Court Verdict On Thai Democrat Party Takes The Veil Off Public Institutions

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BURNING ISSUE

Court verdict takes the veil off public institutions

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Nowadays, the failure of one public institution after another is disillusioning more and more Thais - something that could turn Thailand into a dysfunctional society or a failed state.

On Monday, the red shirts were utterly disgusted by the Constitution Court's dubious ruling and the Election Commission's subsequent explanation about why they supposedly failed to file the electoral fraud case against the Democrat Party with the court on time. It's not that the reds held either the Constitution Court or the EC in high esteem, but now they feel the two institutions have become a mockery of justice.

The yellow shirts, meanwhile, lost faith in Thai electoral politics ages ago because they believe, at the end of the day, it is money politics that triumphs. They believe that the Army "failed" in uprooting Thaksin Shinawatra from the political landscape after the 2006 coup.

Plus, the recent turn of events is making the yellow shirts even more disillusioned with the ruling Democrat Party as a political institution that claims to be working for the greater good.

Also, how many Thais have unwavering faith in the judiciary institution or the police? What about the rampant corruption in various ministries and the so-called 25-per-cent kickback that is the "norm" in securing state concessions or projects?

When people lose faith in most, if not all, major public institutions, society itself ceases to function. Trust is no longer possible and conspiracy theories rule the minds of the populace, be they red, yellow or otherwise. People of all colours are becoming disillusioned and they no longer know which public institution they can count on. On the one hand, this sounds like a recipe for anarchy, chaos and perhaps the end of a functioning society, but it can also turn into a blessing in disguise if the people learn how to make the most out of the situation.

A working class red-shirt supporter in Samut Prakan province asked this writer a very pertinent question recently: "How do we survive if there's no institution we can count on any longer?"

While this writer failed to provide a comforting answer apart from a sympathetic nod, the question stayed in his mind. After much thought, this writer realised that the sooner we learn not to rely on "any" institution or "anyone" to save the day or the country, the better off we will be in the long run.

The wait for a knight in shining armour to come and save us will be in vain. Since all public institutions have lost their credibility, at least we know them for what they are. We no longer need to harbour any illusions, and instead need to become more self-reliant and realistic, though not cynical, about what can and cannot be achieved in this society.

The bubbles of expectation we had for nearly all public institutions have burst loudly and at least we are better off realising that. We have to be more resourceful and try and steer this society away from total disintegration.

No coups, invisible hands, courts or public institutions should play the role of God in a democracy. In fact, now many people won't let them play this role because they no longer believe in these institutions. Thai society, in a way, is better off for it because we are aware of our shortcomings and hypocrisies.

-- The Nation 2010-12-02