What the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) did in Bangkok last week was simply appalling, even by my liberal standards of democracy and human rights. I am all for freedom of speech and even civil disobedience, provided the situation warrants it, but to take a country hostage by seizing airports and disrupting the lives of millions of other people needlessly is simply inexcusable.

To me, the PAD is like the bands of Somali pirates that hijack ships, or even the group of terrorists that attacked Mumbai. Of course, the parallels might appear extreme to some. After all, the PAD didn’t seek to kill anyone or create massive chaos. However, by virtue of their actions, the PAD has effectively disrupted the livelihoods of millions of other Thais, and if you are a poor Thai who depends on tourirst dollars to survive, you are basically handed a slow death. The PAD didn’t take away lives directly but I think the torment inflicted on many Thais in terms of earning a livelihood is going to last a while, and I don’t think that is much better than what Mumbai suffered.

Putting aside my rants, this episode demonstrates to me the pitfalls of a democracy that is unable to check itself. For a week, I was actually a little grateful living in a country with draconian laws on assembly. At the very least, Changi Airport isn’t going to get hijacked by a bunch of people seeking to force their wills on others. I still dislike the restrictions placed on demonstrations in Singapore, despite the relaxation on rules this year, but at least for now, I appreciate the necessity of regulating protests and demonstration to avoid such political hijacking.

I think the political liberal in me has taken a small step to the right.