Lamest coup ever...
Camera hidden but within arm's reach, I wandered randomly around Chiang Mai for four hours this morning (making myself terribly late for work) in search of a military presence.
I saw a traffic cop buying a lottery ticket. Does that count?
While coups are generally accompanied by chaos and bloodshed, this one has thus far been bloodless, which is good for everybody but makes my blog less exciting. In Chiang Mai, 800 kilometres north of the coup's Bangkok epicentre, there's little sign of activity. Several people have told me of many troops at the bus and train stations.
TVs are blaring the news - with notably few updates - in every shop and food stall. Despite this omnipresence, Thais are going about their daily business and maintaining their characteristic good cheer. Traffic is as nutty as it was yesterday (to my untrained eye) and the shops in Chiang Mai are open. No doubt the situation is different in Bangkok, but for the moment we're mostly untouched by it up here. To the big question, "Will there be violence?", I have few answers and little insight. I haven't got an insider's grasp of Thai politics, and I know that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin is deeply unpopular in urban areas. The central issues are how Thaksin's supporters in the rural areas, and the corresponding factions of the military, will accept this transition, and whether Thaksin himself will go quietly. My gut tells me that it could go either way at this point - 50/50 odds of some violence. There's no chance of a larger civil conflict, I'm certain.
My CUSO contact in Bangkok, understandably frantic, called my office to tell me (like other CUSO cooperants) to stay home for the day. It seemed in poor taste, however, for me to leave the office as soon as I arrived and received the message. Moreover, today has been declared a public holiday - the military's oddly soothing euphemism for "Stay home and shut the %@#* up!". However, I'm here and web-wired, so I'll stick around and post what little I know as it comes up.
I've heard little about how this affects my work. I imagine that if there is violence, and DFAIT recommends that Canadians leave the country (which they haven't done yet) then CUSO will ask me to leave. I'd be a little cross to be pulled out of Asia a week after arrival, so I've been idly pondering personal contingency plans involving Hong Kong or elsewhere in China. I've put off finding an apartment for a couple of days, until I know more of my status, and getting a cellphone has rocketed to the top of my priorities list.
When I know more, you'll know more, and in the meantime keep in mind that I'm safe up here in Chiang Mai and the coup is a distant thing right now. And please, if you find any choice info, leave me a link in the comments.
That's all for now.
3 comments:
Considering that the support for the coup generally is situated in the urban areas of relative wealth, if you are in a semi-rural suburb I would think that there would be more possibility of ensuing "unrest" where you are rather than in Bangkok. I'm not worried for this week but in the upcomming days after the capital and major urban unfrastructure have already been secured. That's when I could see some potential semi-rural uprisings, considering people arent pissed in the larger urban centres, like Bangkok and Chaing Mai, I dont see violence / crackdowns going down in the centres. But, in semi-rural suburbs it may be a different case.
Be safe my friend. I hope the change in governemnt (it sounds more like a disputed election than a coup the only outrage I have heard so far has been from Australia) wont impede your work.
Hugs for you Paul!
Play Safe.
Someone has your exact location and address right?
Depending on your media access, you might already know this, but the military has directed the media not to report anything critical of the coup, or anything having to do with public opinion. But the coup has been internationally condemned (including by the US). You can probably trust reports that the king has come down on the side of the coup, since it's unlikely that it would have a chance to succeed if he objected.
BBC hasn't mentioned Chiang Mai once so far. No news is good news.
Thaksin looks sad. :-(
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