Bangkok Demo Gallery

Thaksin warned today that he will declare a state of emergency if the demonstrations against him become violent but, judging from this morning's march, that is a long way from happening. It was exemplary in its organisation and discipline. The vociferousness of the slanders against the prime minister contrasted with the remarkable civility and good nature of what he inaccurately likes to call "the mob".

I find the iconography of protest movements very interesting. Here are my rather amateurish photographs of a few memorable images of the morning.

This was the stage in the Sanam Luang field on Monday night. Note the image of Thaksin as a six-armed demon, cramming the map of Thailand into his maw. His hands contain some of the institutions which he is accused of having bought off and suborned: the iTV channel; his own conglomerate, Shin Corp; and parliament itself (top right). (The image should pop up in a larger size if you click on it.)

Former General Chamlong Srimuang, the head of the 'Dharma Army' Buddhist faction, is at the microphone in his blue peasant smock (his trousers, however, still have the sharp creases of an army man). To his far left, with the yellow neckerchief, is Sondhi Limthongkul, the media tycoon and talk show host who has been co-leader of the anti-Thaksin campaign. I read an interview with him recently in which he described himself as "very arrogant" in his youth. His manners haven't improved, from my experience of talking to him.

Here's Thaksin as a lizard, a loathed animal in Thailand. (Thaksin's wife was also pictured as a Medusa, with snakes for hair - interesting that this classical image should also be potent in south-east Asia.)

I'm not sure what's going on with Thaksin in this next effigy. Not flattering though. That's the lizard's blood-dipped tail at top left, by the way.

The next one is straightforward enough. At a British demonstration, that phrase "Dead or Alive" would raise questions about incitement to murder. But here it's a foreign language, and no one seems to take it very seriously.

I haven't had the Thai translated for this next one, but it looks to me like Thaksin as the archetypal Fat Cat capitalist.

Here's a member of the Dharma Army on his mobile phone. They may be unworldly Buddhist ascetics, but they keep abreast of the latest mobile teleciommunications. Note the bare feet. The Dharma Army rank-and-file was preceded by a row of young men and a row of young women, and at the very front a couple carrying photographic portraits of the King and Queen.

This character looks as if he has stumbled in from the Sydney Mardi Gras. Those are samurai-style swords which he's carrying.

(I wish that I'd taken a shot of the lads at the very front of the procession, who were the closest thing I saw to "toughs". They wore red T-shirts bearing the black image of a multi-armed Hindu deity, the Monkey General from the Ramayana, son of Hanuman. Around their necks they wore multiple amulets consisting of a clay tablet of the Buddha, sealed in glass and framed by silver. They served as Praetorians to the movement's leaders - they firmly barred my way when I tried to walk up to Chamlong to talk to him.)

This is Thaksin's coffin, adorned with more unflattering pictures. Nice.

No explanation required for this.

All this vituperative imagery probably gives the impression that it was a shrill and rather malevolent rally, but the opposite was the case. Everyone I spoke to was in good spirits and on best behaviour. Even Chamlong and Sondhi spent much of their time at the microphone reassuring the marchers that all was well, and urging them to remain calm and peaceful.

But they are determined. I came to Bangkok, half-expecting to see a resolution to this crisis. But it could go on for weeks.

Comments

[mracmullin]

You state that Thaksin remains very popular in the countryside. This seems to be based on the possibility of getting a handout, as demonstrated by the many people who came to seem him in Buriram last night for the free food and maybe money.