Thai academics: 'PDRC moves similar to coup attempt'

[webfact]

'PDRC moves similar to coup attempt'
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

22 academics warn that Suthep's demands could split the country

BANGKOK: -- WHAT THE Suthep Thaugsuban-led People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is doing is tantamount to an attempted coup and could lead to civil war, a group of 22 academics warned yesterday.

The group, calling itself the Assembly for the Defence of Democracy (AFDD), accused PDRC of trying to create a power vacuum so undemocratic elements could wind the clock back on democratic progress, pointing out that such a move would destroy democracy.

AFDD, which has won support from more than a 100 citizens, held a press conference at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science yesterday. They said Suthep and his supporters' push for a royally appointed premier and a people's council was unconstitutional.

Worajet Pakeerut, a lecturer of law at Thammasat, said Suthep's demand for caretaker PM Yingluck Shinawatra to step down went against the Constitution as she was serving as caretaker premier while awaiting a snap election. He said even if Yingluck vacated her seat as prime minister, her first deputy would automatically assume her duties, and if none of her deputies were able to carry out their duty as premier, then a senior Cabinet member would have to take over.

"There's no other way," Worajet said. He went on to say that he believed the House dissolution was the best thing the premier could have done given the circumstances and that she was duty-bound by the Constitution to continue serving as caretaker premier until the election.

He also criticised deans of several universities, who have aired views in support of the PDRC, calling them shameless and accusing them of doing this for their own benefit, as they were likely to be appointed as members of the people's council if it does materialise.

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, another Thammasat law lecturer and member of AFDD, said the idea of a "people's council" was inspired by Benito Mussolini's fascist regime.

"Calling for a people's council is tantamount to an attempted coup," Piyabutr reiterated.

Kasian Tejapira, a noted political scientist at Thammasat, also asked how such a council could be held accountable and scrutinised if it ever eventuated.

"What if Suthep is corrupt? What if the Democrat Party and the armed forces are corrupt? What mechanisms are in place to scrutinise them [under the people's council]?"

Charnvit Kasetsri, a former rector at Thammasat, said Thailand was facing anarchy.

"The protest has become a problem in itself and it is accelerating conflicts," he said, adding that some academics had taken the anti-democratic stance of claiming to represent the entire academic community without seeking consent of others.

While academics like Worajet said Thailand was still far from being free from another coup, his colleague Thanet Apornsuwan, also from Thammasat, took the opportunity to thank the Army for not staging a coup yet.

AFDD's statement proposed a referendum on how to amend the charter, which was approved when the junta-appointed Surayud Chulanont administration was in power and several provinces were under martial law.


-- The Nation 2013-12-11

[webfact]

Suthep acting like coup leader: Nuttawut
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Red-shirt leader and caretaker Deputy Commerce Minister Nuttawut Saikuar said caretaker PM Yingluck Shinawatra's decision to dissolve the House would return power to the people and not to People's Democratic Reform Committee secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.

"Since the House was dissolved, Suthep has issued orders as if he was head of a coup. This never happens in democratic countries. What Suthep is doing is to lead the country to absolute dictatorship," he said.

Nuttawut said if Suthep announced the establishment of his regime, he would lead a mass revolt against it. "Our fight would be peaceful and not civil unrest," he said.


-- The Nation 2013-12-11

[binjalin]

I didn't think there was any question that this is an attempted coup by installing an unelected 'council'.

Eventually there will be a backlash as it is against a democratically elected government who have already obtained a Royal Decree for another election signed by HM

Edited December 11, 2013 by binjalin

[englishoak]

Hmmm did some senior editor at the nation finally wake up ?

Of course its tantamount to an attempted coup, surprised its taken so long for investigative journalists at the Nation to get there and go see someone with some sense and intelligence.. maybe they should read TV

[uty6543]

"WHAT THE Suthep Thaugsuban-led People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is doing is tantamount to an attempted coup and could lead to civil war, a group of 22 academics warned yesterday."

Coup attempt yes of course it is but civil war in Thailand never.

[choff56]

"WHAT THE Suthep Thaugsuban-led People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is doing is tantamount to an attempted coup and could lead to civil war, a group of 22 academics warned yesterday."

Coup attempt yes of course it is but civil war in Thailand never.

Can you please explain why not?

[chainarong]

One wounders where all this will end, the protesters have won the day , but not the battle ,that will be fought at the ballot box, the continual moving of the goal posts is alarming in as much as what next, the government has dissolved parliament ,a care taker government has been established, all within the rules , a date needs to be set for the elections, with all parties agreeing, come election time, the PDRC could find that the people only really wanted the Amnesty bill removed, not an over throw of an elected government , that could put the PTP back into power , then What???

[LomSak27]

Yup

[kurtgruen]

Quote: "AFDD, which has won support from more than a 100 citizens..."

Hmmmm...I almost read the whole article, but I was afraid, I might become #101

[EricBerg]

The aim of Suthep and his protesters is to remove the thaksin-clan.

For now the only way of doing that is to have them kicked out by the army. Yet the army says it will not interfere - unless there was a meeting yesterday between Suthep and the top brass where perhaps they spoke of the conditions under which the amy would interfere.

Either way Suthep is walking on unsteady ground. He should stick to democratic principles.

The road to democracy in Thailand is a long and bumpy one. It takes courage to walk that road. The Thai people are showing that courage with the protests and they will show it again by waiting for the 2nd February election day. In the meantime the opposition should try to prove that the shina-clan are corrupt. If the reds win again, the opposition must try to make clear that Thailand is going down with the policy of the missunderstood fugitive.

[cacruden]

The continued push between (majority voters) regionally based voting in a government, then it being overthrown by a minority who installs an government unrepresentative of the majority - will eventually lead to a civil war and potentially partitionment of Thailand.... There is only so long that people can feel disenfranchised by the system before will lead to insurgencies. It might take decades to get to that point -- but that is the route this PDRC is leading this country. This my way or the highway by both sides will only lead to disaster.

If you really want what is best for Thailand your focus should be an educational system that is not corrupt and gives those "less fortunate" similar opportunities to excel as long as you make the effort.

Edited December 11, 2013 by cacruden

[kirk0233]

If PT and Yingluck survive the democratic party will be tainted with an attempted coup for decades. Abhisit and Korn should be ashamed of their participation in this attempt to overturn the constitution.

[Emptyset]

Quote: "AFDD, which has won support from more than a 100 citizens..."

Hmmmm...I almost read the whole article, but I was afraid, I might become #101

If Facebook likes are anything to go by, they've already won the support of 102 thousand citizens, since yesterday: www.facebook.com/Assemblyforthedefenseofdemocracy

'For our foreign friends, we - academics, activists, writers and citizens- have now found the Assembly for the Defense of Democracy. Regarding Thailand's political crisis in which an undemocratic group is now trying to overthrow electoral vote and parliamentary system, we call for the respect of the rules of democracy, the elections, and we say NO to every undemocratic demand, esp. an intervention of "nominated" intermediaries.'

Full statement translated here.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Emptyset

[kriswillems]

"WHAT THE Suthep Thaugsuban-led People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is doing is tantamount to an attempted coup and could lead to civil war, a group of 22 academics warned yesterday."

Coup attempt yes of course it is but civil war in Thailand never.

What is happening is not good. People are divided in groups. We have a shop an my family is a strong supporter of one side. The customers that are left are 99% the same color as we are. We don't by anymore from certain suppliers, even they are cheaper. My Thai family manages the business, I am not involved.

If you ask me, this is really going wrong.

Suthep is trying to set up a fight between the police and the people and between the regions (Isaan vs central Thailand). It could end very bad.

No matter if he's right or wrong about the corruption or failure of the current government, I personally think at this moment, he's too polarizing.

He's not good for the future of Thailand.

Edited December 11, 2013 by kriswillems

[cacruden]

Quote: "AFDD, which has won support from more than a 100 citizens..."

Hmmmm...I almost read the whole article, but I was afraid, I might become #101

I just checked on the page and it did not say 100 it said 105k.... you know k = 1000....... so that is actually 105,000 likes

[pipergsm]

Would it be better if the Shinawatras are removed from Thai politics? Definitely!

Would a "people's council", forced by a minority group, resolve the problems? Definitely not!

It's simply against all democratic and constitutional principles, and it risks plunging the country in anarchy and maybe even a civil war-like situation.

What's happening here is a minority group, trying to induce the right of the strongest: the one who shouts the loudest and hits the hardest will have the power!

That's not democracy, but anarchy leading to dictatorship!

When will they learn that democracy is about accepting the will of the majority, even if you don't like what they're doing? (unless the majority starts acting undemocratically themselves off course)

If you want to change things, one should do so by following the democratic rules.

Yes, many people are being misguided by the Thaksin regime. But this is not the way to change that.

Correct information and improved education are the ways to open the people's eyes.

[englishoak]

"WHAT THE Suthep Thaugsuban-led People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) is doing is tantamount to an attempted coup and could lead to civil war, a group of 22 academics warned yesterday."

Coup attempt yes of course it is but civil war in Thailand never.

What is happening is not good. People are divided in groups. We have a shop an my family is a strong supporter of one side. The customers that are left are 99% the same color as we are. We don't by anymore from certain suppliers, even they are cheaper. My Thai family manages the business, I am not involved.

If you ask me, this is really going wrong.

Suthep is trying to set up a fight between the police and the people and between the regions (Isaan vs central Thailand). It could end very bad.

No matter if he's right or wrong about the corruption or failure of the current government, I personally think at this moment, he's too polarizing.

He's not good for the future of Thailand.

Yes it is so wrong, divide the people is key to seizing power, create and fan the flames of mistrust another. accuse and amass blame on one group as a focus, preferably one already unpopular or weak ( in this case absent ). Keep up the rhetoric, repeat it as much as possible and it will be believed no matter how strange. Tell the people for their own good they need a true leader that loves them and the country not elections, disband other partys etc etc and so it goes on ..........finally one day the people wake up and wonder what just happened and how did they get there ? a nation divided is a nation in peril.

This is how The Nazi party came to power in Germany........

Edited December 11, 2013 by englishoak

[catmac]

At last, some voices of reason and sanity from the "educated classes".

I loved his insight into those top academics who rushed to join the Suthep bandwagon - "He also criticised deans of several universities, who have aired views in support of the PDRC, calling them shameless and accusing them of doing this for their own benefit, as they were likely to be appointed as members of the people's council if it does materialise." Just about sums up the motivation of Suthep and his followers; greed and the lust for power!

[hanuman2543]

...,his colleague Thanet Apornsuwan, also from Thammasat, took the opportunity to thank the Army for not staging a coup yet.

That describes perfect the state of the "Thai Democracy". And does the "yet" means that a coup has to be expected later? Is there a better description of a " failed state"?

[Spare]

Quote: "AFDD, which has won support from more than a 100 citizens..."

Hmmmm...I almost read the whole article, but I was afraid, I might become #101

100 citizens couldn't even fill a basket ball court.

I'll pass on these nonsense.

[cacruden]

Quote: "AFDD, which has won support from more than a 100 citizens..."

Hmmmm...I almost read the whole article, but I was afraid, I might become #101

100 citizens couldn't even fill a basket ball court.

I'll pass on these nonsense.

Probably the person writing the article was as blind as you or not understand tech speak (which is now general terminology).

Again - you fail to actually look. It is now up to 105k; k=1000; k= kilo etc. etc.

Ya 100 is not that great, but 105,000 and maybe there is some attention being paid towards it.

[BlackJack]

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

Edited December 11, 2013 by BlackJack

[tingtongteesood]

As if Nuttawat knows anything about what is right and what is wrong....Loonatic !

[tingtongteesood]

One wounders where all this will end, the protesters have won the day , but not the battle ,that will be fought at the ballot box, the continual moving of the goal posts is alarming in as much as what next, the government has dissolved parliament ,a care taker government has been established, all within the rules , a date needs to be set for the elections, with all parties agreeing, come election time, the PDRC could find that the people only really wanted the Amnesty bill removed, not an over throw of an elected government , that could put the PTP back into power , then What???

IT WON'T BE OVER TILL THE SHIN REGIME ENDS. THAKSIN AND HIS FAMILY MUST REMOVE THEIR HANDS FROM ROUND THE NECK OF THAILAND AND LEAVE IT ALONE. This has been the goal from the start and has been clearly stated many times. Anything else is just a move in the game towards this ultimate goal. Thaksin can end it by giving up his crusade against Thailand and let it alone. Yingluck needs to quit, the other members of the family need to follow, would be great if some of their brown nosing cronies left too. Then this country might have a chance of going somewhere instead of always taking a step forward and 2 steps back....Thaksin is not the cause of all the countries problems we know that, but he is a very big problem and once this one is solved others will follow to some extent. He is a symptom of the cancer that infects Thai politics. The current protests are radio therapy. Let's hope the malignant square faced one will get the point sooner rather than later.

[Nibbles48]

Would it be better if the Shinawatras are removed from Thai politics? Definitely!

Would a "people's council", forced by a minority group, resolve the problems? Definitely not!

It's simply against all democratic and constitutional principles, and it risks plunging the country in anarchy and maybe even a civil war-like situation.

What's happening here is a minority group, trying to induce the right of the strongest: the one who shouts the loudest and hits the hardest will have the power!

That's not democracy, but anarchy leading to dictatorship!

When will they learn that democracy is about accepting the will of the majority, even if you don't like what they're doing? (unless the majority starts acting undemocratically themselves off course)

If you want to change things, one should do so by following the democratic rules.

Yes, many people are being misguided by the Thaksin regime. But this is not the way to change that.

Correct information and improved education are the ways to open the people's eyes.

But people seem to forget, this is just for a short period to overhaul the system to make it MORE democratic. At the moment, the Thai version of democracy is severely flawed and open to all sorts of misinterpretation and man-handling.

It enables a convicted criminal and deposed despot to comfortably run the country from another land.

It enables majorityism to run the country as a complete dictatorship.

It enables circumvention of checks and balances by enabling a majority government to amend the constitution to gain even more control.

It enables vote buying quite openly... all that is missing is TV commercials offering 500 baht per vote.

It enables very dangerously economical populist policies to secure votes from the easily bought and lesser educated.

It facilitates all manner of graft and fraud at just about every level, with the power holder determining who is allowed and who is not.

All in all, this form of democracy is a laughing stock. It needs to be eradicated, and you can't move the country forwards until it has been cleaned up.

The only reason Suthep wants rid of the Shins, is that their constant pressence in the system makes it almost impossible to make this change happen, and they have stated their intentions that they will NOT leave Thai politics. They are the cancer that needs to be removed.

If they all agreed to walk away and stay away, then Suthep will simply be quite happy to step back.

Reform is the only way.. It can't happen with the Shins around,m and until that disgraceful bunch of puppets (PTP) wake up and see the light, then we will constantly be in a stalemate.

There will be no civil war, the Thais really are not a warrior nation. There would at most, be acts of isolated terrorism.

[ikke]

Quote: "AFDD, which has won support from more than a 100 citizens..."

Hmmmm...I almost read the whole article, but I was afraid, I might become #101

100 citizens couldn't even fill a basket ball court.

I'll pass on these nonsense.

Probably the person writing the article was as blind as you or not understand tech speak (which is now general terminology).

Again - you fail to actually look. It is now up to 105k; k=1000; k= kilo etc. etc.

Ya 100 is not that great, but 105,000 and maybe there is some attention being paid towards it.

Still some count in stones, they never know kilo's....

[ikke]

One wounders where all this will end, the protesters have won the day , but not the battle ,that will be fought at the ballot box, the continual moving of the goal posts is alarming in as much as what next, the government has dissolved parliament ,a care taker government has been established, all within the rules , a date needs to be set for the elections, with all parties agreeing, come election time, the PDRC could find that the people only really wanted the Amnesty bill removed, not an over throw of an elected government , that could put the PTP back into power , then What???

IT WON'T BE OVER TILL THE SHIN REGIME ENDS. THAKSIN AND HIS FAMILY MUST REMOVE THEIR HANDS FROM ROUND THE NECK OF THAILAND AND LEAVE IT ALONE. This has been the goal from the start and has been clearly stated many times. Anything else is just a move in the game towards this ultimate goal. Thaksin can end it by giving up his crusade against Thailand and let it alone. Yingluck needs to quit, the other members of the family need to follow, would be great if some of their brown nosing cronies left too. Then this country might have a chance of going somewhere instead of always taking a step forward and 2 steps back....Thaksin is not the cause of all the countries problems we know that, but he is a very big problem and once this one is solved others will follow to some extent. He is a symptom of the cancer that infects Thai politics. The current protests are radio therapy. Let's hope the malignant square faced one will get the point sooner rather than later.

"The current protests are (radio) therapy" No Sir, the current protests are like putting salt in the wound,

The real cancer is the minority who wants to to grow in this country and finally kill it like any cancer does.

[Nibbles48]

One wounders where all this will end, the protesters have won the day , but not the battle ,that will be fought at the ballot box, the continual moving of the goal posts is alarming in as much as what next, the government has dissolved parliament ,a care taker government has been established, all within the rules , a date needs to be set for the elections, with all parties agreeing, come election time, the PDRC could find that the people only really wanted the Amnesty bill removed, not an over throw of an elected government , that could put the PTP back into power , then What???

IT WON'T BE OVER TILL THE SHIN REGIME ENDS. THAKSIN AND HIS FAMILY MUST REMOVE THEIR HANDS FROM ROUND THE NECK OF THAILAND AND LEAVE IT ALONE. This has been the goal from the start and has been clearly stated many times. Anything else is just a move in the game towards this ultimate goal. Thaksin can end it by giving up his crusade against Thailand and let it alone. Yingluck needs to quit, the other members of the family need to follow, would be great if some of their brown nosing cronies left too. Then this country might have a chance of going somewhere instead of always taking a step forward and 2 steps back....Thaksin is not the cause of all the countries problems we know that, but he is a very big problem and once this one is solved others will follow to some extent. He is a symptom of the cancer that infects Thai politics. The current protests are radio therapy. Let's hope the malignant square faced one will get the point sooner rather than later.

"The current protests are (radio) therapy" No Sir, the current protests are like putting salt in the wound,

The real cancer is the minority who wants to to grow in this country and finally kill it like any cancer does.

You just made the perfect description of the Shin dynasty.

[E1717007]

This country has already spilted!

Sent from my ME172V using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[citizen33]

Thank goodness that some academics with cooler heads realise that the present situation carries huge risks. How long will it be before the legal academics discuss what it means if Suthep ignores the Royal decree?