The people of Thailand were given a reminder of why there is political unrest in Thailand and why the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is fighting back. In what could only be described as an unholy union, banned members of the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) were seen meeting with the People Power Party (PPP) to discuss who should be the next Prime Minister of Thailand.
Just the thought that the TRT still holds influence of the functions of the Thai government is disturbing as well as insulting after having been removed by the court. Fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra remains in everyone’s mind because he is playing the high profile game to maintain his popularity with his supporters. As for the remaining 110 banned politicians from the dissolved TRT, they have more or less faded from the media spotlight and have been quiet for the most part. After seeing them playing a major roll in the selection process of the next Prime Minister, that illusion of being inactive has ended.
The fact that the mention of granting amnesty for the 111 Thai Rak Thai executives has found it’s way to the media again simply says there is no respect for the authority of the High Thai courts, and that attitude looks to make Thailand as lawless as Somalia.
The fact that the public hugely rejects amnesty and that the fact it is still a goal of the PPP clearly defines the single mindedness of this bunch. If amnesty for the 111 were to happen, then most certainly some raw primitive emotions would be unleashed by the Thais who have love and respect for their country and their King. If the one person in the country with the power to let the 111 off the hook, wanted them to be off the hook, it already would have happened or would be in the cards some place. There is absolutely no indications of that thus far. Add to that the TRT and PPP are one in the same, they simply would be letting themselves off the hook.
When you consider that, you can see where those raw primitive emotions would come from. To see this huge amount of disrespect and arrogance would certainly be one of the steps that would eventually lead to civil war. Quite simply the lives of every politician who voted for the amnesty would be in danger. The raw thinking behind that is ‘If this bunch of thugs is unwilling to comply with the courts while being alive, then certainly they will comply when dead.’ Although it is extreme, it is tied to the survival instinct.
Law and order is a key element to survival, without it anarchy will erupt. To understand that you must think of how life is in prison where there is no law and survival is tied to primitive violence. To self grant amnesty simply says there is no law. So every future conviction by the court would be meaningless as they would make it routine to self gant amnesty.
This would make the PPP appear to be as lawless as the pirates from Somalia who attack raid and take what they want from passing ships, including the ship. The response to them on the open sea is once again tied to the survival instinct, fight or flight. Seeing as the Thais can’t run from this, it only leaves fight, and that is why violence is very likely to erupt.
The reason granting amnesty is so much more volatile than changing the Constitution is the effects are seen immediately and is very much in your face. Changing the Constitution would be for future events.
Between the proposed rewriting of the Constitution and amnesty for 111 banned corrupt politicians, one can clearly see right from wrong. To side with the PPP means you prefer a lawless country and only selective reinforcement of law. It also means you wish to give up democracy and replace it with a dictatorship, and contribute to the countries collapse.
To support the Democratic party means also to side with the PAD. The intent here is to rid the country of corruption and not stand in the way of democracy. Democracy is an essential ingredient needed to implement the King’s self-sufficient economy. A self-sufficient economy can not exist in a dictatorship as there is little or no incentive.
To simply reflect that if the PAD did not step up to the plate and make a fuss in 2006, Thailand would have been overthrown by Thaksin. 2008 is no different as it is all the same players with all the same goals.
So this reminder of why things are as they are in Thailand, patriots are fighting for their country.
