Dems' attack on forum proposal is sour grapes

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 2013
Dems' attack on forum proposal is sour grapes

Ref: "Reform forum under attack", News, yesterday.

The opposition Democrat Party’s attack on PM Yingluck Shinawatra’s proposed reform forum – that it is a political farce and Westerners like Tony Blair are not stakeholders and do not understand Thais – are somewhat shallow for a political party of this long standing. 
It is no farce to drum up ideas for peaceful coexistence and non-stakeholders are guaranteed to be neutral in rendering their thoughts. By chance, it may work. 
It is sour grapes for the Democrats to scream political jargon now. They should have thought of this outside-the-box solution when they were in power instead of taking the offensive against the forum now. 
Similarly, the havoc and deaths in 2010 could have been avoided if the police force then had the brains and willingness of the police force now to block roads not in front of Parliament but on the outskirts to allow a fall-back situation. 
The scare tactics against social media also help to stop the spread of discontent and rumours of a coup. 
The current show of force and strategy reveal how the Democrats were so inefficient and ineffective in precluding the upheaval in April-May 2010. 
Songdej Praditsmanont
Bangkok