Support opposition to red villages

Are those who support military dictatorship also expressing their democratic right to have a different point of view as to what is best for the country? I say not, because the concept of a military, or any other kind of, dictatorship, is contrary to the principles of democracy itself. However, even then, we need to acknowledge that some may argue that the very act by democrats in insisting that democracy should be the only form of governance, is in itself dictatorial.

The declaration of whole villages “red” in effect forces unwilling residents, who may in fact in some cases even be in a majority, to be branded with a label that is by nature divisive. In practice, a perception is created that red villages would be beneficiaries of higher budgetary and other kinds of support, not excluding direct financial payments to those agreeing to participate. None of this is democratic, not to mention the fact that it runs counter to the government’s supposed attempts to create social harmony. We would be naive also to ignore the messages of the red villages, many of which are adverse to the country’s key democratic institutions.

Nevertheless, any attempts to oppose the creation of red villages should be through legal means only. Such opposition is in itself an expression of democratic rights, and should not just be tolerated, but, indeed, supported.

Korn Chatikavanij

Bangkok