Thai editorial: For reconciliation’s sake, Army must stand down

[webfact]

For reconciliation’s sake, Army must stand down
By The Nation

 

The ‘agreement of truth’ will be elusive if reds and yellows cannot address fundamental differences frankly

 

BANGKOK: -- Finally acting on the promise it made upon seizing power nearly three years ago, the ruling military junta – the National Council for Peace and Order – has proposed a pact on national reconciliation that it wishes to be binding on the signatories from both sides of the political divide.

 

The junta plans to host a meeting of the political parties and other relevant groups to discuss what’s needed for peaceful coexistence. Deputy Prime Minister-Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan has established a committee to formulate an “agreement of truth” that would hopefully bridge the socio-political gulf that has split Thailand since the advent of the Thaksin Shinawatra era. 

 

Ostensibly the only restriction going into the process is Prawit’s vow that there will be no pardon for anyone who’s broken the law – in other words, Thaksin. That aside, this fresh effort to heal the wounds is fraught with problems.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/today_editorial/30304321

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-18

[SABloke]

Goodbye Mr. Editorial man. Say hi to the fishes >_>

[debate101]

They can't "stand down." The constitution was written specifically to give them legal power to continue repressing pro-democracy elements indefinitely.

[the guest]

The constitution has been changed, (very similar to Myanmar), where any 'would-be' government, must first be endorsed by the Army. 

[aussieinthailand]

9 minutes ago, the guest said:

The constitution has been changed, (very similar to Myanmar), where any 'would-be' government, must first be endorsed by the Army. 

Yu'p and still there are some here that think they are great,  look at Mayanmar over the last 50 years, did it work then? NO!!!

Will it work here? NO!!!  but the junta huggers think but Thailand is special....  

And every time good ol uncle too put's his foot in it or his brother/family/nut job's that cock up the supporters go all quiet. 555555...

[ramrod711]

29 minutes ago, aussieinthailand said:

Yu'p and still there are some here that think they are great,  look at Mayanmar over the last 50 years, did it work then? NO!!!

Will it work here? NO!!!  but the junta huggers think but Thailand is special....  

And every time good ol uncle too put's his foot in it or his brother/family/nut job's that cock up the supporters go all quiet. 555555...

 

Laughable, as usual, what would a person who can't restrain himself from calling other people "junta huggers" know about reconciliation? Nothing is your answer, more of a schoolyard bully than a Ghandi, that is for certain.

[maoro2013]

Well look at yourselves. Did seizing power from an elected government  break any laws?

 

[aussieinthailand]

1 hour ago, ramrod711 said:

 

Laughable, as usual, what would a person who can't restrain himself from calling other people "junta huggers" know about reconciliation? Nothing is your answer, more of a schoolyard bully than a Ghandi, that is for certain.

Awwww don't like the turm junta hugger's huh?  ok I'll "restrain" my self today just for you lil fella.

Recon I know a hell of a lot more about reconciliation than any of the junta do.

Junta say's No amnesty for Thaksin,  but we gave ourselves the mother of all amnesty's in the history of the country...

As for coming out with schoolyard bully and Ghandi,  Well who's the pelican that told the press if I want to use my full powers I can have you shot.?  politicl protesters will be gaoled, say bad things or be rude about the constitution and you will be gaoled, click like is a crime,  97% of the people support me, etc and the list just keeps going on.That would be uncle too.  

Who claimed that protesters ran into the bullets and thats why they are dead?  Suthep,  Mark's partner in crime. 

Who told the police to let peacful protesters march as they have the right to do so?  Yu'p Yingluk...   All facts mate no matter how many times you say no don't change the truth...

So what's that about schoolyard bully and Ghandi???    "Laugable"

 

 

[tigermoth]

36 minutes ago, maoro2013 said:

Well look at yourselves. Did seizing power from an elected government  break any laws?

 

No, but like every truely democratic nation the miltary has no part in poltics. Get with it.

[waldroj]

I like that this article names Thaugsuban and Tinsulanonda (along with Shinawatra) as being implicated in Thailand's current plight.

 

But, I disagree with the comment, "...What the public has to impress on such hostile figures is that the issue is not about them..."

 

As I see it, in reality, the issue is very much about these hostile figures and their accomplices !!!

 

As this editorial goes on to note, "...the military has always defended the centre of power and the status quo...". However, I believe the military has always been in the unfortunate position of being nothing more than a tool of these guys and their ilk.

 

So, it's probably no coincidence that the junta (with the support of the military) usurped its control of the country when it did. The possible destabilising of the country at the time must have been very concerning to senior loyalists who must have felt it had to intervene in order to facilitate a looming transition (thus preserving their status quo) with very little regard for national reconciliation.

 

Anyhow, that's now part of Thailand's turbulent political history. As for the plan to host a meeting to discussing what’s needed for peaceful coexistence (after almost three years of authoritarian rule)  - well, I think that as far as Prawit and his cronies are concerned, it probably comes down to ALL Thais knowing their place and kowtowing to those above them.

 

 

[maoro2013]

36 minutes ago, tigermoth said:

No, but like every truely democratic nation the miltary has no part in poltics. Get with it.

NO??

[Reigntax]

1 hour ago, maoro2013 said:

Well look at yourselves. Did seizing power from an elected government  break any laws?

 

 

They had to stop the elected government of the day granting political amnesty by stopping any elected government and granting themselves an amnesty. It all makes perfect sense to the delusional and sociopaths of thai society.

[aussieinthailand]

Now the really big question about this meeting people is,  Will the meetting be heald in Hawaii and will it cost 21 million Baht and the promise that they will just have noodels for the in flight meals just like last time this bloke attended a meeting???

And hopfuly there wont be any leaked photo's like the Hawaii meeting revealing the truth.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, ramrod711 said:

 

Laughable, as usual, what would a person who can't restrain himself from calling other people "junta huggers" know about reconciliation? Nothing is your answer, more of a schoolyard bully than a Ghandi, that is for certain.

Ah same goes for Shin lovers, here we discuss them and I too make remarks like this though I have no real interest in it. Just imagine how deep the divide is for the Thais (even deeper for those who stand to profit from getting into government). There wont be a reconciliation until people in government can't make the money from corruption they do now. 

 

I just don't see it ever happening. 

[sanukjim]

4 hours ago, SABloke said:

Goodbye Mr. Editorial man. Say hi to the fishes >_>

The Thai Army has and will ALWAYS be in charge of Thailand.

[ddavidovsky]

" the military has always defended the centre of power"

 

That's let the cat out of the bag.

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Ostensibly the only restriction going into the process is Prawit’s vow that there will be no pardon for anyone who’s broken the law – in other words, Thaksin.

Yes the Junta are all well protected in this regard. They knew they were doing wrong from the start and moved early to save their backside in the future. Not to worry their backside will still be sitting on the seats of power long after the election has come and gone.  

[Happyman58]

One good thing about the Thai PM He is funny I do get a laugh out of him Sometimes he just says things to Thai visa and it gets a great reaction. Ok the junta is not the best government but i come from Australia and oh boy we have lots of corrupt people there in government. Least here they do corruption right out in the open lol

 

[seajae]

for reconciliations sake both the reds and yellows need to be outlawed/disbanded, these are the 2 groups that cause the greater majority of problems although the reds seem to be more inclined to kill and cause destruction than the yellows. As long as these two groups are allowed to continue to stir the pot we will see ongoing conflict, their leaders need to be jailed for any infractions that are caused by either group and held solely responsible for all deaths/damage they cause. Hard to remove the army as they are doing what the police will not,  in the last couple of years they have cleaned up a lot of the things that the police simply ignored or were part of, unless the police step up and start to do what they are paid for the army needs to remain there to give them a back bone.

[mtls2005]

4 hours ago, sanukjim said:

The Thai Army has and will ALWAYS be in charge of Thailand.

 

It's meant to appear that way; they're just the 'muscle'. More cannot be said.

[mfd101]

What strikes me, reading the article, is how well written it is - intelligent comments, well expressed in good English. Very unusual anywhere in Thailand ...

[ramrod711]

7 hours ago, aussieinthailand said:

ok I'll "restrain" my self today just for you lil fella.

 

See, you just can't do it. You have a juvenile mind. Try a response that doesn't involve personal insults. By the way I'm 6'2" just over 100kg so little fella doesn't really apply, does it?

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, seajae said:

these are the 2 groups that cause the greater majority of problems

Two groups that have in elections represented a great majority of the Thai electorate...That shuts out the minority elitists from legitimate power and that cannot stand. So therein lies the problems.

[Reigntax]

14 hours ago, waldroj said:

I like that this article names Thaugsuban and Tinsulanonda (along with Shinawatra) as being implicated in Thailand's current plight.

 

But, I disagree with the comment, "...What the public has to impress on such hostile figures is that the issue is not about them..."

 

As I see it, in reality, the issue is very much about these hostile figures and their accomplices !!!

 

As this editorial goes on to note, "...the military has always defended the centre of power and the status quo...". However, I believe the military has always been in the unfortunate position of being nothing more than a tool of these guys and their ilk.

 

So, it's probably no coincidence that the junta (with the support of the military) usurped its control of the country when it did. The possible destabilising of the country at the time must have been very concerning to senior loyalists who must have felt it had to intervene in order to facilitate a looming transition (thus preserving their status quo) with very little regard for national reconciliation.

 

Anyhow, that's now part of Thailand's turbulent political history. As for the plan to host a meeting to discussing what’s needed for peaceful coexistence (after almost three years of authoritarian rule)  - well, I think that as far as Prawit and his cronies are concerned, it probably comes down to ALL Thais knowing their place and kowtowing to those above them.

 

 

 

Except that the military are part of the centre of power, the same power that are unable to win an election but believe their birth right is to rule, or at the very least control the country's direction to achieve the most self benefit.

 

Reconcilliation is just a loose word they use with no intention to achieve it. The military need the conflict between reds and yellows, as without it they are unable to maintain their status.  What will be interesting over the next few years is whether that continues as the leverage they had to get what they wanted is no longer the same.

[Reigntax]

11 hours ago, Happyman58 said:

One good thing about the Thai PM He is funny I do get a laugh out of him Sometimes he just says things to Thai visa and it gets a great reaction. Ok the junta is not the best government but i come from Australia and oh boy we have lots of corrupt people there in government. Least here they do corruption right out in the open lol

 

 

Im fairly sure he is more dangerous than funny. 

Yes, there are corrupt people in all governments but at least in Australia the media will investigate issues without receiving threats, whistleblowers have protection rights, people are not shutdown by using defamation or misused computer crimes laws and the military are answerable to the government of the day, not controlling them.

 

Someone like Prayuth wouldnt last a week in government if Thailand was a free society and his background and history investigated and published for all to see.