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[BORG]

The political analyst who calls himself Chang Noi has his usual interesting comments to make about Thailand's current political situation, linked below. Here are the final few paragraphs:

Of course, many people shouting on the websites and letter-pages are totally sincere. They hate Thaksin and they fear violence. Fair enough. But is it a good move to try imagining away a powerful mass movement that isn't over yet? Does it help to rage against the foreign press for publicising matters which the government and local press are trying to wish away?

Thailand's urban middle class likes to think of itself as part of the modern international world. The Democrat Party presents itself as modern, globalised, liberal, humane. These positions now face their biggest challenge. If the government tries to manage the red-shirt movement by suppression - more arrests, more intimidation, more closures of media outlets, more demonisation of enemies - the country's standing in the world will only sink further. This is a moment of historic decision.

Old regimes under challenge need to compromise if they wish to remain a serious part of the future. The prime minister is still saying there can be an election only after peace has returned, which of course means never, since an election is needed to establish peace. The Democrats still seem to think they have a duty to remain in power to engineer reconciliation, when in truth the existence of this government is one of the major barriers to reconciliation.

Recently several surveys have shown that a majority of Thais see elections, a free media, and a good judiciary as the means to achieve social peace and move ahead. The government should listen to its own people, not just those who shout very loud."

http://cooloo.org/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm5...5odG1s&b=13

[TheYenta]

The prime minister is still saying there can be an election only after peace has returned, which of course means never, since an election is needed to establish peace. The Democrats still seem to think they have a duty to remain in power to engineer reconciliation, when in truth the existence of this government is one of the major barriers to reconciliation.

That's about the best summation of the current situation I have read anywhere. There is simply no way that the government who gave orders to kill people rather than agree to early elections can now purport to act as peace maker to reconcile with the same people. It's an absurd situation that a blind man could see. By insisting that he will remain as PM to supervise what he calls "reconciliation," Abhisit has put his personal political ambitions above the country's best interests.