A commercial building in Bon Kai community Siam Paragon Shopping Complex
2. CentralWorld Shopping Complex
3. Government Savings Bank, Sam Liam Din Daeng branch
4. Metropolitan Electricity Authority, Klong Toei branch
5. Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, Klong Toei branch
6. Stock Exchange of Thailand
7. Siam and Scala Cinemas in Siam Square
8. Bangkok Bank, Asok branch15. Bangkok Bank, Victory Monument branch17. Center One Shoppi
ng Mall
9. Siam City Bank, Siam Square branch
10.shops in Siam Square soi 5 and 6
11. Mahatun Plaza Building on Ploen Chit Road24. 7-Eleven convenient store, Sam Liam
12.Din Daeng branch26. Krungthai Bank, Asok branch
13.Bangkok Bank, Bangjak branch
14.Tesco Lotus Express convenient store, Rama IV branch36. Big C Superstore, Rajdamri branch

(total 36, In addition, three Provincial Halls upcountry were hit by fires in Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchat
hani and Udon Thani)
 State Response

• failing to activate the Internal Security Act

during the summits
• Arrested UDD leaders ( legal action still not ta
ken against leaders of PAD movement )
• used force to remove the violent mobs (in BKK
post, it stated “live fire zone”
• recalled its ambassador and expelled Cambodi
a’s
 Problem Analysis
• It can be said that the core pillars of a democratic society – parliament, the judicia
ry and the government – have collapsed.
• a country deeply divided (key politicians from Thaksin-led parties could not safely
visit the south; key Democrat politicians could only visit the north and northeast
with great difficulty)
• Abhisit had to rely on police or military air transport to avoid the Red mobs, some
thing never before seen in Thai politics.
• all those changes of government in the past were in the forms of bloodless coups
• Despite having good things, Thaksin, a false prophet coz mixture of interest in pro
moting the good of the nation with greed for power and wealth for himself.
• I think Thailand should have a labor party
• Unless income inequality is addressed, Thailand will continue to face political inst
ability.
 Future expectation
• Thailand will soon have to address its daunting question of royal succession
• As the army sees itself as the self entitled guardian of Thailand’s political fut
ure, it will stay for the long haul, though in ways less blatant and more sophi
sticated than in the past, such as its effort to codify an elastic authority unde
r the draft Internal Security Act.
• To reach a reconciliation, the government and the opposition may have to a
gree
• Without accommodation, there will be no reconciliation.
• The lower classes have to be educated politically so they learn discipline and
morality, and "upgrade their political demands" to be no longer merely self-i
nterested but conscious of social and national benefit.
• Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor is also suggested. This woul
d solve the problem
• Current breaking news: the Constitution Court dismissed the dissolution cas
e against the Democrat Party on Wednesday ; Red’s reaction to it will be see
n soon.
 References:
• http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2814.htm
• http://www.suite101.com/content/thailand-in
-turmoil-red-shirts-vs-yellow-shirts-a236659
• http://www.thaizer.com/politics/who-are-the-
yellow-shirts-and-red-shirts/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/80043
06.stm
• http://www.apcss.org/core/Library/CSS/APOC
/Thailand%20in%202009.pdf
• http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/208
Thank you so much for your attention!!