It is now conventional wisdom to state that PAD protest leaders actually want violence in order to invite a coup against the government – I can see how this might logically flow from their actions, which is to say it is one possible outcome. It can also be deduced from some of Sondhi’s comments. But I am not comfortable with that idea being defined as PAD’s key strategy: it recycles reactionary ideas about the way in which protest is merely the plaything of conspiracy and the cynicism of leaders. Something more fundamental is going on in Thailand right now.

– Extracted from Michael Connors, “PAD and non-violence”, 14 October 2008. This is from an e-mail interview with Christian Science Monitor.

It is, I might add, great that Connors is continuing to put these materials up on his valuable site. They certainly help all of us to better understand the terrain of debate beyond the quick grabs and soundbites that are reproduced in the media.