Songkran

Yes – it’s true that I’m back in Australia but that doesn’t mean I am through sharing some experiences here.

Last week was Songkran in Thailand. Songkran is a 3 day public holiday throughout Thailand, Burma and Cambodia to celebrate their New Year. It is also a 3 day water fight – anywhere, anytime.

I spent Songkran in Bangkok and the festive spirit throughout the city arrived at just the right time given the recent political turmoil.

Some friends from my previous time in Thailand took me to a few different locations to ‘play Songkran’. Armed with a water gun for babies we headed tom some of the hot spots. (Having said that, pretty much anywhere is a hot spot as it’s near impossible to walk 100m down the road without getting a bucket of water thrown on you along with some powder wiped across your cheeks)

When we arrived at our destination it was only a matter of seconds before we were saturated from head to toe. Children, mothers, grandparents, young girls, ‘red shirts’ men, infants, any and all were involved in the activities; throwing water at anyone within shot. And surprisingly, everyone enjoys it. Everyone. No one gets grumpy, frustrated or narky at a bucket of ice cold water poured down ones back or baby powder covering ones face. Everyone smiles. If you don’t want to get wet, don’t go outside. There was such a respectful spirit among all. If one was splashed unexpectedly, there was no revenge or ‘I’ve got to get them back’ or evil stares; just smiles, laughter and respect amongst all.

I unfortunately can’t help but feel that this festive spirit may not be possible in Australia. It wouldn’t be long before someone took it the wrong way and snapped back. But maybe I’m wrong.

Maybe we can learn something from Songkran.

Red filled streets in Bangkok

DISCLAIMER: I am an ignorant white Australian who has spent just over 6 months total in Thailand. If I state something that is incorrect, please forgive me. However, I'll just share my experience and what I've picked up from talking to people and reading on-line news articles.


As you may have heard, Saturday, April 10, 2010 is a day that will be remembered in Bangkok for a long time. During that afternoon and evening 21 people were killed as a result of the conflict between the 'Red Shirts' and the government police and army.


To give a little back-story, in 2006 the prime minister of the time, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted for being corrupt (he swindled approx $2billion) and a new government installed. Again in 2008 there were more protests by the 'yellow shirts' who shut down the airport. It was then that the new government got full control of the country and was backed by the army and supported by the upper class. The current protests by the 'red shirts' support the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) which is former prime minister, Thaksin's, party. The red shirts have been protesting peacefully in Bangkok for the last month in a festive and friendly spirit. There have been some minor conflicts with the police but the tension has been building with red shirts storming parliament and the police turning off the red shirts TV station, only to have the red shirts re-take the station the next day. However by Saturday, April 10, tensions were at breaking point and violence erupted on the streets of Bangkok.

On April 10, I decided to take my camera and head to one of the main areas where the red shirts had set up camp. They occupied a few significant parts of Bangkok but the area I decided to visit was near the upper class shopping centres of Siam. When I arrived, I was greeted by the festive cheering of hundreds of Red Shirts. They were all lined up as if expecting a wall of opposition to confront. However, there was no immediate opposition in front of them. Not much going on here, just a lot of drum banging.

After some time I headed up to a nearby major intersection where I noticed from a distance were hundreds of anti-riot police lined up opposite the red shirts. This looked more exciting. I headed to the walkway platform above all the action where I could safely watch the action. The police were standing in formation across the road (they did not occupy the footpath and were allowing anyone to wander past and behind their position if they wished.) The red-shirts followed instruction from their leaders and lined up behind a temporary fence in front of the police. Before long the red shirts lifted the temporary fence and uniformly moved toward the police. The police in return pulled down their visors, raised their shields and braced for the impact. The two sides came together as the red-shirts pushed against the police. On the side lines, women and non-participants cheered on the red-shirts. A moment later the police took a step back and the red-shirts stopped pushing. Some red shirts re-aligned the temporary fence into a straight line again and organized the red shirts to form a straight line again. Then they sat down and rested. The police did the same. All under the hot Bangkok sun

    
Then something happened I didn't expect, the red shirts started talking with the police in a friendly way. I couldn't understand the language but they shared smiles and laughter. There was no weapons being used here, no clubs, no sticks, no tear gas, rubber bullets, grenades or high powered rifles that would soon be used only a couple of kilometers away. Then I noticed the red shirts giving the police bottles of water. Everyone got a rest. It reminded me more of a tug-of-war contest at a school athletics day then violent demonstrations. It appeared quite evident that the police did not want to be here. In fact, it's reported that many of them actually side with the red-shirts but they are bound by their job; they are merely fulfilling obligation in their role of anti-riot police.

And then it started again; the red shirts picked up the fence, the police raised their shields and they pushed again. However this time, it seemed more of an act as red-shirt leaders were between the metal temporary fence and the police shields: potentially a dangerous position if either side was seriously pushing the other. However they weren't seriously pushing, the police were slowly moving back. This time the police moved back a few meters before both sides stopped, regrouped and took another rest. More talking, more laughs and more water all round. This cycle occurred three or four times before the police finally gave up and walked the hundred or so meters back to the police station where a few more hundred anti-riot police had set up a surrounding perimeter of the police building. However the perimeter was not blocking anyone who wanted to wander past. Also, the red shirts knew where their boundaries were, they respected the police and did not overstep the invisible boundaries that were in place.

This time the red shirts brought a tuk-tuk (think a cross between a motorbike and a car) full of food to give to the police along with more water and more goodwill. The red-shirts cheered and chanted continuously but never threatened the police. As numerous buses and vehicles left the police station with what I can only assume contained nervous police officials, the red shirts cheered these minor victories. 



I stayed in the immediate area for an hour or two and felt safe wandering wherever I pleased and was even able to get a photo with one of the police. Towards the end of my stay, the red shirts deafeningly cheered as one of their leaders arrived to negotiate with the police. As my feet were tired and had a long walk ahead of me, I decided to leave. However I learnt that maybe only 20 minutes later the police surrended the building and left on buses provided by the red shirts.
    
That was my experience of the red shirt protests on Saturday, April 10. A group of united citizens peacefully protesting in a respectful way for a cause that they believe in.

You can imagine my surprise when I arrived home an hour later to read of the starkly contrasting reports of another protest location only four or five kilometers away. It is still not known how the violence began but blood was shed on both sides leaving 21 people dead and over 800 injured. The reports show pictures and video of a war zone, limp bodies being dragged to safety, smashed cars and buildings, grenades exploding, petrol bombs, high-powered rifles and M16s.


For more information on the current state of the protests:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/

http://www.bangkokpost.com/

Nearing the End

Just a quick update.


As you may well know, Rachael flew home just over a week ago and has started working and is preparing for a wedding. Nathan meanwhile is still in Bangkok, completing some study, seeing old friends and enjoying Songkran (Thai New Year = 3 day water fight across the country)

Since Cambodia we spent a very relaxing week in Koh Chang, a peaceful tropical island just near the border of Cambodia. We highly recommend this spot if you want the relaxing beach experience as opposed to the tourist-filled and always busy Phuket. 

After that, we returned to Bangkok and visited a couple of friends of Nathan's from his last stint in Thailand in 2004. Yes there have been protests and violence in Bangkok but I'll comment on that more in my next post. 


So for now, it's just me (Nathan) left in Thailand. I fly to Sydney on the 18th of April and return to Melbourne on the 28th.