Red Shirts

The Red Shirts are back in town. Some 100,000 of them, mainly from the north and most of them Thaksin supporters. They’re demanding that PM Abhisit steps down and calls for elections on the basis that he was not democratically elected and that their man, Thaksin, was ousted undemocratically in the September 2006 coup – both true. Abhisit and his coalition government are refusing to give in to their demands although accepts that there should be elections in a year or two. So, looks like we’re in for a week of brinkmanship (I love that word).

So far the Reds (or UDD – United front for Democracy against Dictatorship to give them their proper title) have been boisterous but well-behaved, milling around Bangkok in a sort of pre FA Cup Final match atmosphere. Their previous show of force in April last year was uglier: skirmishes with the military and tension with Bangkok citizens resulting in two deaths. Tomorrow they’re threatening to paint the entrance of Government House with their own blood (voluntarily given I might add). Personally, I've not seen anybody on the streets, and life continues as normal. Having said that, David and Henrietta were frisked on their way home on Saturday night; they live 100m from Abhisit's home. Anyway, let’s hope it all ends peaceably…