The year’s end is near and so is the Thai Prime Minister’s. I wonder what the ubiquitous international community has to say about the Thai approach to conflict resolution.
Sometimes I despair. Religious conflict is part of South East Asia’s awakening, as much as the Inquisition, the Templars and Cathars were constitutive of Europe’s medieval making. The tension is, however, framed on different terms, by the setting of contemporary religions within the framework of the nation state; forgetting this frame makes for hilarity.
The Thai government’s approach to conflict resolution involves the dropping of over 100 million origami birds over Southern Thailand. Forget about justice, land reform, regional autonomy, better infrastructure, political debate, job creation schemes for the poorer, neglected “Muslim South”. Let’s make paper birds! Alas, this grand gesture of reconciliation was wrecked internally - we may say, grounded - before it took flight: “they were meant to be doves, a symbol of peace, but most turned out to look more like cranes” (according to ITN). Hooray!
One wonders whether this kind of thinking sets the tone, whether Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s cabinet meetings are but endless hours of brain storming sessions propelled by an ingratiating cadre, eachtrying to out-do the other.
“In fact, while we’re at it, why don’t we make Thailand the world’s brothel?”
“Hooray!!”
“Yes, great idea, let’s prostitute our women, leave them emotionally scarred, create a space where HIV/AIDs can spread, and have thousands of unwanted babies”.
“But why stop there? Let’s not discriminate against the boys! We must be seen to be enlightened”.
“Yes, let’s prostitute them, too”.
(ALL, in unison) “Hooray!!!”
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