Massacre in Thailand: Obama’s Bloody Hands
Massacre in Thailand: Obama’s Bloody Hands
By Shamus Cooke
When the White House is quiet as protestors are butchered in the streets of Bangkok Thailand, suspicions are raised. Silence often equals complicacy. One can only imagine what the U.S.’ response would be to a Venezuelan government slaughter: the U.S. media and Obama would loudly condemn such an act, in contrast to the muted response to Thailand’s blood bath.
The history of U.S.-Thailand relations explains why. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. used Thailand as one of the main “anti-communist” bulwarks in an area that included China, Vietnam, Burma, and other countries that were challenging capitalism.
Thailand was thus transformed into a U.S. client state and given money, guns, and U.S. government intelligence to battle Thailand’s “communists.” This relationship has equaled numerous Thai dictatorships that have a very bloody history, including the shooting of untold numbers of protestors that the Thai government named “communists,” or their modern equivalent, “terrorists.”
The U.S.-Thailand relationship began to sour when the recently deposed President Thaksin Shinawatra formed a closer relationship with China that included economic and military deals. The Asian Times summarizes the consequences:
“Thaksin’s willingness to promote defense ties with China came at the US’s direct strategic expense and many observers believe that’s one reason Washington‘s reaction to the September 2006 military coup that ousted a democratically elected government was so muted.” (November 7, 2008).
The U.S. government often overthrows “unfriendly governments” by bribing sections of their military, a fact discussed at length in Tim Weiner’s history of the CIA, Legacy of Ashes. When a U.S.-backed coup happens, the U.S. government and corporate media give tacit approval; whereas a howl of fury erupts when a coup happens against a U.S. puppet government.
The Asian Times confirms:
“Many of the [2006] coup-makers were known U.S. allies, including alleged masterminds and former CIA-trained spy chief Prasong Soonsiri and Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda. Prasong has openly acknowledged his role in the coup…”
The U.S. coup against Thai President Thaksin is at the root of the current crisis in Thailand. Large sections of the Thai working class and peasantry still identify Thaksin as their President and are demanding his return. They have resorted to extremely militant tactics to achieve their demands, which, if won, would amount to the restoration of democracy in Thailand. The New York Times adds:
“Thailand is convulsed by a bitter struggle between the nation’s elite and its disenfranchised poor, played out in protests that have paralyzed Bangkok for weeks and now threaten to expand.” (May 15, 2010).
President Obama has not said one word of support for Thailand’s poor, while his silence enables Thailand’s elite to murder protestors in the streets free of foreign pressure. The U.S. is the main purchaser of Thailand’s exports, while providing important economic and military assistance. One strong statement from Obama would deter Thailand’s elites from further killing. But he will remain silent.
So far, dozens of protestors have been murdered. But for Thailand’s U.S.-backed elite to successfully maintain their political dominance, hundreds if not thousands more will have to be slaughtered.
By working to maintain the Bush-era coup government in Thailand, President Obama bears criminal responsibility for the current atrocities. If the Thai working class is unable to overthrow their murderous government, Obama will bear further blame for propping up a coup-government that must resort to prolonged, massive brutality to maintain its rule.
Again this is a gross misrepresantation of the facts. While there is certainly no doubt, that Thailand is viewed by the US as a client state, the circumstances of Thaksins ousting and the current unrest are not as black and white as the article describes.
In todays Thailand none of the political parties, includung Thaksin himself and the parties that he funds, care for the poor. They care for themselfes, nothing else.
Thaksin was found guilty of corruption, by a legal court. He should be in jail, but he is travelling the world to create new alliances and more wealth for himself.
The government seized 46 billion Baht that it says came from the corruption of Thaksin. So what he did was to instigate this “demonstration”, right on the entrance to the financial district, to put pressure on the government, topple it if possible, to NOT seize that money. THAT is what the demonstration was about.
Besides there is no massacre at all. By standards of any western nation, the Thai authorities were going really soft on them. But as a government, you can’t sit idle when a small group of paid “protesters” hold your nations capital hostage!
The current violence, looting, arson and chaos is clearly and fully on the “reds” tab. The same “reds” that raided HOSPITALS! What else does a “protester” have to do, to prove he is NOT about political dissent, but selfishly pressing his own agenda?
The loosers in this battle between big money interest groups are the people of Thailand. Neither side cares for them. First the yellows proved it by shutting a tourist economy country’s airport down, now the reds proved it by burning and looting in one the same nations most important tourist destinations. Forget your idyll good-bad rethoric and face it: its a bad vs. bad struggle, with the general population of a whole nation nudged step by step to civial war of interests that clearly are not their own!