Thailand Needs A ' Grand Rainbow Change': Academic

[webfact]

Thailand needs a 'grand rainbow change': academic
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand needs a "grand rainbow change" coalition to create a new set of basic rules, with a division of labour and a genuine democratic arena where all can compete, Marc Saxer, director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's Bangkok office, concluded in a recent analysis of the political conflict.

Saxer, a keen observer of Thai politics, proposed that a platform based on a lowest common denominator is needed in which "progressives, liberals and enlightened conservatives" can work together to fight against the "deeply-entrenched status quo".

In his paper "How can Thailand overcome its transformation crisis? A Strategy for Democratic Change", Saxer pointed out three existing major obstacles:

First, the deeply entrenched status quo will resist.

Second, traditional ideas will continue to provide discursive power to those in the status quo.

Third, collective action problems will continue to "hamper" the formation of a powerful coalition for democratic change.

"Marginalised progressives need to join forces with liberal reformers and enlightened conservatives in a grand rainbow change coalition," Saxer stressed.

He believed a "grand bargain" to settle the current political conflict would not suffice, because it would not be enough to overcome the deeper transformation crisis.

"Thailand's traditional political, social and cultural order is no longer able to satisfy the needs of a globalised economy and pluralistic society," he said.

Saxer appears to distrust both sides of the political divide, as he believes that both have a proven track record of tampering with the checks and balances system, as well as violating human rights.

To make matters worse, he said no "broad societal deliberation" that would allow for a social contract to be re-negotiated, had emerged over the past year.

"On the contrary, public debate is poisoned by polarisation, hate speech, character assassination and cyber mobbing on the one side, as well as censorship and prosecution on the other.

"When a group of law scholars proposed to reform the notorious [lese majeste law], a de facto coalition between the 'red' government and its yellow critics made it clear that they would not be prepared to change the existing order," he said.

"More recently, the debate over the charter amendment and 'reconciliation' bills served as another sad example for the absence of a rule-based and goal-oriented process of deliberation."


-- The Nation 2013-03-12

[NongKhaiKid]

A former British PM spoke of the " winds of change blowing through the corridors of power " but to change Thailand it will take a couple of super typhoons.

[chainarong]

You only have to go back to the time when the new draft for the constitution was up for comment, the academic's destroyed it, in its original form, talk about all one sided and basically they still try to run the country on a feudal type system, mind you Mr Saxo , though the top end of town will disagree , sums it up nicely.

[endure]

What all these 'keen observers of Thai politics' need to do is to spend a few seasons up in Isaan with their faces to the mud and their backs to the sky.

[jayboy]

A former British PM spoke of the " winds of change blowing through the corridors of power " but to change Thailand it will take a couple of super typhoons.

No.Harold Macmilan spoke of a wind of change blowing through a continent (Africa): there was no reference to "corridors of power".

[jayboy]

What all these 'keen observers of Thai politics' need to do is to spend a few seasons up in Isaan with their faces to the mud and their backs to the sky.

I have no idea what this means.Care to elaborate?

If you mean that it's necessary to weigh the theoretical speculation of academics with the harsher reality of what happens on the ground, I would have some observations to make.

[pedro01]

""progressives, liberals and enlightened conservatives"

LOL - showing his political leanings there, isn't he?

[NongKhaiKid]

A former British PM spoke of the " winds of change blowing through the corridors of power " but to change Thailand it will take a couple of super typhoons.

No.Harold Macmilan spoke of a wind of change blowing through a continent (Africa): there was no reference to "corridors of power".

You are quite correct and I happily stand corrected but isn't the overall thrust the same for here ? It will take something special to change this place

[NongKhaiKid]

What all these 'keen observers of Thai politics' need to do is to spend a few seasons up in Isaan with their faces to the mud and their backs to the sky.

Yes faces to the mud and backs to the sky sustained by the thoughts of Chairman Thaksin. I live in Isan and non-red shirt folks are as scare as rocking horse droppings, those that don't agree tend to keep their thoughts to themselves

[Pimay1]

What all these 'keen observers of Thai politics' need to do is to spend a few seasons up in Isaan with their faces to the mud and their backs to the sky.

Yes faces to the mud and backs to the sky sustained by the thoughts of Chairman Thaksin. I live in Isan and non-red shirt folks are as scare as rocking horse droppings, those that don't agree tend to keep their thoughts to themselves

You are correct. I have stated basically the same thing in other treads but people cast scorn on this truth. The non believers need to come up this way and stay a while.

[asiasurfer]

It still dazzles me that some of these "Political Observers" (or self-proclaimed academics) always think they can simply implement their Western system into other countries.

Say Hello to Mr. Saxer and tell him "Western System no work in Thailand"...

[Thaddeus]

A former British PM spoke of the " winds of change blowing through the corridors of power " but to change Thailand it will take a couple of super typhoons.

No.Harold Macmilan spoke of a wind of change blowing through a continent (Africa): there was no reference to "corridors of power".

You are quite correct and I happily stand corrected but isn't the overall thrust the same for here ? It will take something special to change this place

It would take a parliamentary enema on a massive scale.

[Thai at Heart]

It still dazzles me that some of these "Political Observers" (or self-proclaimed academics) always think they can simply implement their Western system into other countries.

Say Hello to Mr. Saxer and tell him "Western System no work in Thailand"...

Coz the current Thai system works flawlessly already

[asiasurfer]

It still dazzles me that some of these "Political Observers" (or self-proclaimed academics) always think they can simply implement their Western system into other countries.

Say Hello to Mr. Saxer and tell him "Western System no work in Thailand"...

Coz the current Thai system works flawlessly already

Well, that is an exaggeration...

[fire and ice]

It still dazzles me that some of these "Political Observers" (or self-proclaimed academics) always think they can simply implement their Western system into other countries.

Say Hello to Mr. Saxer and tell him "Western System no work in Thailand"...

The "western System" was essentially thrust upon Japan post WWII and quite successfully too.

But of course Japan is a nation of hard working people who really do value ones input into society instead of seeing it as more important to pretend to do so or be "seen" to do so (eg: The Thai way is to steal Bt50mil via corruption and be really benevolent by donating Bt5mil to charity - then "What a generous person they all say")

Edited March 12, 2013 by fire and ice

[reiltin]

First, the deeply entrenched status quo will resist.

Second, traditional ideas will continue to provide discursive power to those in the status quo.

"Thailand's traditional political, social and cultural order is no longer able to satisfy the needs of a globalised economy and pluralistic society," he said.

Agree with Saxer on these points,it's not going to happen overnight-start in the schools-engage the young minds whose mouths aren't encouraged to be opened-save to eat.

[Lucie]

What all these 'keen observers of Thai politics' need to do is to spend a few seasons up in Isaan with their faces to the mud and their backs to the sky.

Or at least to sit outside the village "shop" for a while and listen to what the drop-ins talk about.

Changing Thailand is not about how 'enlightened' the politicians are, how well-researched the scholars are, or how much 'cooperation' happens between this party and that party, this think-tank and that think-tank... it's about the people. And the ones around my way have very little education, have never been anywhere outside the province, never read anything beyond the price labels on their fertiliser sacks, and so get all their information and ideas from where...?

The TV (don't get me started there...)

...and each other, outside the village "shop".

[FunFon]

""progressives, liberals and enlightened conservatives"

LOL - showing his political leanings there, isn't he?

I interpret it to imply that it's the conservatives that require enlightenment where the others already have it. Is that your take?

It still dazzles me that some of these "Political Observers" (or self-proclaimed academics) always think they can simply implement their Western system into other countries.

Say Hello to Mr. Saxer and tell him "Western System no work in Thailand"...

The "western System" was essentially thrust upon Japan post WWII and quite successfully too.

But of course Japan is a nation of hard working people who really do value ones input into society instead of seeing it as more important to pretend to do so or be "seen" to do so (eg: The Thai way is to steal Bt50mil via corruption and be really benevolent by donating Bt5mil to charity - then "What a generous person they all say")

I agree with everyone else who's stated this is unrealistically idealistic pie-in-the-sky dreaming.

Both sides of the warring factions are IMO just different facets of basically the same "deeply-entrenched status quo" from a systemic point of view, just that one's a bit more deeply entrenched and the other happens to be on top for the time being.

His fundamental mistake is to imagine that any Thai considers the role of government to be to work for the benefit of the common people - it never has and no one expects it to. Now mind you it's only a difference of degree IMO between most western "democracies", the greater disparity between rich and poor the less the degree, every ruling elite simply gives the hoi polloi its bread and circuses and the corporate bosses and old-boy network get on with actually pulling the strings on their so-called public servants.

The difference here is that back home most people actually believe the election-time media spin, because it's been drummed into them that what reality is since they learned to read "Janet and John" (that's Dick and Jane for the Yanks). Japan, the US and UK have just as corrupt a system if not more, it's just more "systemic", and not available at the street retail level, only to the big guys. At least here everyone knows about it, it's right out there and even the middle class can use it to lord it over the peasants.

[timewilltell]

Mr Saxo's says a lot of words - with little stuffing!