Thailand: Everything is broken

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand: Everything is broken

Long in crisis, Thailand is close to the brink. Without compromises on both sides, it may well collapse

LOOK on and despair. A decade ago Thailand was a shining example—rare proof that in South-East Asia a vibrant democracy could go hand-in-hand with a thriving economy. Contrast that with Thailand on May 7th, left in disarray after the Constitutional Court demanded that the prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra (pictured), step down with nine members of her cabinet over her decision to remove the country’s head of national security in 2011, in favour of a relative.

For all the pretence of due legal process and distaste at Ms Yingluck’s nepotism, this was not an offence that merited the ousting of a prime minister. Instead, the ruling is a measure of quite how far Thailand has fallen, how deeply it is divided and how badly its institutions are broken Unless Thais step back from the brink, their country risks falling into chaos and anarchy, or outright violence.

In kicking out Ms Yingluck, the court accomplished what months of anti-government street protests in Bangkok, led by a firebrand populist, Suthep Thaugsuban, had failed to bring about. It is far from the first time the court has ruled against her. To break the impasse on Bangkok’s streets, she had called a February election, but the opposition Democrat Party boycotted it, and the court struck down the results. Ms Yingluck had been limping on as a caretaker. The message for many Thais is that the court is on the side of a royalist establishment bent on purging politics of Ms Yingluck, who came to office three years ago in a landslide election, and—especially—her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, himself ousted in a coup in 2006 and now in self-imposed exile.

The entire apparatus of government has been sucked into the conflict between two visions of Thailand. For Mr Thaksin’s supporters, his emergence in 2001 marked a welcome break from decades of rule by corrupt coalitions or military juntas. Helped by a new democratic constitution in 1997, he gave a voice to Thailand’s majority, many of them in his northern and north-eastern heartland. In their view, he transformed the lives of the poorest with health and education programmes, and he challenged Thailand’s privileged elites in the bureaucracy, the army and the judiciary. To the Thaksinites, both the recent street protests and the Constitutional Court’s activism are the work of an establishment that cannot accept the results of the ballot box: in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2011 parties loyal to Mr Thaksin won elections fair and square, and Ms Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party would have done so, too, in February.

There is merit in this interpretation. But so is there in what the Shinawatras’ enemies have to say. In particular, they charge that Thaksinite governments have been run for the benefit of his rural supporters (a mad scheme to subsidise rice threatens to bust the budget) and of the billionaire himself. There is something creepy about the way that the exiled, unelected Mr Thaksin has been calling the shots from Dubai.

Now stalemate beckons. An election is supposed to happen. Ms Yingluck should have had the right to confront her undemocratic royalist foes at the ballot box. But an election is no solution because the opposition will boycott it. Mr Suthep has proposed a “people’s council” of the great and the good, but Thaksinites will rightly see it as a stitch-up designed to keep them out. The irreconcilable differences between the two sides have swallowed up Thailand’s courts, its army and even the monarchy—and left Thailand at the abyss. Investors, having borne years of simmering discontent, are taking fright. Blood has already been spilled this year. The prospects of wider violence are growing as Thaksinite supporters threaten conflict on the streets.

Stop and think

If Thailand is to avoid that catastrophe, both sides must now step back from the brink. The starting point is the devolution of Thailand’s highly centralised system of governance. At the moment only the capital has a democratically elected governor, yet all 76 provinces should also have one—this would not only help a rumbling Muslim insurgency in the south, it would also offer a prize to Mr Suthep, because the winner of the national election would no longer win all the power. In return for this reform, the Democrat Party must pledge to accept election results; and in return for that, the Pheu Thai should run without a Shinawatra at the helm.

Goodwill is in short supply in Thailand today. Yet by fighting on, the two sides risk bringing ruination to their country. Compromise would, by comparison, be a small price to pay.

Source: The Economist - http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21601849-long-crisis-thailand-close-brink-without-compromises-both-sides-it-may-well

[zydeco]

Does The Economist allow a full reprint of its editorials? Just wondering for future reference, so I will know what is allowable.

[transam]

But does anyone ever think anything through in LOS, no matter what the subject matter.?

[marko kok prong]

There will be no compromises as to do so would risk losing face,the single biggest concept that holds this country back.

[geovalin]

It's VERY important Thai Visa can refer to this kind of article because the Thai newspapers cannot stand back to have an honest view and, anyway, cannot tell the truth due to the well known local strict laws.

[Dr Bruce]

Makes a lot of sense, I only wish that the people who matter could step back from the brink.

[Thai at Heart]

No one claiming that Thaksin has bought the exonomist ?

Well. That's novel.

[neverdie]

It would appear sadly that greed and stupidity will prevail. The writing has been on the wall for some time and at virtually every step the situation worsens.

A fresh new face is needed to lead Thailand away from the brink, however this face MUST HAVE Thailand's best interest at heart instead of its own. I see no such face on the horizon.

Certainly not the only country that's in turmoil ATM.

[metice]

Complete garbage from western media that have no depth of understanding for the problems in Thailand. It sounds more like biased tabloid fodder

[Thai at Heart]

Complete garbage from western media that have no depth of understanding for the problems in Thailand. It sounds more like biased tabloid fodder

Hahaha.

They aren't trying to write war and peace. So which major details did they omit to say? Or is everything just hunkey dorey in the land of smiles/street protests?

I wonder if Thailand might not have been seriously damaged for FDI by this . This story is being read and listened to by a lot of people in the west. Some people are quite gobsmacked that u can just remove a PM like this, for such an apparently trivial thing.

This Thailand welly speshun, falang no undursatan rubbish is wearing thin.

Edited May 10, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[dude123]

A "highly centralised system of governance" is what many so called democracies still suffer from today. Most of the money tends to find it's way to the elite whilst the rest of the regions suffer from inequality on many levels as well as being underfunded due to relocation of funds that should have stayed and been used directly within the communites in the first place. Having a core set of values and governance consistent throughout the entire country is the best way to a brighter future and peace for all. Stripping regions of wealth and linning the pockets of the few who feel they are deserving is what is rapidly eroding societies around the globe..

Edited May 10, 2014 by dude123

[Valentine]

"Decades of rule by corrupt coalitions" did not stop when Mr T came to power. IMO it has since become refined to an unimaginable degree.

[RogueExpat]

Once again, an International publication has proved it has basically no idea of what is going on in Thailand by allowing an article like this to go out for general consumption, and the author of the article has written a biased piece deliberately omitting some very pertinent facts.

Oh, I forgot, a media organisation is in business of getting readers, viewers etc. any way they can, never mind letting the truth get in the way of a good Robin Hood type yarn that all the bleeding heart lefties just love to lap up and regurgitate ad-nauseum as the gospel truth.

Shame on you Editor at the Economist.

[Patje]

Well written and to the point, where and who is the messiah for Thailand ?

[marko kok prong]

Complete garbage from western media that have no depth of understanding for the problems in Thailand. It sounds more like biased tabloid fodder

Really,i thought the article was quite good,i would be interested to hear what you thought was wrong or innacurate about it?

[h90]

I stopped reading at the word compromise.....

Compromise is exactly what brought Thailand to that.

What is right must win and what is wrong must loose. No matter if it is Suthep or Thaksin. But a compromise will bring the same problem back 2 years later.

[Roadman]

Complete garbage from western media that have no depth of understanding for the problems in Thailand. It sounds more like biased tabloid fodder

What is complete garbage about it? To me it gives a fair assessment of what both groups issues are and arrives at the obvious summary that Thailand is going down the toilet fast unless both groups pull their heads in and put Thailand first instead of their own agendas.

[rucus7]

. . . . ." Pheu Thai should run without a Shinawatra at the helm." I would add to that, in-laws former or current, employees, friends and associates. In other words no Shinawatra clan members.

[Cheeby Luva]

the day that 7 stop selling ham and cheese toasties is the day that thailand will be called broken till then its just smoke and mirrors.

next.

[Thai at Heart]

Once again, an International publication has proved it has basically no idea of what is going on in Thailand by allowing an article like this to go out for general consumption, and the author of the article has written a biased piece deliberately omitting some very pertinent facts.

Oh, I forgot, a media organisation is in business of getting readers, viewers etc. any way they can, never mind letting the truth get in the way of a good Robin Hood type yarn that all the bleeding heart lefties just love to lap up and regurgitate ad-nauseum as the gospel truth.

Shame on you Editor at the Economist.

Come on then. What is glaring in its omission?

[PatOngo]

At last, a 100% accurate headline.

[jocko]

No foreigner can tell Thailand what to do or give advice.

No way.

[PatOngo]

"Everything Is Broken"

Broken lines broken strings
Broken threads broken springs
Broken idols broken heads
People sleeping in broken beds
Ain't no use jiving
Ain't no use joking
Everything is broken.

Broken bottles broken plates
Broken switches broken gates
Broken dishes broken parts
Streets are filled with broken hearts
Broken words never meant to be spoken
Everything is broken.

Seem like every time you stop and turn around
Something else just hit the ground
Broken cutters broken saws
Broken buckles broken laws
Broken bodies broken bones
Broken voices on broken phones
Take a deep breath feel like you're chokin'
Everything is broken.

Everytime you leave and go off someplace
Things fall to pieces in my face
Broken hands on broken ploughs
Broken treaties broken vows
Broken pipes broken tools
People bending broken rules
Hound dog howling bullfrog croaking
Everything is broken.

[winstonc]

exile...i thought he was a fugitive on the run with more outstanding charges awaiting his return...but an amnesty bill at 4am would have sorted that little chestnut out wouldnt it..am i wrong..

[zydeco]

the day that 7 stop selling ham and cheese toasties is the day that thailand will be called broken till then its just smoke and mirrors.

next.

Don't worry if they do, because they now sell slices of pizza.

[asdecas]

While fairly even-handed, there is one important factor barely touched upon in this Economist editorial. I trust I will not be moderated for mentioning that the future of a very important Thai institution will be crucial also to the political direction of the country in coming years. One could almost say pivotal, if that doesn't sound too hub-like.

[Morch]

I stopped reading at the word compromise.....

Compromise is exactly what brought Thailand to that.

What is right must win and what is wrong must loose. No matter if it is Suthep or Thaksin. But a compromise will bring the same problem back 2 years later.

This attitude.

That's the problem.

Not yours personally, we're just posters on the internet, but as it manifests in Thai politics and society.

There is no "win".

Even if Thaksin & Co. are removed from office and barred from Thai politics - how long before they get replacement and the whole

thing repeats itself? How about the people who, wrong or right, genuinely support him - do they get thrown out as well? Lose their voting rights?

A "win" is an illusion if one wants this country to have a future.

Compromise does not necessarily mean you give the other side whatever they want.

[ChrisY1]

Complete garbage from western media that have no depth of understanding for the problems in Thailand. It sounds more like biased tabloid fodder

Of course......this is because Thailand is "different"!!!.....wake up!

The west can see very well what's happening here......do you honestly think that only Thais know what's going on.....do you think also, only Thais understand the problems...???

[Baerboxer]

Complete garbage from western media that have no depth of understanding for the problems in Thailand. It sounds more like biased tabloid fodder

Hahaha.

They aren't trying to write war and peace. So which major details did they omit to say? Or is everything just hunkey dorey in the land of smiles/street protests?

I wonder if Thailand might not have been seriously damaged for FDI by this . This story is being read and listened to by a lot of people in the west. Some people are quite gobsmacked that u can just remove a PM like this, for such an apparently trivial thing.

This Thailand welly speshun, falang no undursatan rubbish is wearing thin.

This is a good article and advocates some good ideas, like democratically elected provincial governors (which the undemocratic PTP don't want. The prefer to appoint their friends),

There has been some very "economic" reporting in the foreign media aimed at trying to trivialize the reason for her removal - like failing to mention the bit about moving him to make way so her ex-brother in law could be made national police chief. The nepotism and clear benefit to the "family" was mysteriously not mentioned. As you say "apparently" trivial when only a small part of the story revealed.

I find the Economist usually fairly good, unlike the BBC that relies on the heavily Thaksin sympathetic Head. The FT (Peel) report was even more selective and written to really prompt support for the Thaksin faction.

When Thais read the bs written by certain journalists, supporters of either camp, it hardly surprising they might thing foreigners don't understand. We know, of course they understand exactly what they write and how it might support their own agenda.

[zydeco]

Complete garbage from western media that have no depth of understanding for the problems in Thailand. It sounds more like biased tabloid fodder

Of course......this is because Thailand is "different"!!!.....wake up!

The west can see very well what's happening here......do you honestly think that only Thais know what's going on.....do you think also, only Thais understand the problems...???

Ah, just like the West understood: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Egypt, Yemen, and just like they're about to understand Nigeria.