"We should not overlook the fact that the political events in Thailand in the past few years reflect increased activism on the part of the Thai people, who have become more aware of the importance of politics to their lives and want to make their voices heard. The diversity of views being expressed by different groups shows that Thailand is a vibrant democracy and an open society. However, one cannot deny that political activism in the past few years has also been marred by violent incidents and a lack of compromise. While this is truly regrettable, it is perhaps part of the process of learning how to become a more mature democracy which Thailand has to go through. I am sure that democracy in Thailand will emerge stronger after this experience."