Thai Junta doing Government’s neglected duties

Thailand’s ousted Pro-Thaksin Government grossly neglected it’s duties to the country by putting Thaksin first. So when the Junta quickly set about doing those neglected tasks and started correcting the self serving imbalance, the negative word ‘Junta’ is suddenly not looking so negative to many Thais.

There are several negative words and phrases in the world, and Junta is one of them. Other negative words and phrases like ‘Self serving’, ‘Rape’, ‘Corruption’, ‘ Neglect’, ‘Arrogant’, and ‘Disrespect of Authority’ are found in the same classification. Those words in their raw form is no doubt negative, and few could mount an effective argument defending those words. However if you do not use those words in their raw form, there is some good in them that can be found.

Such an example is ‘Snake Venom’. If administered from a snake, the venom is designed to kill and does so very effectively. However if you take that same snake venom and modify it, it becomes a life saving counter toxin that if administered soon enough can save the life of a person who has been bitten by the same type of venomous snake. So in this case the Thai Junta is that life saving counter toxin, or if you enjoy a play on words ‘Counter Thaksin as Thaksin has had the nickname toxin for some time given by English speakers.

But getting bit by a snake and waiting for the counter toxin to work is by no means pain free. So the restriction of news along with a curfew and suspending of some basic rights can be seen as a strong parallel to recovery from snake venom.

Each of those restrictions are designed to counter Thaksin’s influence. The curfew is to make it easier to catch people who would look to revolt against the removal of Thaksin and his self serving influences. The limiting of media although painful is nothing new, and many military operations no matter what country are done away from the prying eyes and ears of the media, the United States included. This is done for a tactical advantage and it all makes sense when you think about it. The only difference is this military operation is openly being done in and around the general population.

Many Thaksin supporters are Red Shirts, and the most violent ones are clearly out to cause more violence. So by depriving them of some or all of their abilities to organize and carry out violence, simply makes Thailand a safer place. Both the media restrictions and curfew work towards that goal.

So in retrospect the Thai military has not changed it’s position that had been common knowledge from long before the Coup was declared, and that is to take a neutral position and protect all Thais. There have been no indications that the Coup was self serving and ego feeding some Generals desire for power. Thaksin has been clearly harming Thailand by standing in the way of reform and driving a wedge between Thais. Correcting that will take some painful days and months but in the long run all of Thailand will be healthier in the end. The key here is to look past face value and see the underlying reasons for action taken.


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