Comrades, This editorial by The Nation suggests that the protests are probably progressive since peoples' organisations are in the forefront and they oppose globalisation. My scepticism is just because I've seen enough of NGOs in Malaysia which appear to be imperialist backed and while they harp about "freedom," "democracy," "human rights," etc, they have paid little attention to the plight of those, especially workers and peasants adversely affected by globalisation. On the contrary, many NGO-types in Malaysia support more open borders, etc which can only benefit the imperialists. Charles ====================================================== EDITORIAL: Protests highlight flaws in Thai democracy http://www.nationmultimedia.com/new/30ed01.shtml THE nation yesterday witnessed two major protests by citizen groups. One was in the heart of Bangkok's Sanam Luang, where major pro-democracy movements in the past led protests to oust the government. Another occurred some 1,000 kilometres away in the southern province of Songkhla. The two events took place separately and were different in nature as well as in their demands. But both stemmed from incredibly similar root causes, the government's lack of political will to solve the problems of its people and the absence of a comprehensive vision of the new politics of direct democracy. This government has always put its political and economic interests before the interests of its citizens. Yesterday at Sanam Luang more than 10,000 activists, academics, rural villagers and labour unionists officially launched their campaign to call for a House dissolution, which they hope will lead to a new round of general elections. According to the groups' spokesman, the government lost its legitimacy to run the country as it refused to address the grievances of grass roots communities. In Songkhla's commercial district of Hat Yai, some 1,500 students and residents stormed into the municipal hall, site of a public hearing for the JDA Gas Pipeline project, to express their disapproval of the so-called hearing organised by the government. To the opposing residents from four districts the pipeline would pass through, the public hearing was nothing more than a rubber stamp to give legitimacy to the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) to go ahead with the project. Back in Bangkok, one of the major protesting groups is actually the labour movement and not rural villagers. The labour union at the Thai Durable Textile (TDT) factory has been abused, nearly 400 staff have been unjustly laid off, and peaceful female workers were attacked by a hired mob while on strike. Two months have passed, and the Labour Ministry has failed to persuade the employers to solve the problem. The employers are believed to have said that they don't want a union, and labour experts fear that a new wave of neo-liberalism means business groups are systematically trying to kill off the labour movement altogether, starting with TDT. This is a shocking development, for the Thai Constitution clearly acknowledges labour's right to unionise. What's more, the Thai Durable Textile Union is among the most progressive in the kingdom, having played an instrumental part in the call for 90-day maternity leave as well as social-welfare schemes. The fact that all these groups eventually have to address the prime minister can only be taken as a failure of the process of decentralisation. Clearly the government is far from being responsive. And while bureaucratic bottlenecks must be overcome, it's the will that counts most. With good will, the public hearing on the pipeline project should have taken place before PTT signed any contract with its Malaysian counterpart in 1998. But that wasn't the case. Nobody should deny that conflicts of interests exist and that that may be a reason why things do not get resolved. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) must have a lot to lose if they allow the Assembly of the Poor to win. Employers believed they would have more to gain if they rid their factories or companies of unions. Beyond the conflicts of interest, this is also a clash of views on how the society ought to be run. Some want it top-down and autocratic; others want it participatory and just. Direct democracy, where people have to take to the streets to try to get their problems solved, is now being put to the test. The concept is still relatively new, but we all should try to learn more about it. We should also begin, through examples of such unrest, to think and look beyond electoral politics, which unfortunately has become the sole democratic process in the eyes of many Thais. It's clear that democracy, as it exists today, is not responsive to a growing number of people who are already convinced that this is not how a true democracy should operate. The Nation LAST MODIFIED: Saturday, 29-Jul-2000 11:23:00 EDT _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
