Kill the bill, then stand down

Standing down now has many benefits for democracy, and no costs: 

* It will give everybody time to cool down, so that discussion groups and voters can shed light, not heat, on the issues. The cooling-off period will also allow the public to separate the bill from the Preah Vihear case. 

* The goal of most protesters was to kill the amended bill – not to overthrow the Yingluck government by undemocratic means. Yingluck has agreed to that aim, and must now be allowed to show if she’s in good faith this time. 

* The Pheu Thai’s dogged insistence on expanding the bill, even though all parties except Thaksin have repeatedly said they don’t want amnesty, clearly shows that Thaksin is willing to trade off justice for the 92 killed, in return for his money and a whitewash. This is why Nattawut Saikuar, Dr Weng, et al, didn’t vote for the amended version. A cooling-down period will give red shirts more time to ponder this key point, rather than being swept up in their leaders’ attempts to divert their attention to defending the Yingluck government against mob rule. 

* It will give the Democrats time to realise that, having lost election after election, they’ve lost touch with the voters, and to reinvent themselves and articulate a long-term vision, philosophy and course of action to again make them a viable, attractive alternative.

Stand down, but be alert.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok