Suthep should help us build a better tomorrow, not fight
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The Democrats are out to uproot the Thaksin regime. But Thailand was never a Garden of Eden, nor was Thaksin the snake that destroyed that dream. Even if Thaksin's influence was eliminated, we would still have problems galore, such as our dismal education
Suthep should, instead, seek to build a society that more effectively meets the needs of all Thais by building on the noble ideas of democracy that his party is named after but hasn’t followed. Let the Seven Pillars of Sustainable Democracy of former prime minister Anand Panyarachun guide the party’s every action – reliance on elections, political tolerance, rule of law, freedom of expression, accountability and transparency, decentralisation and civil society.
Thus, for example, show political tolerance, freedom of expression and civil society by fostering free and open debate in universities on what our beloved King meant when he said, “Charges against those accused of lese majeste should be dropped, and those held in jail for lese-majeste should be released...The use of the lese-majeste law ultimately damages the monarchy.”
Foster accountability and rule of law by amending the emergency decree so that the authorities are accountable for their acts, even if committed under order. Decentralise our education system and give the deep South exactly the same rights (and no more) as we in Bangkok have by making them into a special administrative zone.
Build a better tomorrow for our children, not a devastated ground zero.
Burin Kantabutra
Bangkok
