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Thailand supports progress in democratic development
The Nation


Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra addresseshe 7th Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies, in Ulan Bator yesterday.

ULAN BATOR: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra spoke at the 7th Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies, Ulan Bator, Mongolia, yesterday. The following is her statement to the meeting.

I wish to begin by expressing my appreciation to His Excellency the President of Mongolia for inviting me to speak at this Conference of the Community of Democracies.

I accepted this invitation not only because I wanted to visit a country that has made many achievements regarding democracy, and to exchange ideas and views on democracy, but also because democracy is so important to me, and more importantly, to the people of Thailand.

Democracy is not a new concept. Over the years, it has brought progress and hope to a lot of people. At the same time, many people have sacrificed their blood and lives in order to protect and build democracy.

A government of the people, by the people and for the people does not come without a price. Rights, liberties and the belief that all men and women are created equal have to be fought for.

Why? This is because there are people who do not believe in democracy. They are ready to grab power and wealth through suppression of freedom. This means that they are willing to take advantage of other people without respecting human rights and liberties. They use force to gain submission and abuse their power. This still poses challenges for all of us in the present.

In many countries, democracy has taken a firm root. And it is refreshing to see another wave of democracy in modern times, from the Arab Spring to the successful transition in Myanmar through the efforts of President Thein Sein, and also the changes in Thailand, where people power has brought me here today.

At the regional level, the key principles in the Asean Charter are the commitment to the rule of law, democracy and constitutional government. However, we must always beware that anti-democratic forces never subside.

In 1997, Thailand had a new constitution that was created with the participation of the people. Because of this, we all thought a new era of democracy had finally arrived, an era without the cycle of coups d'etat.

It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a majority was overthrown in 2006. Thailand lost track and the people spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom.

Many of you here know that the government I am talking about was the one with my brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, as the rightfully elected prime minister.

Many who don't know me say why complain? It is a normal process that governments come and go. And if I and my family were the only ones suffering, I might just let it be.

But Thailand suffered a setback and lost international credibility. The rule of law in the country was destroyed. Projects and programmes started by my brother's government that came from the people's wishes were removed. The people felt their rights and liberties were wrongly taken away.

"Thai" means "free", and the people of Thailand fought back for their freedom. In May 2010, a crackdown on the red-shirt movement led to 91 deaths in the heart of Bangkok. Many innocent people were shot dead by snipers, and the movement was crushed with the leaders jailed or fled abroad. Even today, many political victims remain in jail.

However, the people pushed on, and finally the then government had to call an election, which they thought could be manipulated. In the end, the will of the people could not be denied. I was elected with an absolute majority.

But the story is not over. It is clear that elements of an anti-democratic regime still exist. The new constitution, drafted under the coup-leaders' government, put in mechanisms to restrict democracy. A good example of this is that half of the Thai Senate is elected, but the other half is appointed by a small group of people. In addition, the so-called independent agencies have abused power that should belong to the people, for the benefit of the few rather than to the Thai society at large.

This is the challenge of Thai democracy. I would like to see reconciliation and democracy gaining strength. This can only be achieved through strengthening of the rule of law and due process. Only then will every person feel confident that they will be treated fairly. I announced this in Parliament as part of the government's policy before I fully assumed my duties as prime minister.

Moreover, democracy will also promote political stability, providing an environment for investment and job creation. And most importantly, I believe political freedom addresses long-term social disparities by opening economic opportunities that lead to reducing the income gap between rich and poor.

That is why it is so important to strengthen the grassroots. We can achieve this through education reforms. Education creates opportunities through knowledge and democratic culture built into the way of life of the people.

Only then will people have the knowledge to be able to make informed choices and defend their beliefs from those wishing to suppress them. That is why Thailand supported Mongolia's timely UNGA resolution on education for democracy.

Also important is closing the gap between rich and poor. Everyone should be given opportunities and no one should be left behind. This will allow people to become active stakeholders in building the country's economy and democracy.

That is why my government initiated policies to provide people with opportunities to make their own living and contribute to the development of our society. Some of these include the Women's Development Fund, supporting local products and SMEs, as well as raising income for farmers.

And I believe you need effective and innovative leadership. Effective in implementing the rule of law fairly. Innovative in finding creative peaceful solutions to address problems.

You need leadership not only on the part of government but also on the part of the opposition and all stakeholders. All must respect the rule of law and contribute to democracy.

Another important lesson we have learnt is that international friends matter. Pressure from countries who value democracy kept democratic forces in Thailand alive. Sanctions and non-recognition are essential mechanisms to stop anti-democratic regimes.

An international forum like Community of Democracies helps sustain democracy, seeking to promote and protect democracy through dialogue and cooperation. More importantly, if any country takes the wrong turn against the principle of democracy, all of us here need to unite to pressure for change and return freedom to the people.

I will always support the Community of Democracies and the work of the Governing Council. I also welcome the President's Asian Partnership Initiative for Democracy and will explore how to extend our cooperation with it.

I would like to end my statement by declaring that I hope the sufferings of my family, the families of political victims, and the families of the 91 people who lost their lives in defending democracy during the bloodshed in May 2010, will be the last.

Let us continue to support democracy so that the rights and liberties of all human beings will be protected for generations to come.


-- The Nation 2013-04-30

[whybother]

It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a majority was overthrown in 2006. ...

Many of you here know that the government I am talking about was the one with my brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, as the rightfully elected prime minister.

You would have thought that she would know that Thaksin wasn't the "rightfully elected prime minister" when his care-taker government was kicked out.

[LuckyLew]

Yes Thailand support democracy, but Thailand refuses to be a democratic country

Thailand is far from a democratic country

Pay for votes

Protest to get what you want

Threaten judges when you do not like their decisions

Burn down the city center when set upon

Refuse to allow all parties to stage rallies in all provinces

Shall I continue ...

Look in the mirror YS .... IMO opinion you, your brother, the red shirts and the rest of the PTP are holding Thailand back from being a democratic country ... you are moving closer to being like North Korea than you are of becoming a democratic developed country.

[chainarong]

Democracy is but a word in the Kingdom of Thailand and it is doubtful this will change, as they are totally unaware of the requirements of Democracy, they have never learnt about democracy, not one of their leaders here in Thailand could tell me the first most important rule of the Westminster, USA style of government, they have come from a Junta styled government , made up a hotch botch set of rules (Mainly for themselves) and that's democracy, they didn't want the western styled system because they couldn't rort the system, the best examples in asia are HK SAR and Singapore..

[kimamey]

'It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a
majority was overthrown in 2006. Thailand lost track and the people
spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom.'

I could be wrong but I think her maths is a bit out.

[bigbamboo]

'It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a

majority was overthrown in 2006. Thailand lost track and the people

spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom.'

I could be wrong but I think her maths is a bit out.

She could mean that the people won't regain their democratic freedom until 2016?

Or maybe, force of habit, she's deducting the usual 30 per cent.

[Pimay1]

'It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a

majority was overthrown in 2006. Thailand lost track and the people

spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom.'

I could be wrong but I think her maths is a bit out.

Attending KSU I can understand that.

[philw]

Her speech reads quite well and seems to be a reasonable summation of what actually happened.

It must really hurt some people to see her speaking thus on the international stage.

[Thaddeus]

Her speech reads quite well and seems to be a reasonable summation of what actually happened.

It must really hurt some people to see her speaking thus on the international stage.

There are two sets of people that it hurts. Those that prefer to hear the truth and those who think it's the truth.

Add them together, that means everyone.

[kimamey]

'It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a

majority was overthrown in 2006. Thailand lost track and the people

spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom.'

I could be wrong but I think her maths is a bit out.

Attending KSU I can understand that.

Is KSU that bad then?

[MikeOboe57]

I would like to end my statement by declaring that I hope the sufferings of my family, the families of political victims, and the families of

the 91 people who lost their lives in defending democracy during the bloodshed in May 2010, will be the last. [bold by me]

Nice to see her family comes first.

[hellodolly]

Her speech reads quite well and seems to be a reasonable summation of what actually happened.

It must really hurt some people to see her speaking thus on the international stage.

I don't think the other people in attendance were as ill informed about the political situation in Thailand as you are.

[hellodolly]

I would like to end my statement by declaring that I hope the sufferings of my family, the families of political victims, and the families of

the 91 people who lost their lives in defending democracy during the bloodshed in May 2010, will be the last. [bold by me]

Nice to see her family comes first.

No concern for the Army personal that died.

[kimamey]

'It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a

majority was overthrown in 2006. Thailand lost track and the people

spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom.'

I could be wrong but I think her maths is a bit out.

To be fair think my grammar is a bit questionable as well but in my defence I was in a hurry.

[Pimay1]

'It was not to be. An elected government that won two elections with a

majority was overthrown in 2006. Thailand lost track and the people

spent almost a decade to regain their democratic freedom.'

I could be wrong but I think her maths is a bit out.

Attending KSU I can understand that.

Is KSU that bad then?

Well I'll put it this way. The average ACT (American College Testing) test scores of students attending KSU is 18, which is 5 lower than the average for all Colleges and Universities in the USA. I'm not sayng it is a bad university but many students that do not qualify academically to attend universities with higher standards go to KSU. Of course it is good they are accepted. The point is KSU caters to this type of students.

[Thai at Heart]

Did anyone canvas the opinion of the army on this matter?