We have gone through bad political experiences - bloody coups, brutal crackdowns by troops on protesters and even the lynching of university students. Despite our national trademark showcasing warm smiles and a peace-loving nature, we Thais have always had seriously bad traits hidden inside. Thais, it's sad to say, are capable of killing when it comes to ideological or political struggles.

The disregard for innocent lives shown during what was supposed to be a festive and forgiving time just took it to another level. During coups, the fatalities are mostly soldiers and those caught in the crossfire. The heroes slain on October 14, 1973 were participants in an anti-government uprising and so were the May 1992 victims. The students massacred on the campus of Thammasat University on October 6, 1976 were thought to be - or accused of being - communist infiltrators.

Those killed and hurt in Bangkok on New Year's Eve and at the dawn of 2007 were just tourists and bystanders. They were celebrating the New Year, or enjoying an evening out with friends, or on their way home to see their families. While the scale of casualties might not be comparable to those in the country's past incidents of political bloodshed, the masterminds of the bomb attacks possess the same - if not greater - level of brutality and cold-bloodedness as, say, those responsible for the Thammasat infamy.

Equally troublesome is the readiness on the part of opposing political sides and some of their supporters to condone or accept collateral damage. It was said that some of the leaders of the May 1992 uprising wanted to provoke the shooting, knowing that the government would collapse once soldiers started firing on their own countrymen. During street protests against the Thaksin government, both camps strongly suspected one another of trying to trigger a bloodbath to seek the political upper hand. Collateral damage is a slippery slope. It feeds on itself and, with the right ingredients, can easily develop into a full-blown war. Collateral damage is often described as a necessary tool to achieve a noble aim, while in fact it's just an easy excuse for one to become as bad as the enemy one hates. Our deep South has been in danger of a civil war because the lives of the innocent are not just being disrespected, but also treated as easy targets.

Are the southern militants taking their war of terror to Bangkok? Some evidence and characteristics of Sunday's small-sized bombs indicate so. Yet that is hard to believe, from a logistic, strategic and even ideological point of view. Is it their new method for provoking the central government? But what could they possibly hope to achieve? Renewed military clampdowns in the southernmost provinces so as to keep Thai Muslims alienated from the state?

Are Thaksin Shinawatra's powerful allies sending a message or launching a systematic underground campaign to undermine those who toppled him? This is the most talked-about theory at the moment. Possible motives seem strong, but if this is the case, the disregard for collateral damage is highly disturbing.

Or were the bombings staged to discredit Thaksin and gain sympathy for those who ousted him? To his supporters and those who are against the September 19 coup, this theory is not too far-fetched. After all, when the "car bomb" plot was uncovered and foiled last year, many of his opponents claimed he staged the "hoax" to re-boost his popularity.

Whatever it is, and whoever it was, Thais must come together to resist this act of political or ideological barbarism. We have to, because otherwise those responsible will take our silence as acceptance and go yet another step further. Political or ideological rivals may have crossed the line, but we simply can't, simply because we are the last line of defence of civil decency. We shall never condone collateral damage. Ever. Even though we cannot do anything about the New Year's bombings for now, let's just tell ourselves that those who did it are traitors who would only take this country on a wrong path. Let's be firm in our hearts that no innocent life deserves to be taken to pave the way for a change of any kind. If we tolerate it, sooner or later we will find it hard to differentiate ourselves from the ones responsible, who will do whatever necessary to get what they want.

Tulsathit Taptim