Thai opinion: Stepping back from the brink

[webfact]

GUEST COLUMN
Stepping back from the brink
Surin Pitsuwan
Special to The Nation

No leader is indispensable, especially when holding on to power causes such division

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has been sliding fast into an abyss. A state of lawlessness and growing signs of a failing state are ominously moving towards us with increasing velocity. But it is not too late to stop political and economic disintegration if we pull together and act in solidarity now.

Never before in our history have things become so alarmingly confused and the future so bleak. Patriotism has become a threat to the powers that be. A meditating and praying crowd is deemed as performing an anti-government act. Residences of prominent business personalities and contrary views of our respected citizens have become targets and triggers of violence. This is a state of nature in which life has, in the words of prominent English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, become "solitary, nasty, brutish and short".

Indeed, life in Thailand has been "solitary and nasty" for a long time now. At least for the past 13 years of the current regime. A large section of our citizenry has been feeling increasingly lonely. Lonely even in the crowd, that is. Everyone has harboured a sense of disappointment about the past, frustration about the condition of life in the present and concern for our country in the uncertain future.

But no one could open up and complain to the next person for fear that the neighbour would belong to another political camp, another colour group or another political persuasion. The eerie quiet submission of the past few years could be explained by this "loneliness in the crowd" attribute.

What the PDRC has succeeded in doing is bringing these lonely souls together to become a formidable force of political awakening calling for comprehensive reform of the Thai political system. These "solitary individuals" have now formed a new political movement against all the wrong things infiltrating Thai society.

The despicably high tolerance of corruption, the pervasive abuse of power and privileges, the prejudice and discrimination against the poor and marginalised people, the impunity of powerful political figures and state officials, the arrogance and widespread sense of invincibility among the political elite, the abject cronyism and destructive nepotism in the entire bureaucratic structure of the state.

All these have undermined the strength of our society and diluted our tremendous potential on the regional and international stages.

Two opposing ethos, if we can call them that, are now at loggerheads, threatening to rend apart every fabric of Thai society. On the one side is a misguided and extremely dangerous thought that "extremism in the pursuit of power and wealth is no vice as long as it commands an electoral majority". For over a decade, this modus operandi has been in place and seeping into every echelon of our society wherever a majority is won - from the national level down to the provincial councils and tambon administrations. Corruption and conflict of interest have become acceptable and a "new normal".

The other mode of thought now, spearheaded and sustained by the PDRC and its allies, is an equally stubborn belief that "moderation in opposition to an absolutely corrupt regime with tyrannical bent is no virtue because moderate measures would never be able to overthrow it".

Now we are seeing extremist determination, if not tactics, spreading all over the country. The end result is definitely a widening and threatening confrontation down to the grassroots level.

And a warning has come down now that a dangerous recession and other economic ills will follow closely on the heels of this unprecedented divisiveness in our body politic. The two opposing sides will not concede to each other soon. A stalemate is rather certain. Paralysis is probably a more accurate description of things to come. And the heaviest price will have to be paid by the Thai people, the country at large and our unfortunate posterity.

One of the noble, but less articulated, principles of democracy is that "no individual, no one, no leader is indispensable". A true democracy should guarantee that a leader would not stay beyond his or her welcome. And sometimes, in a more perfect democracy, leaders would realise that the ultimate service to their beloved country might be, just might be, to let go of the mantle of power.

And especially when holding onto such meaningless, ineffective and senseless power means more insecurity and more divisiveness for the country they have sought to serve, then there really is no point to that futile power.

This will remind us of a famous observation by Niccolo Machiavellli, a Renaissance political philosopher of 15th century Florence, of the disunity and weakness of Italy.

The Pope, Machiavelli said, was the cause of all the problems of weakness and disunity of Italy. He was not "strong enough to occupy the whole Italy, and not allowing anyone else to do so".

We can say that the fate of Thailand now is in a similar situation. The regime is too weak to govern. But it is still strong enough not to allow any other form of government, with some major reforms, we hope, to emerge and replace it. While its grip on power is obviously loosening, the last throes of death are still very potent and destructive. The painful anxiety now spreading among Thais is how to contain the damage of the receding tsunami of power. The best bet is not to expect a prince in shining armour on a white horse to rescue us.

The wisest course of action would be to unite and rise together to reclaim the unity and dignity of the country back from the brink.

The writer is a distinguished scholar at the King Prachadipok Institute and a visiting professor at the University of Malaya.


-- The Nation 2014-02-17

[pookiki]

Pull together, act in solidarity and then what is to be done? I believe Surin believes in democratic principles but there are not concrete proposals on how to cure the ills of Thai society he aptly describes. As for the past 'thirteen' years, there is plenty of blame to spread across the entire Thai political spectrum -- not just the current 'regime'. I hope this isn't another hoax as was the last Surin article in the Nation. Anyone check with his son?

[NongKhaiKid]

Another meaningless op ed stating the obvious but has the author not noticed both sides are too intransigent to step back ?

[Stone Inscription 1]

Suthep has only brought the Bangkok Chinese middle class together to blow whistles, shout slogans and act as if they are superior to the Thai rural farmers in the north and northeast. Name a policy outside of taking away the vote from rural Thais, setting up an oligarchy and removing the Shinawatras from political power. His rhetoric is sad and devoid of anything constructive.

[Thai at Heart]

Do these blokes spend all weekend thinking up these pieces of hand wringing and teeth gnashing.

Ooooh, the angst, the pain, and still NOTHING changes because the actors involved DONT CARE.

[JoeThePoster]

The writer is a distinguished scholar at the King Prachadipok Institute and a visiting professor at the University of Malaya.

Yup, Surin Pitsuwan, definitely not a democrat.

[noitom]

If you follow this noted scholar, he/she makes the point that all this corruption, abuse of power, marginalized poor, exclusivity, nepotism, cronyism, and breaking law with impunity and repugnant privileged class has all just started in Thailand when Thaksin came to power.

This opinion and piece totally ignores the obvious reality of Thailand's conflicted history. It perpetuates the notion of denial of all the tolerance of criminal activity, the skim from it, the corrupted Mr. 20%s who came to be plundering the land and resources way long before Thaksin. Too bad there are so many noted scholars with so little true historical knowledge of Thailand and its repugnant class system and privilege permeated with corruption, lawlessness, abuse of power, denial of rights, and oppressive marginalizing.

This is the best that the Nation can do for noted scholar opinion? Too bad for Thailand.

[millwall_fan]

If Thailand is 'on the brink' as The Nation puts it, in another attempt to hide their opinions in news articles, it is because Mr. Suthep has brought it there. As for 'stepping back from the brink': nothing in The Nations piece supports the assertion of the headline.

[tezzainoz]

Suthep has only brought the Bangkok Chinese middle class together to blow whistles, shout slogans and act as if they are superior to the Thai rural farmers in the north and northeast. Name a policy outside of taking away the vote from rural Thais, setting up an oligarchy and removing the Shinawatras from political power. His rhetoric is sad and devoid of anything constructive.

With the fact my Thai wife and her friends come from Issan

Hate The Yellow shirts

Not to keen on Suthep

But are protesting to stop Taskin getting his get out of jail free card

Your complete argument has been thrown out the window

Time for you to retreat and find a new User Name

[noitom]

Suthep has only brought the Bangkok Chinese middle class together to blow whistles, shout slogans and act as if they are superior to the Thai rural farmers in the north and northeast. Name a policy outside of taking away the vote from rural Thais, setting up an oligarchy and removing the Shinawatras from political power. His rhetoric is sad and devoid of anything constructive.

Those are actually his key policies as you stated them. He and his following are a national disgrace.

[ramrod711]

The Shin clan make Bernie Madoff look like a piker, a rank amateur. But, the day of reckoning is coming. Yingluck is almost done, unfortunately "Thainess" will allow her to escape the country and wreak havoc on the people, just like her brother has done. If Thaksin had not been allowed to walk away he would not have been able to perpetrate the largest Ponzi scheme since the U.S. mortgage crisis. The people who support this "government" full of crooks,scam artists and thugs should be ashamed, but i doubt that they are considering their role models.

[newcomer71]

Suthep has only brought the Bangkok Chinese middle class together to blow whistles, shout slogans and act as if they are superior to the Thai rural farmers in the north and northeast. Name a policy outside of taking away the vote from rural Thais, setting up an oligarchy and removing the Shinawatras from political power. His rhetoric is sad and devoid of anything constructive.

With the fact my Thai wife and her friends come from Issan

Hate The Yellow shirts

Not to keen on Suthep

But are protesting to stop Taskin getting his get out of jail free card

Your complete argument has been thrown out the window

Time for you to retreat and find a new User Name

Time you learn to respect who has an idea different from yours and putting it in a reasonable and polite way?

Why you bash people around, without respect toward almost anyone?

[englishoak]

Very strange article, obvious heading, no suggestions, the current trend is moving in the opposite direction to solidarity and moving further apart. No solution, no ideas, no pulling together suggestions of compromise or setting aside personality for a better Thailand.

No substance in this article, bit pointless really.

[wave]

Suthep has only brought the Bangkok Chinese middle class together to blow whistles, shout slogans and act as if they are superior to the Thai rural farmers in the north and northeast. Name a policy outside of taking away the vote from rural Thais, setting up an oligarchy and removing the Shinawatras from political power. His rhetoric is sad and devoid of anything constructive.

With the fact my Thai wife and her friends come from Issan

Hate The Yellow shirts

Not to keen on Suthep

But are protesting to stop Taskin getting his get out of jail free card

Your complete argument has been thrown out the window

Time for you to retreat and find a new User Name

Well the get out jail free card for Thaksin has been stopped.

So in this respect you have succeeded, the Government took note and threw out the amnesty bill.

So maybe it's time to pack up and go home.

All the points made by Surin in the article can and should be dealt by using the Democratic process.

Any failure to do so will offer no hope in changing the status quo.

Surin appears unable to give any solutions to the current crisis though.

He talks of

The despicably high tolerance of corruption, the pervasive abuse of power and privileges, the prejudice and discrimination against the poor and marginalised people, the impunity of powerful political figures and state officials, the arrogance and widespread sense of invincibility among the political elite, the abject cronyism and destructive nepotism in the entire bureaucratic structure of the state.

But he conveniently fails to mention that these complaints have been a regular fixture of Thai politics irrespective of any administration.

Ever since the introduction of the Constitutional Monarchy in 1932, politics in Thailand has been plagued by these issues.

There is no metric to prove that it is worse now than at any time before, but all that is offered is self serving supposition.

Any change can only come through the respect of the Democratic process, which some in Thailand are still struggling to accept.

If Suthep's aims are successful we will see no resolution, but, only continuation, further disruption and damage.

This article by Surin is totally pointless, more irrelevant bluster, loosely trying to justify anti-democratic actions under the pretext of supporting democracy.

[kalasiner]

The essence of democracy is accepting the decision of the majority AND winning that majority.

It's clear that the present government is incompetent and corrupt. What's not so clear is why the opposition

is incapable of convincing the majority that they are the better alternative.

I suggest this is because, tragically, the opposition has proved itself to be deeply undemocratic and disrespectful

of the majority. Instead of winning the hearts and minds (and VOTES) of the majority, the opposition has resorted only to

undemocratic army coups, dubious court rulings ( a PM dismissed for appearing on a tv cooking show) and, now, sabotaging a democratic election, mob rule and an unelected so-called "People's Council" as their "tools of democracy".

A government can only be as incompetent and corrupt as an equally incompetent, corrupt and UNDEMOCRATIC

opposition allows it to be.

[Bakseeda]

Suthep has only brought the Bangkok Chinese middle class together to blow whistles, shout slogans and act as if they are superior to the Thai rural farmers in the north and northeast. Name a policy outside of taking away the vote from rural Thais, setting up an oligarchy and removing the Shinawatras from political power. His rhetoric is sad and devoid of anything constructive.

Yes , but he WILL go down in history as a hero and saviour of Thailand as a nation..... Rock on Suthep ...

[scotbeve]

Suthep has only brought the Bangkok Chinese middle class together to blow whistles, shout slogans and act as if they are superior to the Thai rural farmers in the north and northeast. Name a policy outside of taking away the vote from rural Thais, setting up an oligarchy and removing the Shinawatras from political power. His rhetoric is sad and devoid of anything constructive.

With the fact my Thai wife and her friends come from Issan

Hate The Yellow shirts

Not to keen on Suthep

But are protesting to stop Taskin getting his get out of jail free card

Your complete argument has been thrown out the window

Time for you to retreat and find a new User Name

Well the get out jail free card for Thaksin has been stopped.

So in this respect you have succeeded, the Government took note and threw out the amnesty bill.

So maybe it's time to pack up and go home.

All the points made by Surin in the article can and should be dealt by using the Democratic process.

Any failure to do so will offer no hope in changing the status quo.

Surin appears unable to give any solutions to the current crisis though.

He talks of

The despicably high tolerance of corruption, the pervasive abuse of power and privileges, the prejudice and discrimination against the poor and marginalised people, the impunity of powerful political figures and state officials, the arrogance and widespread sense of invincibility among the political elite, the abject cronyism and destructive nepotism in the entire bureaucratic structure of the state.

But he conveniently fails to mention that these complaints have been a regular fixture of Thai politics irrespective of any administration.

Ever since the introduction of the Constitutional Monarchy in 1932, politics in Thailand has been plagued by these issues.

There is no metric to prove that it is worse now than at any time before, but all that is offered is self serving supposition.

Any change can only come through the respect of the Democratic process, which some in Thailand are still struggling to accept.

If Suthep's aims are successful we will see no resolution, but, only continuation, further disruption and damage.

This article by Surin is totally pointless, more irrelevant bluster, loosely trying to justify anti-democratic actions under the pretext of supporting democracy.

Well said Wave!!!! Esp the bit about the present / past govts are essentially no different from each other ( my input here>>> as far as corruption goes...)

[rickirs]

"A true democracy should guarantee that a leader would not stay beyond his or her welcome. And sometimes, in a more perfect democracy, leaders would realise that the ultimate service to their beloved country might be, just might be, to let go of the mantle of power." The author is completely ignorant of what a "more perfect democracy" is. It's not about leadership quiting for some moral incentive. It is about building an electorial base and political concensus to gain control of the government through a peaceful, democratic succession of power. I would like to hear in what country a democratically elected leader just gave up simply because he was not "welcomed" as the leader. Actually there is one country that quickly comes to mind - Thailand. Yingluck gave up her permanent and legal position as PM to become a much weaker interim PM for the expressed purpose to offer a new election of leadership to the Thai people. But the PDRC wants more brinkmanship, more anarchy. When is Suthep going to recognize his own staying "beyond his welcome" as his protests degrade into a spiteful worship of the PTP that continues to remain in power through the elections and refuses to be ousted or overthrown by Suthep. So if Thailand is going to continue on a path of a more complete democracy, it must be done through a peaceful and constitutional transition to a new democratic government that includes both majority and minority electorial representation. Suthep's principles of change in power belongs to dictatorships and the destruction of people's rights.

[Valentine]

If you follow this noted scholar, he/she makes the point that all this corruption, abuse of power, marginalized poor, exclusivity, nepotism, cronyism, and breaking law with impunity and repugnant privileged class has all just started in Thailand when Thaksin came to power.

This opinion and piece totally ignores the obvious reality of Thailand's conflicted history. It perpetuates the notion of denial of all the tolerance of criminal activity, the skim from it, the corrupted Mr. 20%s who came to be plundering the land and resources way long before Thaksin. Too bad there are so many noted scholars with so little true historical knowledge of Thailand and its repugnant class system and privilege permeated with corruption, lawlessness, abuse of power, denial of rights, and oppressive marginalizing.

This is the best that the Nation can do for noted scholar opinion? Too bad for Thailand.

I don't see anywhere in the OP stating it all started with Mr T. I feel what he is getting at is how society has become extremely marginalized in the later years, to the point where friends & neighbours are reluctant to speak out about the issues for fear of retribution.