Thailand's Deep South Could Learn Much From America's Example

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EDITORIAL

Deep South could learn much from America's example

By The Nation

MPs must find ways to give people a bigger, collective voice on their rights

"Pathetic" would be an understatement in describing the reaction of Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to the press conference of four Democrat Party MP's from the deep South, when he dashed to the phone to apologise to Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha for the MPs' behaviour.

Prasert Pongsuwansiri and Abdulkarim Tengrakina from Yala and Anwar Salae and Ismael Benibrohim from Pattani held the press conference at Parliament House to express concern over the continuing violence in their constituencies.

It is a sad state of affairs when a man occupying such a powerful political post as Suthep can overlook the very principle that gives him the needed legitimacy.

Obviously, the idea that the military should be accountable to civilian leadership, or the fact that these elected representatives have the full mandate to express their concerns, as well as those of the people who elected them, didn't register in Suthep's head. One wonders if he was down on his knees when he made the call to Prayuth.

For the record, these MPs did not single out the Army chief, much less call for his replacement. They basically said that if the authorities were unwilling or unable to perform their duties, they should be replaced. In this respect, all civil servants, soldiers or ordinary civil servants - Prayuth, or his Fourth Army Area chief, Lt General Udomchai Thamsarorat, for that matter - would be included.

But while the military needs to learn its place and come to grips with the concept of civilian supremacy, our elected representatives could certainly do more in terms of gauging and reflecting on the concerns of their constituents.

One has to admit, the manner in which they delivered their concern - a press conference at Parliament - has an element of stage play to it. Why not make it a regular event - lawmakers meet the press - so such a forum won't seem so odd?

Nevertheless, there is a lot more that these MPs from the Malay-speaking South, regardless of their party affiliation, can do for the people. For one, they need to look for ways to consolidate their efforts to give the people in the deep South a bigger, collective voice on matters deemed important to them.

Despite their different political affiliations, these MPs have more in common than they may think. They are ethnic Malays from a Malay-speaking region where an insurgency has claimed more than 4,300 lives since January 2004.

As we all know, the conflict in the deep South is very much centred on the historical distrust between the Malay-speaking region and the Thai state. The two sides have yet to find that comfort level that would allow them to coexist peacefully in the context of the Thai nation state. Thus, the region has daily political violence under the pretext of separatism.

Perhaps the Malay MPs from the deep South can learn a thing or two from the US Congressional Black Caucus, a forum where black American lawmakers come together, regardless of political party, and fight for the civil, political and economic rights of African-American people. The very fact that they have a black man elected to the country's highest post says something about collective effort, as well as how far they have come.

Just over a decade ago, there was a political faction from the deep South called Wadah. It started off as a good idea - Malay politicians speaking for Malay rights, social mobility, empowerment, and so on. But like many other politicians in Thailand, they, too, became compromised. Their moment of truth came in the aftermath of the Tak Bai massacre when none of them dared utter a word against their political master, Thaksin Shinawatra.

In the next general election, as expected, they all failed miserably. Today, these former Wadah are still in the picture trying desperately to reinvent themselves.

How they will fare in the next poll or whether they become elected representatives with substance remains to be seen. But for the current elected ones from the deep South, it is never too late to look beyond their party line and think outside of the box.

At the least, they can help patch up this century-old distrust between the state and the people in their constituency.

-- The Nation 2011-02-28

[mogoso]

"regardless of political party" There isn't a Republican member of it. Black politicians consider any Conservative an aberration, and a person to be slighted. There is no tolerance allowed from the left as their views are the only views permissible for a person of color.

To use the Black Caucus as a model of civility is laughable and shows a lack of knowledge of the US politic.

[Bagwan]

Perhaps the people down South need to find a Martin Luther King to speak for them. Considering his fate, I wonder how long he would last though.

[mogoso]

Perhaps the people down South need to find a Martin Luther King to speak for them. Considering his fate, I wonder how long he would last though.

King was born and raised in the south. His resting place is about 15 miles from where I'm sitting in the south. He was killed by a lunatic racist in Tennessee. I was here the day of his funeral. Years later I got to know one of Dr. King sons. Dr. King spoke for us, spoke to us. I feel he'd resent what the race lords in the US are doing. Revs Jackson and Sharpton are among the best examples of getting really rich and powerful by extortion and playing the race card and keeping people divided to continue getting rich.

[canuckamuck]

Perhaps the people down South need to find a Martin Luther King to speak for them. Considering his fate, I wonder how long he would last though.

King was born and raised in the south. His resting place is about 15 miles from where I'm sitting in the south. He was killed by a lunatic racist in Tennessee. I was here the day of his funeral. Years later I got to know one of Dr. King sons. Dr. King spoke for us, spoke to us. I feel he'd resent what the race lords in the US are doing. Revs Jackson and Sharpton are among the best examples of getting really rich and powerful by extortion and playing the race card and keeping people divided to continue getting rich.

Well put

[bbradsby]

"regardless of political party" There isn't a Republican member of it. Black politicians consider any Conservative an aberration, and a person to be slighted. There is no tolerance allowed from the left as their views are the only views permissible for a person of color.

To use the Black Caucus as a model of civility is laughable and shows a lack of knowledge of the US politic.

Firstly, I'm not a democrat. That said, I think you're looking at the wrong end of the elephant in your analysis as to the reason there are no repoobs in the Congressional Black Caucus. The REAL reason is that repoob-controlled districts will rarely, if ever, elect a black politician to congress! There have been only six black republicans elected in the forty years since the founding of the Caucus. They didn't join the Caucus for the same reason cats don't tread on hot tin roofs - for better or worse, it likely wouldn't be a very hospitable environment for their positions on the issues!

The Nation's reference to the CBC for Malay-Thais is valid, as they represent a unified vote & voice for a traditionally under-represented ethnic group within a larger democratic process in US Congress - a 200-year old white caucus.

[SouthernMan3]

"Perhaps the Malay MPs from the deep South can learn a thing or two from the US Congressional Black Caucus, a forum where black American lawmakers come together, regardless of political party, and fight for the civil, political and economic rights of African-American people. The very fact that they have a black man elected to the country's highest post says something about collective effort, as well as how far they have come."

True !

[rotary]

I agree 100%, its all true what u said

"regardless of political party" There isn't a Republican member of it. Black politicians consider any Conservative an aberration, and a person to be slighted. There is no tolerance allowed from the left as their views are the only views permissible for a person of color.

To use the Black Caucus as a model of civility is laughable and shows a lack of knowledge of the US politic.

[Credo]

"regardless of political party" There isn't a Republican member of it. Black politicians consider any Conservative an aberration, and a person to be slighted. There is no tolerance allowed from the left as their views are the only views permissible for a person of color.

To use the Black Caucus as a model of civility is laughable and shows a lack of knowledge of the US politic.

I believe Allen West, the republican representative from Florida is a member of the CBC.

[Jingthing]

I agree 100%, its all true what u said

"regardless of political party" There isn't a Republican member of it. Black politicians consider any Conservative an aberration, and a person to be slighted. There is no tolerance allowed from the left as their views are the only views permissible for a person of color.

To use the Black Caucus as a model of civility is laughable and shows a lack of knowledge of the US politic.

You can agree but it is factually totally incorrect. Facts are stubborn things sometimes, eh?

Allen West, a black republican United States congressman is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Credo, I see you beat me to it.

Next ...

[HAL9000]

Thanks for this insightful post.

[Lite Beer]

A post with references to The Thai Monarchy has been deleted.

[Emster23]

A post with references to The Thai Monarchy has been deleted.

[Emster23]

the reason King, Ghandi et al had some success was that those nations held the belief in equality. Thailand is much more status conscious, in my opinion and doesn't believe people are of equal value, so appealing to that value that doesn't exist is a waste of time. And let us not forget those polls among Thais that show they don't seem to mind corruption