Thailand’s evolved Red Shirts Part 3

By the time 2010 rolled around the Red Shirts had become much larger with many supporters only there because it provided another source of income. Political ideology was being replaced with cash payments to attend rallies.

By this time it was very clear to onlookers that the entire goal of the Red Shirts was to get Thaksin back in power free and clear of convictions and pending cases in the court. The (for lack of a better term) brainwashing the Red Shirts had received, that the only way to achieve their political ideology was to return Thaksin to power. Thaksin had continued to portray himself as the only person on the planet that could achieve that.

In the first half of 2010 the Red Shirts started to mass on Bangkok in what would be later defined as a Trojan horse attack on the Government. The Red Shirts came from all over and their numbers were in the range of 95,000. It was later discovered that many of the Red Shirts were hired Cambodians hired just to pump up the numbers of protesters for a stronger psychological impact.

For the first several days the Red Shirts paraded around Bangkok portraying they were friendly and trying to capture the attention of people and gather support. However many people still had clear memories of just how violent the Red Shirts were before, and how quickly they could change into a violent mob. They were like a remote controlled bomb, and Thaksin had his finger on the trigger. Also with many of the Red Shirts wearing military pants, hats and other gear, there was a clear message of impending conflict.

When Thaksin finally did hit the Red Shirt trigger, the Red Shirts burnt down a significant part of downtown Bangkok. That resulted in about 90 people being killed from both sides of the conflict. All of this was in an effort to Return Thaksin to power.

When the 2010 Red Shirt riots were over, some of the less motivated Red Shirts started to leave the Red Shirt ranks and that boiling down of the Red Shirt mix was leaving only the most violent and most radical people. It was becoming clear to some Red Shirts that they were being lead by politicians who were only seeking to get back into power by force. Burning down parts of Bangkok was a bit much for them to stomach and were having second thoughts as to how much support they would give in the future.

In 2011 the Government decided to dissolve Parliament and return the power to the people in an effort to close the growing rift that Thaksin had caused in Thailand. That resulted in a new pro-Thaksin Government being elected called the Pheu Thai Party (PTP). That also started the next cycle of Red Shirt behavior to want to punish people for opposing them. This is a classic behavior of Thaksin, so there is little doubt his input was behind this newest behavior of the Red Shirts.

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