Thailand's Failure - and Success
Thailand, one of the fourteen new UN-member countries recently elected to the United Nations Human Rights Commission is currently in a state of civil disarray. To put it mildly. The current government is held in extremely low esteem and trust by its electorate. A great many of whom have protested for months on end, insisting that a new election be held.
The country has been incapable of fully functioning as it should, given the disruptive state of the country-wide protests. Thailand's capital city has been under a state of siege by its own citizens. Tens of thousands of 'red shirt' protesters are rallying the country to defy its government, and the government has reacted by calling a state of emergency.
Troops called in to break up the protests killed 25 people and wounded over 800 in violent clashes. Guns and grenades are used by both sides with predictable results. The government finally acceded to demands and gave notice a new election would be held in the fall, and then had second thoughts, cancelling another election.
More riots erupt, and there was a military lock down of the huge rally site in Bangkok. The capital city resembles a war zone, in some areas. Journalists covering the events have been severely wounded and hospitalized. The city's transit system has been placed in abeyance, foreign embassies have been shuttered, and a country so dependent on tourism, had warnings issued by foreign governments against travelling there.
The 'red shirt' protesters have their support drawn from the country's farmers and working class, all of whom agree that the current government is illegitimate. People in Bangkok are fed up with dislocation and disruptions to normal life. They would like life to return to normal.
It somehow seems fitting that Thailand, along with Libya and other human-rights-abusive countries find themselves a comfortable seat on the UN's Human Rights Council.
The country has been incapable of fully functioning as it should, given the disruptive state of the country-wide protests. Thailand's capital city has been under a state of siege by its own citizens. Tens of thousands of 'red shirt' protesters are rallying the country to defy its government, and the government has reacted by calling a state of emergency.
Troops called in to break up the protests killed 25 people and wounded over 800 in violent clashes. Guns and grenades are used by both sides with predictable results. The government finally acceded to demands and gave notice a new election would be held in the fall, and then had second thoughts, cancelling another election.
More riots erupt, and there was a military lock down of the huge rally site in Bangkok. The capital city resembles a war zone, in some areas. Journalists covering the events have been severely wounded and hospitalized. The city's transit system has been placed in abeyance, foreign embassies have been shuttered, and a country so dependent on tourism, had warnings issued by foreign governments against travelling there.
The 'red shirt' protesters have their support drawn from the country's farmers and working class, all of whom agree that the current government is illegitimate. People in Bangkok are fed up with dislocation and disruptions to normal life. They would like life to return to normal.
It somehow seems fitting that Thailand, along with Libya and other human-rights-abusive countries find themselves a comfortable seat on the UN's Human Rights Council.
Labels: Human Relations, Realities, Whoops
posted by Pieface @ 2:52 PM
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