People need to have better respect for democracy

Pornpimol Kanchanakak raises an interesting question when she asks whether the non-violent resistance of Gandhi or Martin Luther King would work in Thailand. As she notes, its effectiveness depends on whom you are protesting against. For example, non-violent resistance would not have worked in Nazi Germany, where protesters would simply have been shot on sight.

But Ms Pornpimol is right that Gandhi’s non-violent resistance was effective against the “more civilised” British.

While American civil rights leader Martin Luther King was assassinated, his non-violent tactics had achieved a great deal prior to his death.

Would these tactics work in Thailand? While the Thai military did crack down hard on the red shirts in 2010 it would be absurd to compare the military to the Nazis. The military was responding to extreme provocation and it would be laughable to compare the red shirts to Gandhi or King.

The problem isn’t that the Thais don’t have a Gandhi or a Luther King. The problem is that the Thais behave like three-year-old children throwing a tantrum while having no understanding of democracy.

For example, could anyone imagine Gandhi or King supporting something like the lese majeste law in order to jail and terrify political opponents? Or could we picture those two great men running into a hospital and chasing out sick people, as the red shirts did?

Until Thais grow up and develop a healthy respect for democracy, there is not a damn thing a Gandhi or a King can do to help them.

Eric Bahrt

Pattaya