Thai Parties Must Work Together To Heal Rifts

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

Parties must work together to heal rifts

By Avudh Panananda

The Nation

Thailand is bound to go through a never-ending rough patch unless parties concerned start working together to find a solution.

During the final week of campaigning, rival candidates have been relying on rousing speeches to sway votes, which at the same time could backfire to inflame the political situation.

The July 3 vote should bring about a fresh start. Instead, voters are being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban painted a grim picture, reminding voters that they might end up installing terrorist suspects in power should the opposition Pheu Thai Party win.

Pheu Thai candidate Natthawut Saikua made a veiled threat that the red shirts would pour into the streets if his party were denied the chance to form the next government.

The yellow shirts threatened to resume their opposition movement if Pheu Thai pushed for amnesty for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Although reconciliation is the key word in every campaign message, each rival camp has insisted on its slice of truth, refusing to form a whole picture of the conflict. Fence-mending appears to have become a code for "my way or the highway".

Pheu Thai and the Democrats are not on the same wavelength regarding the reconciliation process. The red and yellow shirts are spearheading a fight for democracy but the two seem to live in a parallel universe on how to achieve the ideal political system.

All sides have invoked the rule of law to deal with their opponents. But can the judicial system untangle a complex web of politically motivated crimes?

The red and yellow shirts organised street protests that spiralled out of control. Proponents for criminal prosecution should heed the Bahrain experience. Trying and convicting protesters as terrorists would fuel more protests and deepen discontent.

Are the jurists in a position to rule which is the least of the two evils - the Thaksin autocratic regime or the 2006 coup? How should the blame be apportioned - the yellow shirts for seizing airports and occupying Government House and the red shirts for causing the Bangkok paralysis and the Pattaya mayhem?

As politicians are trying to peddle their brand of conflict resolution, the country already has a road map for reconciliation.

Last July, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) came into existence as an independent body led by jurist Kanit Na Nakorn.

The TRCT has a term of office for two years to seek the truth related to political violence between April and May last year, to recommend restoration measures and to suggest measures designed to lessen social divisions and prevent a repeat of violence. Its first six-month report covers significant progress in uncovering facts about the violence and the victims. Unfortunately the government and the opposition have failed to pay due attention to the report. The two sides seem to want to validate their version of the truth rather than heed an impartial assessment.

Although the TRCT has a number of limitations despite its partial adaptation of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the next government should try to foster reconciliation based on the TRCT's work progress instead of starting from scratch.

One of the TRCT's key recommendations was to introduce transitional justice to pave the way for reconciliation. Neither blanket amnesty nor strict criminal prosecution could heal the political and social divide. All sides should push for the whole truth to come out in order to bring closure and allow the country to move on. The legal proceedings should factor in the political context of each incident. Terrorism provisions are designed to counter the enemy of the state and not to be a tool of suppression against political opponents.

-- The Nation 2011-06-28

[OzMick]

" Proponents for criminal prosecution should heed the Bahrain experience. Trying and convicting protesters as terrorists would fuel more protests and deepen discontent."

"How should the blame be apportioned - the yellow shirts for seizing airports and occupying Government House and the red shirts for causing the Bangkok paralysis and the Pattaya mayhem?"

The yellow shirts are facing their charges in court. Is the writer suggesting that the reds should not do the same? Prosecuting those who commit criminal acts as a political statement will "deepen discontent" according to the writer. IMHO not doing so will encourage others to commit similar acts. And placing persons on criminal charges on a party list where they are assured of being elected is an act of democratic bastardisation, using one branch of democracy to subvert another. Being a popular criminal does not make you any less a criminal.

[tragickingdom]

Always interesting when the Nation has an opinion. Maybe they have also an opinion as why 4,000 people at Central World were clapping and celebrating when they showed pictures of army killed demonstrators. Maybe they even have an opinion about the statement of Democrat Party people that with "those" people (2/3 of the Thai population) you do not want to reconcile and they surely have an opinion about the word of thanks that Chuan Leekpai directed towards the Nation for spreading the governments word during the military actions at Rachaprasong. After all Suthep said it NO ONE was killed that day.... Sleep well...

[whybother]

Always interesting when the Nation has an opinion. Maybe they have also an opinion as why 4,000 people at Central World were clapping and celebrating when they showed pictures of army killed demonstrators. Maybe they even have an opinion about the statement of Democrat Party people that with "those" people (2/3 of the Thai population) you do not want to reconcile and they surely have an opinion about the word of thanks that Chuan Leekpai directed towards the Nation for spreading the governments word during the military actions at Rachaprasong. After all Suthep said it NO ONE was killed that day.... Sleep well...

Maybe you can point out when people "were clapping and celebrating when they showed pictures of army killed demonstrators".

Or maybe you were watching red TV that showed the crowds cheering and their own insets of the army shooting people.

[myfriendu]

Always interesting when the Nation has an opinion. Maybe they have also an opinion as why 4,000 people at Central World were clapping and celebrating when they showed pictures of army killed demonstrators. Maybe they even have an opinion about the statement of Democrat Party people that with "those" people (2/3 of the Thai population) you do not want to reconcile and they surely have an opinion about the word of thanks that Chuan Leekpai directed towards the Nation for spreading the governments word during the military actions at Rachaprasong. After all Suthep said it NO ONE was killed that day.... Sleep well...

Maybe you can point out when people "were clapping and celebrating when they showed pictures of army killed demonstrators".

Or maybe you were watching red TV that showed the crowds cheering and their own insets of the army shooting people.

spot on,nothing more to add,