If you are an avid news surfer going to regular media outlets as well as blogs, you may have noticed a trend. Is seems that people who were writing about other things are now writing about Thai politics. The amazing thing is, these well established columns are authored almost exclusively by non Thais.
The phrase “Thai politics” seems to have become an oxymoron now well into world public view. The closures of Thailand’s airports by pro monarchy supporters has forced this once Thai only issue onto the global stage. Every country that has citizens in Thailand looking to return home after their holiday or whatever, is now involved in this mangled mess that is being ultimately caused by the deposed Prime Minister and now convicted fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra.
Columnists that normally write about anything other than Thai politics, have been drawn to this fiasco simply because it tends to defy logic and most certainly common sense. The group of self serving corrupt Thai politicians simply refuse and totally reject any and all measures to do the right thing.
The new Constitution voted on by the Thai people in August 2007, is the single most powerful document Thailand has ever seen, and is forcing the corrupt politicians to toe the line. The corrupt politicians adamant rejection and attempts to disable this powerful document is near the core of this display of self serving madness. Their display of openly trying to do the wrong thing is like going to a side show at a traveling circus. Step right up, and see the bearded lady, the lizard man, the square headed man, monkey boy and the Thai politician! That certainly sounds harsh, but it is essentially the draw that has captured the worlds attention.
Meanwhile the pro monarchy supporters are fighting and dying to keep this document untouched, and closing the airports was meant as strategic leverage to get the corrupt government to step down. Needless to say the government did not budge further displaying the absurdity of this Thai government and their desire to defy logic and common sense. They would rather let the country bleed billions of Baht rather than step down.
Needless to say the Thai people are embarrassed. A recent poll shows that over 90% of the Thais feel ashamed about the behavior of their government.
How something like this can exist in what people like to call a modern world is a curiosity. The questions range from how a country like Thailand known for it’s hospitality, make such an error on electing this bunch, to other questions being will it happen again thus further embarrassing the Thais. Needless to say this corrupt government is making all Thais look foolish even if they voted for them or not.
As it would be Thailand will now remain a curiosity and a freak show until a proper government becomes dominant. As it would be, not all Thai politicians are this way. Politicians from the democratic party for the most part have displayed what would be considered normal behavior. The politicians who are associated with the fugitive Thaksin are the ones in the side show.
Unfortunately, it now seems both sides “would rather let the country bleed billions of Baht rather than step down.”
It will be interesting to see where the next round takes us. Will we all be back to this position again in 6-12 months?
Until Thaksin can be successfully removed from placing his hands in Thai politics, I believe the answer is a resounding yes.
Trouble is, the politicians who defy all logic and common sense are using Thug-sin’s money to do it – and there’s a lot to go around. And politics is not the only thing he’s stirring. It’s much more than that.. it’s his ‘higher’ aim that must be stopped. Having witnessed this through numerous feeds and blogs, I can see why the PAD needed to step up their strategy even if it caused a lot of criticism. But then, any ethical politician would have left long before the governement house – let alone the airport – is sieged. Well..we believe we are doing the right thing for that ‘higher’ cause – and are more than willing to take the criticisms and even the risk of losing lives.
One day.. pray it won’t be too long.. the rest of us in Thailand will see ‘the truth’!