Let's wear red ribbons as we once did green

Re: "Abhisit picks the wrong colour",Letters, August 8.

Abhisit's donning the red shirt had nothing to do with his endorsing the street violence, the red villages or the whitewashing of Thaksin, but was simply a gesture to help Thailand understand that the longing of the red shirts for equality, respect and justice is shared by us all. Nobody has a monopoly on democracy in a democracy, or justice in a land that respects its courts. Nobody has a monopoly even on money in a society with appropriate rules and regulations, open law enforcement, a vibrant education system and skilful plans for lending a hand to those social groups that have been traditionally marginalised by geography, religion or prejudice.

You don't need a colour to get over the colour divide. You have to empower the rainbow that arcs over and reconciles us all. We are all red in part, or at least we ought to be, since the gap between rich and poor is so obvious and the impunity of the rich such a scandal. Indeed, Thaksin himself is the prime example of injustice in Thailand, isn't he? He's an ex-prime minister who has been convicted of corruption in an open and fair trial - yet he's not only permitted, he's encouraged to run our affairs from Dubai.

Everyone donning a red shirt all at once could be as effective as the green ribbons we all wore in support of the new "People's Constitution" in 1997. Donning the red shirt could give us the perspective to start making the changes Thailand so needs, which could be achieved much more rapidly if our rainbow were unified, our powers focused, our leaders respected - not because of their connections but because of their commitment to serve - and if nobody is afraid.

Lung Kip

Chiang Mai