A reversal of fortune

FIVE YEARS ago he found himself at the peak of his political career when leading protests outside Parliament by the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC). But today, Suthep Thaugsuban sees his popularity in a slump as he returns to the same streets, though for a different purpose.
Everywhere he went in 2013 and 2014, Suthep would meet with a large, cheering crowd calling out his nickname at the time, “Lung Kamnan”, as they fought together to oust a regime they viewed as corrupt. Once the movement achieved its goal of bringing down the government, Suthep, to prove that the fight had not been for his personal gain, pledged to never again return to politics.
But now the former PDRC secretary-general is back in the game. Although he maintains that he will not take up any political position, his fellow PDRC fighters just cannot look at him the same way they did five years ago.
The picture now is almost sad, as everywhere he goes to seek members for his party, Action Coalition for Thailand (ACT), the once popular protest leader has met with cool responses and sometimes heated confrontation.
One former protester, to show his loss of faith in Suthep, even handed him back the whistle he’d blown during the anti-government demonstrations. Whistles, used in shrill protest in the thousands, became the symbol of the now-defunct PDRC movement.
“He should have stopped. Back in 2013, Suthep really had the time of his life,” said political activist Sombat Boonngamanong. “He would have been remembered beautifully if only he hadn’t decided to return to politics.”
Sombat said he was not surprised by the negative feedback Suthep is getting.
“Five years ago they had this common agenda of removing the government. Protesters knew he could do it and they trusted him to,” Sombat said. “But now, it’s another election. Suthep’s just not someone people think can represent them in Parliament. He’s unsaleable.”
But Suthep couldn’t avoid returning to the campaign trail either, the veteran political activist said. If he didn’t, his party would be only a wallflower. After all, negative feedback is still feedback, and it keeps the party relevant in politics and in the media.
The bitterness towards Suthep has at least pressured other former PDRC members to come out and show their support for ACT. Sombat referred to John Nuvo, a rock star popular in the 1990s who was a strong PDRC supporter. He recently announced that he was rooting for ACT, though he stressed that it was not because of Lung Kamnan.
Since the pro-junta wing could be relying on Suthep’s popularity in a bid to return Prayut Chan-o-cha to the premier’s post after the election next year, Sombat said, it should be feeling the repercussions from recent events surrounding Suthep.
Attasit Pankaew, a political scientist at Thammasat University, said the decline in Suthep’s popularity reflected the disappointment PDRC members felt about Suthep and his failure to keep his promise.
However, it’s too soon to predict whether ACT and the pro-junta wing might meet with disaster, Attasit said. They still had time to reverse the game, he said.