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June 17, 2011
By: CNN Writer, Melissa Hassett
My taxi driver is speaking rapidly and heatedly. I know exactly what set him off. But I'm still surprised by it.
I had asked my mom, who is from Bangkok, about some of the campaign posters for Thailand's upcoming general election. The roadsides are crammed full of them right now. Some are funny, like the one in the middle of this picture of an older man holding a baby. It's a riff on the Mark Twain quote, "Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often."
My mom's explanation of another poster also dropped a famous name: Thaksin. As soon as those two syllables left her mouth, I knew we had just steered into testy political territory. Our taxi driver immediately looked back at her in the rear-view mirror and launched into a fierce debate. I tried to change the subject... but could only come up with "The Hangover II."
The sign that caught my eye showed a water buffalo wearing a suit. (For pictures, click here.) The poster essentially says, don't let animals into parliament; vote no. Some show other animals, but they're all on a bright yellow background. They have been put up by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), also known as the Yellow Shirts.
Some might find that surprising, since the PAD sit-in of 2008 helped bring the current prime minister to power. But Abhisit Vejjajiva is no longer the Yellow Shirts' golden boy. He has been criticized for not being tougher with Cambodia in a long-running border dispute.
Others say he wasn't hard enough on Red Shirt protesters who surrounded Government House last March and later occupied Bangkok's commercial center. (Keep in mind, 91 people were killed in street battles and Abhisit was accused of using excessive force.)
The Red Shirts support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and has since been convicted of a corruption charge by Thailand's Supreme Court. Thaksin is widely considered to be leading the Pheu Thai party from exile in Dubai. His sister, Yingluck, is the party's candidate and leads in the polls. She would be Thailand's first female prime minister.
The Red Shirts have rallied behind Yingluck. But the Yellow Shirts are broken into several factions, the "Vote No" campaign being one of them. There is also the New Politics Party, led by a former key PAD leader. In the taxi, my mom told me she thinks that will lead to a spoiler effect and hand victory to Thaksin.
That seems like a long explanation of one poster. But Thai politics are complicated. And contentious. No matter who wins the July 3 election, one side will be left very unhappy. The question is how they will express that discontent... and how damaging will it be for the country?
6 comments:
Mr Sam Rainsy, Why don't you sue PM Hun Sen as you promise to us Cambodian people and your true supporters?
Are you tried to bargain or negotiate with PM Hun Sen again like 2005 lawsuit at America??? Why?? Why??
We want to see Mr Sam Rainsy act as he said to sue PM Hun Sen in every democracy Countries court of justice around the world.
We want the results as transparency, from your progress in suing PM Hun Sen in every court of justices!!!
We are Cambodian people afraid that you are just using the lawsuit to scare PM Hun Sen than when PM Hun Sen gives you (Mr Sam Rainsy) green light. You again, hang your Lawsuit like 2005.
Mr Sam Rainsy, You must do as you said, otherwise you the same as Mr Kim Soka.
Mr Sam Rainsy, where are your law suit VS Hun SEn in America Court of justice? We want to see and hear the stories transparency because we afraid that you are just try to bargain with Hun Sen like 2005 again.
We Cambodian people as well as your supporters are waiting to see your real action in suing PM Hun Sen (In America Court of justice, all countries’ court of justice in Europe, Japan Court of justice, Australia Court of justice, New Zealand court of justice, Canada court of Justice, UN court of justice, World Human Right court of justice, NATO court of justice…) as you Mr Sam Rainsy said.
Mr Sam Rainsy must do as you said OK. Don’t you dare to bargain with PM Hun Sen like 2005 again?
May be you can’t be Prime Minister of Cambodia because of unfair election as 5-6 million Vietnamese votes for Hun Sen and Hun Sen add up his cheating skill in every election but you can be a great Khmer Hero by suing PM Hun Sen about the facts that he has done to Cambodia and Cambodian people so far.
If you Can’t be Prime Miniter due unfair election all the times but Mr Sam Rainsy, you can gives a great stain to PM Hun Sen and CPP Vietnam slave about their crimes against Cambodian people since 1970 until today.
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF DENIAL!
yeah.. politicians are l ike diaper, they need to be changed often for the same reason.
Thai prime minister goes out to campaign in public for vote.....
Meanwhile, Hun Sen never goes close to the public, wherever he goes, his 5,000 body guards scout the area for explosion devices and guard him like the queen of England.
GOOD FOR THAILAND, KING NEVER SMILED
good for PAD'S THAI NODDLE..
KEEP DIVINING...
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