Extravagancies of "Queen of Dalits", In Thai Protests, Blood Is Spilled (But Not Much)

Asia | 17.03.2010

Extravagancies of "Queen of Dalits" draw criticism

India's political parties have criticized the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati for spending millions on an anniversary celebration. Thousands of supporters were bussed in to see her Bahujan Samaj Party turn 25.

Bildunterschrift: Mayawati, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, with a garland made of real rupees around her neck

2010年03月17日11:52 In Thai Protests, Blood Is Spilled (But Not Much) Thailand's street protesters are taking extreme measures in drawing attention to their demands on who should run their country. The newest tactics: Splattering their own blood and threatening to hurl plastic bags of their feces.

On Tuesday, antigovernment demonstrators poured several gallons of blood at the gates of Thailand's government headquarters in a symbolic sacrifice to step up their campaign for fresh elections and to bring back Thailand's ousted populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra from exile. Activists have threatened to resort next to what they call 'biological weapons.'

Thailand's government appears unperturbed. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva vowed again Tuesday to stay in office.

Some analysts wrote off Tuesday's blood ceremony as a stunt, suggesting demonstrators had run out of ideas. Political commentator Veera Prateepchaikul described it as 'pointless.' But as the protests continue and daytime temperatures in Bangkok rise, tempers are shortening as demonstrators look for a dramatic turning point, and senior protest leaders already have been heard urging restraint.

Hundreds of riot police looked on during the day as thousands of protesters wearing the red shirts of Thaksin supporters lined up among Bangkok's historic temples to have their blood drawn by nurses before a priest laid a curse on Thailand's ruling military and bureaucratic elites.

Thai Red Cross officials described the ceremony as a waste of blood that could be used to save lives. But many of the tens of thousands of protesters who have streamed into Bangkok the past few days said giving up some of their blood was the least they could do to bring back Mr. Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and is still adored in Thailand's impoverished rural areas despite being convicted of corruption and labeled a fugitive.

Protest leaders said they gathered about 500 liters of blood in a potent gesture, especially for Thailand, where many animist and superstitious beliefs coincide with the Buddhism practiced by the bulk of the country's 65 million people. Luck Rakanithes, a prominent astrologer, says the protesters were setting up a symbolic spilling of blood to avoid violent confrontation.

'The blood has been offered in exchange for power,' Mr. Luck says.

James Hookway / Wilawan Watcharasakwet

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抗議者在總理府外手中拿著裝有血液的塑料罐

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國街道上的抗議者正在採取極端措施以引起當政者關注其要求。最新的策略是﹐潑洒自己的鮮血﹐以及威脅要投擲用塑料袋包裹的人糞。

原聲視頻：泰國紅衫軍“血洒”總理府

泰國前總理他信的支持者積極響應“潑血抗議”計劃的號召，於3月16日上午開始排隊獻血。當日下午，抗議人群行進至總理府，並將收集到的血液潑向總理府大門。以下視頻為紅衫軍獻血場面。

週二反政府示威者將象徵著犧牲的幾加侖血潑洒在了泰國總理府門前﹐要求重新選舉及迎回遭驅逐在外的泰國政治領袖他信（Thaksin Shinawatra）的抗議活動由此升級。示威者一直威脅下一步將使用其所謂的“生物武器”。

泰國政府看似並不為其所擾。總理阿披實（Abhisit Vejjajiva）週二重申其繼續當政決心。

Narong Sangnak/EPA

泰國紅衫軍血洒總理府

一些分析人士將週二的洒血舉動視為噱頭﹐認為示威者們已無計可施。政論人士Veera Prateepchaikul將之形容為“無意義”之舉。但隨著抗議活動持續﹐而曼谷日間氣溫上升﹐示威者急於尋求事態大轉折﹐他們的脾氣因而暴燥﹐高層抗議領導人已敦促示威者要克制。

數百名防暴警察在當天守候一旁﹐數萬名示威者身著代表他信支持者的紅衫﹐在曼谷多個歷史悠久的寺廟外排成隊﹐等護士抽取他們的血﹐而後由神職人員下一個對泰國把持政府的軍隊及官僚的詛咒。

泰國紅十字會（Red Cross）官員認為這種儀式是浪費本應用作救命的鮮血。但在過去幾天里﹐數十萬抗議者湧進曼谷﹐聲稱為能迎回他信﹐流這點血不算什麼。他信在2006年軍隊發動的政變中下台﹐但至今在泰國貧窮地區仍具有威信﹐儘管他被控貪污且背上逃亡之名。

組織抗議的領導人說﹐他們已收集了500升鮮血。尤其是在泰國這個信仰萬有靈論、間有各種迷信思想﹐且全國6500萬人口中大部分信仰佛教的國度﹐這已是個強勁的信號。知名占卜家Luck Rakanithes認為﹐抗議者正以象徵性的流血來避免暴力沖突。

他說﹐鮮血是為了用來交換權力。

James Hookway / Wilawan Watcharasakwet