http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/39023/big-questions-linger-over-may-19-deaths
Big questions linger over May 19 deaths
To move on, we must find out what happened that tragic day
Published: 19/06/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The big clean-up day, shopping fairs, the censure debate, a cabinet shake-up, compensation hand-outs, tourism promotions, lots of reconciliation talk – so many things have happened over the past four weeks. But there’s been very little progress in finding out exactly who was responsible for the deaths and injuries of May 19.

It seems everyone has been busy trying to get back on track after the May 19 dispersal of red shirt protesters that was followed by widespread arson attacks in Bangkok and the provinces.

What has happened over the past month since the mayhem has been crucial as it could shape the direction of how Thai society will move on.

After May 19, the government has been largely focusing on three missions – taking legal action against the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leaders and protesters; rehabilitating the business sector; and promoting its reconciliation and national reform campaign.

With the legal action, hundreds of red shirt protesters have been arrested and charged for allegedly violating the emergency decree or being involved in what the government has termed as terrorist acts, or both.

The authorities have also launched a series of raids on pro-UDD community radio stations and the homes of key red shirt members.

In its latest move, the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has sought to question over 80 individuals and companies on suspicion they funded “criminal activities” during the red shirt rally.

While security authorities proceed with hunting down red shirt leaders and their supporters, economic and social agencies have come up with a number of financial schemes to help business operators and their employees who suffered losses as a result of the red shirt protests.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has closed Silom and Henri Dunant roads on weekends and turned the roads into shopping zones to help affected vendors and let shoppers go on a spending spree.

Business rehabilitation is being backed by Bangkok residents who are longing to get back to their favourite hobby of going shopping. Groups such as “We Miss CentralWorld” and “Anyone miss Siam?” have been created on social networks to call for a quick recovery of Bangkok’s shopping district, which was under red shirt control for two months.

On reconciliation and national reform, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wrote a letter and appealed to all Thais in a televised broadcast to join the reconciliation campaign.

The government has formed five committees to work on the issues although right now the reconciliation and reform procedures appear pretty vague. It is also unclear if and how the red shirts will take part.

With the reconciliation mantra, which has been echoed by government supporters, attempts to look into how 90 people died, most of them red shirts, and an investigation into what really happened during the military’s final crackdown on the red shirt protesters has been sidelined.

The little progress made in the investigation into the chaos has cast doubts about whether reconciliation can be achieved when questions about the deaths and the government’s alleged excessive use of force remain unanswered.

Hatred between “us” and “them” as evidenced by the thousands of messages posted on social networks has also raised questions over how reconciliation can take place anytime soon.

One month is far too short a period of time for a society that has gone through such a major catastrophe to return to normalcy. But getting back to a normal life is much harder, likely even impossible, for families of the dead and injured and those who became disabled as a result of the violent clashes, bombings, and shootings during the 68-day rally organised by the UDD.

And as Thai society moves on into the next chapter of its political history, the questions lingering over the May 19 tragedy should be remembered as they are just as important as the question of how we will all move on.