Nothing like the 'spring'

To call itself “Thai Spring” is copycat ignorance of what the Arab Spring or the Prague Spring really meant. The “spring” was an incident that ignited mass demonstrations. Did the unfortunate remarks by our PM in Mongolia pierce a can of worms? No, not at all, but they were made in bad taste. A slap on the wrist is sufficient to warn her not to do it again, especially at this coming forum in Japan.

The Arab Spring started because of one fruit vendor, desperate for a living income, being suppressed, humiliated and slapped by a woman bureaucrat. He took his life in a public display of self-immolation. Because of that incident, the whole Arab world under authoritarian rule was shaken to the core and has yet to recover.

So be warned, those in power in Thailand: do not push down defenceless people’s throats matters that are not digestible – like absolving Thaksin Shinawatra of guilt. That would be the quickest way to a coup, in which case one might reluctantly wish there were a man like Field Marshal Sarit Thanarath to block the indigestible.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok