A litany of broken promises

By Jintana Panyaarvudh, 
Supalak Ganjanakhundee 
The Nation

 

 

The junta has failed to deliver on reforms or democratisation and seems to be preoccupied in entrenching itself
 

ALTHOUGH the military seized power in 2014 through a coup, the junta has done little to reform the country as promised and only tried to entrench itself to perpetuate its rule.

 

In its four years – equivalent to the term of an elected government – it has turned Thailand into a bureaucratic polity with the military playing a vital role in weakening the power of politicians and other political institutions, scholars said. The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), led by Prayut Chan-o-cha, is the military junta with the longest reign in recent Thai political history. There were also junta governments in 1991 and 2006 following coups but they were in power for only a year or so.

 

Serious divisions among the civilians, the unity of the military, the junta’s iron fist as well as “populist policies” – known in the junta’s lexicon as “happiness” to cosy up to the people – has enabled the current military dispensation to survive in power for the past four years.

 

“The coup has changed the country’s political landscape. The military has laid deep foundations to retain power in the future through its 20-year national strategic plan,” said Yuttaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.

 

After the coup, political power was transferred from politicians to the military and the bureaucracy, he said.

 

The NCPO commissioned the military to perform a dual function – protect national security and promote development – said Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer at Rangsit University. “Undeniably, it would enhance the political role of the military,” he said.

 

However, military power alone would not enable the survival of the junta for long unless it also has strong support from big corporations, which dominate the Thai economy.

 

The military has enjoyed increased acceptance from big businesses, says Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of political science at Ubon Ratchathani University. “When they are doing well in their businesses, getting wealthier or getting benefits facilitated by government policies like Pracha Rath, it is no surprise that they support [the military],” he points out.

 

Pracha Rath is a public-private partnership project initiated by the government with the aim of boosting the economy and the incomes of local communities throughout the Kingdom.

 

The military rule is damaging, instead of building Thailand. The worst damage the junta has done is by voiding democracy, violating human rights with legal impunity, and weakening institutions that have the role of guaranteeing accountability and transparency in Thailand, said Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University. Moreover, the defence budget has soared while other ministry budgets have seen cuts, he said.

 

 

The military regime is opaque. The junta has been widely criticised for its failure to crack down on corruption. Members of this junta leadership have failed to declare unusual wealth, such as the case of number two leader Prawit Wongsuwan and his numerous luxury watches.

 

Other potential cases of corruption have also been hidden under the rug such as that of the Chan-o-cha clan. “Junta leaders can get away with malfeasance because there is no monitor to oversee the junta leaders,” Chambers said.

 

However, the regime in its current form cannot cling on, as the demand for an election is growing. Scholars who spoke to The Nation foresaw many possibilities of the junta retaining power after the poll, which they said would be a way to legitimise military power, rather than democratisation. 

 

Many politicians who put their personal interests ahead of democracy would support Prayut retaining power, Titipol predicted.

 

Prayut, like junta leaders before him is trying to transform the NCPO organisation into a political party, said Chambers. This new military political party model follows the Myanmar military model – to stand behind a political party nominee but also to oust elected governments if need be, he said.

 

Prayut, last November, invoked his sweeping powers under Section 44 to amend the internal security legislation. 

 

He set up the Internal Security Administration Committee to help the Internal Security Operation Command deal with domestic threats. The move is seen as politically motivated to expand Isoc’s or the Army’s fundamental power in the provinces as it will set up provincial internal security administration committees.

 

The Isoc will play a vital role in the upcoming election campaign, Wanwichit said. Under the new structure, the agency, which he said would act as the military’s representatives, would be able to monitor intelligence, political movements, and the popularity of political parties as well as talk to civil society and villagers to see whether there would be any threats. “The party [if set up] would maintain the NCPO’s ideology and political boundaries indefinitely, with the Isoc playing a ‘mentor’ role to foster it,” he added.

 

 

Note: General Prayut Chan-o-cha staged a coup four years ago to topple an elected government| on the pretext of bringing about reforms and cleaning up the political system. The Nation |presents a series of analyses on the consequences of the coup and the rule of the military regime.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30345877

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-21

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

General Prayut Chan-o-cha staged a coup four years ago to topple an elected government| on the pretext of bringing about reforms and cleaning up the political system

One word says it all.

 

Hmmm..always interesting to see the role of internal security forces delineated as in this version of "democracy"-SE Asian style.

Excellent article; I am surprised that it was allowed to be printed, but now that it has I sincerely hope it is seen by many.

 

Where does one begin to comment?

 

"...In its four years – equivalent to the term of an elected government – it has turned Thailand into a bureaucratic polity with the military playing a vital role in weakening the power of politicians and other political institutions, scholars said..."

 

The sentence above is a good summary of the last few years, and while seeming innocuous is truly frightening. Damaging and destroying Institutions by itself is a scary prospect; these are the things that societies rely on for continuance and day-to-day management of affairs. And when those same institutions break, it can often lead to a breakdown in a society; if people don't share institutions, what do they share? What does a southern fisherman share with a Bangkok-based street food vendor? What does a Issan rice farmer share with a northern Bangkok factory worker?

 

Further, what do the Military and the Bureaucracy, as institutions, share in terms of Humanity? An institutional view that the individual doesn't matter much. I don't mean that the military and bureaucracy are 'anti-people'; or some other nonsense, but their institutional outlook doesn't value the individual very much. And when institutions that govern don't value the individual much, you get a scary State that is prone to massive abuses. People don't like politicians, (that it easy to understand), but it is the politician who puts the individual into the State as they are the ones in contact with their voters.

 

What will the future hold in Thailand? I think there are four general possibilities.

 

1. The Junta 'wins' the election (by whatever means) and entrenches itself further. This leads to a Burma-style situation where the government/State becomes a "wet-blanket" stifling life in the Kingdom and snuffing out creativity and 'joie-de-vivre'; we can all see that happening already to a certain extent.

2. The Junta is soundly defeated by the Democratic element in the election and it is of such magnitude that the message is received by the PTB that the military goes back to the barracks.

3. The Junta wins the election by a narrow margin/manages to get the numbers in the legislature by a narrow margin and claims a mandate. This would lead to further fighting and further oppression as both sides are roughly evenly matched. See 1992.

4. The forces of Democracy win the election and begin the battle of rooting out the military influence, beginning with the constitution. There is a long period of stagnation as each side battles the other rather than deal with issues.

 

None of the scenarios above seem like a bright future to me; no matter what occurs, I think Thailand is going to be focused inward for the next several years dealing with itself. And, her neighbours will be focused outwards gaining wealth, strength and influence.

 

It is a sad future as none of the possibilities sees Thailand as a proud nation looking out to the world with confidence and determination.

 

.

 

Edited May 20, 20188 yr by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“Junta leaders can get away with malfeasance because there is no monitor to oversee the junta leaders,” Chambers said.

while that is true, the basis for their continuance lies in the 'accepting nature' of the general thai public; if they are willing to accept corrupt, incompetent leadership then they cannot and will not complain nor do anything about it more substantive;

there seems a general understanding of the nature of the junta and their past performance; that understanding has not yet galvanized into action, opposition speech has intensified as of late and the junta's 'popularity' continues to wane, perhaps a tipping point is coming relatively soon

50 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

while that is true, the basis for their continuance lies in the 'accepting nature' of the general thai public; if they are willing to accept corrupt, incompetent leadership then they cannot and will not complain nor do anything about it more substantive;

there seems a general understanding of the nature of the junta and their past performance; that understanding has not yet galvanized into action, opposition speech has intensified as of late and the junta's 'popularity' continues to wane, perhaps a tipping point is coming relatively soon

People having literally been saying this sort of thing for years. The Thais don't have revolt in them. Their nature is one of acceptance. I can't really see any "tipping point" like some posters would imagine anytime in the distant future and certainly not relatively soon.

6 minutes ago, starky said:

People having literally been saying this sort of thing for years. The Thais don't have revolt in them. Their nature is one of acceptance. I can't really see any "tipping point" like some posters would imagine anytime in the distant future and certainly not relatively soon.

I agree.

 

Avoidance,projection and denial seem to be the main cultural attributes.Why else would there be such a long succession of military takeovers coupled with clarion calls for democracy and the eradication of corruption-without any long term changes ever really being accomplished?

 

Even Dr Freud would have eventually become very,very,bored with it all.

Every elected politician lies, this bunch were not elected, they seized power at the point of a gun.

T

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He set up the Internal Security Administration Committee to help the Internal Security Operation Command deal with domestic threats.

And there you have it. A military that believes its job is to deal with internal threats not external. An institution that spends most of its time trying to control and repress the citizens that it is supposed to defend. Far removed from the proper purpose of a military they have long been a political force acting outside of their sphere of knowledge.

6 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Every elected politician lies, this bunch were not elected, they seized power at the point of a gun.

T

Yes Col-but they have been doing that for 80 years or so---I am beginning to see a pattern emerging..?

I had only been in Thailand for one year at the time of the 2006 coup and had never seen anything like it in my country of birth. I didn't know what to expect but knew it wasn't really my business, I followed the news coverage and learned about Thaksin changing the law to allow the sale of Shincorp to a foreign company without paying tax. I didn't know about the previous coups but I watched the peaceful protests to the coup. People were in the streets, some put flowers in soldiers gun barrels and chanted their opposition, I didn't comment. In 2010 when the protests were coordinated by Thaksin and violence was commonplace I joined Thai Visa and spoke out. I was sickened, Thais killing Thais and cheering their deaths all so one billionaire could cling to power. I have asked before, why does it have to be this family, why can't the opposition find someone else? Seems to me that it's about the money, no leader with a passion to better the lives of his or her countrymen has emerged.

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

while that is true, the basis for their continuance lies in the 'accepting nature' of the general thai public; if they are willing to accept corrupt, incompetent leadership then they cannot and will not complain nor do anything about it more substantive;

there seems a general understanding of the nature of the junta and their past performance; that understanding has not yet galvanized into action, opposition speech has intensified as of late and the junta's 'popularity' continues to wane, perhaps a tipping point is coming relatively soon

How quickly people forget!

Thaksin was the most corrupt person, ever ( IMO ), to be in charge of Thailand, and I cheered when he was removed. Every attempt to form a civilian government since was merely to reinstate his theft of LOS.

Let's not forget that his henchman Purachai was responsible for destroying farang night life, and it has not yet recovered its previous glory.

 

I for one, will support anyone that keeps Thaksin or his cabal of crooks from returning to power.

Edited May 21, 20188 yr by thaibeachlovers

corrupt heavy military or corrupt heavy cival servants..Thailand will never change no matter who is running it because the average thai is lawless ,shamless and feels entitled ...that is in their DNA

Edited May 21, 20188 yr by mok199
speliings

The military junta have carte blanche and know there won't be a mass revolt.

 

Protesting on the streets is too hot, get black skin, look not good on selfies. Mobile apps, games, chatting, and take picture of lunch more sanuk.

So the budget for 2018 is circa USD 7 Billion .... considering that Thailand has a dilapidated, Navy, Air Force, Army; after deducting funds for a couple of subs, tanks, luxury watches where is all the money being spent? 

 

For comparison I found this on Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Excellent article; I am surprised that it was allowed to be printed, but now that it has I sincerely hope it is seen by many.

 

Where does one begin to comment?

 

"...In its four years – equivalent to the term of an elected government – it has turned Thailand into a bureaucratic polity with the military playing a vital role in weakening the power of politicians and other political institutions, scholars said..."

 

The sentence above is a good summary of the last few years, and while seeming innocuous is truly frightening. Damaging and destroying Institutions by itself is a scary prospect; these are the things that societies rely on for continuance and day-to-day management of affairs. And when those same institutions break, it can often lead to a breakdown in a society; if people don't share institutions, what do they share? What does a southern fisherman share with a Bangkok-based street food vendor? What does a Issan rice farmer share with a northern Bangkok factory worker?

 

Further, what do the Military and the Bureaucracy, as institutions, share in terms of Humanity? An institutional view that the individual doesn't matter much. I don't mean that the military and bureaucracy are 'anti-people'; or some other nonsense, but their institutional outlook doesn't value the individual very much. And when institutions that govern don't value the individual much, you get a scary State that is prone to massive abuses. People don't like politicians, (that it easy to understand), but it is the politician who puts the individual into the State as they are the ones in contact with their voters.

 

What will the future hold in Thailand? I think there are four general possibilities.

 

1. The Junta 'wins' the election (by whatever means) and entrenches itself further. This leads to a Burma-style situation where the government/State becomes a "wet-blanket" stifling life in the Kingdom and snuffing out creativity and 'joie-de-vivre'; we can all see that happening already to a certain extent.

2. The Junta is soundly defeated by the Democratic element in the election and it is of such magnitude that the message is received by the PTB that the military goes back to the barracks.

3. The Junta wins the election by a narrow margin/manages to get the numbers in the legislature by a narrow margin and claims a mandate. This would lead to further fighting and further oppression as both sides are roughly evenly matched. See 1992.

4. The forces of Democracy win the election and begin the battle of rooting out the military influence, beginning with the constitution. There is a long period of stagnation as each side battles the other rather than deal with issues.

 

None of the scenarios above seem like a bright future to me; no matter what occurs, I think Thailand is going to be focused inward for the next several years dealing with itself. And, her neighbours will be focused outwards gaining wealth, strength and influence.

 

It is a sad future as none of the possibilities sees Thailand as a proud nation looking out to the world with confidence and determination.

 

.

 

Very good post ... but what election ...?

They promised it , but delayed it every year , I do not think that this time it's gonna be different ...

Anyway , they changed the constitution , now they have the power to even get rid of a newly elected government if they want to ...

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Excellent article; I am surprised that it was allowed to be printed, but now that it has I sincerely hope it is seen by many.

Maybe the haul of monkeys to a remote island is just a test run for the deportation of journalists like Jintana Panyaarvudh, and Supalak Ganjanakhundee. 

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

Post appeared twice , so I deleted it ...

Edited May 21, 20188 yr by nobodysfriend

4 years. Waste of time.

Sad for Thailand.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How quickly people forget!

Thaksin was the most corrupt person, ever ( IMO ), to be in charge of Thailand, and I cheered when he was removed. Every attempt to form a civilian government since was merely to reinstate his theft of LOS.

Let's not forget that his henchman Purachai was responsible for destroying farang night life, and it has not yet recovered its previous glory.

 

I for one, will support anyone that keeps Thaksin or his cabal of crooks from returning to power.

Many would not agree that Thaksin was the most corrupt person. By every attempt to form a civilian government are we talking democracy, the choice of the people? OK you prefer military dictatorship or anything to democracy. Did not forget.

well we can see its in the typical Thai make up, man in the street, its only people with knowledge can see through this lot, * well im not realy bothered it doesnt realy concern me attitude* classic scenario is the road accident, its *well im not involved* dont stop to help and off they go on their merry way/.

23 minutes ago, alant said:

Many would not agree that Thaksin was the most corrupt person. By every attempt to form a civilian government are we talking democracy, the choice of the people? OK you prefer military dictatorship or anything to democracy. Did not forget.

I prefer anything to Thaksin.

Before him, Thailand was really wonderful, but he destroyed it.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How quickly people forget!

Thaksin was the most corrupt person, ever ( IMO ), to be in charge of Thailand, and I cheered when he was removed. Every attempt to form a civilian government since was merely to reinstate his theft of LOS.

Let's not forget that his henchman Purachai was responsible for destroying farang night life, and it has not yet recovered its previous glory.

 

I for one, will support anyone that keeps Thaksin or his cabal of crooks from returning to power.

Well that's one up for oppression. I hope you'll be the first one the receive 'I am a expat' star for your jacket. 

Just now, TKDfella said:

Well that's one up for oppression. I hope you'll be the first one the receive 'I am a expat' star for your jacket. 

I haven't been "oppressed" by the present government, and I don't know anyone that has been.

If you are going to come out with silly statements you should provide some evidence of it.

4 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Excellent article; I am surprised that it was allowed to be printed, but now that it has I sincerely hope it is seen by many.

Printed in an English newspaper so not much danger of it being 'seen by many'!  Certainly not those who can make a difference.

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I haven't been "oppressed" by the present government, and I don't know anyone that has been.

If you are going to come out with silly statements you should provide some evidence of it.

Attacks on the freedom of speech by the junta is oppression!

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The junta has failed to deliver on reforms or democratisation and seems to be preoccupied in entrenching itself
 

The daily show, nice jacket isn't it?

One a 1 to 10 scale, what is the Corruption Perception Index? 

Hint: The watch says it all. 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Many politicians who put their personal interests ahead of democracy would support Prayut retaining power, Titipol predicted.

 

... that would cover about 90% of the politicians in this country (as opposed to 89.9% in the rest of the world, lol), so I guess Prayut has plenty more years of power ahead of him... If he also manages (as the article states) to put the big company owners in his pocket by issuing laws that secure their grip, their wealth, and even make them richer, then it's bingo++

 

If change eventually does come to this country ...

 

1/ it won't be thanks to a totally manufactured election (the equation election=democracy being nothing but communication bs, which is why the present government is actually willing to 'organize' one),

 

2/ it will most definitely not come from any politician or any party, since they ALL put their personal interests above democracy,

 

3/ it will not come from the self-appointed 'elite' who don't seem to know that the term 'elite' normally refers to personal (intellectual, cultural, artistic, scientific) achievments, NOT the bottom line of a bank account.

 

If it comes, it is unlikely to arrive draped in pink organdy and crowned with jasmine flowers... but wrapped in wrath, resentment, despair, fire and fury. If and when that happens, we farangs had better run fast.

 

For the time being, however, people ('elite' aside of course) may be increasingly angry, fed up and frustrated, but they're still too busy checking their Facebook page and exchanging messages on Line to develop what's known as a 'political awareness'. The self appointed 'elite', people in power and politicians ought perhaps to consider building shrines to Samsung, Sony, Apple etc. so they could perform thank-you ceremonies there on a daily basis.

 

The famous Ancient Rome formula 'give them bread and circuses' by Juvenal would here and now translate as : give them rice, a smartphone, and a Facebook account. Mark Zuckerberg is the Pied Piper of our age.

 

 

Edited May 21, 20188 yr by Yann55

The only real changing they have done is to increase massively the defenses budget! For what??? The corruption is higher than ever and the situation for the peoples in Thailand is very worse compared to 2014.