Democracy is a process that takes time
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Re: "Post-coup diplomacy and the money trail", Editorial, July 5.
I agree absolutely that the Western countries’ knee-jerk reaction to Thailand’s latest coup was just half the story.
First, despite being mature democracies, these Western countries still lack understanding of how tricky it is for a country to develop into a steadily growing democracy.
For example, after 12 years, has the US been successful in turning Iraq into a free and democratic country – as former president George W Bush had promised before ordering the country to be bombed and put under US subjugation? On the contrary, things have got even worse.
Second, here in Thailand literate Thais are supporting the coup because they see it as better than the pseudo-democratic government under the tyrannical control of Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thais not only desire democracy, we are desperate for it after 82 years of scrambling and trying time and again.
Only that this time, Thaksin got in our way.
Now, all we need is a little time to clear our front yard before resuming our democratic course.
Vint Chavala
Bangkok
