Strong reaction to impeachment

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s impeachment yesterday was hailed by her opponents as the dawn of a new era, but characterised by her supporters as a new chapter that would ignite political violence and deepen division.
Weng Tojirakarn, a red-shirt leader and ex-Pheu Thai MP, said he believes the junta will keep the country under martial law in order to suppress anger generated by a move that some perceive as unjust and illegitimate.
He said the National Legislative Assembly (NLA)’s decision to impeach Yingluck was tantamount to destruction of the justice system and warned that people in the Kingdom could no longer expect to co-exist peacefully.
“This will definitely plunge Thailand to another political crisis. Though the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] may have [absolute power under] Article 44 [of the provisional charter] and, since there will be no mass protests due to martial law, the fate [of the NCPO and its leaders] will be like that of Sarit,” he said. He was referring to dictator Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, a much-hated figure who ruled the country with an iron fist for a decade and a half.
The red-shirt leader argued that since the 2007 charter was no longer in existence, the impeachment motion should have been void.
Weng said the administration may have to keep martial law in place even on election day in order to maintain control, because of political resentment against the junta. “But you can’t suppress people forever.”
Red Sunday Group leader Sombat Boonngam-anong said the impeachment was a bad joke, as the NLA was an assembly appointed by the NCPO, which had staged the coup.
“It’s a bad joke because an elected person has been impeached by a non-elected assembly. And not only that, this assembly, in fact, resulted from a military coup,” Sombat said.
However, it could be a blessing in disguise, he said, as it may help Pheu Thai Party transform itself and become less dependent on the Shinawatra clan. He said he thought Pheu Thai figures like Chaturon Chaisaeng should be able to lead the party now Yingluck has been banned from politics for five years as a result of the impeachment.
Mahidol University peace expert Ekaphan Pinthawanij, however, agreed with Weng, saying the impeachment could spark a new round of conflict. “If that happens, it will be a prolonged one,” he warned.
Independent political scientist Sirote Klampaiboon also regarded the move as unjust, but said his reasons were different. “The vote against Yingluck was unjust, because she was impeached over a national policy, which is a political issue,” Sirote said, claiming that neither the NLA nor the National Anti-Corruption Commis-sion (NACC) had the authority to scrutinise a national policy. These agencies only had the authority to deal with corruption cases, he said.
“[NACC member] Wicha [Mahakhun]’s statement strongly showed that the NACC did not agree with the Yingluck government’s [rice-pledging] policy,” Sirote said.
“She has been given a more severe penalty than expected. Earlier, people thought she would only be impeached, but now she could face criminal charges, which might lead to her imprisonment or even exile,” he said.
On the other side of the political camp, People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) spokesperson Akanat Promphan praised the NLA for marking a new beginning for reform and for setting a higher standard for politicians.
“The NLA’s courage in making this challenging decision marks a new beginning toward an era of reform,” Akanat said. “Justice under the rule of law is a true long-term solution to heal the divisions in society. The PDRC will remain a peaceful force that will closely monitor the progress on reform.”