Bangkok situation

Most people living in Bangkok want the violent protest by the red-shirt people to end quickly. The nation's economy has been crippled for the past 2 months after the anti-government movement was signaled to launch the ultimate "demonstration". It has been estimated that economic losses were already in the range of over 70 billion Bahts, and might cost even more.

It has been known that the pro-convicted camp has prepared armed resurrection plan nationwide for years. Unfortunately, the Thai government did not take any action to prevent it in the recent past, or perhaps it lacked sufficient number of cooperating officials and officers to do what is morally right. Many people in the anti-government camp were believed to have been fed with money from some masterminds. Leadership of the protestors have shown that they are willing to risk the lives of women and children they cajoled into their human shields, while preparing fighters armed with M79 grenade launchers and other war weapons, including those captured from soldiers last month. Corrupted people caught last month for manufacturing grenade launchers as well as trying to deliver M79 grenades to their clients were just tips of the icebergs for the social split inside the country at the moment. Yesterday, a car bomb wired in the Southern Thailand style was found. This is a serious warning sign that Southern terrorists are moving in to join the chaos in Bangkok.

There is an additional irony, some prominent persons have called for all sides to cease fire and resume negotiation, knowingly that they do not want peace to actually happen until they get victory.

I try to use Buddhist practice of feeling neutral of what 's happening now, yet I can't help siding with the morally right ones. I have confident that the morally right side will win. I wish peace can be restored soon by soldiers and masterminds for the riots are brought to justice. However, the toll toward Thailand's political stabilization and peace will be sadly high. And political division will remain for years to come.

Everyone has his Karma, and consequences. Everything has its start, it has its end. I now just try to be an observer (in Buddhist sense). This evening, I hope I can still go to attend my evening Abhidhamma class.

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I did, and return home safely before 2100. Many parts of the city are peaceful.