We need to make this the last military takeover

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
We need to make this the last military takeover
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Whether Thailand has endured a coup or not, the junta must remember that it will be judged on its actions

Colonel Werachon Sukhondha-patipak, a spokesman for the ruling military junta, appeared before the foreign media at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand last week and tried hard to represent the junta's friendly face.

Speaking at a packed house, Werachon repeated the same thing that every coup plotter in the history of modern Thailand has said: "We are not destroying democracy. We are strengthening democracy."

Never mind the fact that the Army is a stakeholder and almost the exact same thing was said in 2006 by the then coup plotters in justification for ousting the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, a scam artist and a sore loser who had dug his own grave when he couldn't realise enough was enough.

Werachon had the audacity to ask for sympathy, and bit off more than he could chew when he asked the press not to call the ousting of the Yingluck government a coup.

And the people detained and questioned, well, don't call them detainees - they were guests of the Army, he said.

He said that the military leader had a brief meeting with Yingluck, the former prime minister, followed by a nice lunch, and then off she went on her merry way. But then again, not everybody got the same red carpet treatment, did they?

But the treatment of critics of the coup or political opponents is not the main issue. It is about the future of Thailand and the military's plan to steer the country out of this storm.

The junta was right to say Thai people have to learn from their mistakes or be doomed to repeat them. But the prescription the junta is offering is somewhat disturbing. It's a very textbook, old school style.

They don't seem to understand that the world, and Thailand for that matter, has moved on. Thailand is not North Korea, where just about every bit of information is filtered through state apparatus. There are enough people here who can think for themselves and they will call a spade a spade.

What the international community does or says matters.

The coup in Egypt came with more than 3,000 dead but the US wouldn't call it a coup for fear that the legislative mechanism from the Congress would kick in. The Americans were also concerned about losing a strategic partner.

The fact that Washington had no qualms about calling the coup in Thailand a coup shows how little regard the US has for Thailand and the Thai military.

No matter how hard the junta work on their charm offensive, in the final analysis it is the actions that the junta takes that will define it and perhaps redeem it.

Perhaps Werachon was right. This was not just a coup. In the context of Thailand's modern history, one can also argued that this was the mother of all coups. And if it goes accordingly - if reform is done correctly - it should be the coup to end all coups.

But something tells us that Thaksin and his cronies will probably continue to use the loophole in democracy, again, to get his people back into power like he did after the 2006 coup. And if the Thaksin camp ever returns to power, the country's top brass can forget about seeing the light of day.

But rescuing Thailand should not be a zero-sum game - a tit-for-tat between the military and the Thaksin camp. It's about the interests of all Thais, regardless of their political affiliation. The only way out for the military, it seems, is to push through meaningful reform so that a coup will never have to be employed again.

The military can play a constructive role by helping establish an equilibrium for all sides of the political divide and set the ground rules to even out the playing field. Or the military can fool itself into thinking it and it alone can make this transitional period smooth sailing.

-- The Nation 2014-06-15

[NongKhaiKid]

The last military takeover ? Good luck with that especially with the way Thai politicians behave.

[Thailand]

Interesting and open article and very true.

The old Thai way of coups being the alternative to elections needs to change.

What elected government , whoever they may be, wants to be constantly looking over their shoulder if some people with excessive influence don't like the way things are going and simply go the coup route. 19? times now, ridiculous!

[chooka]

Thais love their coups and civil unrest. They are probably pencilling the next one in as we speak.

[Somtamnication]

It will never happen. Thais never listen, never learn and old habits die heard.

[BSJ]

I know it's not the West, but if it was a Western democracy and it was apparent the government were acting like criminals...exactly what would the people do? Sit back and let the government rape the treasury or take whatever action necessary?

[GinBoy2]

Regardless of all of the nonsense being spouted, the thing that shocks and amazes me the most is the fact that The Nation has finally discovered some backbone and critical journalism. Whodda thought it would take a military coup sorry, Administrative, Technical Assumption of Responsibility for that minor miracle to happen

[Crazy chef 1]

The junta was right to say Thai people have to learn from their mistakes or be doomed to repeat them. But the prescription the junta is offering is somewhat disturbing. It's a very textbook, old school style.

They don't seem to understand that the world, and Thailand for that matter, has moved on. Thailand is not North Korea, where just about every bit of information is filtered through state apparatus. There are enough people here who can think for themselves and they will call a spade a spade.

this is something new for me.

[bkkgooner]

if there is no reform of the police force then there will be another coup in the future. There is no law and order in Thailand and without that people just do as they please.

Also let's not lose sight of the fact that they have been big on words and short on action so far and that just last week they summoned a university lecturer

[Thailand]

Regardless of all of the nonsense being spouted, the thing that shocks and amazes me the most is the fact that The Nation has finally discovered some backbone and critical journalism. Whodda thought it would take a military coup sorry, Administrative, Technical Assumption of Responsibility for that minor miracle to happen

That was exactly what I thought, interesting to see if there will be any reaction from the military.

I wonder if the " wish we hadn't done that" is being echoed in some military quarters already.

[IMA_FARANG]

The last military takeover ? Good luck with that especially with the way Thai politicians behave.

Why not another coup if needed?

It is not the military that failed the Thai people, it is the Thai politicians with their greed, stupidity, and self-serving arrogance that failed the Thai people.

In comparison the military seems to be a excellent choice over the Thai politicians as excellent administrators so far.

"Democracy" Is for those who are capable of handling it, where they can show their interest in the people they govern, not their own overriding self-interest as their primary goal.

In the last 6 months or so, Thai politicians , of all political parties, have not shown they can handle Democracy, and frankly neither have the Thai people who voted for them.

So, as far as I am concerned, when the Thai voters show the maturity to handle a Democracy, and reject those Thai politicians who have so completely failed them (as demonstrated in the last 6 months) from all political parties; it is better to have the military in charge.

Even if that means another "coup".

I said it before, and I'll say it again; if those same self-serving politicians that served Thailand so badly for the last few years cause the same problems again, it's better they were removed from power by a coup than Thailand suffer through another period like the last 6 months.

Edited June 15, 2014 by IMA_FARANG

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Military Coups are a Thai tradition now.

It allows high profile politicians to save face. They don't have to step down and admit responsibility.

Thai do all sorts of things and don't know why.

Just add Military coups to that list.

[Tokay]

It's just part of their culture. The only thing they can try to do is make future coups bloodless, like this one supposedly has been so far.

[Pib]

If I had to bet (which is illegal in Thailand and I won't do) whether there would be another military coup in Thailand within 10 years my bet would be there will be one...and I would feel I would have a high chance of winning the bet. But hopefully the attitude of the Thai people will slowly change and maybe this coup will be the last one...I figure there has to be a last one eventually.

[chainarong]

It is doubtful whether you can write into a set of reforms just where the Military sits, in relationship to the government, both religion and military in a democracy are far removed from any involvement in politics, what with Generals as heads of the departments, this seems to be a insult to the intelligence of people everywhere, to think that the military influence will disappear overnight in Thailand , unless the reforms scrap the positions of Generals in charge of departments and appoint department heads on merit and not nepotism, there hardly seems a case when Thai military will not stage another coup, for the Generals themselves will ensure that they will still eat the cream on the cake, if not the cake, General Prayuth has a lot on he's hands, including all the Generals men.

[crusader79]

Loved "the loophole in democracy" line, you know, the one where the party with the most votes wins.

[Saan]

Maybe Thailand needs a new political party, one that can be accepted by a broader electorate. With the Democrats unwilling or unable to woo the voters of northern Thailand and Isaan and the Pheu Thai Party forever tainted by Thaksin, in Bangkok's eye, it might be time for someone, a true patriot with a broad vision for Thailand's future, to step forward and democratically lead Thailand out of the wilderness. Then the fundamental flaw in the Thai system, corruption, could be tackled. There surely are enough good people from both sides of Thai politics to make this happen. If the nexus is not broken Thailand is faced with never ending cycle of democratic elections where the result is unacceptable in Bangkok resulting in the cynical destabilization of the Government and prompting yet another coup. The Thai people deserve better.

[UbonRatch]

"Thaksin Shinawatra, a scam artist and a sore loser who had dug his own grave when he couldn't realise enough was enough."

Ha!

[noitom]

Just ask yourself the simple questions - who is "accountable" here? What is the succession plan and specifics? What happens if Prayuth has a heart attack and drops dead? What about "transparency?" Who is to judge right and wrong? Shouldn't it be the vote of all Thais? Shouldn't a reform issue be part of a"platform" for campaigning to get nominated and elected? Shouldn't leaders be elected or designated by vote and accountable? Who is accountable for decisions being made now? The Thai press can hypothesize all they want and speculate and recommend, but the Thai press fails Thailand by not asking simple questions and demanding answers.

[devaram]

Another Thai who in in complete denial of his own inability to deal with results of a free and fair election .

Dont want anymore coups?

Put the entire country including the eletes and the military under the rule of law and stop blaming Thaksin for everything and get rid of less majeste.

You cant have your cake and eat it too.

[dinger]

Sure hope I never get asked to lunch

[binjalin]

can't see how... the majority of Thai's are vindictive and compromise is non-existent

what you actually need is a great (civilian) leader to emerge - a Mandala or a Ghandi or an Aung San Suu Kyi

[Fat Haggis]

I know it's not the West, but if it was a Western democracy and it was apparent the government were acting like criminals...exactly what would the people do? Sit back and let the government rape the treasury or take whatever action necessary?

I'd say that normally they'd vote them out in General Election. The UK Labour Government spent Billions on wasted projects, whilst the severity of corruption wasn't as near as Thailand, they squandered Billions in failed Defence contracts, among st other things.

The Thai's had the opportunity to vote the PTP out but the opposition refused to participate on the 2nd Feb 2014, and the mass blockading of poling stations by the anti Government protesters also made sure that the votes that were cast would be declared null and void, so no matter what negative spin you try and put on it, the incumbent caretaker Government were offering a constitutional way in which they could have been voted out.

The issue was the fear they still had enough votes to retain power and the graft and corruption continued. Stevie Wonder back in February could see a Coup being the only choice left to make, as there was never ever going to be a compromise between the ant government protesters and the Shiniwatra Regime. The Rest is now history, which is like a wash cycle in Thai Politics.

These Coups are also carried out by a small section of the officer Corp within the RTA, who are the power base within the RTA.

So far the General's decisions, for the most have been very populist choices, and are indeed done with the peoples interests at heart, but the RTA above all need to be as transparent as any other National Business, NO serving Officer should be involved in being paid directors of civilian entities, it's a conflict of interests, there's no need for them to be on the board of business's whilst still serving their country. With these positions on various boards, are often "perks of the job". They should not be involved in anything that detracts from their Military role and positions. The Army needs to be accountable to the very people that they want to exercise control over, practice what they preach.

Their Loyalty is to the King, Country and the people, not other vested business interests, they should be doing that on retirement.

[Chang_paarp]

If I had to bet (which is illegal in Thailand and I won't do) whether there would be another military coup in Thailand within 10 years my bet would be there will be one...and I would feel I would have a high chance of winning the bet. But hopefully the attitude of the Thai people will slowly change and maybe this coup will be the last one...I figure there has to be a last one eventually.

Like you I would bet on another coup, by any name, in the next 10 years.

It is a bet I would be happy to lose.

[pisico]

Regardless of all of the nonsense being spouted, the thing that shocks and amazes me the most is the fact that The Nation has finally discovered some backbone and critical journalism. Whodda thought it would take a military coup sorry, Administrative, Technical Assumption of Responsibility for that minor miracle to happen

That was exactly what I thought, interesting to see if there will be any reaction from the military.

I wonder if the " wish we hadn't done that" is being echoed in some military quarters already.

Unlikely that the Military will ever think that. Remember the Golden Rule:

He who has the gold the weapons, rules.

This is a Sontam republic. Why then this country has continued being an underdeveloped country for the past 25 years?

Underdeveloped in spite of the huge foreign investment and know how..

Thais are taught since early years of their lives to be obedient, to abide by their traditions and respect for authority.

Thailand is a country with a superficial appearance of modernity but feudal thinking.

Kanmen, governors and Senators appointed? Accountability to bring to justice those who mismanage or pilfer the coffers?

That will happen only to the unfortunate ones without connections or the power of money.

From the Sinsot (dowry required by the male to marry a woman) to evading a traffic fine, money rules in Thailand. It's all about the power of money and connections.

Rule of law? That is a Western plot to colonize Thais minds...

This is a military takeover without bloodshed, true. But it is what it is. Same same as the coups of the usual banana republics of South America and Africa.

Sorry about that Thai apologists!

[antimedia]

The fact that Washington had no qualms about calling the coup in Thailand a coup shows how little regard the US has for Thailand and the Thai military.

Now that is a kick in the arse for those members here who have for the past 6 months been crowing how the US and Thailand are one.Thaksin along with other past or present leaders of countries are American puppets doing for the west what the west want and that is eventual total control.

Keep it up General, and keep this garbage out of here. Maybe it is time time to start calling in all the red aligned posters to have a friendly chat with them also, no doubt you know who they are.

I'll mention it now before you bring the topic up to save a barrage of accusations and claims - because I am anti red doesn't make me of yellow persuasion.

[pisico]

I know it's not the West, but if it was a Western democracy and it was apparent the government were acting like criminals...exactly what would the people do? Sit back and let the government rape the treasury or take whatever action necessary?

I'd say that normally they'd vote them out in General Election. The UK Labour Government spent Billions on wasted projects, whilst the severity of corruption wasn't as near as Thailand, they squandered Billions in failed Defence contracts, among st other things.

The Thai's had the opportunity to vote the PTP out but the opposition refused to participate on the 2nd Feb 2014, and the mass blockading of poling stations by the anti Government protesters also made sure that the votes that were cast would be declared null and void, so no matter what negative spin you try and put on it, the incumbent caretaker Government were offering a constitutional way in which they could have been voted out.

The issue was the fear they still had enough votes to retain power and the graft and corruption continued. Stevie Wonder back in February could see a Coup being the only choice left to make, as there was never ever going to be a compromise between the ant government protesters and the Shiniwatra Regime. The Rest is now history, which is like a wash cycle in Thai Politics.

These Coups are also carried out by a small section of the officer Corp within the RTA, who are the power base within the RTA.

So far the General's decisions, for the most have been very populist choices, and are indeed done with the peoples interests at heart, but the RTA above all need to be as transparent as any other National Business, NO serving Officer should be involved in being paid directors of civilian entities, it's a conflict of interests, there's no need for them to be on the board of business's whilst still serving their country. With these positions on various boards, are often "perks of the job". They should not be involved in anything that detracts from their Military role and positions. The Army needs to be accountable to the very people that they want to exercise control over, practice what they preach.

Their Loyalty is to the King, Country and the people, not other vested business interests, they should be doing that on retirement.

The Thai military mindset would never accept your lucid analysis. That would be un-Thai.

Maybe someone in this forum can inform us of other countries where the Military owns Banks and Media outlets: radio, TV and newspapers.

[djjamie]

The coup in Egypt came with more than 3,000 dead but the US wouldn't call it a coup.

I remember someone on TVF saying the Junta must read the posts and get ideas from here to implement. As much as I think it was a tongue in cheek comment it is rather apt.

I have lost count of the times I have compared America's stance on Thailand's return to democracy by the Junta and Egypt's return to democracy. Or America's favorable stance on thaksins "Thaksinomics" while condemning Chavez' "Chavismo."

Some people will still be willing to hang their entire argument on the fact that Morsi was duly elected and therefore there is no legal remedy until the next election. You know, electoral majority and all. America understand (when it suits them) that elections are not the only characteristic of a democracy and regardless of Morsi’s conduct to oppress political opposition, to manipulate the constitution, and violate individual rights he needed to be stopped. The Egyptian military, backed by the people, preserved their nation, countered the Muslim Brotherhood's insurgent coup, and reclaimed their country.

Shucks, this sounds kinda familiar. It is not similar it is nearly identical. BUT strip it all down to bare bone it is a coup. A coup is a coup. BUT some scoff when the Junta in Thailand say don't call this a coup. Why scoff? The Egyptian coup was not a coup……..according to America.

Depending on what America has to gain or lose will depend on their reaction to an international event.

[londonthai]

The fact that Washington had no qualms about calling the coup in Thailand a coup shows how little regard the US has for Thailand and the Thai military.

Now that is a kick in the arse for those members here who have for the past 6 months been crowing how the US and Thailand are one.Thaksin along with other past or present leaders of countries are American puppets doing for the west what the west want and that is eventual total control.

Keep it up General, and keep this garbage out of here. Maybe it is time time to start calling in all the red aligned posters to have a friendly chat with them also, no doubt you know who they are.

I'll mention it now before you bring the topic up to save a barrage of accusations and claims - because I am anti red doesn't make me of yellow persuasion.

Pro democracy and antimilitary stance doesn't make one a red. And, of course, army has the right to invite for lunch the majority of population. But so far only a song, a movie and crumbs from the the table

[londonthai]

I know it's not the West, but if it was a Western democracy and it was apparent the government were acting like criminals...exactly what would the people do? Sit back and let the government rape the treasury or take whatever action necessary?

I'd say that normally they'd vote them out in General Election. The UK Labour Government spent Billions on wasted projects, whilst the severity of corruption wasn't as near as Thailand, they squandered Billions in failed Defence contracts, among st other things.

The Thai's had the opportunity to vote the PTP out but the opposition refused to participate on the 2nd Feb 2014, and the mass blockading of poling stations by the anti Government protesters also made sure that the votes that were cast would be declared null and void, so no matter what negative spin you try and put on it, the incumbent caretaker Government were offering a constitutional way in which they could have been voted out.

The issue was the fear they still had enough votes to retain power and the graft and corruption continued. Stevie Wonder back in February could see a Coup being the only choice left to make, as there was never ever going to be a compromise between the ant government protesters and the Shiniwatra Regime. The Rest is now history, which is like a wash cycle in Thai Politics.

These Coups are also carried out by a small section of the officer Corp within the RTA, who are the power base within the RTA.

So far the General's decisions, for the most have been very populist choices, and are indeed done with the peoples interests at heart, but the RTA above all need to be as transparent as any other National Business, NO serving Officer should be involved in being paid directors of civilian entities, it's a conflict of interests, there's no need for them to be on the board of business's whilst still serving their country. With these positions on various boards, are often "perks of the job". They should not be involved in anything that detracts from their Military role and positions. The Army needs to be accountable to the very people that they want to exercise control over, practice what they preach.

Their Loyalty is to the King, Country and the people, not other vested business interests, they should be doing that on retirement.

The Thai military mindset would never accept your lucid analysis. That would be un-Thai.

Maybe someone in this forum can inform us of other countries where the Military owns Banks and Media outlets: radio, TV and newspapers.

Yes, it's north korea. Mentioned by the article we are discussing