Democracy was never properly set up here

Firstly, my suggestion was not to “adapt” democracy, but to “adopt” democracy. They have two very different meanings.

Surely, the reason for Khun Sondej’s assertion is that Thailand has never had a constitution which embodies the principles of democracy. The erroneous boast of being a democracy is based on the fact that people were awarded the right to vote in 1932 at the time when the monarchy became constitutional. Two principles of democracy were thereby established, but only two.

Were the essential principles of democracy to have been embodied in the 1932 charter, democracy would have been born. By now Thais would enjoy the benefits of equal rights and the discipline of accountability under the law. The point is accountability would apply to government not only the people. An apolitical police force would have developed to police these principles together with a strong Constitutional Court. Awarding the right to vote without establishing democracy as the form of government was and still is the enemy of democracy.

The right to vote alone gives licence to exploitation without accountability. It is this simple fact, whether by design or not, which is and has been the cause of political instability since 1932.

Democracy has to start somewhere and even at this late stage it can be introduced in writing with a truly democratic charter. It is not too late. Until democracy is established nothing will change. Democracy will continue to be a delusion until a democratic charter is produced by adoption. 

JC Wilcox