These images should make you mad. They should make you upset, they should make you angry, and they should make you want to take action because the time for inaction is over.
Last night, local media showed scenes of people who had passed out and/or died on the streets of Bangkok due to either Covid-19 or because they had been malnourished and without support during the lockdown.
Their bodies were left on the side of the street for hours.
เจ้าหน้าที่เข้าเก็บศพที่นอนเสียชีวิตใกล้วัดบวรนิเวศฯ ล่าสุดยืนยันว่าติดเชื้อ #โควิด #โควิดวันนี้ #วัคซีนโควิด pic.twitter.com/ay2fcDs903
— ข่าวสด (@KhaosodOnline) July 20, 2021
รายที่ 2
— ข่าวสด (@KhaosodOnline) July 21, 2021
20.30 น. พบศพชายอายุประมาณ 40 ปี เสียชีวิตบนฟุตปาธ หน้าห้างสรรพสินค้าโลตัส ถนนพระรามที่4 แขวงคลองตัน เขตคลองเตย #โควิดวันนี้ pic.twitter.com/ihN5PirFPE
เคยดูจากข่าวต่างประเทศ ไม่คิดว่าในที่สุดจะเกิดขึ้นในประเทศเรา
— Wongthanong (@wongthanong) July 20, 2021
ถึงจุดที่ประชาชนติดเชื้อโควิดต้องเสียชีวิตในรถ เสียชีวิตคาบ้าน นอนเสียชีวิตกลางถนนหลายชั่วโมงโดยไม่มีใครมาเก็บร่าง ทั้งหมดนี้มันเกินกว่าที่นายกฯ แถลงว่าประเทศไทยอยู่ในช่วง ‘หัวเลี้ยวหัวต่อ’ นี่มัน ‘วิกฤตขนาดหนัก’ แล้ว pic.twitter.com/tqeWspXP2L
Many of us never thought we would see the day when fellow Thai citizens would succumb to disease and starvation on the streets.
It is the lowest point in our history. This administration has brought us to our lowest point in our country’s history.
The pernicious influence of the criminals that sit in this cabinet can no longer be tolerated by us because we will not survive it much more.
Contrary to what they would have us believe, they are not here to stop the rot within Thai society but they are the rot within Thai society.
While they debate and fight with each other over who gets to benefit from the pandemic, Thais are dying on the streets, without hope, without support, in scenes we’re more accustomed to seeing in far-flung foreign reports than here at home.
Think of all the missteps that they have taken in fighting this pandemic that had led us to this point.
They have brought in a vaccine that was an ineffective in fighting the original variant of the virus never mind the current Delta variant and at a higher cost. Tell me who benefits from this, the Thai people or the people signing these deals.
They refused to close businesses before the Songkran holiday because they were afraid of hurting the large corporations that would benefit from the travel. How is that going for them now?
When case numbers were reaching an all time high, they were busy flying off to open the Phuket Sandbox, oblivious to the suffering of the rest of the country and eager to please the hoteliers writing pleading letters to them.
They constantly fight with each other, there is fighting between organizations, between ministries, between ministers for more prestige.
They fight with each other to save face, to make sure they get credit, to make sure they don’t get blamed for unpopular but necessary policies. And while they fight with each other, people are dying on the streets.
Prayut Chan-ocha, his ministers, his supporters, his sycophantic staff, has brought us to this point.
But the worst part is not even that their mismanagement has caused all of this.
The worst part is that we cannot get rid of them. We are stuck with them. They have manipulated the system, have forced it upon the people at the tip of a gun barrel and now no matter the loudness of the chorus asking for their removal – they simply will not leave.
If this was any other country in the world, the ministers would offer their resignation out of responsibility…or even shame.
But this lot in power are shameless. They will keep dragging our country into the abyss.
The time to stand up and make a stand is now.
Photos courtesy of The Standard and Khaosod