Normally he is seen on television, his voice of opposition
amplified to a crowd and the words “We will fight for the
king” written in Thai on his royal yellow shirt ““ a
symbol of his political convictions. Sondhi Limthongkul has been
found leading peaceful protests against the former Thai government,
in February leading an estimated 100,000 people at the Royal Plaza
in Bangkok, with anti-prime minister posters reading “Get out
Thaksin” in the background.
And though a military coup has replaced the prime
minster’s government in Thailand, and these public rallies
have now come to a rest, Limthongkul, a Thai journalist and UCLA
alumnus, came to campus Monday to speak about the implications that
led to the bloodless takeover in September and about the future
political state of the country.
In mid-September, after years as the prime minister of Thailand,
Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted by the military. Though his first
term had been lauded by the Thai community as well as journalistic
outlets, his second term abounded with speculation of corruption
within the government.
Examples of this corruption included policies and legislation
the prime minister would pass for personal profit, as well as
limitations on the types of information news organizations would be
able to report. Limthongkul said Shinawatra disrespected the role
of the Thai king in the democratic, constitutional monarchy.
Though Limthongkul was not affiliated with the coup, he had been
personally affected by the government when his television show was
cancelled due to his criticism of the prime minister.
With Shinawatra, Limthongkul said, you were either for him or
you were against him. And if you were against him, you were not
allowed to speak.
“The police would take action to whoever was against
Thaksin,” Limthongkul said.
He recalled an event when three elderly people and a young woman
were at the same mall as Shinawatra. At his sight, they began
yelling, “Thaksin get out!”
And at the moment of this resistance, the police came. On the
orders of the chief officer, the police began physically abusing
the group, resulting in the hospitalization of one of the elderly
people.
No news organizations were allowed to report on the event
““ except for Asia Satellite Television Network, one of
Limthongkul’s independently owned broadcasting companies.
Limthongkul said incidences such as this one show that the
political atmosphere in Thailand at the time would have prevented a
fair and accurate popular election, and that the imposition of a
military coup was necessary.
Public officials were highly unethical, he said. The information
the public needed to know was not getting to them because of
government restrictions on the news media.
The public had been a victim of government corruption and
vote-buying, he said.
There was the rural population whose vote had been bought by
Shinawatra. Then there were the graduate students who had been
promised 500,000 baht each if they rallied in support of the former
prime minister.
But there was a time when Limthongkul supported Shinawatra.
He said he remembers having a meeting with the former prime
minister a week before the first election began. Shinawatra, a
successful businessman, had said, “I’m wealthy enough
to where I’m not going to corrupt.”
So Limthongkul supported Shinawatra during his first term. When
critical questions were asked about the prime minister’s
administration on his television show, he emphasized
Shinawatra’s legitimacy to his audience.
But then Limthongkul received a letter from a viewer. The author
said she had noticed problems within the government, but
Limthongkul’s defense was engaging and was beginning to
persuade her otherwise.
“I felt abhorred by myself. And that’s what changed
my mind,” Limthongkul said.
“But I decided to keep alive the program,” he said,
referring to his independent satellite television show. His crowd
soon grew, from 3,000 to 10,000 and then to the 120,000 people who
stood behind him in February of this year.
And thousands of miles away from Thailand, two months after the
military coup, he still has a following ““ even if it is in a
lecture room in Royce Hall.
Nusia Tunuck had seen Limthongkul’s presentation the night
before, at the Hollywood Park. As she bashfully put her hands over
her face, she said she asked for a few hours off of work so she
would have a chance to hear his presentation in English. Even after
getting lost on a few buses and asking strangers for directions to
UCLA, she said she was glad to have heard him speak again.
“We have things in common. We have a love for our country
and we want to do the right thing,” Tunuck said.
But not everyone in attendance was familiar with
Limthongkul’s background.
Kanit Therdsteerasukdi, a graduate student in computer science,
said he had heard a lot about Limthongkul since his parents had
been supporters of the journalist. He said he had been confused
about how the People’s Alliance for Democracy, the political
party Limthongkul is affiliated with, would help impose a military
coup if one of its bases had been a cleaner, fair democratic
process.
After attending the event, though he said Limthongkul seemed to
circumvent his question during the question and answer session, he
said he became more informed about the reasons for and the
necessity of the military presence in the country.
And though Limthongkul is unsure about the political future of
Thailand, he said he hopes within a year the military coup will
step down and the democratic process will take place through an
election in Thailand.
And if not, he said he will be back on the streets protesting
once more.