Interview with a member of the Thai Red Shirts

Just by chance we met a member of the “Red Shirts” movement, and seeing the opportunity to gather information from the inside, we decided to interview that person!

L – What is the “Red Shirt movement”?

A- We started because we wanted democracy, a real one, not what we have right now, and because the government we have nowadays was not elected from the vote of the population, but by the army. The “yellow shirt” helped this government to get in the power.

We are also fighting for the farmers and poor people. We believe that theres’ a double standard: the “yellow shirt” never go to jail, it doesn’t matter what they do. The “red shirt” always go to jail, for whatever reason.

We get no international support, so we help each other with donations: if I earn 10000THB (250€) a month, I give 1000THB (25€) for the Red Shirt and the families of injured members.

L- What kind of people participate in it: politically right or left? economical level? they are Thai, or from the tribes?

A- It’s the left side (the right is the yellow shirt, the government, the rich), their economical level is medium to poor people, farmers.

It’s a Thai fight, it includes Thai and hill tribe people, we are all the same, we fight for the same reasons without distinguishing.

L- What do they defend?

A- We have never had a democracy: the nowadays government is military, and doesn’t protect the poorest and farmer class.  We try to defend the rights of the poor people, which is a big percentage of our population.

L- Is Chiang Mai strong in this movement and why?

A- The north east- the Isaan hilltribe area (Udon Thani province) is the strongest, and the North (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces) are the second stronger.
It’s because they are the poorest regions, their main population is working in farming. That makes them the people suffering the political decisions of our nowadays government, and therefore the ones moving against it.

L-Tell me about the “secret” meetings, what do you talk about in there?

A- They are not secret meetings, a couple of days ago they finished the “association curfew” period our government had imposed, in order to stop “the rebels”. Our meetings are meetings for rebuilding the groups, we talk withe the leader about the past: what happened to the red shirt people in Bangkok, all the people that died… and we plan the future.

We don’t know about the future, we have a slow long way. After the Bangkok riots, 91 people died, and more than 2000 people were injured.
So now we are recruiting new people, and rebuilding the groups.

In these meetings we also donate money for the injured people, and their families. We support our cause and our people.

L- What would the “Red Shirts” do, if they were in the power?

A- Run the country in the right way (start a democracy), avoid the injustices they suffered. Help the farmer, make all of the people happy.