Rule of law is the only ‘attitude adjustment’ Thailand ever needed
Recently, Suthep Thaugsuban was asked whether he would accept the result of a future election were the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, UDD, to win. He simply reiterated the need for fundamental reform including of the police force, law enforcement and the electoral system before any election.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has continually called for “attitude adjustment” across the country and encouraged conciliation, but little reform seems to have taken place. Three years ago a military coup became inevitable to avoid civil war as the country had become a failed state. This grievous situation arose due to the lack of law enforcement and accountability. The police force was partisan and no one was accountable under the law.
Had accountability been established, and the police and judiciary been institutionally apolitical, there would have been a total “attitude adjustment”. Violation of the law would have been fairly but firmly dealt with. Had the politically motivated murdering of innocent people on the streets resulted in life incarceration, attitudes would have adjusted overnight.
Were these reforms to be firmly established, it would matter far less which party governed because they would all be accountable under the law that would be apolitically enforced.
Unfortunately the recent discovery of a large arms cache in the house of a UDD supporter would suggest nothing has changed.
JC Wilcox
