Workers: take control !
No to Abhisit – No to Thaksin
Yes to Workers’ Government !
For the 6th time in the past forty years the Thai government has used military force to suppress popular discontent against inequality and corruption. But sending tanks against protesters does not solve social problems.
Working people in Thailand face many problems, including a lack of democratic rights, poverty and repression. The outcome of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD Red Shirts) rally shows the limits of protesting against a government that simply does not care about the lives of working people.
Workers: take control !
No to Abhisit – No to Thaksin
Yes to Workers’ Government !
For the 6th time in the past forty years the Thai government has used military force to suppress popular discontent against inequality and corruption. But sending tanks against protesters does not solve social problems.
Working people in Thailand face many problems, including a lack of democratic rights, poverty and repression. The outcome of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD Red Shirts) rally shows the limits of protesting against a government that simply does not care about the lives of working people.
To achieve democratic rights and economic justice the working people of Thailand have no choice but to defeat the Abhisit government and the Thai military. But replacing the current government with Thaksin or with a general who switches sides will not change the economic conditions of exploitation imposed by capitalist companies that make their profits in Thailand.
Workers can resolve this situation only if they intervene as an organised workers movement. Only workplace organising can develop clear working class demands and genuine workers’ organisations. Only direct democratic control of workplaces and communities by assemblies of working people can begin to restructure the economy in favour of the great majority of the population.
The conditions of Thai workers are shared by many millions of workers in the region. The origins of the fight in Thailand are the same as many other struggles in the rest of the Asia Pacific region. Capitalists want workers to work for less and produce more to increase the profits of the capitalists.
Workers need to recognise the nature of this fight in order to develop their own political demands. We also need strong local, community, industrial, regional, national and international networks and organisations to win against such ruthless attacks. Industrial action and solidarity is a good strategy – to unite all working people and resist the attacks by capitalists and their governments.
What is happening in Thailand is not just a problem for Thai workers. It is a problem for all workers. We stand with the working people of Thailand. It is time for global action and solidarity to deal with our problems.
Click here for a sample union letter to send to the Thai government
Click here for the AAWL statement on Thailand: Workers Organise to Win !
End the dictatorship ! – Soldiers: Don’t shoot ! – Abhisit government Resign !
australia asia worker links – workers change the world – aawl.org.au
