Democracy: a key theme in PM Yingluck's speeches

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PM'S TRIPS
Democracy: a key theme in PM's speeches
Kornchanok Raksaseri
The Nation

Address in Mongolia on her government's struggle with legacy of the coup stands out

BANGKOK: -- There are certain key words in speeches that PM Yingluck Shinawatra has made on foreign and international stages: women, economy, infrastructure, water management and democracy.

Her very first speech at an international forum was on "Women as the Way Forward", which Thailand's first female prime minister gave at the World Economic Forum in Davos last January. Then she delivered speeches to restore confidence in Thailand after the 2011 flood crisis.

Most of the 56 trips she has made in her 25 months as premier have been arranged to boost international relations as well as Thai trade and investment.

Along the way in Asia, Europe, America or in Africa, she supported the premise that Thailand is stable and has democratic politics, a good economic outlook and commitment to invest more in the transport infrastructure and water management.

Early last year, Yingluck emphasised that the Bt350-billion water management project to restore investors' confidence in Thailand after the flood in 2011.

In many places later, she talked about plans for Bt2 trillion worth of infrastructure projects and promoted the Dawei deepsea port project in Myanmar as part of regional links.

When Yingluck delivered speeches about women's rights and leadership, she always promoted the government's Women Empowerment Fund.

At Ewha Women's University in South Korea last March, Yingluck stressed the importance of female leadership going hand in hand with feminine characteristics such as softness and caring.

However, the speech that has been talked about most was delivered at the 7th Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies in Ulan Bator, Mongolia on April 29. That was because it was unlike previous speeches trying to promote a positive picture of Thailand to boost trade and investment. In this speech, she said Thailand had suffered a setback and lost international credibility after the military coup that overthrew her brother's government in 2006. She said the crackdown on protesters in 2010 during the Abhisit Vejjajiva government left 91 people dead and that the current charter, which was a result of the coup, was still hindering the country from being a full democracy.

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

"But the story is not over. It is clear that elements of the 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 the power that should belong to the people, for the benefit of the few rather than to the society at large."

Critics were quick to hit back, saying she had given one-sided information and omitted to explain why her brother was overthrown and what the red shirts - her supporters - had done during the political turmoil in mid-2010.

In a following address in Sri Lanka, Yingluck called on Sri Lankan members of Parliament for cooperation. "Our two countries, with our experiences and lessons can contribute greatly to the advancement of democratic forces," she said.

At the 24th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva last month, the first Thai premier to address the council highlighted the problems of discrimination against women and children. And she did not forget to call for cooperation to uphold democratic principles.

Perhaps the most significant remark came in Mongolia: "Another important lesson we have learnt was 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."


-- The Nation 2013-10-02

[theblether]

The only problem with that is that you can't go changing the rules that don't suit your "democratic" agenda. The law of the land must come first, democracy with law is a farcical concept.

[IMA_FARANG]

The only problem with that is that you can't go changing the rules that don't suit your "democratic" agenda. The law of the land must come first, democracy with law is a farcical concept.

---------------

I think you meant "democracy without law is a farcical concept".

As the current government has apply illustrated since it was "elected".

(But not that the opposition is really any better).

[Roadman]

The only problem with that is that you can't go changing the rules that don't suit your "democratic" agenda. The law of the land must come first, democracy with law is a farcical concept.

---------------

I think you meant "democracy without law is a farcical concept".

As the current government has apply illustrated since it was "elected".

(But not that the opposition is really any better).

I disagree. The opposition may have been close to being as corrupt but nowhere during their term were they dismantling the fragile democracy that was there at the rate that this lot are. In a democracy with a Crown head of state the Attorney General is supposed to act independantly for the head of state on behalf of the people and call the ruling government to task. The thai Attorney General as with the DSi, the police and numerous other law and order judicators are in the pocket of the Shinawatra mafia.

The biggest joke is Yingluck as per her Mongolian speech proclaiming that Thailand is democratic. She is right in that the anti-democratic regime that plagues Thailand is alive and well. She should know as she only needs to look in a mirror.

[mrtoad]

Of course her own twisted version of democracy is a key theme, as long as it absolves her criminal brother of any wrong doing.

More realistic as a key theme in Yinglucks Premiership is shopping.

[gemini81]

most dictators train their minions to talk about those key buzz words, no surprise. In a nation where many have a considerably lower education, it is that much easier to dupe them.

I am not sure she is even competent enough to convince though; just a show pony, not even a puppet.

[Tatsujin]

<yawns> Democracy my ass

[bigbamboo]

Democracy is a wonderful thing...... in politics it means so much to the people in so many ways.

Ask those lucky souls in the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

[weka]

There is not a single election in Thailand, from local body councils to general election, that does not involve vote buying.

Yay democracy!

[soi41]

I always thought that democracy was for the people, by the people !

Guess I have to visit Mr Goggle and try Thai democracy ?

Now I know better: for the few, to the benefit of the few !

[klauskunkel]

The more a government talks about Democracy, democratic values and above all the importance to protect these values, the less democratic a government it is...

[h90]

The only problem with that is that you can't go changing the rules that don't suit your "democratic" agenda. The law of the land must come first, democracy with law is a farcical concept.

---------------

I think you meant "democracy without law is a farcical concept".

As the current government has apply illustrated since it was "elected".

(But not that the opposition is really any better).

I disagree. The opposition may have been close to being as corrupt but nowhere during their term were they dismantling the fragile democracy that was there at the rate that this lot are. In a democracy with a Crown head of state the Attorney General is supposed to act independantly for the head of state on behalf of the people and call the ruling government to task. The thai Attorney General as with the DSi, the police and numerous other law and order judicators are in the pocket of the Shinawatra mafia.

The biggest joke is Yingluck as per her Mongolian speech proclaiming that Thailand is democratic. She is right in that the anti-democratic regime that plagues Thailand is alive and well. She should know as she only needs to look in a mirror.

I disagree: The opposition was corrupt but not on the same level....not even close to it. They took some tea-money on some projects. While this government creates projects with the sole purpose to get some money. The project itself isn't important at all.

[h90]

Democracy is a wonderful thing...... in politics it means so much to the people in so many ways.

Ask those lucky souls in the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

In the German Democratic Republic they even had to build a wall to block the mass immigration of West Germans into their paradise....

[tingtongteesood]

GIVE ME AN H ! GIVE ME AN I ! GIVE ME A P-P-O-C-R-I-T-E- What's it spell ? And that is exactly what this puppet PM is, a lieing cheating hippocrite who speaks of democracy whilst openly doing everything she can do undo the democratic process so that she can bring her convicted criminal boss home a free man and turn the Kingdom of Thailand into the Kingdom of Taksin. It's frickin' DISGRACEFUL !

[drdoom6996]

The only problem with that is that you can't go changing the rules that don't suit your "democratic" agenda. The law of the land must come first, democracy with law is a farcical concept.

---------------

I think you meant "democracy without law is a farcical concept".

As the current government has apply illustrated since it was "elected".

(But not that the opposition is really any better).

And law without enforcement is just a suggestion.

[drdoom6996]

And the stupid woman just stands there and lies through her teeth. The Shin clan, if their mouths are moving, they are not speaking the truth, just speaking what they want people to hear.

[Emdog]

""But the story is not over. It is clear that elements of the 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 the power that should belong to the people, for the benefit of the few rather than to the society at large."

She may not put it into any sort of action, but I have to agree with what she said. Sounds like complaints I have heard often here on TV. And enough about her brother already. People starting to sound like Fox News when they keep dragging him into every discussion....

[hellodolly]

"Most of the 56 trips she has made in her 25 months as premier have been arranged to boost international relations as well as Thai trade and investment."

In short she dosen't trust her ministers to properly do her brothers wishes in respect to their job and she has a better skype connection to him than they do.

"When Yingluck delivered speeches about women's rights and leadership, she always promoted the government's Women Empowerment Fund."

Be nice if it was a meaningful fund rather than a political prop

"She said the crackdown on protesters in 2010 during the Abhisit Vejjajiva government left 91 people dead and that the current charter, which was a result of the coup, was still hindering the country from being a full democracy."

Did she saying she was not democratically elected she bought her position.

Has she got a sign on her back saying kick me?

"the will of people cannot be denied. I was elected with an absolute majority," she said."

Well there is a prime reason she is incompetent. Any one that thinks 48% is a majority and 52% a minority has no bussines any where near politics. Perhaps as a Janitor or cleaner of all the new toilets her government has mandated.

"But the story is not over. It is clear that elements of the 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 the power that should belong to the people, for the benefit of the few rather than to the society at large."

She was telling Governments that do not have a fully elected Senate that they were wrong. Perhaps straighten out her own government before she tells other countries they are wrong.

I do agree there is good points on both sides of the issue but they should be settled here at home not drug on to the international stage. Shows her insecurity. Skype must have had a malfunction that day, Wait it is hooked up to a malfunction

"Another important lesson we have learnt was 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."

A desperate cry for other countries to not look at her governments doings just listen to her. After all dosn't she look good in a Photo op

[siampolee]

Democracy: a key theme in PM's speeches

Mongolia of course being a hub of international political affairs was plainly chosen so as the impact of Yinglucks ( or rather her brothers ordered pontification) speech would of course be a limited impact within the international political spectrum.

I think that we can all safely assume that Yingluck and her brothers understanding of the word democracy is spelled thus demonocracy rather than democracy

[Yunla]

Democracy: a key theme in PM's speeches

She has some of the best speech-writers money can buy. I agree with the potatoprint stuff about 'Thailand has a good outlook' and 'we need to invest heavily in frastructure' etc. Thailand has a lot of potential, and has a great outlook if managed correctly, but the problem is that this nation has been mismanaged for so many decades by one gang after another, that it currently does not fit the rosey picture that Yingluck delivers in these masterfully crafted speeches that she doesn't write. I have taken flak here before for saying that all politicians should write their own speeches, I believe it is their duty and also a test of their intelligence. That is a personal preference and a side-issue though, although in terms of 'true democracy' you would not only write your own speeches but you would actually debate unscripted as a core part of your job. But anyway I give her a thumbs-up for any hard-infrastructure investment she announces, and follows up relentlessly.

Specifics of the speech, 'women are the way forward' is of course wrongheaded, all citizens are the way forward and no group is excluded. That said the content re; improving the treatment of women and equality isses etc. is of course commendable. I step away from her entirely on the subject of Yingluck simply being elected is a big step forward for women. This is a complete fallacy. Her election was portrayed globally in the media as a

"new dawn for women all across Asia", when infact that is not true at all. She was not elected because she is a woman, or even because she is a competent leader who just happens to be a woman. In both those cases her election would have been a progressive landmark in reform. But she was elected because of her family name. So if anything, her election has set back the women's rights drive, as the first female PM did not get there by hard work, but by being installed by a man, a man who would have taken the seat himself if he wasn't a convicted criminal who is hiding from justice. I would have preferred a male PM, if he had worked hard all his life and got elected because he displayed the kind of integrity and backbone that Thailand needs to move beyond decades of macro-corruption and state-level larceny.

Re; her being a sort of Democracy Valkyrie who understands the core precepts of 'true democracy', and champions those precepts tirelessly, this is of course utterly absurd. Without wanting to cover old ground here, if she was actually a representative of the science of 'true democracy', she would be in Parliament so much they'd have to drag her out by her ankles to make her stop debating. Democracy demands parliamentary debate on all critical issues, responding to all points, formulating speeches on-the-go, allowing all policies to recieve a hearing and adequate open debate, and being known (as the founders of democracy were) for being passionate about both listening and responding to facets of the debate, with the nullpoint being that policy are successful or defeated in the open and self-regulating arena of logical disceptation.

[hellodolly]

The only problem with that is that you can't go changing the rules that don't suit your "democratic" agenda. The law of the land must come first, democracy with law is a farcical concept.

---------------

I think you meant "democracy without law is a farcical concept".

As the current government has apply illustrated since it was "elected".

(But not that the opposition is really any better).

I disagree. The opposition may have been close to being as corrupt but nowhere during their term were they dismantling the fragile democracy that was there at the rate that this lot are. In a democracy with a Crown head of state the Attorney General is supposed to act independantly for the head of state on behalf of the people and call the ruling government to task. The thai Attorney General as with the DSi, the police and numerous other law and order judicators are in the pocket of the Shinawatra mafia.

The biggest joke is Yingluck as per her Mongolian speech proclaiming that Thailand is democratic. She is right in that the anti-democratic regime that plagues Thailand is alive and well. She should know as she only needs to look in a mirror.

People who compare the corrupt clowns in office now to the Abhist Government forget that the only way Abhist came into power was with 20 of Thaksins hand trained corrupt operators abandoning him and bringing their talents to the Dems side. There by injecting corruption into a party that had it's share and did not need the special trained forces of Thaksin to infiltrate it.

Newin and his followers just made sure that the people were not allowed to see the difference a country with an honest government would make.

You have to admit they did a half ass job so Thaksin had to bring in his red shirted idiot's. Ask your self who with the IQ above idiot would follow Jutuporn?

edit corruption is spelled with a c not orruption

[hellodolly]

Democracy is a wonderful thing...... in politics it means so much to the people in so many ways.

Ask those lucky souls in the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

In the German Democratic Republic they even had to build a wall to block the mass immigration of West Germans into their paradise....

Well I hit I like it. Fact is I like it so much I thought it deserved reposting. It also did not let the rest of the world see what the garden of Eden really was.

[WhizBang]

Too bad that neither the muppet PM, the shameless one in Dubai, nor the Red Shirts/UDD understand what democracy really is.

[SOTIRIOS]

....insane...

[hellodolly]

""But the story is not over. It is clear that elements of the 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 the power that should belong to the people, for the benefit of the few rather than to the society at large."

She may not put it into any sort of action, but I have to agree with what she said. Sounds like complaints I have heard often here on TV. And enough about her brother already. People starting to sound like Fox News when they keep dragging him into every discussion....

More like he bullies his way into every discussion with his hired minions, He rarely has to come out personally now they are doing such a good job.

Now I know why Canada is so disrespected around the world their Senate is not elected.

Thank you for clearing that up.

It will be a great day when Thailand gets a fully elected senate and can command the respect of the world the States do.

Lord knows it is not their military strength that will do it.

All BS aside there are good points on each side of the line and they should be inspected before making a decision for Thailand. Maybe it might turn out what we have is the best.

One other thing what kind of a mental moron would claim a constitution is no good based on the fact it was written by a government they did not approve of. I know very little about it but from what I see here they are talking about changing only a few things and these are things that will benefit them.

They talk about unification and then set out to procure it by rewriting the constitution and allowing a proven criminal and escapee from the law to come home all his crimes are forgiven.

Now there is a big chance I am wrong but as I see it that will just be throwing gas on the fire and allowing future governments more power to abuse the rule of law.

[MaxLee]

Proxyn Shinawatra's democracy speech: "shopping, Photo, exclusive trips, highspeed train, smiley smiley Thank you, I'm going to Hawaii"

[h90]

And the stupid woman just stands there and lies through her teeth. The Shin clan, if their mouths are moving, they are not speaking the truth, just speaking what they want people to hear.

She is not lying, she is just reading what they wrote for her.

Did Roger Moore lie when he told "My Name is Bond, James Bond"?

She is just an actor, playing premier of Thailand...

[mikebell]

'Early last year, Yingluck emphasised that the Bt350-billion water management project to restore investors' confidence in Thailand after the flood in 2011.'

Where was all this money spent? Why are the floods STILL affecting so many?

[h90]

Democracy is a wonderful thing...... in politics it means so much to the people in so many ways.

Ask those lucky souls in the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

In the German Democratic Republic they even had to build a wall to block the mass immigration of West Germans into their paradise....

Well I hit I like it. Fact is I like it so much I thought it deserved reposting. It also did not let the rest of the world see what the garden of Eden really was.

OK, it is complete off-topic...but I know a lot East Germans who later missed the "good old times" as they found out that not everything is as nice as imagined....

Or maybe it isn't off topic....after the next regime change (military despot, Thaksin himself or whatever crazy government Thailand may get in future) we may think that the Yingluck government wasn't that bad.

[gemini81]

Proxyn Shinawatra's democracy speech: "shopping, Photo, exclusive trips, highspeed train, smiley smiley Thank you, I'm going to Hawaii"

We'll see if she actually has the courage to travel to the US. The elder weasel puppet master didn't get such a warm welcoming.