Democracy and humanity for the people of Thailand

Jakarta, May 25, 2010 -- Since March, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as the Red Shirts, began a massive protest against the Abhisit Vejjajiva government. A government that came to power not through democratic elections but installed by the military and endorsed by the monarchy.

The Red Shirts’ main demand is that PM Abhisit resigns and hold a fresh, democratic election. After receiving numerous threats from the regime, last Friday (May 14) Abhisit used fully armed soldiers to violently disperse the Red Shirts. A “Live Firing Zone” was set up by the military to legalise the violence they do. Unbalanced fights broke out in the street of Bangkok, the centre of the Red Shirts' protest.

The military repression in Thailand has cost dozens of lives and thousands of injuries, because of the use of live bullets and other forms of violence. The systematic violence by the state against civilians, in any form, cannot be justified. Moreover, the reason for the violence is to uphold an undemocratic regime installed by the military.

We strongly condemn the Indonesian government for not taking a clear position or taking the international initiative to respond the situation in Thailand. Moreover, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) received a visit from Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Priomya, one of Abhisit’s righthand men, on April 29, 2010. Receiving the visit without making any criticism shows the position of the Indonesian government that ignores (or silently supports) the murdering of the people of Thailand. We strongly condemn the silence of the regional and international bodies (ASEAN and the United Nations) over this matter.

The problem in Thailand is not only a conflict between two elites (Thaksin Shinawatra and Abhisit Vejjajiva) an excuse which many people use to say that this should be left as an internal affair of Thailand. Millions of Thai people have openly declared a strong willingness to fight for their democratic rights. This willingness has been proved with heroic self-sacrifice. With their political action, the Red Shirts have shown that they are supporters of democracy, social justice and the ideas and universal practice of human civilisation. Military repression will not solve the problem and instead create a protracted social conflict.

Seeing that situation above, we declare our position and demand as follows:

• For the international community to immediately take decisive step to stop the military violence against the people of Thailand.

• Stop supplying weapons to the Thai army.

• Pressure the Thai government to stop the violence and restore democracy, with a concrete measures of immediate democratic elections.

• The King of Thailand must take responsibility for the violence perpetrated by Abhisit’s regime. A regime that ruled over the blessing of the King of Thailand. 

• Condemn the rise of militarism and repressive action by the military that has developed in South East Asia.

• Demand that the ASEAN Inter-government Human Rights Commission act responsibly on the gross human rights violations that have occurred in Thailand.

We make this statement as an appeal to the Indonesian people’s movement to build solidarity for the people of Thailand struggling to free themselves from the oppression of the military and Abhisit’s regime. 

Signed by:

Working People Association (PRP)

People’s Democratic Party (PRD)

Confederation Congress of Indonesia Union Alliance (Konfederasi KASBI)

Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI)

National Student League for Democracy (LMND)

Indonesian Poor People Union (SRMI)

Confederation of Nusantara Syndicalist (KSN)

Student Committee of University of Indonesia (KM-UI)