Democracy News

CCD Board Member David Kilgour Discusses Red Shirt Protests in Thailand
June 4, 2010
By: Randi Zung | Printer Friendly

In the May 27, 2010 issue of The Mark, Canada’s daily online forum for news, commentary, and debate, CCD Board Member David Kilgour’s op-ed, “Restoring Hope to Thailand,” discusses how the country’s Red Shirt protests threatened rule of law and democracy.  In his piece, Kilgour also discusses the implications for Western media involvement.  He identifies that English language media outlets had difficulty in separating fact from propaganda, and that their ensuing reports were “often virtually meaningless.”  In addition, Kilgour identifies that the tense political relationship between the Red Shirts, composed of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra supporters, and the current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva led government was grossly oversimplified.  Kilgour concludes that hope can be restored to Thailand if the current government works towards developing the rural parts of the country in order to reduce poverty and improve overall living conditions.

Kilgour is a former member of Canadian Parliament.  Kilgour and David Matas were awarded the 2009 Human Rights Prize of the International Society for Human Rights In Switzerland for their work in raising awareness of state-sponsored organ pillaging in China.  Their book, Bloody Harvest-The Killing of Falun Gong for their Organs, was published in 2009.

To read Kilgour’s piece, please see: The Mark – Restoring Hope to Thailand