Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts and

Thai Democracy

Presented by
Ko Phyo
 A little background of Thailand

• Government Type: Constitutional monarchy

• Constitution: Thailand adopted its current constitution following an

August 19, 2007 referendum.

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

government).

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

Representatives and a partially-elected Senate.

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

Justice, and the Administrative Courts.
• Administrative subdivisions: 76 provinces,
including 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

National Statistic Office and the National Economic and Social
Development 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.

Thaksin’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
hundreds of thousands marched in the streets to demand
Thaskin’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
he 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
the 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 occupation of BKK’s Suvarnabhumi
and Don Muang airports at end of 2008
• When Pro-Thaksin govt was disbanded by Thai
legal system, 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 power 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 traditional 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 they 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 DAAD (Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship) are
behind the red shirt movement.
• (aims of Red) New Democrat led parliament be dissolved coz not
democratically elected
• 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
secretary 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 been 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 Shopping 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 Ratchathani and Udon Thani)
 State Response

• failing to activate the Internal Security Act

during the summits
• Arrested UDD leaders ( legal action still not
taken 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
Cambodia’s
 Problem Analysis
• It can be said that the core pillars of a democratic society –
parliament, the judiciary 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, something 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 promoting 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 instability.
 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
future, it will stay for the long haul, though in ways less blatant and more
sophisticated than in the past, such as its effort to codify an elastic authority
under the draft Internal Security Act.
• To reach a reconciliation, the government and the opposition may have to
agree
• 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-
interested but conscious of social and national benefit.
• Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor is also suggested. This would
solve the problem
• Current breaking news: the Constitution Court dismissed the dissolution
case against the Democrat Party on Wednesday ; Red’s reaction to it will be
seen 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/8004306.stm
• http://www.apcss.org/core/Library/CSS/APOC/Thailan
d%20in%202009.pdf
• http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/208575/abh
isit-ready-to-face-music
Thank you so much for your
attention!!