5 replies to this topic

[Gene]

"Three democracy advocates on Friday submitted a petition making two demands the government to sponsor amendments to the 2007 Constitution and the cancellation of all legislations enacted by the coup-appointed National Legislative Assembly.

The three are Sant Hathirat, Weng Tojirakan and Jaran Ditapichai.

The petition was filed with PM's Office Minister Choosak Sirinin and called for the revised political system to base on the model as enshrined in the suspended 1997 charter."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...newsid=30066892

[Hedda]

and cancellation of all legislations enacted by the coup-appointed National Legislative Assembly

I can't think of a better way for Thai democracy to send a message to the coup's sponsors that these endless cycles of illegal coups will no longer be allowed to dictate the course of politics in Thailand.

Maybe when the aging Bangkok elite and their military allies realize that they are squandering Thailand's economic future by staging these senseless coups wrapped in the flag of "national unity," the Thais people can then get down to the serious business of developing a more mature democracy with institutions that are both immortal and capable of dealing with corruption. It won't be pretty or easy, but it's got to start somewhere better than the barrel of a tank adorned with yellow roses.

[Snowy]

the Thais people can then get down to the serious business of developing a more mature democracy with institutions that are both immortal and capable of dealing with corruption.

Pie-in-the-sky dreams. It will never happen. There's far too much money to be made by those in power and with privilege for anything to change.

[Gene]

Pie-in-the-sky dreams. It will never happen. There's far too much money to be made by those in power and with privilege for anything to change.

Every coup since 1932 has claimed to justify itself on the basis of alleged corruption among politicians. Have you considered that that's just an excuse for the rich elite militaists and monarchists in Bangkok to stop democracy from ever having a chance to develop. Do you honestly believe these coups are motivated by a desire to end corruption ?

[Snowy]

Do you honestly believe these coups are motivated by a desire to end corruption ?

Not at all. Corruption is ingrained into the Thai psyche and in the country's political and commercial life and the type of Government, whether it be a real genuine democracy, the Thai variety of 'democracy' or even government by military dictat, makes little difference.

Those like Hedda who believe that 'mature' democracy will flourish and mean an end to corruption if there are no more coups are living in a dream world. It just aint going to happen!

However, as the present system now operates in Thailand, the only thing which acts as a check on the abuse of power by the sorts of government of which Thaksin's was an example is the threat that a coup could unseat them if their excesses become too great. Even so Thaksin and his cronies still managed to milk Thailand virtually dry and in the meantime presided over a regime of military and police abuses as illustrated by the Tak Bai and Krue Se military atrocities and the well over 2000 extrajudicial killings as a result of Thaksin's war on drugs policy.

I am unable to visualise a scenario which will result in anything other than the status quo as regards corruption. Power and political patronage is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of families and dynasties in Thailand who control most of the means of wealth production. They are not about to agree to anything which will diminish that power and have the financial means to ensure that whichever type of government is in power acts in their, and only their, interests.

[Hedda]

Those like Hedda who believe that 'mature' democracy will flourish and mean an end to corruption if there are no more coups are living in a dream world. It just aint going to happen!

I agree that it ain't gonna happen if the Bangkok elite manages to keep control of the army and the implicit threat of another coup as their lever to maintain privileges. In that regard, perhaps it will take someone like Thaksin to tame the millitary beast into taking orders and going out of the coup business.

If you study the history of Thailand, it's suggests that absolute power does corrupt absolutely. The absolute system that was replaced by the coup of 1932 had centuries to graft its privileges and prerogratives into the national psyche. Is it so surprising that some form of populist democracy has found it so difficult to take root against the continued resistence of the former ruling elite ?

One thing is clear: the history of democratic development, and the last 75 years in Thailand in particular, proves that alternating cycles of military coups and politicians do almost nothing to eliminate systemic corruption; they simply recycle the perpetrators in a roller-coaster ride going nowhere. That's probably because, in this constant struggle for power, the judicial branch becomes a pawn, rather than an independent branch, for enforcing the rule of law. A country without an independent judiciary enforcing the rule of law is perforce corrupt.

In my view, a long course of constitutional democracy, uninterrurpted by interloping coups, is the only real hope of ever establishing an independent judiciary devoted to the rule of law. That has yet to happen in Thailand on any consistent basis and perhaps Khun Thaksin offers the best hope for a successful long-term experiment, albeit at a price. Democracy like lunch does not come free.
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