'Red shirts are the new middle class, but others back change'

Not only tolerance for different opinions, but also respect for people with different opinions. Actually we are all different. We should instil the value of accepting differences and being humble and listening to others. 

Students are not imbued with this value. If students criticise teachers, they are seen as bad because they are taught that they are youths and they must listen to adults.

In a democratic society, on a public stage, everyone is equal. Politics is a public issue. Social standards that once were acceptable can no longer be applied.

For instance, in the cartoon Super Hero there is a clear line separating good and bad people, black and white. Even in the Ramayana, there are giants and monks. You cannot adopt those standards, otherwise there are two different camps of yellow and red. Each side accuses the other of being stupid. Differences cannot be dissolved by saying that everyone must be united and love each other. We must look at what brings about conflicts.

 

There are attempts to assimilate despite the fact that they are different. If we let this continue, what could be the negative consequences?

This issue is about expression and not different opinions. One person speaks but the other punches. 

The problem is about expression. It is all right to have two political camps. The United States has two large parties that compete fiercely. The country does not seem to break apart. They can live despite differences. But the attempts to separate black and white will stop society from developing. If we try to make everyone accept the same thing, you have to hide our differences through authoritarianism.

 

The red shirts have the image of being grassroots and the yellow shirts are the middle class and conservatives. Who are the supporters of the amendment of Article 112 of the Criminal Code?

I disapprove of the definition that the red shirts are the lower class and the yellow shirts are the leading class. From my research, the red shirts are the new middle class. I call them the new class and in terms of income they are the middle class. In general, the red shirts have many classes as their members. You cannot say that it is a struggle between the upper and lower classes.

Supporters of Article 112 are in this group. There are locals and farmers who get information and support the amendment but they are not Pheu Thai Party supporters. People who support the amendment do not declare themselves as red or yellow. For instance, Ammar Siamwalla, who is in the leading class, also supports the amendment.

 

What is your group’s objective now that the Pheu Thai ruling party has announced that it does not support your move?

We will gather signatures till we have the targeted amount and then we will submit them to Parliament. 

The situation can change. Right now the leading class is trying to arrive at some deal. After having been in conflict for six to seven years and unable to definitely topple one another, they are now trying to reach a compromise.

The fact that the Pheu Thai Party announced it will not get involved with the amendment of Article 112, can be interpreted as they are making a deal. What we are doing has political significance because our move has been used in the bargaining process. We can see the conservatives have backed down on many issues, and the government may get to do many things that it wants to do.