To reform or not to reform, that is the question
Play
Suthep Thaugsuban has never really left the national scene despite spending over a year in a saffron robe. He now claims his decision to head the new Reform Foundation is not politically motivated. Is he sincere in his intentions? The red shirts certainly
The People’s Democratic Reform Committee, which he led from 2013-14, wasn’t bent on “wholesale reform” in its original formulation. The aim was to oust the government, period. Suthep was known to have been close to then Army chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha. Before entering the monkhood, he even claimed credit for the Army’s rebellion against the Yingluck government.
Of course no one knows the true extent of their relationship. But it baffled many observers that Suthep was allowed to organise a press conference that, despite its organisers’ claims to the contrary, was avowedly political in the platform that was presented. Among the declarations made were that the Reform Foundation would act as “big brother” to the National Council for Peace and Order in its quest to change the political landscape, and that it would act in areas where the NCPO and government could not, such as foreign affairs. At the heart of the matter is the campaign to hold off calling a general election until reform is completed, and nobody knows how long that will take.
Prayut, now prime minister, understands his dilemma. He cannot change all facets of public life within a year or two, or perhaps even in four years. That is why he has left tackling some areas, such as the police, to future governments.
Pressure from the international community is mounting, and the PM’s popularity among the public is slipping because of the government’s inability to solve economic problems quickly. With the threat of a strong reaction from red-shirt sympathisers, it’s not likely that the NCPO and Prayut would be walking in the shadows of the Reform Foundation.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. Even Suthep could not do it when he had 10 million people behind him and the PDRC. The fire has long since extinguished. Whether that base of support is still there, is open to doubt. Creating a “parallel government” is not a democratic movement. If the NCPO accepts the plan, it would make them look like a lackey of some organisation.
Democratic reform is a long and arduous process. It cannot be forced on society. Just look at the United States, the mother of democracy. How long did it take before a black American was elected president? Despite the bloodiest “revolution” in American history to cleanse social inequalities, and despite having a sitting black president, only some semblance of, not total, improvement in this regard has been made.
So I would like to propose to the PM to stick with the road map. Don’t get distracted and you’ll be fine. That way, Thailand will be spared from further chaos that is now looming.
Prachyadavi Tavedikul
