Abu Hena
Thailand’s army chief General Prayuth Chan – ocha seized control of the government in a coup on 22 May, two days after he declared martial law. “In order for the situation to return to normal quickly and for society to love and be at peace again … and to reform the political, economic and social structure, the military needs to take control of power,” Prayuth said in a televised address.
The broadcast came after he had summoned the rival political factions in Thailand’s 6 month long political conflict to agree on a compromise that would have hinged around the appointment of an interim prime minister, political reforms and the timing of the election. But neither side would back down from their entrenched positions.
So the end game was the military take- over: “As we cannot find a way to bring the country to peace and everyone won’t back down, I would like to announce that I will take power. Everyone must sit still,” Prayuth reportedly told the meeting. The Martial Law Act of 1914 gives the army chief control of the kingdom without assent of the prime minister and the martial law, once imposed, ‘relieves’ the elected government from the responsibility of enforcing law.
Irreconcilable dispute
The Thai armed forces have a long history, acting as an institution of trust to arbitrate conflicting political interests and stabilize status quo. The army staged the first coup in 1932 when the king was compelled to step down renouncing absolute monarchy and becoming a constitutional monarch. The coup leaders gave Thailand its first constitution and its first taste of democracy and built the ‘Democracy Monument’ at the center of the Bangkok city. The name of the country was changed from Siam to Thailand and national anthem was modified.
In the face of the perceived communist threat from their neighbors the Thais always preferred a more stable military dominated government. At many crucial moments the army assisted the Thais to overcome serious threats to democracy, national security and independence. With the promulgation of the National Cultural Development Act in 1940 various codes regarding orderliness in dress, good etiquette, efficient use of time and appreciation of Thai culture were enforced and in 1941 it became unlawful to make unnecessary noise and to use improper language.
The army had a big role in all these reforms which made the Thais a disciplined and ‘cultured ’ nation and Thailand a great tourist resort. The army also played a commendable role during the World War II when, after the war ended, the Japanese army surrendered to the Thai army. With a much revered king as the Head of State, Thailand has 99 percent literacy rate and I percent unemployment.
The toll of the pre – martial law violence is immense. Twenty eight lives were lost and 700 were injured since November. The economy slowed considerably since the crisis began and FDI fell to $262 million much below the monthly level of $1 billion. Consumer confidence went down to 12 year low. Domestic demand which accounts for 80 percent of GDP ran off the track reducing private consumption.
Corruption and dynastic politics
The anti – government protesters wanted to rid the country of the influence of Thaksin, who they say is a corrupt crony capitalist who commandeered a fragile democracy and used taxpayers’ money to buy votes with populist giveaways. They wanted a ‘neutral’ interim prime minister to oversee electoral reforms before any new vote. The national elections of January 2001 brought Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai Party to power. In the parliamentary election of Feb 2005 he won 376 out of 500 seats. He also made history by serving two consecutive terms in office.
In 2006 Thaksin’s family earned almost $2 billion from the sale of assets in their telecommunications company. Thaksin faced public discontent over his handling of Muslim insurgents as well as serious allegations of tax evasion and corruption. On 19 September 2006 Thaksin was overthrown by a bloodless coup and a constitutional court found his party guilty of a fraudulent election. The party was prohibited from participation in government for five years. Later, Thaksin was also sentenced to 2 years jail term.
However, his new party, People’s Power Party won two successive elections as a result of which his sister Yingluck Shinawatra became prime minister four years ago. She tried to carry through a bill in the parliament which would facilitate the return of her brother to Thailand. This move infuriated the anti – Thaksin opposition groups who took to the streets and demanded the end of the Thaksin dynasty. The Constitutional Court removed her on 8 May on the grounds that she had illegally transferred a civil servant from one post to another. The Thai scenario is symptomatic of the trend prevailing in the South Asian regions where dynastic politics has come to be generally abhorred as corrupt, irrational and autocratic.
Army responded to opposition’s call
After the prime minister’s removal, the army chief Prayuth Chan –ocha called on all political parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint, avoid violence and solve problems through legal means, following calls for military intervention by pressure groups. Sondhi Limthongkul, who played a key role in the PAD street protests that led to the 2006 coup, publicly urged the military to intervene : “The military must take a leading role with the backing of the people,” he said adding, “I am not shy about asking the military to come out. A coup is not always a bad thing if it changes the nation for the better.” To that General Prayuth responded saying, “Trust the military. We will always be there for the country and people to lean on, but let us be the last resort.”
Since the coup on May 22 the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) headed by General Prayuth has been busy stamping out criticism, launching populist measures to appeal to the public and fighting corruption. The poll results suggest that one month after the coup, the public is grateful to the army for restoring peace and order ending street violence. According to a Suan Dusit Poll released on 22 June the public gives the NCPO a high approval rate of 8.82 out of 10 for its first month. Asked what they thought about the overall performance of the NCPO, 72.79 percent of the respondents said the country is peaceful and without quarrels; 69.6 percent said the NCPO has tackled important problems including paying farmers their pledged rice and cutting the cost of living by freezing energy and consumer goods prices; and 65.4 percent want the NCPO to stay on until problems are solved properly.
The military junta also offered free entertainment under the theme of returning happiness. They summoned critics and asked them to ‘adjust their attitudes’ and work for national reconciliation. Most people would support General Prayuth as prime minister according to another poll by National Institute for Development Administration or Nida poll.
Making politicians irrelevant
The Traffic Police Division declared the ‘magic duo’ campaign to remove street vendors who occupy footpaths. Pedestrians have demanded right to walk unimpeded on pavements for many years. Many illegal weapons have been seized and many more found left on roadsides after the authorities issued tough warning.
Corrupt officials, illegal migrant workers, influential Dons controlling taxi services at Suvarnabhumi Airport and human trafficking syndicates are targets of the new administration for exemplary punishment. They are only enforcing the existing laws, putting the right people in the right place, kicking out the ineffectual persons.
All these problems plagued Thailand for years and the elected governments with people’s mandate either failed to address them or just connived with the wrongdoers. What is worrying is the future of the career politicians. The military rulers are making the politicians increasingly irrelevant. That does not augur well for Thai politics. The politicians, however, have plenty of time to ‘adjust their attitudes’ before a new poll is called.
The writer was a Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2006
Source: Weekly Holiday
