SENTINEL WATCH July 26, 2010 Issue

PRAYER—A HEALING PROTEST

BEVERLEY BEDDOES-MILLS

THE TURMOIL AND VIOLENCE in Thailand this spring, and continuing tension, have presented a country in the grip of political polarization that for a time brought Bangkok, the nation's capital and a city of well over nine million people, to a standstill. Although the protestors' encampment in the city's commercial center has been dispersed, sharp divisions among political and social groups persist. At this writing, The Nation, a Thai newspaper, reports that both sides have sent emissaries to the US Congress, seeking support for a peaceful resolution to the political conflict and a road map to reconciliation.

The protestors, mainly from the north and northeastern parts of the country, were rural poor demonstrating for social and economic justice. As citizens they had a civil right to express their grievances. However, the demonstrations were undermined by violent acts of terrorism, and lives were lost. No matter how righteous the cause, violence and human will indicate an element of evil that is counterproductive to finding a peaceful solution. The human and civil rights of everyone in a society should be upheld.

Earlier this summer the Thai ambassador to Australia acknowledged that the freedom of peaceful and unarmed assembly is enshrined in the Thai constitution. Prayer to support this freedom is needed to counteract and destroy the divisions that have arisen in Thailand. Our prayer can include a recognition that each individual has divinely bestowed wisdom. This will help open the way for stable government and overcome the corruption and tyranny of the "carnal mind," which the Bible describes as "enmity against God" (Rom. 8:7) and undermines human rights.

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