Reflections on the Fifteenth Anniversary of Suppressed Dissent

The 2009–2010 crackdown on the Red Shirts, a Thai political movement opposed to authoritarianism, resulted in a profoundly tragic event. In 2010, the Thai government engaged in a full-scale undeclared war that led to over 100 fatalities and thousands of injuries—an event that marks its 15th anniversary in 2025. While the military crackdown has been extensively researched, this article primarily examines the suppression carried out by the Internal Security Operations Command ( ISOC ), a military political agency established in 1965 that regained influence following the 2006 military coup. The article argues that ISOC employed at least four closely coordinated measures and psychological operations against the Red Shirts: 1) using legal measures and crackdowns; 2) organising and mobilising opposing groups; 3) demonising the Red Shirts; and 4) conducting psychological operations and propaganda following the Royalist-Nationalist narrative. These four forms underscore the fundamental nature and primary mission of the Thai military, which is not to fight foreign wars but to address internal security matters.