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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 6-Jan-2014
6-Jan-14 World View -- Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down

Web Log - January, 2014

6-Jan-14 World View -- Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down

Syria's Sunni opposition militias fight each other

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down
Syria's Sunni opposition militias fight each other

Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down

Anti-government protesters rally in front of the statue of King Rama I at Bangkok's Memorial Bridge (Bangkok Post)

Anti-government protesters rally in front of the statue of King Rama I at Bangkok's Memorial Bridge (Bangkok Post)

Anti-government protesters led by Suthep Thaugsuban of the "People’s Democratic Reform Committee" are planning a massive rally to shut down the city of Bangkok, Thailand, next week on Monday, January 13, in an attempt to gain control of the government. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has offered to step down, and has scheduled new elections for next month. However, that doesn't work for Thaugsuban, because Shinawatra's Pheu Thai political party has won the last five elections, and will undoubtedly win the next election. Instead of an election Shinawatra is demanding that a new "People's Council" select the next prime minister. Presumably, Thaugsuban wants the People's Council to be packed with is allies.

Thailand is in a very dangerous situation. Thaugsuban's market-dominant light-skinned Thai-Chinese elite minority do not wish to give up any power, but they're vastly outnumbered by the dark-skinned Thai-Thai who do most of the menial labor, and who continue to support the Pheu Thai political party. So if the latter stick together, they will always win every election, and Thaugsuban knows it.

Thaugsuban's "yellow shirt" supporters are apparently planning terrorist violence on January 13 to get their way, including gunfire and bombs. If they do get their way, then expect a violent backlash from the "red shirt" Thai-Thai. Bangkok Post

Syria's Sunni opposition militias fight each other

As al-Qaeda linked jihadists pour into Syria, the fighting on the ground is becoming more complex. There are now four different groups fighting in Syria:

The "moderate opposition," or Syrian National Coalition (SNC), including the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are moderate Sunni anti-Assad rebels who initially fought with the Syrian army when the conflict began in 2001.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant (ISIS or ISIL) is the modern outgrowth of al-Qaeda is Iraq of the mid-2000s decade, and has been a magnet for Sunni jihadists from as far away as Pakistan, Algeria and Dagestan. Although nominally an al-Qaeda linked group, the group has refused to take orders from al-Qaeda head Ayman Al-Zawahiri, thought to be hiding out in Pakistan. ISIS is occupying some of eastern Syria through parts of western Iraq in Anbar province. In theory, ISIS is fighting Iraq's Shia army in the east, and Syria's Shia/Alawite army in the west.
ISIS has been fighting the SNC more than the army, leading to a major split between the anti-Assad rebels.

The Islamic Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra ("Victory Battlefront"), are also Syrians, but are salafists rather than "moderates." It was formed in early 2012, and today is a large fighting force, with 11 big brigades. Al-Nusra won't say publicly which side they take -- the moderates or ISIS -- but they're said to be assisting the moderates, promoting Syrian unity over salafist ideology.

President Bashar al-Assad's Syrian army is targeting the moderates, and leaving ISIS alone.

The Syrian army has been taking advantage of the increasing fighting among the opposition forces. Some people are accusing al-Assad and ISIS as being allied against the moderates, while al-Assad fools the international community by claiming to be fighting terrorists in Syria. The SNC has issued this statement:

"The Syrian National Coalition believes that ISIS is closely linked to the terrorist regime and serves the interests of the clique of President Bashar Al-Assad…. The murder of Syrians by this group leaves no doubt about the intentions behind their creation, their objectives, and the agendas they service, which is confirmed by the nature of their terrorist actions that are hostile to the Syrian revolution."

Al-Jazeera (TV report) and Joshua Landis

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 6-Jan-14 World View -- Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (6-Jan-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 6-Jan-2014 6-Jan-14 World View -- Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down

Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down

Syria's Sunni opposition militias fight each other

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 6-Jan-2014
6-Jan-14 World View -- Thailand's elite minority seeks to shut Bangkok down