Efforts to “decolourise the shirts” to end longstanding political conflict will bring only cosmetic changes and cannot possibly sway people’s deep-rooted political beliefs, Udon Thani locals say.
A man wearing a red T-shirt rides a motorcycle past a banner carrying the message ‘Democracy Cannot Be Disrupted. Go to Vote’ in the red-shirt village of Ngoi in Udon Thani’s Muang district. The 2nd Army is removing the name signs of red-shirt villages and symbolic flags in the province to try to end colour-coded politics. Thiti Wannamontha
Several residents of tambon Nakha said they agree with the saying that “you can take a person out of a red-shirt village, but you cannot take the red-shirt village out of the person”. Thoughts have deep roots, they say.
For two weeks, the junta has engineered a nationwide campaign seeking an end to colour-coded political divisions after seizing power from the Pheu Thai Party-led government on May 22.
The junta’s main target has been Udon Thani, known to be a stronghold of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), as it seeks to devise steps to unite people of different political beliefs under the so-called “Udon Thani model”.
To kick-start its plan, the junta has set up a “reconciliation centre” in this northeastern province. The centre, manned by soldiers, police and local officials, has been hosting activities in a bid to dissolve colour-coded politics. The activities so far have included tree planting, a mass ordination ceremony and entertainment shows.
A local official in tambon Na Kha, in Udon Thani’s Muang district, said activities held by the military would give opportunities for local residents from various colour groups to interact and patch up their differences.
However, it would be almost impossible for the military to succeed in its attempts to dissolve colour-coded politics as most local people were red-shirt supporters “in their veins”, said the official, who declined to be named.
There are more than 300 households in two clusters of villages in tambon Na Kha. Most residents are red-shirt supporters, with only 10 households belonging to the rival yellow-shirt group.
Before the military’s seizure of power, the villagers had exhibited signs openly flaunting their political affiliation at their homes and around the community. After the coup, the NCPO ordered the signs be removed.
Now, local residents lead normal lives, but are wary of taking part in political rallies or giving their political views.
Mai, 52, owner of an ice cream shop and landlady, said she has long been a red-shirt sympathiser, but had never joined any UDD rallies.
She said it would be an uphill task for the military regime to end the colour-coded conflict, as many red-shirt people felt they were being unfairly treated. All they want is for justice to prevail for all sides, she said.
In her village, locals have stopped discussing political issues. Though red-shirt supporters far outnumber yellow-shirts, the red-shirts harbour no grudges against their neighbours, said Ms Mai.
She urged the military to tackle the rising cost of living rather than trying to end colour-coded divisions with stage performances and reconciliation activities.
Nopporn Lashima, 43, an electrician, said he wanted a general election to be held as soon as possible so the country could return to normalcy.
He admitted many residents had joined UDD rallies, but insisted they were not hardcore members. Regardless, their political ideology would not be swayed by planting trees and attending stage shows, he said.
He and other residents strongly disagreed with the military coup, Mr Nopporn said. But since the coup has already been staged, the locals would wait and see whether the regime could successfully reform the country to pave the way for a free and fair general election.
Once an election was called, red shirts would respect the outcome, he daid.