Trouble in Thailand
You
may have read about political unrest in Thailand recently. The majority
of support for the current Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is
located in the north and northeast areas of Thailand. These rural areas
are the more economically backward parts of the country.
Historically, the majority in these areas have supported her older
brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister, because he put
emphasis on development in their home areas.
Opposition to the
Prime Minister is strongest among the urban elite and middle class of
Bangkok. They would like to scrap democracy since they feel the rural
masses are not smart enough to elect the right people! To read more
about the "Bangkok Shutdown" see http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/11/world/asia/thailand-protest-explainer/.
Rural northeast
Thailand is home to about 400,000 Kuy people. While they are better off
than their cousins in Cambodia, they are among the lowest on the
economic scale in Thailand.
Do pray for a peaceful political
solution in Thailand. When you see reports of unrest in Thailand please
remember to also pray for workers to share the good news of the Gospel
with the Kuy people of rural northeastern Thailand.