EDITORIAL

In Pattani, Prayut fails to impress

By The Nation

 

The general, out of touch and defensive, makes what was by all appearances a campaign stop

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s recent trip to the predominantly Malay-speaking South ahead of a mobile Cabinet meeting was ostensibly made to deliver a message of peace and reconciliation. Instead, it came across as a precursor to an election campaign.

 

General Prayut urged the southerners to be patient with the government, which he said was doing its best to improve their livelihoods. He told them outright he wasn’t seeking their votes, but speculation abounds that the head of the ruling junta that seized power in the coup of May 2014 wants to remain in national politics, and with a mandate from the electorate. 

 

It is as yet anything but clear whether Prayut might stand for election or rely on a passage of the new Constitution allowing elected parliamentarians to choose a non-elected outsider to lead the country.

 

In Pattani, the premier seemed to present himself as someone who would endure any obstacle in order to meet the people. The heavy rains had grounded his plane, he said, and it had been a long road trip from Songkhla. That couldn’t have sounded like much of a sacrifice to the thousands living in floodwaters. 

 

Prayut vowed that they would soon see improvement in the economy now that the South’s security situation had improved. But the local economy has never had any real correlation with the insurgency there. Despite the violence that has claimed nearly 7,000 lives since January 2004, property prices continue to rise and new shops and businesses continue to open, especially in Pattani. 

 

Prayut said massive investment in the region was imminent and his government was working hard to give southerners the same access to goods and services enjoyed elsewhere in the country. Again, however, even though the South is Thailand’s poorest region, the lack of development is not the cause of the violence. Rather it is the state policy of assimilation eating into local cultural and religious identity. Thai-Chinese Buddhists continue to dominate business and politics in the South’s three main municipalities. Race relations are sound, contrary to the government’s simplistic narrative. 

 

Prayut’s problem is one of oversimplifying. He is unable to communicate with the public on complex issues (not that Banharn Silpa-archa, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh or Samak Sundaravej were any better at it). 

 

Today’s technology allows every citizen to record and instantly share political figures’ words and actions. Politicians are forced to respond just as quickly, leaving little or no room for spin. This came into play again during Prayut’s trip deep into the South, and showed that he cannot, even after three years as premier, be regarded as prime ministerial material. In Pattani he snapped at a fisherman who made a comment about commercial fishing depleting stocks, telling the worried man not to be so demanding. 

 

How then would Prayut fare in national politics if the playing field were level? We see a military officer so used to giving orders and being obeyed unquestioningly that he doesn’t know how to behave in a civilian setting. His beliefs about what’s needed to resolve the country’s shortcomings have little basis in reality, but that’s his comfort zone and he’d rather not stray from it. He believes his nightly broadcasts will eventually make people see matters his way. Unwilling to instead listen, he hasn’t heard that millions of Thais are waiting for normal programming to resume. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30332750

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-29

General Prayut urged the southerners to be patient with the government, which he said was doing its best to improve their livelihoods. He told them outright he wasn’t seeking their votes, but speculation abounds that the head of the ruling junta that seized power in the coup of May 2014 wants to remain in national politics, and with a mandate from the electorate.

 

Prayut will never stand for election, but will more than likely be the next PM. His fragile ego and delusions of grandeur would never allow him to contest an election if there was a possibility of a loss.

 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

We see a military officer so used to giving orders and being obeyed unquestioningly that he doesn’t know how to behave in a civilian setting.

An excellent editorial and I commend The Nation for speaking frankly and telling it as it really is so far as Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned. This man has a number of serious personality disorders. 

Edited November 29, 20178 yr by Cadbury

30 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

An excellent editorial and I commend The Nation for speaking frankly and telling it as it really is so far as Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned. This man has a number of serious personality disorders. 

I do agree with your praise to the Nation, now out of curiosity, I would love to know if on any Thai written newspaper there has been or have editorial with the same music. I really doubt it.

He is not a politician, neither are his cabinet; they are Generals with attitude.

The usual thing from this guy:

 

jam tomorrow.

 

I'm starting to believe that the only thing coming out of this guy is grandiose promises he can't keep and probably has no intention of keeping. The master of the empty gesture..

24 minutes ago, Chris Lawrence said:

He is not a politician, neither are his cabinet; they are Generals with attitude.

A shitty attitude, generally, you might say

50 minutes ago, newcomer71 said:

I do agree with your praise to the Nation, now out of curiosity, I would love to know if on any Thai written newspaper there has been or have editorial with the same music. I really doubt it.

The big kahuna has only one soundtrack, "My Way". Or translated....article 44.

59 minutes ago, newcomer71 said:

I do agree with your praise to the Nation, now out of curiosity, I would love to know if on any Thai written newspaper there has been or have editorial with the same music. I really doubt it.

Bangkok Post.

4 minutes ago, Becker said:

Bangkok Post.

I was referring to newspaper written in Thai language, my bad

4 hours ago, webfact said:

We see a military officer so used to giving orders and being obeyed unquestioningly that he doesn’t know how to behave in a civilian setting. His beliefs about what’s needed to resolve the country’s shortcomings have little basis in reality, but that’s his comfort zone and he’d rather not stray from it. He believes his nightly broadcasts will eventually make people see matters his way. Unwilling to instead listen, he hasn’t heard that millions of Thais are waiting for normal programming to resume.

spot on, and what we havent seen is a pathetic attempt by his propaganders to spin this visit into something misguidedly positive; bet they had their speeches already written and could'nt use them

The much needed development and rebuilding of the failed infrastructure in the south will indeed ease the problems there and improving quality of life will have positive impact which will turn most southerners to support bkk rather than other disgruntled groups.?

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the lack of development is not the cause of the violence. Rather it is the state policy of assimilation eating into local cultural and religious identity. Thai-Chinese Buddhists continue to dominate business and politics in the South’s three main municipalities.

And it's a wonder to some that the insurgency exists as a movement towards autonomy?

You can't buy as Prayut seems to prefer the cultural, ethnic and religious identity of people.

Election,not on your nelly,look ahead 5 years i reckon he will still be in charge. Also surprised at the paper's strong position.

Since the funeral and cremation finished in late October, people are slowly but surely finding their voice.

Opposition from all walks of life (bar the elite) and differing political colours are biding their time, slowly but surely cracks are appearing and, hopefully, this is the slow demise of this regime.

Voices are getting louder, and being heard (and printed), and more voices are joining in.

Only a matter of time.

15 hours ago, Cadbury said:

An excellent editorial and I commend The Nation for speaking frankly and telling it as it really is so far as Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned. This man has a number of serious personality disorders.

Agreed.

15 hours ago, Chris Lawrence said:

He is not a politician, neither are his cabinet; they are Generals with attitude.

He is most definitely not a general.  He likes to think that he is but he's not.

10 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Since the funeral and cremation finished in late October, people are slowly but surely finding their voice.

Opposition from all walks of life (bar the elite) and differing political colours are biding their time, slowly but surely cracks are appearing and, hopefully, this is the slow demise of this regime.

Voices are getting louder, and being heard (and printed), and more voices are joining in.

Only a matter of time.

That's why he approved the purchase of the new tanks and armoured vehicles. Or rather the elites he serves did. 

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The heavy rains had grounded his plane, he said, and it had been a long road trip from Songkhla. That couldn’t have sounded like much of a sacrifice to the thousands living in floodwaters

Or the fisherman who got b1tch slapped with a wet fish.