PATTAYA, Thailand was once known as a southeast Asian paradise of beautiful beaches and total escape from the pressures of everyday life. Little wonder, then, that a summit meeting of Asian nations was slated for the seaside paradise. The ASEAN meeting, however, was disrupted and ultimately closed down as protesters demanding the ouster of Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, smashed their way into a convention center where leaders were preparing to discuss the global economic crisis. Clearly, the protesters found the crisis of trust in their own leaders of more pressing urgency. It is, said one prominent protester, “a government of thieves.” At this point, Thailand has two options: a major domestic offensive by the military to take control of the government and dispense with civilian leaders until free and fair elections can be held; or the resignation of Abhisit and the installation of a government that represents the largely poverty-stricken population of Thailand. This is the third government in succession to result in massive street protests and this time the protests are fuelled by global financial crisis that has hit Thailand with a significant drop in tourism, one of the country's major industries. The protesters may have good reason to vent their frustration at the ineffectiveness of their government's efforts to alleviate the economic pressures. But given that the main goal of the ASEAN meeting was to discuss ways that the region could react to the global crisis, forcing the meeting's cancellation may have been a self-defeating action. Sure, the whole world is now clearly aware of the political crisis sweeping Thailand but awareness is not likely to bring the people's suffering to an end. The image of Asian leaders being helicoptered out to safety is hardly one that will encourage global intervention in a domestic crisis. __
