Contesting discourses of blood in the ‘red shirts’ protests in Bangkok

Dados Bibliográficos

ID9082284
AutoresErik Cohen (autor correspondente)
Ano2012
Volume43
Fascículo2
Páginas216-233
Data de publicação2012-06-01
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Southeast Asian Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0022-4634 • E-ISSN: 1474-0680
EditoraCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0022463412000033
OpenAlexW1994932971
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas9
Referências citadas28

The spilling of blood in modern political protest is an exceptional event. This article discusses the deployment of blood as a means of struggle by the members of an extra-parliamentary movement, known as the ‘red shirts’, in March 2010, in the course of their prolonged attempt to topple the government of the Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Two contesting discourses of blood are discussed: the symbolic discourse of blood as a self-sacrificial act deployed by the protesters to curse their enemies, and the medical counter-discourse deployed by the authorities, in an effort to neutralise the protesters' act. Several issues raised by the blood-spilling act are examined: its perceived appropriateness, its ritual roots and its disputed effectiveness as a curse. In conclusion, it is suggested that the blood ritual constitutes a reflective move to counter the prevailing ‘regime of images’ in Thai society

Curse · Government (linguistics) · Media studies · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Prime minister · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Gender Studies · History · Law · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies

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