Both sides in Thailand want democracy, so where’s the problem?
Re: “Junta has broken its promise on reconciliation”, Have Your Say, July 20.
Just what did the junta promise? Was it to create friendship among the opposing political factions? That is but a pipe dream. Essentially two factions exist and both claim to be fighting for democracy. There are those who claim to oppose dictatorship while claiming to stand for democracy, and those whose ambition is to establish accountability within a democracy. Both parties would seem to share one fundamental objective – democracy, so where is the need for reconciliation? The reason lies quite simply in the understanding of democracy.
The Pheu Thai Party and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) claim to be against dictatorship and for democracy while campaigning for the return of Thaksin Shinawatra or a Shinawatra family member to govern the country. That is effectively a dictatorship. Their slogan is “Respect My Vote”. They are opposed by Thais who call for true democracy, the form of government controlled by laws and not people.
Therein lies the cause of the political instability that has existed since 1932 when universal suffrage was established. The right to vote in itself was, and clearly still is, understood to be democracy. It is on this simple fact that the junta has failed. They’ve not established true democracy as the form of government that is about the law and law enforcement. Had this been achieved, all parties would then be reconciled under the same agenda. Democracy thrives on differences, but those that are resolved by argument and debate, not open and violent conflict.
JC Wilcox
