‘Respect My Vote’ has become a nation-wide campaign in Thailand, where electoral democracy has been threatened many times for many years. Sure majority population want to continue the country’s democratization, while sure minority empowered by various elements have been attempting to grab others’ rights by blocking polling process, by threatening would-be voters in the name ‘Reform Before Election’. ‘Reform’? Which, once upon a time was called ‘New politics’, never was elaborated other than upsetting democratically elected administration by ‘People’s Council-Unelected’ or the kind. ‘Corruption (by Thaksin only)’ has become their cliché. The 2 February 2014, the day of snap election, has witnessed aunties, uncles, grandma-and-pa have come out to chant ‘election’ and ‘respect my vote’ as they were moving back and forth near the polling station, to where they eagerly want to get in to exercise their rights. It was blocked, then the poll was cancelled thanks to ‘reformative’ mob and inactive state agencies. Rights have been stolen in broad daylight. Here are grim scenes from Din Daeng, which has been often engulfed by political turmoils in Bangkok, Thailand.
태국내 ‘내 투표(권)를 존중하라’ 캠페인이 확산되고 있다. 반정부 시위대에 의해 투표권을 위협 혹은 봉쇄당한 다수 유권자들이 ‘피크닉 데이’를 선포하고 거리’축제’를 즐기는 시위대를 향해 외친다. ‘당신들이 투표안할 권리가 있다면 나는 투표할 권리가 있다고’. 앞만 보고 가도 더디기만 한 민주화 과정이 ‘개혁’과 ‘혁명’의 이름으로, ‘탁신온니 부패’를 구실 삼아, 엎치기를 당해온 지난 8년은 이제, 어쩌면, 더이상 반복되지 않을지 모른다.
All rights reserved © Lee Yu Kyung 2014
An elderly woman is showing her ID card in a frustration as she could not vote thanks to anti-government protesters (or PDRC) in Din Daeng, Bangkok. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok ‘intruded’ into the district office to demand polling process to re-open. Dozens of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) mostly its ‘guards’ have blocked the polling station which then was followed by cancellation of the poll. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok ‘intruded’ into the district office to demand polling process to re-open. Dozens of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) mostly its ‘guards’ have blocked the polling station which then was followed by cancellation of the poll. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok ‘intruded’ into the district office to demand polling process to re-open. Dozens of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) mostly its ‘guards’ have blocked the polling station which then was followed by cancellation of the poll. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok ‘intruded’ into the district office to demand polling process to re-open. Dozens of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) mostly its ‘guards’ have blocked the polling station which then was followed by cancellation of the poll. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok ‘intruded’ into the district office to demand polling process to re-open. Dozens of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) mostly its ‘guards’ have blocked the polling station which then was followed by cancellation of the poll. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok ‘intruded’ into the district office to demand polling process to re-open. Dozens of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) mostly its ‘guards’ have blocked the polling station which then was followed by cancellation of the poll. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok ‘intruded’ into the district office to demand polling process to re-open. Dozens of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) mostly its ‘guards’ have blocked the polling station which then was followed by cancellation of the poll. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Would-be voters in Din Daeng, Bangkok has destroyed the stage of anti-government protesters (or PDRC) in a frustration that PDRC has blocked the polling station, to where voters were eagerly want to get in to exercise their rights. (Photo © Lee Yu Kyung 2014)
Another WORD is Possible 
thank you for all the care and work that you are doing to document and communicate the situation to the world.
Thank you Wayne Coles-Janess for your kind comment. Yup, will try.:-)
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