By China Watcher
Not surprising, the two-faced US government finally revealed its stance after being silent for the past 3 weeks on the just diffused street protest in Thailand. The US government condemned the violence by anti-government protestors and urged its citizens to exercise caution while in the country.
Western media reported that the US government has joined the chorus of nations (yes, nosy Western nations again) in reacting to the violence in Thailand. The US State Department in a media conference urged an end to the violence by the “red shirted” demonstrators.
The first thing that comes to my mind was how could the US, a country which had traveled to all corners of the world to defend Western brand of democracy could condemn the very act of protest, which is one of the tenets of democracy and a mode for freedom of expression as promoted in democratic societies. The red-shirted protesters resorted to the use of violence to seek their demand for general elections after its peaceful protests have been largely ignored by the present Thai administration. The protesters were merely trying to garner world attention to its plight for a fair and proper representative government chosen by the majority of the people of Thailand. If I am not mistaken, the current Thai government came to power through the courts which invalidated the previous populist government. Does Western democracy stands for an elected government by the majority of its population?
Actually, I do support protest but only if it is peaceful in nature regardless of the system of governance.
In a brief revisit to Tibet, a China’s province, the protests that turned violent and deadly in March last year, the US and the Western media were the very first to support the protest as a human right to assemble and to express oneself and that the Chinese security police was putting down the unrest aggressively. The media were quick to highlight that there was a military clampdown on the Tibetan population. There is just no consistency in the US stance on the two incidents.
We all know very well that when it comes to China, there is always an exception whenever there was a hidden agenda behind it and the hawkish support from the US elected representatives. Perhaps, the US is gradually losing its touch on current events and it may be a sign of its dwindling influence throughout the world.
Not surprising, the two-faced US government finally revealed its stance after being silent for the past 3 weeks on the just diffused street protest in Thailand. The US government condemned the violence by anti-government protestors and urged its citizens to exercise caution while in the country.
Western media reported that the US government has joined the chorus of nations (yes, nosy Western nations again) in reacting to the violence in Thailand. The US State Department in a media conference urged an end to the violence by the “red shirted” demonstrators.
The first thing that comes to my mind was how could the US, a country which had traveled to all corners of the world to defend Western brand of democracy could condemn the very act of protest, which is one of the tenets of democracy and a mode for freedom of expression as promoted in democratic societies. The red-shirted protesters resorted to the use of violence to seek their demand for general elections after its peaceful protests have been largely ignored by the present Thai administration. The protesters were merely trying to garner world attention to its plight for a fair and proper representative government chosen by the majority of the people of Thailand. If I am not mistaken, the current Thai government came to power through the courts which invalidated the previous populist government. Does Western democracy stands for an elected government by the majority of its population?
Actually, I do support protest but only if it is peaceful in nature regardless of the system of governance.
In a brief revisit to Tibet, a China’s province, the protests that turned violent and deadly in March last year, the US and the Western media were the very first to support the protest as a human right to assemble and to express oneself and that the Chinese security police was putting down the unrest aggressively. The media were quick to highlight that there was a military clampdown on the Tibetan population. There is just no consistency in the US stance on the two incidents.
We all know very well that when it comes to China, there is always an exception whenever there was a hidden agenda behind it and the hawkish support from the US elected representatives. Perhaps, the US is gradually losing its touch on current events and it may be a sign of its dwindling influence throughout the world.
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