Almost two years after ordering a massacre of his own citizens, former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva remains the leader of the Democrat Party. General Prayuth Chan-ocha, whose troops carried out the killings, is still the Commander in Chief of the Thai army, while many of the officers who assisted in the crackdown’s planning and execution were rewarded with promotions. Even the retired General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who staged a military coup in 2006 against a government elected three times, is now a member of parliament; improbably, he was given the chairmanship of a parliamentary committee on “national reconciliation.”
These men did not just escape legal accountability for their actions, which is the historical norm in Thailand, but got to keep their positions and titles. Few in the domestic and international press have seriously questioned their fitness to serve.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra remains in self-imposed exile. Mr. Thaksin refuses to serve a two-year prison sentence, slapped on him for the “crime” of signing a consent form, as required by law, endorsing his wife’s registration of a plot of public land she purchased in a competitive auction.
Since the elections of July 2011, the possibility that Mr. Thaksin might be allowed to return to Thailand, whether as a result of a royal pardon, an amnesty, or a re-trial, has been discussed regularly in the international press. The tiresome articles and opinion columns written on the subject almost never fail to describe Mr. Thaksin as a “deeply divisive figure,” warning of the dangers posed by his return. For the good of the country, it is said, Mr. Thaksin should not force the issue. His supporters in Thailand should simply let it go.
The international coverage of Thailand’s political struggle has a surreal quality about it. The man who has won (directly or by proxy) each of the five elections since 2001 is too “divisive” to be allowed back into the country. Yet the men who have staged coups, invalidated elections, dissolved four political parties, arrested hundreds of their political opponents, and killed dozens of people to avoid dissolving the House of Representatives at an inconvenient time are accepted as legitimate leaders of the armed forces, major political parties, and parliamentary committees on “reconciliation.” Writers at the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, the Wall Street Journal, or the Council on Foreign Relations have never so much as suggested that these people leave their posts, much less leave the country.
Unfortunately, for a good portion of the Western media, the measure of the support that Thailand’s many “divisive” figures enjoy is not the issue. The issue is rather the identity of their supporters. For the past fifty years, Western governments, corporations, and media have forged a close relationship with Thailand’s establishment, all the while showing a great deal of mistrust for choices made by the people. The embarrassing diplomatic cables showing the United States Ambassador justify the 2006 coup to the State Department, and recommend that no measure be taken against the junta beyond symbolic gestures of disapproval or bland public statements, all the while blaming the elected government for its own downfall, are only the most recent example.
Indeed, Mr. Thaksin’s problem is not his “divisiveness.” Mr. Thaksin’s problem is that he is feared and hated by people to whom the international community and the international press have never applied the same standards, no matter how often they might trample on the will of the voters to defend their position.
Given the propensity that Mr. Thaksin’s enemies have shown for violence, and their proven determination to defeat him by any means necessary, it is not unreasonable to speculate that his return could trigger a backlash. Still it makes no sense to ask Mr. Thaksin to stay away, simply on account of his enemies’ hatred and disregard for democratic values. Telling Mr. Thaksin to stay away from a country he was elected to govern does nothing to either improve Thailand’s stability or heal its divisions. Doing so only emboldens those who have rejected the electoral process to continue to impose the will of a few powerful people over that of the majority of the population.
Mr. Thaksin’s enemies may have given up on elections altogether, but the international community and the international media should know better. Whether or not Mr. Thaksin returns to Thailand is of little consequence in this respect. What really matters is that Thailand will have no stability, so long as the elites whom Westerners treat with such deference do not accept to live with the outcome of competitive elections, especially those they do not win. For a change, the international press might consider asking them to set aside their sense of entitlement, and stop “dividing” a country that has rejected their leadership.
Although Mr. Amsterdam’s comments that Thailand’s elites refuse to accept responsibility for wrongdoing or honor the results of elections, ring true, he might be more persuasive if the current Pheu Thai government elected in July, 2011, led by Khun Thaksin’s sister, and which he supports,had demonstrated any will or capacity to try to address and hold accountable the same elite.Instead, the PT government seems intent not to “shake the elite boat” lest it trigger another coup by generals or judges.One is tempted to ask: what good is electing a government that sees its own survival, not the destruction of this cult of impunity, as the end game.
This article is purely progaganda of a paid spokesman of a long time criminal, with money. How this kind of propaganda can ooze into the rounds of media is beyond me. Does no one do any fact checking?
Anyone can view what happened in Bangkok on Youtube. I was there; the city was attacked by tens of thousands of paid anarchists who attempted to overthrow the elected government. Their invasion of a hospital was the final straw and certainly no other country in the world would have been as patient of violent sedition and occupation of a nation’s capital by a violent gang whose definition of democracy is the majority get to choose the country’s new dictator. Can you imagine if paid anarchists loaded a hijacked public transit bus full of diesel fuel, opened its throttle and sent it towards police lines. Or can you imagine if mobs captured police and murdered them after they were disarmed? All for a thief who stole billions from his country and tried to turn it into his personal fiefdom and who has taunted the law with people like this lackey Amsterdam? What country in the world would not use force to put an end to the terror.
The democratic movement is a purely middle class one, not these mysterious “elites” they keep talking about but never can find a name as an example. The middle class are being exterminated by thaksin and will soon perish or become his debt slaves like his red army of the northeast if something is not done to bring justice to the nation
I have lived in Thailand for 10 years and watched Thaksin completely remove all the checks and balances from the 1997 Charter. Amsterdam is his paid spokesman who twists the truth and completely distorts what I have seen over the years. I completely agree with the comments of Khun Laosuwan, Litemail, lek and Maira. Thaksin bought his votes and political allies. If he ever returns and it looks likely, Thailand is doomed.
These comments are typical of the radical right-wing dreck that comes from Thailand’s special brand of fascists.
The idea that they are asking all of us to BELIEVE that 15 million people – the approximate membership of the Red Shirt movement – are all PAID (??!!) to risk their lives and be shot in the streets by snipers, demanding that the army and palace elites stop pulling coups to remove democratically elected leaders, is pretty much PREPOSTEROUS.
Interesting that none of these commentators are willing to respect the outcome of the democratic process, because the people of Thailand have voted, again and again, for Thaksin – so if you don’t like him, that’s fine. But you have to acknowledge the basic fact that democracy must be upheld, even if the winner is somebody you don’t like.
Do not expect to write anything about Thaksin
without getting the useful idiot responses you
see here.
I live in Thailand for 10 years writes like he was blind,walking with a cane.
If anyone spent just six months in Thailand
decades or just a few years before Thaksin
came to power, they would be smart enough
to see what Thailand was then, and now.
Prime Ministers, and their parties robbed Thailand blind. Many were exiled only to come home pay a monk and a temple and have absolution.
You never hear that Chuan the Savior of Thailand’s brother bilked the country and left for England.
Thakisn’s mistake was to take Thailand into the 21st century away from feudal politics.
He was on the way to making the country a Singapore
that it could have been, 20 years ago.
Just look at these posts, all anti Thaksin
nothing fair and objective. They are a bunch of brainwashed cowards. Thais thinks they are the Aryan race of South East Asia. They are polluted
in their minds.
Who divides Thailand? Thaksin Shinawathra. He could simple give back the money he stole, exit the business of money politics forever or return to face justice and then live out his life quietly, but he instead chooses to continue his grand quest to become the next great leader Kim Jong-il, which the Thai people would never tolerate.
Lets be fair you know who
The royals and those around them !
Start with Pa Prem and go from there your
all losers
Yeh. This is a nice pice of Thaksin’s propaganda. Written by his high profile Lawyer.
…..
Who divides Thailand?
Thaksin Shinawathra does.
Thailand was never so divides until Thaksin came to power.
His ambition is so big, he wants everything to be his own.
So, he bought the votes of the poors and bribed MPs. from other parties. So, he could control totally in the cabinet. Thaksin ran the country as though it was his own company.
For the crime commited above, Thaksin as a government personel has no right to do business with the government, however, he allowed his wife to do it. That is why he was sentenced to 2 years in prison.
Thaksin is not a self exile, as you mention, he is a fugitive.
And worse of all, he was the most corrupt priminister that Thailand has ever had.
We are thankful to the military for the coup. And if Thaksin come back to Thailand by the end of the year as he said , certainly, we will fight back on the street of Bangkok again.
Everytime the selfproclaimed famous international Lawyer sents
his client the selfproclaimed leader of the underprivileged Poor
hunted by the Elite his quaterly invoice, he has to justify this expense.
Due to the fact that he cannot find any credible International Court
which would take up the baseless claims by Thaksins
Cheerleaders of Terror he has to publish his nonsensical
Propaganda Claims in any available Media.
Purpose of this article is certainly the same as of the
“Interviews” (no questions allowed) by the Puppet Master.
To deviate from the fact this People Power Government
which reigns with an overwhelming majority of nearly two third
did not achieve anything so far for its electorate except
the most beautiful and photogenic PM Thailand ever had.
And the shortest State Visits by a head of Government.
Otherwise the achievements are more for the inner circle
of the Shinawatra-Phombejra Clan.
-The highest number of Ministry Replacements in such short time
-The highest Number of Ministers and Top Officials related
to the Shinawatra-Phombejra Family.
-Consequently the highest rate of misdirected money
in recent Thai history.
A few non achievements:
-The much publicised Minimum Wage of 300 THB which
is still in Limbo.The companies which granted it had payed
more aleady before this.
And if it will be implemented eventually one day (certainly not
in Thaksins homelands)
the benefit will be eaten by the the increased Food prices.
The Rice pledging scheme did not at all benefit the poor
farmers but only the Middlemen (Kanaans,Credit Sharks)
which are the Basement of Thaksins Mafia in the North
and Northeast.
There is not the slightest idea how to manage the irrigation
and flood prevention.
Because all key positions have been occupied by
“loyal” People to Thaksin regardless of their practical Qualifications.
Coming to the Personell I have to give full marks to the PMiss
She is a real paragon in her performance of duty.
She outshines everyone in appearance and manners.
It is not her fault that she does not understand what
she is proclaiming and consequenty cannot answer
any questions.
And English is a difficult language, not only for Thais.
Beside her there is really nobody who gives the impression
that the bunch of people sitting together in the Cabinet
are really governing.
Despite the “Jack in the Box” Chalerm who jumps up
from time to time to tell some tales about the
fantastic success his beloved “Police” would have.
Unfortunately non of his stories could be verified
and he was presented with a medical certificate
to keep him off the bottle.
You said ” POOR”
What does your King do with his 65
BILLION USD?
Why does this country continue to accept aid from
many other nations?
This fallacy of the we are Thai is completely fabricated by the schools that you went to.
Now you are Thai Chinese, as it suits the purpose
Before the Chinese were Jek’s?
Stop the whining over Thaksin and ask
why is the country so poor in some places
and MPs have 6 or 8 Mercedes Benz”s?
those mysterious snipers
http://tinyurl.com/6pqlkom
You would expect this from the ” THAI” who love to talk democracy and live in a plutocracy.
How easy it is to slam the facts.
Anarchists? The opening salvo of this article
are the facts. In the past any dictator or any color
was allowed the decency to return. After paying the best temple and monk and the party who allowed him back.
Double Standard? Use Thailand with a Syrian
Analogy. Then think again.
The cables pronounced who was really behind the
coup and who was most gratified. It was not the West it was the powers that be.
You just have to firmly believe in the Propaganda
of Thaksins Cheerleaders of Terror.
And Thailand ist today certainly further away from
Democracy than before 2001.
Because Democracy needs people willing to take
responsability which are not in sight within the
Thaksin Camp.
The fugitive Leader set the best example.
He fled during the reign of his first two
Puppet Regimes Samak and his Brother in Law Somchai
which acted as the dummy of Thaksins sister Yaowapa.
The Big Boss knows very well that somebody like him
would never end up in a Thai jail.
Regardless who governs.
If he is convinced of his innocence in the 11 pending
court cases he could return and fight.
He has sent enough Lunch Boxes to convince any
doubtful Judge.
But he does not want this.
He is waiting for the Stute of Limitations for
the pending cases and wants to return
as the Master.
Of course he does not want to become PM,
why should he?
He enjoys his role as puppeteer.
The only role he is targetting is to become President.
Because Parliamtentary Democracy is not his thing.
Too many limitations for such a big Leader.
And Thaksins Cheerleader of Terror did the same.
Nattawut and Jatuporn fled into Parliamentary Anonymity
whereas Arisman and Jakprapob fled to Cambodia.
Hey you forgot May 1992?
You forgot Suchinda got away with a Palace kiss?
Did Chuan every prosecute the killers of the
people or students?
Did Chuan go after his brother who escaped Thailand
with millions to London?
What happened to Rakesh Saksana?
Another Democratic Party friend at BCC bank
Shall we continue?
Be a monk & Pay a monk, build a temple
and your exile is welcomes home…..
Sorry not Anonymity they where looking for
(maybe after their big “Speeches” at Phan Fa and Ratchaprasong)
but Immunity of course.
Amsterdam’s writing is paid for by Thaksin Shinawatra, the leader of one of the sides in this conflict. If you want a neutral perspective, I suggest reading Human Rights Watch’s detailed report “Descent into Chaos”: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/05/03/descent-chaos-0.
Human Rights and Amnesty is Shamnesty International
If they were concerned there would have been
no REFUGEE camp abuse in Thailand for more than
35 years
Libya would still be intact and Syria
would too !
Your Buffalos
How much did Thaksin paid you to write such a lie? You are not Thai and don’t have a clue what really happened. Thaksin got power because of the cheating and corruption all the way through the elections. Only illiterate people upcountry bought into his scams. I fell so sorry for you to be part of such a misinformation!