Some of you may have been following developments during the past few months in Thailand: government opposition has grown so strong that the once-peaceful country has seen political demonstrations that left thousands injured and nearly 30 people dead. In recent weeks the demonstrations in the center of Bangkok have been so violent that several international hotels asked their guests to leave and find accommodation in a safer part of town. There is concern for the safety of tourists as well as locals.
Clearly this is enormous news in Thailand, but probably not many people gave it a second thought outside Asia unless they plan a trip there, or perhaps have visited in the past. The country known as the "Land of Smiles" is now the land of riots and tear gas.
The events in Thailand, though perhaps coming to a conclusion now the government is in negotiation with the opposition, have worried me not just as a supporter of democracy or someone who has spent a lot of time in the country. Of course I hope the situation is resolved for the sake of the people, but the events have come to affect me in a secondary way:
My latest novel, due out within a month, is set in Thailand. When I started the book, this political situation and violence hadn't happened yet. I haven't incorporated any of it into my story, but it feels wrong not to acknowledge it or address it somehow.
Only a portion of the story takes place in Bangkok, and it's not at all a political story though Thai government and law-enforcement officials are part of the action. So, I'm curious what other authors and readers think. Should I mention the current political situation in an introduction? Just ignore it? I don't want to seem insensitive or uninformed, and I'm guessing most people reading the book won't be aware of what's been going on recently. The timing is unfortunate for me.
I'm open to any suggestions or comments. Thanks.
EM Lynley
http://www.emlynley.com | http://emlynley.livejournal.com
1 comment:
Hmm...I don't know that you really *need* to acknowledge it. If it were my work, I wouldn't. Knowing what this book is about, it's focused on the characters and their interactions. You do touch on a titch of politics and whatnot, but it's really nothing that I feel is changed by what's going on right now. It's not as though you wrote Thailand as a utopia, and now it isn't. I think you did a really good job of showing us the pretty and the gritty (excuse the rhyme lol) in a good balance. If it were a political thriller, focusing on the structure of the government and certain officials, then I'd say yes, you should probably say something. But otherwise? I'm not sure that you need to. If you feel strongly that you *should* for your own personal peace of mind, then I don't think it's a bad idea, but I don't feel it's something you *NEED* to do. I don't think people will read it and be all, "wow, what an insensitive bitch" or anything like that.
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