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Published on August 12, 2007

For those who participated in the historic October 1976 political turmoil, Samak Sundaravej is a man whom they will remember well until the day they die for what he did at that time to activists fighting for democracy. When right-wing mobs massacred anti-government protesters at Sanam Luang and the adjacent Thammasat University on October 6, 1976, Samak was a symbol of right-wing political extremism and was believed to have had a role in the bloodshed.

Now, 31 years have passed, and Samak has not changed even slightly. He is still as rightist and aggressive as he used to be. Conversely, some of the activists who played a leading role in the October 1976 political movement seem to have changed and are now trying to forget a bitter past that they once had to endure under the oppressive hand of those in power.

Back on October 6, 1976, the whole country watched in shock as right-wing mobs and security troops stormed Thammasat University to execute a violent crackdown on students and activists who held protests against the return from exile of then ousted prime minister Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn.

The bloodshed came after several days of efforts to instigate animosity through public media by government officials and right-wing politicians. The outspoken Samak was then at the forefront of the verbal onslaught on the protesters.

Many protesters, most of whom were university students, were brutally killed during the crackdown while most of the survivors were arrested. Some student leaders managed to run away and had to join the communist movement in remote jungles as the only way to escape the manhunt being conducted by security forces.

The government's bloody suppression efforts and the casualties they caused did not consequently discourage the October, 1976 activists but rather strengthened their convictions and taught them what kind of people were enemies of democracy.

Some of the October, 1976 activists went on to become well-known politicians, including Surapong Suebwonglee, Prommin Lertsuridej, Sutham Saengprathum, Chaturon Chaisang, Adisorn Piengket and Phumtham Vejayachai. All of them must have learned first hand the pain that can arise from the abuse of power when hard-headed right-wing politicians are in positions of authority.

After 31 years, some of those activists from October, 1976 seem to have changed completely. From a group that once stood up to power-mad right-wing politicians, they have now become willing to share the same political path as Samak. If Samak were to become the leader of the newly formed People Power Party, those October 1976 veterans would be ready to serve him just as they previously devoted themselves to serving ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Many may question where the political esteem of these former fighters for democracy has gone, but others see it as useless to talk about ideology with them any more.

Other October, 1976 activists who remain faithful to their ideology may no longer want to talk about the stance they once shared with their former comrades since the latter have become lost in a greedy pursuit for political power and personal wealth. Those democracy activists-turned-politicians must have completely lost their ideology, even their consciences.

If one were to gauge the merit of Samak and the October, 1976 veterans who went on to join Thaksin's now-dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party, Samak emerges better in that he has never changed his political traits. It is an absolute ideological change for former democracy activists to accept Samak as the leader of the new political party under which they hope to run in the upcoming election.

It is shocking that they have shown no shame in turning to share a political path with Samak. Those who were unfairly subjected to a witch-hunt 31 years ago by right-wing politicians who attempted to quash their glorious fight for democracy have unbelievably become all too happy to work under a man who was once on the opposing side. They must have lost their political ideology, or perhaps they never had one at all.