Red Siam Latest: Mainstream Reds “Lack Coherent Objective”

This blog has previously featured a post on the split in the red shirts and noted the emergence of the Red Siam splinter group, led by former red keymen Jakrapob Penkair and Surachai Sae-Dan (aka Surachai Danwattanusorn). There have been comparatively few signs of activity from the group since, although both Jakrapob and Surachai continue to write regularly for the various pro-red publications in Thailand (for those who cannot read Thai, the English-language site 2Bangkok.com has an excellent section covering some of these publications).

Now, in the run up to the planned red-shirt rally on 19th September, the ex-communist Surachai has come out to criticise the mainstream reds, in particular the leadership of the ‘Truth Today’ trio (Veera Musikgapong, Nattawut Saikua and Jatuporn Prompan).

Thai-language news sites ASTV-Manager and Krungthep Turakij report that Surachai questioned the logic of the reds’ upcoming rally to mark the three-year anniversary of the 2006 coup. Having been informed that the reds were planning to once again march toward the residence of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, he asked why it was necessary to do so. “If the aim of going there is only to verbally abuse Prem, it is simply pointless”, he said. He also urged the red leadership to develop a more coherent strategy and provide the movement with a clearer objective.

Surachai proposed that instead of organising a purely anger-fuelled rally against Prem, it would be more beneficial for the reds to hold an ‘educational’ event, informing the public of the people behind the coup and putting forward suggestions of how to cure the country of its ongoing political malaise.

He also warned that, as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will be out of the country on the day of the rally, it would be difficult to hold him accountable in case any violence occurred. With this in mind, the reds would need to be extra careful during its demonstration and try their best to avoid triggering chaos.

One last notable thing is Surachai’s remark that the Red Siam group are strong advocates of the monarchy while maintaining that the main goal of the group is to eliminate the ‘Amarts’ (influential aristocrats and bureaucrats). In this sense, the Red Siam is not too different from the mainstream UDD which has always insisted that its campaign is limited to attacking Prem and his cronies.

Is everything Surachai said true, or was he hiding something due to the public nature of this appearance before the press?

Related posts (automatically generated):

1. Split in the Reds: When Differences Become Intolerable *UPDATE*
2. Somsak Jeamteerasakul on Red Shirts and Thaksin
3. Dr Prawes: Five Types of Red Shirts
4. The ‘Hun Sen Model’: PAD’s Latest Ploy
5. Implications of Abhisit’s ‘Road Map’