Gwangju and Bangkok

Thailand can learn a lesson from the Korean tragedy

Bangkok bears a striking resemblance to Gwangju three decades ago. The military killed civilians. Protestors were branded as mobs, rioters and rebels. Civilians called for greater democracy and the ousting of dictators.

Political immaturity is responsible for the bloody confrontation. Bangkokians demand the dissolution of the parliament, the resignation of the current prime minister and the return of the military to the barracks.

The figurehead is the ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who faces corruption charges. Kim Dae-jung was the figurehead of the 1980 pro-democracy struggle although the two have quite different backgrounds.

The red-shirt protestors, representing the country's poor majority, are demanding an equal share of the country's wealth and more political representation.

Gwangju citizens rose up against the military junta's move to seize power. The Gwangju movement had its roots in regional animosity. The city and its surrounding area had been long neglected ahead of their uprising back then.

In Thailand, the poor rural people are challenging the establishment, which includes royalists, military brass and big businesses. This looks like the clash of the wealthy and the poor or between the powerful and the powerless. Pro-democracy movements are prone to take place when per-capita income is between $5,000 and $10,000. Thailand now and Korea then were in this income range.

On the other hand, differences also exist between the two tragedies. A complete news blackout kept the world from getting information on what was happening in Gwangju. In this Internet age, information on the Bangkok upheaval is available immediately.

Unlike in the past, the aging Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej is unable to intervene in the turmoil. Washington's ambiguous attitude to the Gwangju turmoil planted the seed of anti-Americanism in Korea in the ensuing 1980s.

This time, the U.S. may encounter the same predicament as she stands behind the Thai establishment. The income gap is widening in Thailand. It is no coincidence that the rural poor are leading the current struggle. The poor are nostalgic, justifiably or not, for the ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin as they had enjoyed more income redistribution under his leadership. Although it will be possible for the Thai military to retake the city by force, controling the minds of the protestors is not. The violence may be suppressed for the time being but without a solution to its fundamental problems, it could erupt again at any time.

Thailand can learn the best solution to the tragedy from Korea. First, they need to reach an accord to end the current confrontation. Later the cause behind the killings must be accounted for. Victims should be compensated. Their honor must be restored. Political retaliation should be precluded. It took 13 years for Korea to bring the truth to light. Institutionally, settlements were made although emotional scars and division are lingering.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Gwangju pro-democracy movement. The event should not be eclipsed at the whim of those in power. Not just the Thai people but the nation itself should take a moment today to reflect on the past tragedy, so as not to repeat the same mistakes.