The curse of an Army always ready to pounce [Editorial]

[webfact]

The curse of an Army always ready to pounce

By The Nation

 

 

Thais suffer a chilling and retrogressive warning to never discount the possibility of another coup 
 

Newly minted Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong perhaps believed he would make a good first impression by answering the question frankly. Should political turmoil resume anytime under his watch, he said, he would not hesitate to launch another coup. The brutal honesty aside, it was an alarming statement, from which no one should take comfort.

 

If the experience of the past 12 years has taught Thais anything, it is that military coups do not bring about what might be called normalcy. They might impose peace in violent times, but they also disrupt the natural evolution of democracy and this sets back the country’s development.

 

The 2006 coup removed from power a corrupt and a divisive figure, Thaksin Shinawatra, but failed in its secondary mission, which was to uproot his support in the North and Northeast.

 

The party he founded and its successors, with their populist appeal, have won every democratic election held since, most recently elevating Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, to the premier’s office. When her government’s missteps sparked violent street protests, the generals stepped in again, staging the 2014 coup. 

 

It remains to be seen if the Shinawatra camp can bounce back again in the election now scheduled for February. The playing field certainly appears to be tilted in favour of pro-military parties. However, the ruling junta, seeking to cling to power, knows very well that its allies’ victory at the ballot box would not necessarily promise smooth sailing for the next government.

 

In fact, Apirat’s bold statement can be seen as testament to this. Like the people who put him in his powerful post, he knows the 2014 coup still awaits vindication.

 

The post-coup constitution barely passed in a referendum after nearly half of eligible voters rejected it because it didn’t accurately represent their interests. The junta knows the immediate future won’t be rosy, and hence the “warning” from the new Army commander.

 

However naïve, Thais who yearn for full democracy greet the appointment of every new Army chief with a prayer that he’ll stay out of politics and keep his troops in the barracks. Unfortunately, the generals do not admire democracy and in dire circumstances will not hesitate to trample on basic rights.

 

When Apirat was criticised over a remark that many found in bad taste, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan’s defence was to say Apirat was only stating a common truth – but also that there “should not” be another coup in the future. Somewhat contradictory and hardly reassuring, Prawit’s comment did nothing to repair the damage done by Apirat.

 

By indicating that, if the military is unhappy with any turn or events, there will another coup, Apirat has shattered any lingering hope that democracy might soon begin to grow again.

 

If politics again gets overheated and chaos resumes in the streets, the government must be prepared to let the rule of law take its course. And if citizens dislike any regime’s policies or actions, they must be allowed to indicate so at the ballot box.

 

Under no circumstances should the tanks roll out against the citizenry. Had the rule of law been followed from the outset, the charges brought against Thaksin and Yingluck would have been far more credible, but instead the affairs were highly politicised and ultimately turned over to the Army.

 

The past dozen years have been a sheer waste.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30356989

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-23

[Kiwiken]

Until the rule of law is accepted by all sides there will be chaos. The military should not be used Domestically and only for the defense of the Nation. Sadly the Thai Military is often the Tool of the Wealthy and powerful and as such moves against the people.

Becoming a true Elective Democracy is not easy and only with Open and transparent Government and its institutions can it flourish.

I hope One Days the Military can control itself and rein in its will to be point of law when there are troubles.

Educate the people and the people can decide. Treat them like mindless children and they will always behave that way.

[Samui Bodoh]

"...By indicating that, if the military is unhappy with any turn or events, there will another coup, Apirat has shattered any lingering hope that democracy might soon begin to grow again..."

 

This is about the only accurate sentence in the editorial; the attempts at providing justification to past coups and actions are nonsense.

 

The simple fact is that the military and its tiny minority of backers want power, and the proceeds that derive from power. And, they will cheat the Thai people to attain their goals.

 

Over and over and over again.

 

 

[zzaa09]

The deepest embedded place of militarism throughout a Buddhist society.

 

Ever notice that most everything is associated with militarism or faux militarism. 

 

What's wrong with this picture.

[Darcula]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The past dozen years have been a sheer waste.

Not for those that seek to consolidate their power and riches.

[Chang_paarp]

Maybe the armed forces need a real war to keep them sufficiently distracted so they don't go meddling in politics.

Someone ask Burma to invade, they have a large enough army to keep the Thais occupied for a while.

 

[zzaa09]

14 minutes ago, Darcula said:

Not for those that seek to consolidate their power and riches.

Indeed.

....and it's been much more accumulated years than a dozen.

 

Several decades would be the correct answer.

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Newly minted Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong perhaps believed he would make a good first impression by answering the question frankly.

if so, then he is the wrong man for the job; unless you believe , as i do, that the thai military is the required tool of the real rulers of thailand

[MrJohnson]

Its Groundhog Day again. The military have always been in control despite some other outward and un-mentionable appearances. Old wine, new bottles.

[Denim]

As usual, another indignant editorial from the mugs at the Nation and as usual .... four years too late.

 

All this was crystal clear during the shutdown Bangkok protests. Another coup engineered by the military and their poodles to get hold of the reins again.

 

Why no indignant editorials then ?

Even if you hate the Shinawatra clan how could you have possibly imagined the military represent an improvement.

 

Well .... too late now for bold and daring editorials. You helped make it happen so now suck it up.

 

By now even the thickest dunderheads should be able to see that the green party is the only party that is to be allowed to rule in peace.

 

Do what many are doing . Get in to bed with them now and be their willing tool. You will be rewarded, which is what its all about.

 

Democracy has gone the way of the Dodo.

[Lungstib]

The military, not the Democrats, are the oldest politic party in Thailand. They have a massive membership and are not constrained by the usual rules of politics. They have increased their domestic influence with ISOC and are protected from the very top of the Thai hierarchy. Whenever they pull off the 'illegal' act of a coup it takes only days for their coup leader to be made PM. Until whatever law allows that is changed Thailand's effort's at democracy are doomed.

[Longcut]

Thailand may be proud that it was never colonized. But I believe in this case it is to their detriment. 

 

[JCauto]

So where was the Nation when the coup happened? Happily complicit and shamefully silent. Hypocrisy of the highest order.

[klauskunkel]

 "this (coups) sets back the country’s development."

 

the military is not interested in nor has the smarts to develop the country, it is interested in keeping the status quo.

[yellowboat]

There is little hope for a country that is addicted to expediency.  If the country's powerful were as serious about governance as the artisans that build Thailand's beautiful temples, they would have a government in which to be proud.   Today, Thailand is only better as most of their neighbors are worse.   Malaysia now makes Thailand look childish and dumb. 

 

I remember clearly peoples sole, short sighted purpose was to topple Yingluck.   Now they are left with far worse.

[meinphuket]

4 hours ago, Chang_paarp said:

Maybe the armed forces need a real war to keep them sufficiently distracted so they don't go meddling in politics.

Someone ask Burma to invade, they have a large enough army to keep the Thais occupied for a while.

 

Many years ago the Burmese army scathingly said that Thailand was best invaded in the evening, weekend and public holidays because hardly any army would be on duty.

[grumpy 4680]

     Thailand's problem is the constitution, Until the constitution is amended to read that the military are not to be involved in politics, but only avail at the request of the prime minister or government, and with the Kings blessing, 

     Hence, any further coups would be deemed treacherous, and punished accordingly, so the military could  then legally fire off a few rounds at a legit target.

     SORTED.

 

[Eric Loh]

Question really is whether the military is behind all the coups. They are symptom of the problem but not the cause. Something greater has to be accomplished before we can subjugate the military and make them answerable to the elected government like most developed democracies. 

[connda]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Should political turmoil resume anytime under his watch, he said, he would not hesitate to launch another coup. The brutal honesty aside, it was an alarming statement, from which no one should take comfort.

Ousting democratically elected government via 'coup' is the norm in Thailand.
A brutally honest and alarming statement?  Sure.  But a 100% accurate statement.

Thailand's forms of governance: Constitutional Monarchy with Military Coups.

 

That is it in a nutshell. 

[connda]

47 minutes ago, meinphuket said:

Many years ago the Burmese army scathingly said that Thailand was best invaded in the evening, weekend and public holidays because hardly any army would be on duty.

They should have invaded yesterday.  The entire country was at their local Big C. 

[JimGant]

Lemme see -- what if he had said, "Of course there will never be another coup. I'll guarantee it"

 

First, the liberal idealists would have smiled widely, and maybe even shed a tear. The realists, on the other hand would have mumbled, "What a bloody moron we now have for the Army Chief."

 

So, General, next time don't be so forthright, but temper the truth with pablum for the masses -- and The Nation's editorial staff.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, grumpy 4680 said:

     Thailand's problem is the constitution, Until the constitution is amended to read that the military are not to be involved in politics, but only avail at the request of the prime minister or government, and with the Kings blessing, 

     Hence, any further coups would be deemed treacherous, and punished accordingly, so the military could  then legally fire off a few rounds at a legit target.

     SORTED.

 

Actually is is NOT sorted.

 

The military take over and they tear up the constitution then write their own.

 

When legitimate civilian parties threaten to tear up the military constitution the military harass their party, prosecute their leaders and try to disband the party.

 

Now if you think that the death sentence for a coup is right, think about who will be behind the guns during the execution. The military themselves perhaps?

[Enoon]

 

Not been paying close attention to what is generally (no pun intended) said by Thai high profile spokespeople and commentators about the military but, together with the leader of FFP openly declaring that the army needs to be taken out of the political loop, this looks something like ........progress.

 

At an "intellectual" level.

 

The next level is when things (will) start to get........"difficult".

 

Do not expect this omelette to be made differently to any other.

 

 

 

[zzaa09]

7 hours ago, connda said:

Ousting democratically elected government via 'coup' is the norm in Thailand.
A brutally honest and alarming statement?  Sure.  But a 100% accurate statement.

Thailand's forms of governance: Constitutional Monarchy with Military Coups.

 

That is it in a nutshell. 

Sure.

Nothing left to say or analyze. 

The dots have been connected.

Though, most remain blind.

[GinBoy2]

Until Thailand gets to the same point that South American countries got to, where that blanket immunity for coup leaders started to disappear and they ended up in jail, nothing will change.

It you look at South American countries as a model, as soon as a few of those generals ended up in court, it sort of stopped the era of coups in it's tracks

[holy cow cm]

Only about old elite wealth. 

[zzaa09]

11 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Question really is whether the military is behind all the coups. They are symptom of the problem but not the cause. Something greater has to be accomplished before we can subjugate the military and make them answerable to the elected government like most developed democracies. 

Well said.

Yet, blinders still exist.

[Stargeezr]

I won't use South America as any great example of anything.

Argenitina has horrible money issues, fake money everywhere especially

in the banks, and Venezuala, wow some example.

Geezer