Watching the news in Thailand and seeing part of Thailand’s pride burn to the ground, one can not help but see a connection with the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001. The only difference between the two is where the terrorists come from.
Walk into any post office in the USA and you will find a picture of Osama bin Laden on the wanted posters being labeled the mastermind for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the USA. The attacks served Osama bin Laden on both and ideological level and a personal level. Although Osama never personally carried out the attacks, many did so in his name.
Fast forward to May 19, 2010 in Bangkok Thailand and you will see similar attacks on many levels. Seeing that Thailand is a country driven by tourist revenue, attacks on the shopping sector are no less significant than the attack on the World Trade Center in New York. In this case it is the followers of Thaksin Shinawatra seeking out his political enemies and the news media who would dare hold up a mirror for him to see himself as he really is.
For many people now, Thailand has become another victim of terrorism and in this case domestic terrorism. But when looking at this it is very important to look beyond the face value of double standards. The issue of double standards was just a convenient Trojan cause Thaksin could use to advance his personal goals.
It now becomes difficult for Thaksin to distance himself from being the Osama bin Laden of Thailand, there are just too many parallels between the two men. In fact the only significant difference is one prefers staying in caves while the other prefers 5 star hotels. Perhaps the most significant parallel is neither have respect for human life be it children or adults. They simply are pawns or tools to be used as needed. The remaining question is will the governments of other countries that host Thaksin see it the same way.
It should not take too long for the media and some governments to make the connection and start applying some pressure to Thaksin hosting governments. This is particularly so when the connection between Thaksin and children human shields becomes an instinctual motivator, as well as a political one that could re-power a faltering reelection bid.
The reaches of this go far beyond the borders of Thailand. Businesses from Japan are already seeking some compensation for financial losses as well as other countries. So in short Thaksin has started to hit the wallets of the rich from other countries, and they do not approve.
What will come of this in Thailand is yet to be seen. Some say this may be the start of a civil war, and others are hopeful that this is just a short lived temper tantrum. In any case the next few days will tell as the acts of terrorism seemed to have moved up country as government offices have been burned to the ground in several provinces. That upcountry violence will be short lived as there are few government buildings, and the self inflicted wounds will be felt far sooner than in Bangkok.
World Trade Center in New York – World Trade Center (Central World) in Bangkok – is there a “message” here?