Silom overflows with whistle blowers
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Thousands of office workers in tidy dresses and suits joined a large protest in Silom Road at noon yesterday for an event called "Green Silom", which saw an act of symbolic whistle-blowing against the controversial amnesty bill.
This activity was led by the Business Club for Democracy (BCD), a coalition of business leaders who advocate good governance.
Pracha Sangthongsuk, director of a private company named Danecraft Inc at Empire Tower, brought all staff to join the whistle-blowing at 11am. He said he took part to show business people’s stance against the controversial bill.
“Coming here today signifies my responsibility to my country. We have to live with responsibility to our duty. Passing of the amnesty bill [by the House] is an action without responsibility to the country,” Pracha said.
He said he wanted to show children that people in the country should adopt good practices.
“In the short term, we aimed to raise awareness to the government about opposition to the amnesty bill. We want to see the amnesty bill revoked,” Pracha said.
Somkiat Homlaor, a BCD leader, said another rally will be held in Silom tomorrow at 11am. He described yesterday’s rally as a success, judging from a crowd that numbered in the tens of thousands – although police put the number at just thousands.
The whistleblowers were a wide range of ages, from the younger generations to middle-aged and elderly people. Most dressed in black, with women in working dresses, and men in suits and casual dress. Some came in groups, some came alone, carrying a smart-phone or tablets.
Those in the rally took photos or recorded video clips of the whistle-blowing. With whistles hung around their necks, protesters also carried Thai flags in one hand, and phones in the other. Some blew their whistles, while others took photos of colleagues and the mob.
Most people kept posting photos or “tweeting” messages while blowing whistles – and this caused mobile signals from the heart of the event to jam. Some people talked with their friends, but found they could not upload pics, comments, or posts for a while.
Sarisa Vliaivis, 55, a business owner, had a Thai flag in one hand and a whistle hung round her neck for the rally in Silom. She said she was one of the “silent” people who normally protest online and via social media.
“But today, we could not be silent anymore. It is the time we come together to show the government that we are against the amnesty bill. Thaksin’s family has taken advantage of Thais and the country. He has not shown any responsibility for the wrong that he has done,” Sarisa said.
Nichanun Rattarojthajul, 30, an employee at a medical distribution firm in Thonglor, went to Silom with colleagues. They held self-made signs saying ‘Against the amnesty bill’ while joining the whistle-blowing.
“We really hope that the amnesty bill will be rejected by the Senate. A huge number of people were here to show that we oppose the amnesty bill and hope the Senate will reject it,” she said.
The huge crowd flowed into the Silom Complex building, on the ground floor and second floor, linked to the BTS Sala Daeng station. The walkway connecting MRT Silom station and BTS Sala Daeng station was also packed with whistle-blowers.
Mass transit lines, both MRT and BTS, were the way that most people headed to and from Silom. The MRT Silom exit was packed by noon, and after the event was over in the afternoon, many were massed there to get trains back from where they came.
