Red v Yellow Truce for Chiang Mai?
The next few days could see a formal truce statement issued by the rival red and yellow shirted political rivals in the north.
A statement is being prepared for the Governor of Chiang Mai province, agreeing to respect people’s rights and guarantee tourists that all residents are “good hosts”, an anonymous source has told ‘The Nation’ newspaper.
The (apparently neutral) source said that the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce had brokered the deal during meetings with the pro-Taksin Shinawat ‘reds’ and their yellow clad rivals.
In the interests of tourism business, a meeting was held 2 weeks ago with both groups attending, though a second meeting more recently was boycotted by “splinter groups” of both colours, said the report.
Promsak Saenpho, leader of the red-shirted Confederation of Grassroots People of the North, was quoted as saying: “The country will be victorious if unity is restored and the political colours are destroyed.”
Less than 50kms away in the rural town of Payao, 8 members of the 2 groups were photographed shaking hands for the camera back on October 6th. Wearing every possible colour except red and yellow, they issued a brief statement saying: “We have good intentions for society, but may have offended ‘the other colour’” and apologised.
