For some the thought of Thaksin Shinawatra smashing his way through a room filled from floor to ceiling with breakable objects brings a smile to their face. For others knowing the depths he will go to get things his way give grave concern knowing bullets will be flying at named targets. But the bottom line, is what has fallen apart for Thaksin was caused by his own arrogance and desire to be above all.
What has happened during October and November 2013 in Thailand has largely been orchestrated by Thaksin Shinawatra. Being driven by his own arrogance and failure to have empathy for others, he has cause his own downfall yet again. His failure to have empathy for others has left him blind as to how people would react against him. His complete lack of feeling for the losses of his Red Shirt supporters has turned many of them against him.
When Thaksin’s Pheu Thai Party (PTP) started execution of Thaksin’s orders to push through an Amnesty bill that would let him off the hook for the jail time he was due, as well as open the door to get the ill gotten money back the courts took from him, it cost him the support of the Red Shirts. That is shown in that the pro and anti Thaksin rallies were for the most part the same size. Now after the Amnesty bill debacle, the Anti Thaksin rallies dwarf the pro Thaksin rallies in numbers.
The best the Red Shirts could muster was 70,000 people, where the anti Thaksin rallies were as large as 440,000 people being six times the size. Many former Red Shirts finally saw the true nature of Thaksin when he turned his nose up at their loss of life while supporting him.
The second blow to Thaksin that came in short order was the court ruling that the makeup of the government’s structure could not be altered to consolidate power. For the most part, it was a nearly unanimous consensus the court would rule as they did, but Thaksin’s arrogance made the PTP push it through despite the warnings he no doubt got and ignored.
What happened next was classic Thaksin as he instructed the PTP to reject the court’s ruling and seek to impeach the judges. By that arrogant temper tantrum move, the PTP led Government lost their legitimacy by violating the mandate given to them by the people to uphold the law. By rejecting the Constitution, they became a rogue government, and so far they have refused to accept that. They are acting as if they still have the mandate of the people and seek to punish the people that are now pushing them out.
In continued displays of Thaksin’s anger, it is clear that key people are in his pocket. The head of the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) is in Thaksin’s pocket and has also already overstepped his mandate several times. That was done by going after the Democratic Government that was lead by Abhisit Vejjajiva. By looking to bring charges against members of the Government for doing their job that was supported by the court, and that only another agency independent of Government influence can investigate and pursue sitting Government officials, this is clearly Thaksin screaming to JUST DO IT! Once again Thaksin ignores laws he does not agree with or are in his way, and once again in classic Thaksin style someone else will take the fall for that being the head of the DSI.
Other signs of anger was the appointment of Thailand’s Foreign Minister to head up the police in charge of the Anti Thaksin crowd. Arrest warrants have been issued for the heads of the Anti Thaksin movement and to go after companies that support them, however there is some question if they can be enforced in court as the plaintiff is a Government that has lost it’s legitimacy and mandate. The arrest warrants were issued by a court, but as with all cases, not all the cards will be shown until the court date. So for the most part, screaming and yelling by the Foreign Minister to arrest people looking to remove a government that has lost its mandate is being met by people rolling their eyes and thinking Thaksin is at it again.
The latest angry attack comes from now Labor Minister Chalerm Yubamrung. He has spoken up to arrest the head of the Anti Thaksin movement. However for the most part Chalerm has become Thailand’s W.C. Fields red nose and all. He was more or less sidelined by Thaksin from Deputy Prime Minister to Labor Minister for reasons we can only guess at. But with demands that the arrests take place in 48 hours says he has been on the phone with Thaksin and Thaksin wants his pound of flesh now for daring to stand up to him.
