THE BIG ISSUE: UNLEASH THE WOLVES
The Uighur exodus came to Thailand more than a year ago. In knots of fours and fives mostly, with the occasional large group from a family or village, they drifted in on the snake boats, victims of the human traffickers but also willing to pay the tens of thousands of baht per person it took to get out of China and head for Turkey.
They were taciturn until Chinese consulate staff from Songkhla came along to see them, at which point they clammed up completely. They conversed with Turkish diplomats, who were sympathetic to the migrants.
The Uighur people are mostly Muslim, and China, not the most friendly government towards minorities anyhow, treats them badly. In return, the Uighurs pretty much detest the Han Chinese rule. To compound the tension, a few of the Uighurs have signed up with al-Qaeda over the years, while others have staged small but vicious terrorist-type attacks, in Xinjiang and in Beijing. Chinese officials routinely slander Uighurs, and the Uighurs just as routinely are sullen and uncooperative, essentially protecting actual criminals and terrorists.
Thai governments are historically so cautious about offending Beijing the country won’t even allow the Dalai Lama to visit. Last week, Gen Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the chief of all law enforcement, tried a bit of balance, like King Solomon. Except it didn’t work. Turkey and China both demanded the Uighurs, so Gen Prayut had to cut them in half.
The government sent 172 Uighurs to Turkey over China’s protests. Then it sent 109 more to Beijing, turning Thailand into one giant diplomatic punching bag for the world. Even celebrity deputy government spokesman Maj Gen Weerachon Sukhondhapatipak was almost at a loss of words, except to say everything was handled legally. China apparently promised the very highest standard of care for the Uighurs, and who would ever doubt that sort of guarantee? Gen Prayut said he followed international practice, which he didn’t. In May, holding an international conference open to public view for the Rohingya migrants — that was international practice.
The UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees was outraged. The US government (surprise!) was dismayed. Human Rights Watch was appalled. Turkey was officially displeased.
Which brings us to the Grey Wolves.
Like many countries, Turkey has a political party politely described as farright. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) got about 15% of the vote in the last election, people who hate “the others”. But wait, there’s more. The MHP has an even more extreme “youth wing”, called the Grey Wolves. Where the MHP mainstream pretends to be open-minded and dedicated to debate, the Grey Wolves favour the more direct approach.
Example. The week before last, the Grey Wolves trashed an Istanbul Chinese restaurant, intimidating the owner and cook who is — get this! — a Uighur.
Example. Last week, the Grey Wolves spotted some of those despised Chinese people and began assaulting them. Except they didn’t because those under attack kept shouting, correctly: “We’re Koreans you idiots, not Chinese.” Skinheads can’t tell and won’t ask the difference. Dumb and violent is a dangerous combination.
Last Wednesday night, the Grey Wolves whipped up a fair-sized crowd and dropped over to have a word at the Thai consulate-general, the third evening of violence in about a week.
Grey Wolves and friends went in flying their sky-blue “East Turkmenistan” flags, the mythical country in present-day China. And wielding two-by-fours which quickly took out the consulate’s windows. After that, the mob simply trashed the place, strewing office equipment and furniture everywhere and — possibly — stealing documents.
In the reliable collective memories of everyone this column could find, this was the first time since the formation of the Lanna Kingdom that Thailand and citizens (none were at the consulate) and facilities were targeted for violence outside the immediate Southeast Asian region. Ever. Maddeningly and insultingly, the police came and told the mob to stop trashing the office. Then they took away nine people, apologetically.
Apoplectically, the Thai embassy in Ankara immediately posted a travel alert on its Facebook page, urging Thais in Turkey to watch their backs for Grey Wolves. Gen Prayut spoke of maybe shutting down the embassy. Special Branch immediately sent diplomatic protective police to the Turkish embassy in Bangkok to deal with any reaction, which was nil.
The big losers? Entire Uighur families split up in the Solomonic government decision. Next time, one hopes, there will be a better decision than cutting the baby in half.