Advice to protesters: obey the law and try to be constructive

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 01, 2013
Advice to protesters: obey the law and try to be constructive

I praise the restraint and emphasis on non-violence shown by both the protesters and the government in the current conflict.

I urge them to continue this focus especially over this Sunday, when the protesters will seek to occupy the Royal Thai Police HQ and Government House. 
The protesters have stated their key goals, most or all of which I support because they are consonant with former prime minister Anand Panyarachun’s Seven Pillars of Sustainable Democracy. 
I urge the protesters to be constructive and build support for their goals, such as the direct election of governors and police reporting to the governors rather than the central government, or turning the civil service into a meritocracy, as achieving them not only will rid our society of Thaksin’s influence but also make it extremely difficult for others of his ilk to follow in his footsteps. 
Protest, certainly, but within the law, and be constructive. 
Burin Kantabutra
Bangkok