Thaksin Shinawatr was back in his video link connection to the red-shirts last night, after a three-day "sick leave," amidst rumours that he had been advised to lower his profile in this ongoing protest.
"This march isn't about me. It's about democracy," he declared. And when Nattawuat Saikua, one of the core leaders,said Thaksin was "only one of our resource persons," the speculation about "de-Thaksinizatin" of the red protest movement was more or less confirmed.
Behind-the-scenes discussions among some factions of the red movment have centred on how to "go beyond Thaksin" in the protest to pressure the Abhisit government to dissolve the House to call a new election and to make the protest a much more effective and credible movement.
It was agreed that as long as it's seen that the whole protest march was to benefit Thaksin, it could never grow - and couldn't possibly pull the urban "middle class" into the anti-Establishment movement.
Thaksin has heeded that piece of advice to draw in more progressive elements to come forward and join the protest, realizing that the "Trio" -- Veera, Jatupon and Nattawut -- could only go so far.
But that also means that it's going to be more difficult for Thaksin to win back his assets and avoid jail terms with the "de-Thaksinization" strategy.
Things are going to be tougher for him from now on because on the on hand,it's all about Thaksin and on the other, it's not going to be about him anymore.
No comments:
Post a Comment