Supreme commander calls on two sides to talk

[englishoak]

Suthep has just repeated there will be no surrender or talks, so theres your current answer to the supreme general and those who thought hed calm down. Theres only one person Suthep will take any notice of it seems and they arnt saying anything.

[bunuel]

Excellent post with very constructive suggestions.

As long time friends and allies of Thailand, Japan has a lot at stake here, and a Japanese mediator - or , better yet, arbitrator - would be a good choice,

For a prominent Japanese perspective on the Thai conflict, here is an interesting article by Yuriko Koike, former Defense Minister of Japan, on the geopolitical ramifications

of a divided Thailand:

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/yuriko-koike-criticizes-democratic-countries--indifference-to-the-threat-posed-by-the-thai-opposition-s-strategy-of-protest

The army and military need to keep their noses clean in this civil dispute and conflict.

With the PDRC losing serious steam and the government more than willing to talk and work out a solution, the current slowdown of confrontation provides an opening to the mainstream leaders of all sides to sit, talk, moderate and find some common peaceful ground.

Abhisit needs today to clearly and publically state his support of discussions by each side while himself stepping aside.

As no Thai appears acceptable to any side or involved group, the Thais are just going to have to accept a cool head outside mediator, perhaps from Japan but certainly not from China. The United States is not acceptable because it has stated repeatedly that it supports the legitimate democratically elected government, which is a strange basis to exclude Washington, but the fact is the US is excluded.

Perhaps the Secretary General of Asean, Le Luong Minh might be someone to consider.

Edited January 19, 2014 by bunuel

[Basil B]

Bring in Japan to mediate, its clear no one here will be seen as neutral, its also nowhere near as corrupt and inscrutably honourable.

Things have gone too far for any mediation, there is no one on earth who will be acceptable to the two sides, short of someone from mars arriving in the near future I do not see any meaningful talks.

Why not the Army just take over, no doubt "him in Dubai" is expecting many house guests soon.

[Publicus]

Bring in Japan to mediate, its clear no one here will be seen as neutral, its also nowhere near as corrupt and inscrutably honourable.

Things have gone too far for any mediation, there is no one on earth who will be acceptable to the two sides, short of someone from mars arriving in the near future I do not see any meaningful talks.

Why not the Army just take over, no doubt "him in Dubai" is expecting many house guests soon.

Another military coup and it's civil war. The Army knows this. The Army also knows it's a spent force in the politics and government of contemporary Thailand, that it can't rule over the modern nation state Thailand has become during the past 20+ years. The 1991 coup turned out disastrously as did the 2006 coup, so the Army doesn't want a reverse hat trick.

The Army knows the Thai people are more developed than they were in 1991 and even more so since 2006 thus making a military coup unacceptable..

The old guard needs another judicial coup and is counting on it, but I think the judiciary is balking.

No one in Thailand can mediate or arbitrate so one side or the other is gonna have to give, like it or not. The institutions of state force or coercion are either unreliably split or adrift so it's no longer an option.

[icommunity]

There is no reason for talk when rule of law does not apply equally to all. Talk on ?????? How to seize power with impunity? How to stage judicial coup with impunity? How to shutdown Thailand with impunity? How to force people to stop work and join protest with impunity? How to betray the behind the scene agreements? How to incite with impunity? How to lie, distort, twist, smear, mislead? The list goes on. Send from my Mobile

That is exactly what happened in 2010, the reds did all of that. Just ask the terrorists who became MP's.....As for today, most of what you state here is rather twisted and distorted, much like yourself....

Wow, sounds like your ego is hurting already.

[belg]

why does mister Thailand not speak to the people to stop all this ?

[canuckamuck]

I can't understand that with such an indoctrinated and gullible population, that the establishment can't create a pair of political parties, that on the surface appear to be in opposition, but in reality are indistinguishable in practice. The Americans have perfected this. no non establishment candidate or party ever gets a sniff.

Thais are easily as nationalistic as Americans are, they just aren't wagging the dog.