Asia-Pacific Features
Living in Thailand: The Coup Day - 2
By Scott Rosenberg special to M&C Sep 21, 2006, 11:45 GMT
A tourist organises a picture session for herself and partner with Thai armed soldiers guarding a shopping area in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday 21 September 2006. Tourists have been enjoying the \'coup of smiles\', delightedly lining up to have their pictures taken with the soldiers on duty Thursday. Banks and government institutions resumed trade Thursday in Thailand after Tuesday\'s bloodless coup, overthrowing former caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was in New York. EPA/BARBARA WALTON
There is a conspiracy afoot, I am sure of it.
From 7 am to 8:15 am this morning, HBO Asia over its South Asian satellite footprint broadcast ‘Purple People Eater’ (1988) helmed by Linda Shayne (dir. ‘The Undercover Kid’ -1996 screenplay ‘Screwballs’ 1983).
I am sure this broadcast was a deliberate move on the part of HBO and all the un-democratic governments of Asia to dumb-down the minds of the Asian populace.
As you can see, and as you have heard things are back to normal (almost) in Thailand.
Even Internet, which according to the English language newspaper The Nation spiked up 429 percent yesterday, is moving faster today.
I am a little confused over the military government’s declaration that there can not be public gatherings of five or more people- several people reported arrested under that order.
But cinemas were open yesterday and today (saw ‘World Trade Center’ today – it was so-so, waste of Nicholas Cage’s talent) and certainly there you have more than 5 people gathering. And the (naughty) bars were open yesterday (there apparently is NO curfew).
I asked Khun Chaiwat (my trusty assistant) and he said that the military (he has now become a military spokesperson) means gathering of 5 people or more that are in favor of former PM Thaksin and are talking about him.
Oh. I see! (not!!)
Today, I have a bone to pick with all those world leaders that are calling for “democracy” to be restored in Thailand.
“Hey Bush and Annan and Blair and all other world leaders – did you ever think that the Thai people like it the way it is?”
It is written all over Thai history, these are a people that have thrived under power from the top. Even since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand endured years of almost permanent military rule before the establishment of a democratic system.
And while their economic system and business culture have grown under democracy, an underbelly of greed, corruption, nepotism fostered by corrupt governments followed.
The coup worked because the upper middle class in Bangkok wanted it to work. They were tired of watching Thaksin and his cronies get rich while they endured government policies that did not favor them.
It is almost as if they screamed, “Come in and chop off his head” to the armed forces.
And in fact, the success of the Coup is being attributed to this faction of the population.
After all, Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party won 19 million votes in the last election - his was a democratically elected (corrupt) government.
Did the people who elected him care?
His supporters are generally the poor and working class. TRT rhetoric spoke to their needs (after all the TRT party title itself means Thai’s who love Thailand ) – 30 baht (US $.80) health care (which bankrupted hospitals in the rural provinces and caused doctors to relocate to Bangkok), a rattling of nationalistic swords against foreign business and foreign intervention on Thai culture, and then other measures that put real money in their pockets (which they used to buy TV’s and stereo’s and all those good things their brothers ad sisters have in Bangkok).
If foreign leaders want to talk of democracy let them stress a need for liberal democracy, a representative democracy (with free and fair elections) along with protection of minorities, a rule of law, a separation of powers and protection of liberties - speech, assembly, religion, and property.
It would also be nice if you ask the people, Thailand or Iraq, whether they want democracy or not.
Before I start getting people throwing barbs at me – let me say I am an American, proud and very lucky to be an American. I grew up in a liberal democracy – one in which I could think freely, move about freely and challenge thinking.
Do I want that for all peoples of the world? I don’t know. I have met North Koreans and can not imagine in a generation or two, if that can ever be.
I have met those who believe strongly in Communism and who stymie the thoughts of their people, should communism thrive? Well, it works for some, but I am sure not for others.
Live and let live should be everyone’s creed. Not - my religion, heritage, culture is better than yours.
One final point before closing out this series of Living in Thailand – The Coup.
One does not talk about, write about the Royal Family in Thailand – it is a no-no.
However it is interesting to note, one aspect of the Royal’s role in the present Coup.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, in line to become King and shall we say not as loved by the people of Thailand as his father, has the titles General of the Royal Thai Army, Admiral of the Royal Thai Navy, and Air Chief Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force.
Three days before the Coup, just about the same time as General Sondhi was plotting strategy for a consolidation of military power, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and his two daughters Princess Srirasmi and Princess Bajra Kitiyabha went to Songkhla in Thailand’s South – far from events that were about to play-out in Bangkok.
One could ask why, the Prince traveled to the South at that particular point of time especially since, (and this is unsubstantiated – because people only talk about it “under their breath”), it is said that certain factions of the Royal Family were close to the former prime minister.
But I guess we will never know. And what do I know anyway?
I actually sat through 45 minutes of that mind dumbing, mind numbing ‘Purple People Eater.’
COMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Something the Bangkok elite can't understand is that THAKSIN WAS GENUINELY POPULAR! People throw allegations of 'vote buying'. Rubbish, they voted for him because he created the job grants, if you earned very little you could ask for a grant to make a business. My father in law made a roof repair business out of a grant, he also went on to make money at the business and pay taxes.
The 30 baht per visit healthcare program was underpriced yes, and the fix for that is to raise the price, not throw out democracy!
His land policy was also liked, giving Chanots (land papers) to peasants, provided they were working the land for years, paid taxes, and nobody else owned it. My mother in law is scared now that that program will be cancelled. They spent so much effort and money on their house, now they might not get the land it stands on. This was a good policy! It keeps the land in use rather than bought as an unused investment.
The unpaid taxes on the sale of Shin corp are the only doubt they have, and that could have been fixed by the King calling for a corruption investigation.
The bangkok elite think its good to have a coup, and claim 85% support it, yet if they did 85% would VOTE OUT THAKSIN and the tanks and guns would not be needed.
Why do you even need the army if this is a popular coup?
Before I start getting people throwing barbs at me – let me say I am an American, proud and very lucky to be an American. I grew up in a liberal....blah blah blah.
hmmm, 'before people start throwing barbs at me', as in 'stingray barbs'???
As in, 'I think this is a clever play on words considering...'
As in, 'As long as it works, who cares?!'
You sir, are disgusting, rude, cruel and NOT CLEVER.
Shame on you, that man had a family, a wife, children. He didn't die for literal fodder, he died trying to better our planet. But hey, whatever works, right?
Before I start getting people throwing barbs at me – let me say I am an American, proud and very lucky to be an American. I grew up in a liberal....blah blah blah.
hmmm, 'before people start throwing barbs at me', as in 'stingray barbs'???
As in, 'I think this is a clever play on words considering...'
As in, 'As long as it works, who cares?!'
You sir, are disgusting, rude, cruel and NOT CLEVER.
Shame on you, that man had a family, a wife, children. He didn't die for literal fodder, he died trying to better our planet. But hey, whatever works, right?
I'm Thai living in Finland and found your column by google news. It is quite impressive what you wrote.
“Hey Bush and Annan and Blair and all other world leaders – did you ever think that the Thai people like it the way it is?”
Some westerners might think that we are stepping backwards, but sometimes I think that it is better steping backwards to see where we are going and /or to find the better way to go forward.
Thai people are so optimisms. In this kind of situation, you think something worst would happen. But you know what today people continue living their lives normally (ref: comments from BBC site).
In addition, some people went to talk with the soldiers. Some brought food, some brought drinks and some brought flowers and lots of them went there for photos.
Although, it did not seem so right for you guys/ democracy system, we’re doing it in Thai way!
PS: according to the pole 80% of Thai people agree with the coup, it seems that people are suffering under the name of 'democracy'.
Well done Scott,
Let us educate the 'democratic minds' about Thai politics. The relief of Thai people in Bangkok are very understandable given that they just got rid of a despot (Thaksin). I have spent enough years watching the rise of Thaksin's regime to know the difference between fake and real democracy. Yes, that's a paradox: How can a military coup help Thai democracy in the long term? Step by step.
governments and people of the world do not know the real situation in thailand. what happened was a good thing. outsiders do not know how corrupt taksin was. yes, corruption exsists in all government, even in the united states, but in thailand, if you add up ALL of former thai prime ministers corruption, taksin exceeds their cumilative corruption. outsiders dont know how the 'democracy' of elections work in thailand. the reason why taksin is so popular with the rural is because of money. he spends money on privincial govenors, mayors and village leaders where money can buy anything. he buys the election board. his cronies control all major electoral results mechanisim in thailand. but bangkok votes are harder to be bought. the election happens and taksin wins by what appears to outsiders as a 'landslide'. wrong!!! i would venture to say more than 50% of his votes were bought, coersed, forced, bribed and tampered. outsiders dont know that his family as control over the new airports property management, concession, electirc power of thailand since he authorized the power to enter the stock market. outsiders dont know that taksins wife controls all the taxis running around in bangkok. outsiders dont know taksin has ordered the killings of his rivals in the rural districts in the name of 'drug enforcement' much like the united states excuse to lock people away in the name of 'terror susprct'. this kind of thing wins taksin points to the uneducated rural villagers and yet stifles his opponents. taksin and his family and cronies have plotted and schemed many many other money skimming moves and yet outside thailand, hes viewed as a 'good guy' elected democratically. wrong!!! what happened was good. outsiders just dont know. thank the miliatry for stepping in. the democratic process needed a correction to weed out a cancer that was eating thailand alive.
Ahh, excuse me Melissa but that was NOT a reference to Steve Irwin. Matter of fact,he was the furthest thing from my mind.
'throwing barbs' I believe relates back to an old ancient weapon that used now-a-days means to criticize.
maroot,
My Isan in laws liked Thaksin, and would vote for him again.
As for Thaksin being all powerful, he didn't control the army or the police or the media.
He is blamed for the killings in Southern Thailand, but the Army did the killings, the Army under same general that ran the coup! If the vote was fixed, why didn't the police do anything about it?
How come Thaksin didn't get the majority he wanted in April if the election was rigged?
Now that Thaksin is out, why not have immediately elections?
I've seen this before, its the same bad pattern Thailand gets into again and again. The army takes over and promises democracy that they never deliver. The the students take to the streets and get shot, and the King intervenes to ask for Democracy back.
Why wait? Why not immediate elections?
donald,
we just had a 'snap election' if you recall and it had to be nullified, with strong pressure i might add. taksins cronies are deep into the mechanics of elections in thailand not just in the ministry level but in the provincial level too. the election commitee favored taksins party and was forced by the court to deem the last 'snap election' null and void.
its time for a good house cleaning in thailand politics donald.
after most of taksins cronies have been investigated and/or removed and new rules are established, a more meaningful election will be held.
if an immediate election was held as you questioned while many of taksins cronies are in place, we would be stuck with the same group of people.
outsiders dont know what a joke the thai parlament is. theres even a variety show based on the parlament calles 'sa=pa joke'. its a total joke. fill of husband and wife teams of members of parlament. 'poor/mea' (husband/wife) teams of members of parlament.
give it less than a year for the new elections to happen donald. patience is key.
thanks for your concern.
Exactly. With the Americans saying we want democracy NOW, it seems that they have selective memory. I do not recall them asking the Iraqis to establish democracy overnight. Any sustainable and self-regulating democracy requires the proper framework by which to keep its leaders answering to the people. How many constitutions did France have to go through until things settled down? Think for a second what the actual people want before prescribing some dubious cure-all for our problems. We need this coucil of political reform to draft a proper constitution (which by the way involves civilian professors and input from students) before elections are held in order to prevent more Thaksins from rising to power.
Be patient and give it less than a year...
You must be joking, right? You can't be particularly thinking in terms of less than a year here, or are you? Give me a break. I wouldn't even give it less than a week.
Ok, I feel the need to express that I am Thai just for the sake of it. And I have been annoyed and aggrevated by the people who accused me of not having the same opinion as those who are against Thaksin. I am not pro Thaksin but I am strongly against the coup. I, however, cannot seem to voice my opinion without getting a response such as if you are not with us then you are with Thaksin and you are not loyal to the beloved king. I guess if I do not take one side, then I automatically take the other side. A neutral standpoint is no longer kosher.
Unfortunately, the only way to satisfy the opposition parties is to have the TRT party dismember. If the TRT is back for another election (even without Thaksin), then you cannot deny the possibility that they could win again. Then the opposition will boycott the vote, and the election results would have been annulled again, and then WHAM! we are back where we started. What a joke. Remember when the opposition boycotted to run for office last election. You wisemen know fully well why, it is because they knew the TRT was going to win. Now do you call that an act of preserving democracy? Also, in the future, can you prevent qualified TRT candidates from running for the member of parliament even if they have the support of the general population? because you know they would win and you don't want them to?
Do it in Thai way. Yeah, that's right. That's why Thailand is the way it is. We have just rolled our clock back 15 years. Bravo.
After the Council for Reform has completed their job as best as possible, they will give the public the 'all clear' and hand control back to the democratic process.
Its only been two days and many things are still unfolding. For instance the Thai Police are now saying regarding the 'Car Bomb' that was humorised as 'Car Bonk' (Bonk in Thai means Loony) that the accused looks like he just may be charged for illegal possesion of explosives, instead of Assasination attempt. This is a complete softeniing and turn around since Taksin was ousted. This illustrates the kind of pressure the previous government was putting on the Thai Police. Given more time, many more things will surface regarding the previous government and partakers of wrong doings. These discoveries and correction would not be made if the previous government was still in power.
Like it or not, more time will be required to write a new or overhaul the old Constitution. The result will be a much better foundation for democracy for Thais.
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awrSep 21st, 2006 - 12:44:02
shame for the military which voilated the constitution of their country in assuming power and a thousand shames for those who support such an unconstitutional step as against an elected government
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