Bangkok airport protests were fun

Bangkok airport protests were fun, says Thailand's new foreign minister

Thailand's new foreign minister has described last month's hijacking of Bangkok's main international airport as "a lot of fun".

By Thomas Bell in Bangkok
Last Updated: 8:09PM GMT 21 Dec 2008


Kasit Piromya, 64, will be sworn in on Monday as Thailand's new foreign minister.
His job of rebuilding Thailand's battered international image will not be helped by the fact that he was a prominent supporter of the protests, and still is.

More than 350, 000 travellers were stranded three weeks ago when a few thousand demonstrators from the ultraroyalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) stormed the airport.

Investor confidence has been badly shaken and analysts say that lost tourism business could cost 1 million jobs.

But Mr Kasit told an audience of astonished diplomats and foreign journalists on Friday that the protests were "a lot of fun"."The food was excellent, the music was excellent," he explained.

The PAD accused the then government of corruption over its links with the exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Although the government was elected only a year earlier, many people in Bangkok's middle class and the old elite find Mr Thaksin's influence in politics completely unacceptable.

Mr Kasit was a regular speaker at the protests, which helped bring the pro-Thaksin government down. His Democrat Party has now formed a new coalition, although they were defeated in each of three general elections held so far this decade."Look at it [the PAD protests] as pushing the process of democratisation forward," suggested Mr Kasit.

Many observers believe that the PAD was able to conduct its protest with impunity, and help topple an electorally popular administration, because it enjoys backing from powerful anti-Thaksin elements in the army and the royal palace.

The army is responsible for airport security but did nothing to prevent demonstrators from hijacking one of Asia's most important aviation hubs.It is widely reported that senior army figures were instrumental in persuading MPs to switch sides to the new coalition. Asked what role the army played in bringing his party to power Mr Kasit said, "I don't know".

The new prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, has promised to bring the PAD to justice. Yet, besides his pick for foreign minister being a prominent supporter of the group, one of PAD's top leaders is a prominent MP in Abhisit's Democrat party.

Dr Pasuk Phongpaicit of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn university said, "It can't be denied that the PAD was instrumental in bringing the Democrats to government. So I think we are going to be disappointed with what this government will do about enforcing the rule of law with respect to the PAD and its activities."

Foreign Minister Kasit berated Western diplomats and the foreign media for not being more sympathetic to the PAD's cause."You should be happy that for the first time ordinary people came out in full force to oppose corruption," he said. "If society has to be changed it has a price."

The PAD employed "security guards" armed with clubs, guns and explosives but Mr Kasit criticised foreigners for dwelling on the movement's violent tendencies."People said we were armed," he complained.

"My wife used to go every evening. What was she armed with? Only food and medicine!"


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/3885612/Bangkok-airport-protests-were-fun-says-Thailands-new-foreign-minister.html