Red Shirt Rally Day 67: Death in the Morning, Civil Disobedience in the Afternoon

The general wounded by a sniper died this morning.  Described in the press as a "rogue" he was an officer who could have defended the status quo but he chose to join the Red Shirts' cause. Now his death represents the deep fracture in Thai society, a serious setback for peace and finding common ground. News reports say that the King is sponsoring Seh Daeng's funeral. Meanwhile,  protesters ignored this afternoon's deadline to leave the Rajaprasong rally site. 

What's unusual about these protests from, say,  May 1992, is how deeply it has entered the consciousness of the residents of the city.  Perhaps the protracted nature of the protests is the reason, but none of the previous protests ever took place literally on the doorstep of the middle class. Protest sites were Phan Fah Bridge and the Democracy Monument, symbols of protests past. Rajaprasong, with its gleaming office towers, proud shopping malls, luxury hotels, and well-appointed condominiums for the well-heeled, seems like an unlikely protest site.

The school will still be closed on Tuesday for students, but all the teachers have been asked to come in.