Why the middle class backs the military

To say that the military had no choice but to intervene betrays both bias and an ignorance of current affairs. Many countries have had social unrest involving demonstrations, riots and loss of life without the need for an illegal military coup. There the president or the prime minister is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Thai Army considers itself above elected representatives and free to act against any elected government it disapproves.

As for his vilification of the so-called red shirts, who took part in street protests that shut down the democratically elected government and brought about the 2006 coup? Who shut down Bangkok’s airports in 2008? Who exploded bombs outside the passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi during this demonstration? Who stormed the prime minister’s office and sealed off parliament? Who in 2014 again brought government to a halt by invading government offices? The answer to all these questions is, of course, the yellow shirts. It is interesting that, while the Army refused to follow orders to restore order in 2008, they were happy to attack red-shirt demonstrators in 2010 with live ammunition, massacring 85 of them.

Sehgal and his ilk are blind to all this, of course. They are not interested in democracy or justice. They are interested in domination of the majority by the minority. Since I first came to Thailand 17 years, when the population was 10 per cent wealthy and 90 per cent poor, a middle class has emerged that largely identifies with the rich and privileged minority to gain status. They will not give up their privilege without a fight. So naturally Sehgal will voice his disapproval of anyone who criticises the military, because they are his last defence to protect the elitist society he gains from.

Keith Barlow