RSSBANGKOK (UCAN) — A Thai priest says people should not take sides as tension between “red shirts” and “yellow shirts” simmers ahead of a court ruling on the frozen assets of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
A reputable poll meanwhile indicates the vast majority of Thai people want peace and security in the country and a large number remain neutral regarding the political divide.
“We must not immediately judge who’s right and who’s wrong because we may not have accurate information,” said Father Vorayuth Kitbamrung, director of Catholic Social Communication of Thailand.
Speaking to UCA News today [Feb. 25], he said the “media these days is used as a tool to divide people. We have to listen to all sides.”
“Even in homilies, we [priests] need to be very careful. We have to be neutral and promote non-violence and peace,” he continued.
The country is bracing for a Feb. 26 court decision on whether to confiscate US$2.3 billion worth of frozen assets belonging to Thaksin.
The former prime minister is living in exile to avoid a two-year prison sentence for abuse of authority after trying to help his wife buy property while still in office.
Much of his wealth was seized after he fled the country.
For months, Thaksin’s supporters, known as “red shirts,” have staged rallies in the capital while his opponents, known as “yellow shirts,” have warned there could be unrest if the court rules against confiscating Thaksin’s assets.
The last few months saw coup rumors and small acts of violence such as a rocket grenade being fired into the compound of the army chief’s office.
The English-language paper, Bangkok Post, has been publishing a daily countdown to the Feb. 26 ruling and reported that red-shirt supporters, expecting the court to seize Thaksin’s assets, are planning nationwide rallies March 12-14.
Families affected by political crisis
It also reported that police and the military have been gearing up for possible violence.
Father Vorayuth said he is dismayed that even families are affected by this political divide. He added that as Christians are a small minority, “we may not be able to express ourselves very much on this political issue.”
Meanwhile, a reputable poll conducted by the Catholic-run Assumption University says 46.5 per cent of respondents were neutral about the political conflict, while 89.6 per cent of respondents said they want a return to peaceful politics.
The survey’s results were made public on Feb. 8. The survey questioned 5,470 respondents in 28 of the country’s 76 provinces.
Another Assumption University poll on the Feb. 26 court decision indicates that most people do not think tensions will decrease after the court’s decision.
“We conducted a poll of 1,515 people on Feb. 22 in Bangkok and nearby provinces and found that 49.2 per cent say tension levels will remain the same, 44.2 per cent say the situation will worsen and only 6.6 per cent say it will decrease,” said Noppadon Kannika, director of the ABAC Poll Research Center.
Moreover, 61.4 per cent of respondents believe the current political crisis is the result of political groups looking to further their own agendas rather than the national interest.
According to Noppadon, the university’s ABAC Poll Research Center was established in 1997 to present the opinions, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of the people, and provide a balanced flow of information as the media is largely owned by the state, business people or politicians.
TH08946.1590 February 25, 2010 58 EM-lines (573 words)
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