National Reconciliation? It's Just Lip Service So Far: Thai Talk

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THAI TALK

National reconciliation? It's just lip service so far

Suthichai Yoon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- If politics is too important to be left to politicians, then the ongoing national reconciliation effort is too crucial to be assigned to parties with their own narrow political agenda.

The much-heralded attempt to reach a national reconciliation formula is stuck in the mud. You can't move forward because all sorts of roadblocks have been built. You can't move backward because you will drown in dirty cesspools that have been dug by the politicians themselves.

All the political groups in the face-off have built their own bunkers, ready for another protracted confrontation. They have been accumulating their own ammunition for the new battle.

If the opposing parties mean what they say, they could pool their respective resources and push the country out of the stalemate.

But if they decide to employ their resources only to win the political battle in a zero-sum game - as is becoming increasingly evident - then disaster is awaiting just around the corner.

Deputy Premier Chalerm Yoobamrung says he has drawn up his own six-article bill that he describes as a "national reconciliation act".

The House Committee on National Reconciliation, headed by 2006 coup-maker General Sonthi Bunyaratakalin, has its own version of a proposal, based on a study submitted by King Prajadhipok's Institute - a supposedly neutral think tank - part of which calls for the abrogation of the agencies set up after the September 2006 coup. The study also includes a proposal to grant amnesty to people involved in past political protests.

Some ruling Pheu Thai MPs seem to have welcomed the suggestions, but Deputy Premier Chalerm sort of poured cold water on it, saying that the formula won't lead to national reconciliation because it's not legally binding. Of course, Chalerm is pursuing his own agenda, which may cut across the multitude of steps that need to be taken before any concrete result to let Thaksin come home soon can be seen.

From another circle, red-shirt leader Thida Tavornseth set down her condition for any reconciliation. She declared that any move that leaves only the red-shirts guilty of breaking the law would not be acceptable.

General Sonthi himself is highly ambivalent. He may head the House reconciliation committee but he isn't quite sure where he stands on some of the crucial issues involved.

Asked to comment on an idea to grant amnesty to ousted prime minister Thaksin, whose administration was toppled in the coup led by him, the general-turned-politician steadfastly refused to offer his opinion one way or the other.

Sonthi is in a great dilemma: if he agrees with the concept, he would be accused of backtracking and having staged a "bad coup".

But if he speaks out against the proposal, he would be seen as being against national reconciliation.

The opposition Democrats, meanwhile, have cast doubts all along on Pheu Thai's move on reconciliation, arguing that the sole purpose of the acceleration of the legal proceedings in this regard is nothing but a way to find a legitimate means to help Thaksin come home without having to face any punishment.

Cynics see Chalerm's proposed bill and the ongoing action to hold an election to form a constitution drafting assembly as a coordinated effort to speed up the former premier's return - a move that threatens to plunge the country into another round of explosive confrontation.

Of course, the Democrats continue to talk about reconciliation - on their terms. They insist on the "rule of law" and "transparency", meaning that violators of criminal laws must be taken to court and amnesty can be offered only to "political offenders".

In other words, no middle ground can be found so far - and the prospect of genuine national reconciliation is getting dimmer by the day.

All that politicians are willing to pay for national reconciliation is, sad to say, mostly lip service.

-- The Nation 2012-03-22

[theblether]

You know, sometimes doing nothing is a great option.

[sparebox2]

National reconciliation?

"Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists." Bush

[WackySomchai]

A democracy without rule of law is not a democracy. When a majority of Thais understand that simple fact we will have reconcilliation.

[Moruya]

I'd like to see the government list one thing that they have done for national reconcilliation.

There's a huge list of things that they have done to take care of the Red Shirts.

A lot that they have done for the north (Chian Mai) and some for the North East.

Very little for central and zip for the south

[Ferangled]

I'd like to see the government list one thing that they have done for national reconcilliation.

There's a huge list of things that they have done to take care of the Red Shirts.

A lot that they have done for the north (Chian Mai) and some for the North East.

Very little for central and zip for the south

Please could you post some facts to back this statement up?

[tlansford]

I'd like to see the government list one thing that they have done for national reconcilliation.

There's a huge list of things that they have done to take care of the Red Shirts.

A lot that they have done for the north (Chian Mai) and some for the North East.

Very little for central and zip for the south

Please could you post some facts to back this statement up?

Well, they did increase the justice fund to make money available for red shirts bail... but no worries, the bail requests have been turned down by the courts so far

And then they also passed the compensation for victims of political violence since 2005, which naturally only benefits the red shirts, ... and the yellow shirts, ... and the muslims in the south, ... and the business owners in BKK, ... clearly biased.

PTP & Democrats play their political games, no doubt. But reconciliation is about negotiating.

The author says no middle ground has been found so far.

So far, it is still early in the game.

[Chupup]

NATIONAL RECONCILLIATION, Will never happen, as soon as there is any aggrement between the partys someone will move the goalposts and we start all over again, its called Shooting oneself in the foot to save "FACE"

[gregb]

National reconciliation can never be achieved through amnesty or forgiving everyone who committed crimes. It can only be achieved through justice and equitable enforcement of the laws. How then can you expect to reconcile until everyone who broke the law, in particular Thaksin, are willing to admit that they are guilty and being treated fairly under the law, rather than blameless and being persecuted?

There is no climate for reconciliation right now, and there will be no reconciliation until the protagonists have died and a new generation of people have grown up without suffering under the current regimes. The real question journalists should be asking is can we somehow avoid civil war while waiting for this day to arrive?

[bigbamboo]

You know, sometimes doing nothing is a great option.

'If in doubt, do nowt'. As you say this often holds true. But at some point things must be sorted and ideally none of the people involved with causing the current conflict in Thailand should have anything to do with trying to fix it. They've already been found wanting.

Edited March 23, 2012 by bigbamboo