Enemies of the State

August 30, 2008



I have been receiving lots of great feedback about my recent short political analysis (People's Alliance for Anarchy, August 26th 2008 found at http://www.dailytalkforum.com/showthread.php?tid=5743 ) and as there have been many developments since the events of that day, here I am again, writing a much more detailed analysis of the present state of Thai Politics. As always, I welcome feedback whether or not you agree with what I have to say.

First off, a brief chronological update before I go into the details.

-Warrants of arrest have been issued for the core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (or according to my previous analysis the 'D' for democracy should be replaced with 'A' for Anarchy, so I will be referring to them as the PAA), charges include treason;

-the Civil Court has issued an immediate injunction for the PAA to be evicted from Government House and clear the surrounding area so that normal traffic may resume;

-police destroy PAA stage at Makkhawan bridge, then PAA reclaims it awhile later after police retreated from the area;

-clashes occurred at government house when police accompanying the civil court's legal executioner had to beat protestors who tried to prevent the executioner from pasting the notice of injunction at 5 spots in the government house;

-various unions call on workers to strike and stop working, starting with the State Railway of Thailand SRT);

-PAA surrounds and tries to take over control of Phuket, Krabi, and Hat Yai airports;

-PAA tries to attack Metropolitan Police Headquarters and damages vehicles, but is repelled by teargas;

-civil court cancels injunction following claims of police brutality in the morning;

-coalition partners recommend special session on Sunday to find a solution to the present conflict.


The Rule of Law



The PAA's enemies have always been well known: the Thaksin regime (TRT) and now the Samak administration (PPP). Yet now they seem to challenge the authority of the courts. The most interesting and relevant development so far is the issue of warrants of arrest for the core PAA leaders. They were charged with treason, amongst others, which carries the death sentence. One point that I would like to highlight here is the fact that till today, the leaders have not turned themselves in. Instead they have chosen to remain in the Government House, and demand that the police should come and get them. At the same time, they surround themselves with women, the elderly and even monks. If they are true leaders of an army waging a so-called 'war' against the present government, they would not be hiding and would turn themselves in like honorable men, of which they obviously are not. This kind of behavior is cowardly to say the least.

Some irony can even be seen in the actions of the PAA. Just weeks ago, they staged a huge protest in front of the British Embassy to demand the sending back of former prime minister Dr. Thaksin and his wife to Thailand as there are arrest warrants out for the both of them and they are considered to be fugitives. Amazingly today, the PAA leaders are behaving just like fugitives themselves; rather than turning themselves in peacefully, which could greatly help avoid unnecessary clashes and bloodshed, they choose to hide behind a human shield.

One of the charges that have been laid out against them is treason, and it one can be sentenced to death if convicted. It basically labels a person as being an 'enemy of the state'. Unfortunately, some members of the Democrat party (the opposition) and some appointed senators (the non-elected lot) was somehow uneducated and stupid enough to call the charge of treason 'too severe'. I actually laughed out loud. How opportunistic of them to gain popularity rather than putting logic and the welfare of their country first.

Khun Korn, the shadow finance minister, even appeared at the PAA stage at government house and said that he was here to encourage the PAA to continue what they are doing, since there is nothing wrong with assembling peacefully. The same was said by Khun Rosana (a senator). These people obviously need a reality check. Maybe if one day Khun Korn becomes a real minster rather than hanging out in the shadow, and has to work at the government house, we can see if his enemies gather people and take over his place of work he will still consider that peaceful. If he and other idiots call the raid at NBT station, the attack on the metropolitan police headquarters, the occupation and refusal to vacate the premises of the Government house, the refusal of the core leaders to turn themselves in despite arrest warrants being issued, and most importantly the calling for a democratically elected and royally appointed government to resign through whatever means possible as not being amounting to treason, then what is? Don't forget that they are calling for a 'new form of politics' with the whole 70-30 fiasco. How is that going to be achieved with the current constitution still in force? It can't, which only means they are seeking to overthrow this government and rip apart this constitution and write their own version of politics.

A final thing to note on this point is the fact that the PAA do have a right to the freedom of assembly. However that right must be done peacefully, without arms, and must not infringe on the rights of others. I am sure the events which have taken place over the past few days are a clear enough indication to any rational person reading this as to whether or not the PAA are behaving in a peaceful manner without violating the rights of others.

The Democrat Party's True Colors


There is a particular reason that I have decided to mention the sole opposition party in Thailand's current parliament and the oldest political party in Thailand. There have always been suggestions of the Democrat's party involvement in the PAA movement; recently that was confirmed through a number of events. Well first off, it is quite obvious from the fact that a Democrat MP (Dr. Somkiat) is a core leader of the PAA. In fact, an arrest warrant was issued on charges of treason for him as well. Unfortunately (or the other way around for him), the constitution grants immunity to any member of parliament from criminal prosecution so long as parliament is still in session. Only a matter of time for before his arrest warrant takes effect then. In the mean time, he has the guts to appear before parliament and perform his duties with no shame. Yet one person who is in the 'shame zone' would be his party leader, Khun Abhisit. The fact that Khun Abhisit stood by this thug when he was charge with lese majeste during the squabble with Rajavinit School already spoke volumes about Khun Abhisit's standards. And now, Khun Abhisit seems fine with a member of his party being charged with treason still continuing his job as a member of parliament and remains a member of the Democrat Party. Is this not a form of double standards considering the fact that it was Khun Abhisit that seems to be a champion of morals? I recall him calling for Khun Jakrapob's immediate resignation when he was charged for lese majeste after making statements to the FCC.

It does not end with Dr. Somkiat of course. The fact that Khun Abhisit went personally to where the PAA were gathering, along with the likes of Khun Korn, just to give moral support rather than to condemn what the PAA has done so far, already shows the true colors of the Democrat Party; another irony considering the name of their party. Like I had previously stated, the Democrat Party is behaving like crook opportunists who are willing to turn a blind eye to an illegal movement so long as somehow they can achieve some personal gain in the end, perhaps they hope that they will finally be allowed to form a government considering they will probably never be able to do so through the ballot, hence the cheap tactic. In my opinion, the PAA may very well bring the downfall of not only the stability of our great nation, but also the popularity of the democrats once people see what kind of double standards they apply and how they are so cheap as to back the PAA despite common sense and the rule of law not being on its side.



Where Do We Go From Here?



That's a good question. I honestly don't know. But here are some possible outcomes and things than could happen in the next few days. First, the PAA leaders could come to their senses, turn themselves in to face the charges, and tell the protesters to disperse, maybe back to Makhawan bridge; highly unlikely considering the fact that these criminals made it clear that they will only leave once the cabinet leaves and they succeed in their goal of getting rid of this government through, and I stress this again, whatever means possible. A second possible outcome could be the resignation of Khun Samak, the prime minister. While this might ease tensions a bit, it does not necessarily solve the whole problem; the PAA don't just want him to go, they want to somehow 'reform' Thai politics so the whole cabinet must go with him and so will the constitution. What about dissolving parliament? Unlikely to solve anything since the PAA knows that the majority of the population will once again vote the PPP or whatever proxy party back into power. Considering the recent moves by the Democrats, the PPP might even win by a bigger margin than last time. As I am writing this, the coalition partners in the government, specifically the Chart Thai Party leader Khun Banharn proposed the idea of having a special parliamentary session on Sunday to find a way out of the current crisis gripping our nation. I like this idea, and I hope that the ruling government, Democrat party, and the self-righteous senators put the interests of their nation before themselves.

It seems then that the possible outcomes are quite numerous, and I intentionally chose not to list them all because they are endless. But there is a particular outcome that I would like to highlight: violence and the spilling of Thai blood. As much as I hope it never comes to this and all parties come to their senses, it is starting to look inevitable. I would like what I'm about to say to be food for thought to those who continue to ask the government to "use restraint and to not use force against the protestors, etc". What I would like to hear is some way for the police to reclaim government house, for the government to continue its work at that place, with the PAA out of there since their continued occupation is ILLEGAL by any standards. The people there have warrants of arrest out for their heads to appear in a court of law, and they hide inside. If a criminal locks himself up in your home, for how long will you tolerate negotiating with him? There comes a time when the government must put their foot down and set a precedent: the taking over of government property by the public which inhibits the government from performing their duties and to unjustly cause hardship to their fellow citizens must never be tolerated.

The PAA has already shown the whole nation that they never intended to use 'peaceful' means to achieve what they want. They will do it by any means possible, even with the use of violence. Now we hear that they are trying to shut down major airports. Who benefits? Are these people even thinking about what is in the best interests of Thailand? I guess not. Maybe they have forgotten how much we depend on tourism, and the number of business which will be (and already are) badly affected by their illogical and unjustified acts of treason. Just last night, some of the protestors wanted to leave the government house to go home. To their surprise, the PAA guards refused to let them leave and even locked up the gates to make sure no one got out. In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before the PAA implodes unless some drastic measures are taken by whichever side.

I was very encouraged when on Wednesday, a day after the PAA decided to take control of Thailand, I was having lunch in the canteen of my faculty at Chulalongkorn University and I noticed a group of students gathering and took turns at the microphone denouncing the acts of the PAA as amounting to treason and that they had to face the wrath of the law. Then today over the radio students at Thammasat University seem to have formed a group to denounce the PAA and demand an immediate end to their illegal acts. In a country of over 63 million people, logic would dictate that the PAA has no authority whatsoever to continue what they are doing. These types of denunciations must continue until more people come to their senses.

In conclusion, my dear readers, I would like to beg for each and every one of you to resist supporting what the PAA is asking for and denounce their movement. Am I asking for you to love and adore the Samak government? Most definitely not. You have the very right to not like the government or whichever party. That is your right, and no one can take that away. You want to protest? Do it peacefully, and do not infringe on the rights of anyone else. The PAA has stepped over the line by miles. Each and every thing they have done so far shows that they are not the peaceful demonstrators they once were. They are trying to cripple our nation, to bring the government to its knees, by whatever means possible, and this must not be tolerated. Just imagine the future consequences: a government chosen by the people of this country, receiving the blessings of His Majesty the King, being toppled through mob-rule. How can a group of people, however many thousands in number, tell us, the majority and law-abiding citizens of Thailand, how the government should function, what rules should and should not apply, and who should be in charge? Who do they think they are? Just today, they even told the deputy commissioner general of the Royal Thai Police to 'hand over the police in charge of using force against the PAA, so that they may punish him for what he did'. Unbelievable isn't it? Apparently they think they somehow have the mandate to decide someone's guilt. I cannot say this enough: the PAA have gone too far and must be stopped. The government must put their foot down, and it is about time that rational and reasonable Thais see through their façade of claiming to be a peaceful movement. Whatever happens in the next few days, whether or not PM and his cabinet resigns, under no circumstances can we accept the actions of the PAA over the last few days. My fellow citizens, it is time we show the PAA that there are more educated and rational Thais than those paid and brainwashed to join their treacherous cause. The rule of law must prevail, the core leaders of the PAA must be arrested and appear before a court of law, the PAA must leave government house and cease their occupation of various airports. Only then can we take steps towards creating national reconciliation and ensure that everything is done within the scope of the supreme law of the land.

"L'état c'ést moi!" (Louis XIV) - "L'état ce sommes nous!" -

There is one scenario that I read in a Thai Blog somewhere and it made sense to me. The fellow said that if the military stepped in it would probably overthrow the Government but that would create a power vacuum and they would have to take down the PAD or PAA, as you like to say, at the same time. Leaving a level playing field for the future.

The PPP or whatever they call themselves in the future, would win an election tomorrow and everyone knows it including the perennial bridesmaid Democrats. And from what I hear PPP would probably win bigger than before. The Democrats would sell their soul to form a government, or is that what they are doing now?

When we moved back to Canada 5 years ago I could feel that the society was being polarized and I can see the North/Northeast follow the lead of the south and become just as, if not more, problematic than the PAD is now if they feel that once again their power base is stolen from them. I think they were very restrained in the last coupe but I don't think that can last forever. If you keep kicking your dog one day he'll bite back. We had a taste of it in areas like Ubon a few weeks ago. The Army has always been built on the backs of the rural poor who don't have the money or education to jump the que and get out of conscription. If the North and Northeast ever erupted there would be a lot of Military trained poor to deal with.