Thailand's New Normal

[Mentors]

The country's rural poor want a voice, with or without Mr. Thaksin.

 

 

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva put in place tools to use force if necessary against protestors in Bangkok this week, in the name of restoring normality to a city that has come to a standstill. He may succeed in returning Thailand to rule by elitesâ€â€but that's not a lasting solution.

 

The protesters, known as the "red shirts," are comprised mostly of the rural poor who want a democratic voice. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra showered them with attention and populist handouts during his time in office, and when he was ousted in a military coup in 2006 these voters felt disenfranchised. The red shirts want Mr. Abhisit to dissolve parliament and hold new elections as soon as possible. Many have told journalists they are willing to die for their cause.

 

Mr. Abhisit has tried to walk a fine line between rightly asking the red shirts to refrain from disrupting the city, and offering political compromise that will satisfy both the protestors and the elites who have supported him in office. He seems genuinely interested in a peaceful solution. As evidence, the police have refrained from violence in every confrontation so far with protestors.

 

[color:red]The trouble is that the longer Mr. Abhisit puts off addressing the protestors' real concerns, the angrier they will become. Since he became prime minister in 2008, Mr. Abhisit has mainly focused on maintaining political stability and reviving the economy. Those are worthy goals, but he has failed so far in his efforts to reform the current constitution, which was written by the military government and limits the power of elected officials. Nor did he present a timetable to call fresh elections until he was pressed to do so by the red-shirt leaders. [/color]

 

[color:red]Now the red shirts see making trouble as their only solution[/color]. They broke into parliament Wednesday, forcing a deputy prime minister to flee by helicopter. Bangkok this week saw several grenade and homemade bomb attacks against random targets, including some military bases, though no one has yet claimed responsibility. The central shopping district has been shuttered for nearly a week because the red shirts have chosen it as a rallying point.

 

Mr. Abhisit, left with little choice, declared a state of emergency Wednesday. Yesterday, the government started censoring opposition media. This is important because pro-Thaksin TV and radio channels are a key tool for rallying the red shirts. It is unclear whether Mr. Thaksin's nightly videocasts to the protestors will be allowed to continue.

 

In the short term, Bangkok's impasse could be eased if both sides would meet in the middle. The red shirt leaders have demanded that Mr. Abhisit call elections within 15 days, and their party, Puea Thai, might do well in snap elections. Mr. Abhisit has compromised by promising to call elections by the end of this year, even though his term lasts until the end of 2011.

 

[color:red]In the long run however Thailand will remain politically unsettled until its elites and military give the Thai people full democracy. That means Mr. Abhisit must embrace the idea that his party could lose in a popular vote. While that might not be an appealing prospect for Mr. Abhisit, that's how democracy works.

Even if Mr. Thaksin never returns to Thailand, he has set off a democracy movement that isn't going away. The sooner Bangkok realizes that, the better. [/color]

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304198004575171220925826474.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

[Pom Michael]

Simplistic rubbish.

 

"That means Mr. Abhisit must embrace the idea that his party could lose in a popular vote."

 

The Democrats have not won a popular vote contest since when? 1996?

 

 

[WorldFun]

thailand never had a 'normal' LOL